My name is Val and I was born 1936 and grew up in Manchester. I loved outdoor activities - hockey, tennis, climbing and long walks in the Peak District. In 1952, I started work at Metro-Vicks, a large engineering factory, in Trafford Park. There were 500 apprentices and I was the only girl engineering apprentice. I was good at maths, drawing, interested in design and how machines worked.

One winter evening, I went with friends for the first time to Manchester Ice Rink. I fell over on the ice and was picked up by a slim young man with blue eyes and brown, curly hair. He had seen me before, in the factory. He knew that I was Val, the girl apprentice - but had never spoken to me. He told me that he was John Crompton, from Leeds, and that he was one of the Mechanical Engineering apprentices at Metro-Vicks. John taught me to skate, found out that we were both interested in natural history and history of old buildings.

We arranged to meet up. John brought photos of Leeds that his father, Harper Crompton, (a member of Leeds Photographic Society) had taken. I was amazed at Harper’s photos of Adel’s Norman Church! I was invited to visit Leeds and to stay overnight at John’s parents’ house in Oakwood. We went early Saturday morning, by train to Leeds, then on the top deck of a tram to Roundhay and explored Roundhay Park before lunch at Oakwell Oval, Then John took me, via the Buckstones, through Adel Woods. We walked across the Seven Arches, climbed on Adel Crag and went on, via Stairfoot and York Gate, to Adel Church.

I still feel a sense of wonder when I step down today into the Norman Church and look up at the amazing chancel arch. I started finding out more about the history of Adel and years later, wrote ‘History of Adel’. John took me to Kirkstall Abbey. We both loved the Abbey and Abbey Park, Abbey Mills and the tree-lined walk along the river Aire. Leeds seemed so green, the shopping centre so compact to me, after growing up in Manchester.

After this first visit, we often spent weekends in Yorkshire, climbing the gritstone outcrops – Almscliff Crag, Caley Crags, Ilkley Quarry and the Cow & Calf. In 1959, we were married in Manchester. It wasn’t until 1965 that an opportunity arose for us (now with three small children) to move to Leeds, where (part-time) I worked with John, at Crompton Designs Ltd (a small Jig & Tool drawing office, in York Place, LS1). I was one of the first OU Leeds students in 1971, attending evening tutorials at Leeds Uni. I completed a B A Hons degree and appreciated using the Brotherton Library. I then did a PGCE at Leeds Uni and taught at Allerton High and at Allerton Grange Schools.

We, as a family, enjoyed Leeds concerts, Leeds City Museum, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds Playhouse, Leeds Urban Wildlife Group and Roundhay Aquarists Club. The Crompton family included dogs, cats, fish, birds, snakes, geckos, bearded dragons etc. John was Secretary of the Yorkshire Herpetological Society. We loved Kirkstall Festival. I was on the Festival Committee and edited Kirkstall Matters – as well as illustrating and editing Adel Parish Magazine, was a trustee for OPAL. I’m still (at 87) an active member of OPAL, Adel Parish Church, Adel Gardeners’ Club, Holt Park Library Writers’ Group - and Kirkstall 1152 Club.

Sadly, John died in 2021. I live near York Gate Garden (and have enjoyed being part of the Heritage Project, writing ‘Heritage of York Gate’). I still walk in Leeds green spaces, sometimes with my three grown-up children and three grandchildren – we all love Leeds!