My grandad Atkinson was an engineer. He was a very clever man. He was the engineer manager at Waterloo Main Pit (coal) at Osmondthorpe (Leeds), and he supervised six other coal mines. While at Waterloo he invented the first endless conveyor belt for carrying the coal from the coal face. He did not get rewarded for his invention as he should have done, as he designed and made the belt at the pit and the owners took credit for it.

If anything went wrong at one of the other pits, they would send a light engine up the line to fetch Grandad to see to the problem.

Grandad had a very serious head injury while down the mine and was not able to continue with his duties there any more so he took a grocery shop in Leeds to help out financially and he was there until he became ill. Then he moved in with Aunt Carrie at the Kings Arms (Public House) in Meanwood Rd. Leeds where he died.

During his life he built and invented the first motor car in Leeds in partnership with a man named Cauthray but when he fell ill Cauthray did him out of it.

Somewhere in the family there is a picture of the car and members of the family outside the RED HOUSE where they lived at Osmondthorpe.