BulwellBrian

My Mum used to take my brother and I to the pantomime at the old Playhouse.

I have a few vague memories: of blackout blinds in the windows, of the air raid shelter in the back garden, of a bonfire on the cobbles on VE day. of my father in a blue police uniform, he was a civilian in the RAF police during the war, living at home and guarding RAF instalations in and around Nottingham including AA guns on the castle green. I remember blowing his police whistle, He had a flat hat not a helmet. I was born in 1942.

Off the subject of trolly buses but there were four Gunns that played for Notts. William Gunn 1858-1921 played 1880-1904 John Richmond Gunn, nephew of William Gunn, 1876-1963 played 1896-1925, George Gunn, nephew of William Gunn brother of John Gunn 1879-1958 played 1902-1932 George Vernon Gunn, son of George Gunn 1905-1957 played 1928-1950, the first three also played for England. William was the Gunn in Gunn and Moore

I think the Co-op owned it a long time before 1973.

The large coal bunkers at loco sheds were usually referred to as cenotaphs. One still exists at Carnforth.

The Co-Op was once a power in retailing particularly in the Midlands and the North but it lost its way in the supermarket revolution.

In those days the Albert Hall was run by the Methodist Church. It was one of the City centre missions run by the church. I would think that was the backing for the Saturday Club.

Colliery sidings were generally arranged with an empty sidings into which the Main Line loco would pull the empty wagons. The wagons would gravitate as required under the screens for loading and the into the full sidings from which the Mine line loco would take them away. The free wheeling guards van would have been detached from the empties train and picked up again by the full train when it left. The lake on the top of the spoil heap would be a slurry settling pond for the wet fine material generated by the washery. It was slurry ponds that caused the Aberfan disaster compounded by the

Such is the English language - another quote Slag - "stony waste matter separated from metals during the smelting or refining of ore". So colliery waste or dirt becomes slag when put in a heap.

More likely spontaneous combustion of coal within the waste tip. Incidentally not slag, slag comes from blast furnaces.

Thanks for reminding me of one of my worst memories, I think they were trained at Belsen.

Don't forget Stanley Middleton, he taught me English at High Pavement GS. Incidently I remember Susanna Clarke being born, I knew her parents at the time.

It's a long time ago now Stephen and my memory is a bit flakey, but I agree with much you said. Some were not around at the same time, the Stanier 2-6-2T replaced the LTS 4-4-2T on the Mansfield/Worksop trains. I never saw an A5 or K3 in the Midland but the D11's at Lincoln were replaced by D16's. I never saw an Austerity in the Midland but did see a couple of Garratts (not at the same time). Also Standard 78xxx. On the LNER lines I remember that the D11's displaced from Lincoln went to Sheffield and appeared on the GCR locals. in the early 1950's the 0-6-0's were classes J1, J2, J5, J6, J11,

I think the Northampton trains finished in 1953. There was always more variety of locos at Victoria than at the Midland.

I became interested in trains at a very young age, my Mum took me on a special train from Bulwell Common to Doncaster in 1953 to see the exhibition for the plant centenary. I remember going through the tender of Mallard on to the footplate. I was ten.

At Aberfan the tip was on the side of a mountain and had slurry lagoons in it which caused the instability. At Hatfield the tip did't slip but the weight of it cause a heave under the railway tracks.

If it was 8ft x8ft and they worked till lunch time (i.e. half a day) then it would by 8ft deep.

Them that can don't understand them that can't. Them that can't don't understand them that can. Two species.

Just got the shovels out and put the kettle on.

I once got on the wrong train at London Road High Level, I was intending to get the back line train to Basford North but mistook a Grantham train for it. I got off at Radcliffe and had to wait for a train the other way then get a bus home, very late mother not pleased. A mate and I used to catch a football special at Bulwell Common that went to High Level, I think it started at Shirebrook. One match the line through High Level was closed and the train went to Arkwright Street instead. These happenings must have been in the late 1950's or early 1960's.

you can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

It was Rigleys, no W. Its a common mistake. The firm was W Rigley & Sons.

You missed out Bulwell Colliery, closed in 1940's

when I was a child we had two electric meters, one took pennies and the other shillings, I think the first was for lights and the second for power, big 15amp round pin plugs & sockets. The meter reader came with his leather bag and counted the money on the kitchen table. There was always a rebate which Mother put back in the meter.

According to a Government list there are four pumped storage power stations in the UK:- Dinorwig 1728MW & Ffestiniog 360MW both in North Wales and Foyes 300MW & Cruachan 400MW in Scotland. I understand that planning permission has been given for a further one in North Wales of 100MW.