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Yes mate. I thik I remember her appearing with Gaffa too. The Nottingham music scene was a bit incestuous then wasn't it? Good days (and nights) though. I'm going to show my ignorance because I never actually got to the Bier Keller. I know it was somewhere near Midland Station but where exactly?

Here's Sally. Wonder where she is now? Newspaper seller, Old Market Square, 1981. This edition of the Evening Post concerns the capture of the Yorkshire Ripper, which dates the photograph exactly to 23 May 1981. The well-spoken newspaper seller pictured here was also a popular pavement artist towards the latter half of the decade. http://www.dreamtargets.com/nottm80s/gallery_0187.htm

Gaffa at the Imperial pub 'Cooler Bar', 1980 John Maslen of Gaffa

Are you contesting that due to the fact some sites are undeniably unreliable for pure facts, that the arrest of the Nottingham Virgin boss in 1977 is in question too, Craig? Therefore that Virgin didn't exist in Nottingham before the 1980s' as you stated?

Bit more info. "1977 Nottingham becomes the centre of the music world, sort of, when the manager of the Virgin Records shop in Clumber Street (it’s now a Superdrug) is arrested for covering his shop window in Never Mind The Bollocks posters and charged under the Indecent Advertising Act (passed in 1898!). Weeks later, Nottingham Crown Court is besieged by the media, as the word ‘Bollocks’ is fought over. John Mortimer, for the defence (yep, the bloke who wrote Rumpole Of The Bailey), calls upon an English professor from Nottingham Uni to explain the origins of the word. Before too long, the

Virgin were never there, they were always where they are now, not opening a retail store in Nottingham until the 80's i actually did an outside broadcast from the shop when it first opened, fronted by my then colleague Erica Hughes, and his highness Richard Branson was in attendance As for a record shop in that area, i actually managed what was my former workplace Dixons, as a shop that sold off all the old records,cassettes, and 8 tracks that the other Dixons couldnt move, could that have been it? So where was this store then? Diary from 1977. 5th November The manager of Virgin

Yes I saw that, Craig. No problem mate. Like I say, let's agree to differ.

Confirmed above in the thread, Craig. There most certainly was a Virgin record store on Kings Street. I used to visit it a couple of times weekly It's the premises that became the 'Pen Sense' shop. I don't recall there being such a thing as a 'Virgin Megastore' at that time of day. It was a small shop with a basement I and can definitely tell you it was there. Stu, i was looking for someone else to confirm it, not the guy im disagreeing with! And just to be Mr Pedantic, its King St, without an "S" Come on other Nottstalgians, someone must know the shops on the street! A photo would

Confirmed above in the thread, Craig. There most certainly was a Virgin record store on Kings Street. I used to visit it a couple of times weekly It's the premises that became the 'Pen Sense' shop. I don't recall there being such a thing as a 'Virgin Megastore' at that time of day. It was a small shop with a basement I and can definitely tell you it was there.

The original Virgin store on King Street was on the same premises as what became 'Pen Sense, I believe. The store was open in the late seventies. It had two floors. I was a regular custome. Re Goldsmith Street, how about Mortimers Tavern (Cavern?) and Isabella's nighclub behind it. Also in the vicinity, The Hand Inn, at the foot of Wollaton Street. On Wollaton Street also were The Ruddington Arms? which was something of an Irish pub and had wooden floorboards and rebel songs on the jukebox! There was also a Shippo's pub on the opposite side which I always knew as 'The White House' plus a chi

Anyone remember this discontinued event. I have few memories of it save knowing that it was started around 1971-ish. Curiously I recall walking through the Market Square one July Saturday morning, off to catch a train back to the relly's in Scotland, and seeing a pipe band performing in the square. I don't remember if the annual event lasted more than a couple of years. Anybody with any recollections?

Just dug out an old album here by Gaffa. It's called 'Neither Use Nor Ornament'. Recorded in 1978 at Berwick Street Studio. Featuring: Wayne Evans - mouth almight, bass Mick Barratt - drums, vocals, piano John Maslen - reverse guitar, vocals Eddie Smith - tremulant geetar, vocals The disc has fourteen tracks and to say it was recorded by a pub band almost thirty years ago sound not half bad actually. I liked those guys, they were always a great night out down at The Imperial.

