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Bouquet for Goldthorpe – “Your Council Houses are Dandy” says American

August 1947

South Yorkshire Times August 23rd 1947

Bouquet for Goldthorpe
“Your council houses are Dandy” says American

“There isn’t a word I can say against this place. It’s the first time I’ve been here and I like it. I think the people are grand and always ready to help.” This is what an American, Mr George Kit (69), of Glendale, near Los Angeles California thinks of Goldthorpe and its people.

Visiting sisters

Mr Kitt is visiting three sisters who live in Goldthorpe, Mrs J B Tate, and Mrs C Hallam, 94 High Street and Mrs C W Headley, 2 Windermere Avenue. At present he is staying with Mr and Mrs Hedley, who live at Park Road, Mexborough with her husband and two children Sheila and Pat.

The last time he saw his sisters was nearly 40 years ago.

Mr Kitt was born in Northumberland but then “got the wanderlust when he was a boy” has since been in many countries including Canada, France and the Philippine Islands.

A blacksmith by trade Mr Kitt took up American citizenship after serving in the United States Army for several years. His two brothers, Mr Fred Kitt of Ohio, and Mr Edwin Kate, of Indiana, also had the wanderlust, and never returned to England since they left the Old Country. Mr Kitt is now retired.

For the liner Queen Elizabeth, in which he sailed to England, Mr Kitt had nothing but praise. “Tell them I had a wonderful trip and it is the finest boat I have ever sailed on,” he told me on Saturday. “You do not know you are on the ocean and we had everything we wanted include as much food as we could eat.” Mr Kitt will return to America in the Queen Mary and says that if it is anything like as good as her sister ship he will have had a perfect trip.

Not starving

Asked what he thought of Goldthorpe Council Houses, Mr Kitt said, “I was told they could not build houses in England, but the miners houses here are ‘just dandy’ and as good as can be found anywhere I have been, although I have travelled in many countries.”

“When I told the folks back home I was coming here they said ‘people are starving in England, don’t go and eat their food,’ but I am of the opinion that your food is good although not as plentiful as in the State,” Mr Kitt said.

“I had to wait a year before I could get a berth on a boat sailing to England, but it was worth waiting for. I’m having a grand time,” Mr Kitt said.

Mr William Kitt, Goldthorpe who died six years ago was a brother of Mr Kitt.