Now that's what I call 'a time for giving'. There's only solution to trick or treating isn't there - GO TO THE PUB.

It's called the 'Camel trail' and follows the river (Camel) all the way to it's mouth at Padstow .We have discussed 'doing it' when the kids are a bit bigger Ah yes, remember it now, thanks mate. Me and the missus actually did Padstow to Bodmin and return once after renting bikes down at Padstein. It was great and we really enjoyed it. A stand out memory was visiting the old jail in Bodmin. Don't know if you've ever visited tehre but it's curiously entered through a room which has been made into a pub adjoining the jail. You buy your entrance tickets behind the bar! Well worth a visit.

On a similar theme I recall a local estate agent describing Warren Wood as 'Redhill'. Nothing at all wrong with Warren Wood but that a fair old traipse across a couple of farms, a country park and a cemetary to reach Redhill!

Love that part of the country. How about that nice cycle path on the old railway line between Padstowe - Bodmin (and Camelford?) Beautiful area.

Have a few fond memories or Carington Lido, going there with my big sister. For some reason it's getting soup out of a vending machine there that always sticks in memory - the hight of early sixties sophistication! Although I pass by there several times a week I've never had a poke around there from that day to this. It looks like a garden? Here's a nice read about another old favourite. Calverton Lido

Chalk - luxury! We had to use 'stone picked up off 'street! Some of those games of tracking went on literally all evening. I remember at times you never saw your mates before you had to go home. Hedgehopping - oh yes! In the days when everyone seemed to have a privet hedge around their garden. How about 'spirit knocking'? We'd usually head for a street with terrace houses and tie several door knockers together across the street. Approaching Bonfire night was always a busy time. Collecting people's garden rubbish as if it was gold dust and dragging the big tree branches etc through the stre

For some reason the kids in Arnold called dobby, 'ticky'. There were a few versions of it, ticky off ground for one. Another favourite was 'ticky hospital' where you had to hold on to the place on your body where you had been 'ticked' whilst trying to catch someone. Anybody else used to play 'tracking'? It was like a longer distance version of hide and seek. A couple of kids would be assigned to be 'on' and try to find the rest. The ones being sought would leave clues such as chalked arrows on the pavement. This might spread right over a mile or two and take all evening! Another game which I

Not forgetting the Nelson ??( you know the one with the well with the glass cover on it) at the top of Hockley and then on to the Malt house and QE Yep, all of them too. Never bothered with the QE all that much as there always seemed to be a crush and a queue for beer. Spent a lot of time in the Malt House though What about these two, I was talking to a fellah last night about the old Crystal Palace and of course The Corner Pin? There was such a choice of good pubs then. I go to relatively few in town these days.

Wonder if he rang it's bell? I'd like the speculation to start on how he actually did 'ride the bike'. !clapping!

Are there any lido's left in the locality? When I was a kid I visited Carrington Calverton Papplewick and there was also the aforementioned Bulwell version. How sad they've all gradually disappeared over the years. I'm sure I won't be the only one with many happy summer memories of these places.

I've got to say Rob, we saw very people along the way really. On a stage we would typically not encounter more than a very small handfull of people. That doesn't bode too well for the people that want to develop the canal back to something like it's former glory. I just can't see the like of the 33 mile liner country park that was proposed attracting funding. There's just not enough people that use it. It's great for walkers that enjoy a bit of peace and quiet though! Good luck with your question!

I'd always wondered where that word 'Shonki' or Shonky' came from. Probably no connection but I remember when I was a kid there was a fellah that played for Arnold St. Mary's football team in the old Midland league with the name Peter 'Shonkey' Burton. He was never known as anything else but Shonkey.

I wasn't exactly sure in which forum to stick this one but all the same I thought maybe any walkers out there might be interested. It's a little site I put together in the hot, hot, summer of 2006 cronicling a walk along the Grantham Canal from Nottingham to Grantham. The walk was split into six stages, one stage per week, each of around 5-7 miles so it's very attainable. As you'd imagine it's flat walk too making it quite relaxing. What's more it's a really interesting thing to do and there's quite a lot of history to learn about along the way. The camera came along and there are plenty of i