Mess

My bandmate went out with a girl, sorry young lady who attended The Manning School in 1965 and she lived on Morley Avenue which is off Mapperley Top.

The enjoyable but unseasonal warm days of last week have given way to the misty, damp, cooler weather which has started me thinking about Bonfire Night. Haloween didn't really feature when I was kid (I was born in 1950) but Bonfire Night was a brilliant event which I really looked forward to. IIRC some of the newsagents around Forest Fields started selling fireworks in early October certainly before Goose Fair was over. Remember when if the 5th of November fell on a Sunday (which it did in 1961) the celebrations were moved usually to the Saturday? I can't remember when that wen

Steve, I'm pleased you've worked out who I am. I used to live in the middle section of Russell Rd close to Laurie Avenue. St Simons Hall was across the road on the corner. You're well ahead of me in the retirement stakes. I've been doing consultancy/interim roles until recently. My wife is seven years younger than me and a teacher. She plans to retire next year. We had our papers from Beanlands newsagents. Trevor or Sylvia Beanland used to deliver it when they were short of paper boys. The newsagents on Russell Rd where you bought your Dandy and Beano comics was called Crawley's. Th

Hi Fewkeste I enjoyed reading your recollections of the shops in Forest Fields. A lot of what you wrote along with your user name makes me think I worked with you and your good wife at Pedigree Petfoods in Melton in the 1980s. I guess you've retired now. Is your first name Steve? I'm Ian so you may remember me. You may recall my sisters ex husband was Mr Cedric Lincoln who was deputy head at Stanley Rd around 1970. He was involved with the production of Yelnats a play you took part in.

Priceless FLY2. I did pretty much the same thing on the Waltzers in my teens. It would have been about 1969. There were gasps and screams from the onlookers who were convinced I was trying to top myself. It wasn't so much a case of Dutch courage more a case of Home Ales from the Grosvenor. Happy days

I think Baxters was a butchers but I'm not sure. Back in the 50s I remember a very nice bakers shop in that row. Not sure if it was Crowshaws or if I'm confusing it with the one that was on Friar Lane about the same time.

Talking of laxatives. When I worked in Boots QA Labs D10 Beeston I remember a new starter had a very bad cough. My boss said he needed some cascara. When I said I understood that was a powerful laxative and wouldn't help his cough he replied "yes it will because when he's taken it he won't dare cough"

Jill, That was one of my dad's sayings too although I didn't know it came from Shakespeare. I should add however that back in 1974 unlike loppylug's mam my dad did lend me £500 as a deposit on my first house on Abbot St Long Eaton Bless him. IIRC the house cost £4500 and I really struggled to get a mortgage but eventually Erewash Borough Council lent me the £4K at 4% interest. This was when all the major lenders were charging 4.5% so that was very helpful to a struggling newly married 24 year old. I sold the house a couple of years later for £6K and bought a new build in Loughborough

Jill, That was one of my dad's sayings too although I didn't know it came from Shakespeare. I should add however that back in 1974 unlike loppylugs mam my dad did lend me £500 as a deposit on my first house on Abbot St Long Eaton Bless him. IIRC the house cost £4500 and I really struggled to get a mortgage but eventually Erewash Borough Council lent me the £4K at 4% interest. This was when all the major lenders were charging 4.5% so that was very helpful to a struggling newly married 24 year old. I sold the house a couple of years later for £6K and bought a new build in Loughborough

You come up with some brilliant pictures Cliff. I was born in 1950 and lived on Elstree Drive which comes off Hollington Rd just before the start of Wigman Rd. You can just see the start of it in the upper left corner of your picture. IIRC The Beechdale Pub was built later on in the 50's as was Peveril school. You can see the shops are there by the Beechdale island. I guess they were built before the war for the residents of Felstead Rd and the other houses on the left in your picture. We used the shops on Ambergate Rd close to my primary school Beechdale. The school closed in about 1962.

Paul, You must know my sister Marion Cresswell. She was at Beechdale 1952-8 before moving on to Glaisdale. Alan Pavior was in her class. She trained as a nursery nurse before becoming an OFSTED inspector for nurseries. She was also a JP but is retired now in Tamworth. There was a picture on Friendsreunited of her class at Beechdale taken around 1953 or 4. I can post a copy if you haven't seen it. I was at Beechdale 1955-61. Most of my classmates lived in the prefabs. One lad called Terence Lane used to live on Plungar Close.

Always loved to hear the distant sounds emanating from Goose Fair. I lived on Russell Rd 1961-72 and it was always busy with families coming from and going to the fair but the background was the constant hum from the generators mixed with the music blaring out. A seemingly endless trail of mums and dads with their tired out young kids crying because they didn't want to leave or because their balloon had popped. The lights at night and the smell of the onions and candy floss just added to a very exciting time of year. Won't be long now me duck.

Oops. Sorry you weren't acknowledged Cliff. I knew I'd seen it somewhere before.There's a lot of plagiarism goes on between the various Nottingham sites.

There's a nice picture showing the Kong Nam signage here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=737748499748178&set=gm.799552426889970&type=3&theater&ifg=1 The little windmill below it was associated the Windmill Café which The Kong Nam took over. As a kid I was fascinated by that windmill sign which used to be illuminated. https://nottstalgia.com/forums/topic/12179-the-windmill-café/?tab=comments#comment-221633

Remember how back in the 60s at Goose Fair time the pubs were allowed a half hour extension to the normal 10:30 last orders deadline. I have very fond memories of The Grosvenor in the late 60s. The smell of the steaks from upstairs and Home Ales bitter in the lounge. There was a red headed barmaid called Hazel who you certainly didn't argue with and a gay guy called Claude who was sat at the bar most nights. Great atmosphere on summer Saturday nights out in the courtyard with the jukebox at full volume. Happy days. My favourite pub along with the Flying Horse.

Excellent shot Cliff. Note the cobbles on Ewart Rd between the shops. So so different around there now. Changed almost beyond recognition and not for the better.

That's the one Cliff, thanks. Surprised you can't see me in there buying a pickled egg. I see from Street View that the shop is still there and is called Adams Fish & Chips now. Back in the 60s Mr & Mrs Carson ran it. They were both in the Salvation Army. There was also a lady who helped them who used to remind me of Mrs Mills the pianist. Me and my bandmate Tony Dickens must have sat outside on that shop window ledge under the street light countless times eating chips, smoking and planning how we could become the next Beatles. On one occasion a particularly unpleas

My dad and I used to catch the number 2 service on Saturdays to go to the football. Sometimes it was single decker! It was often late and if we missed it we'd walk up Noel St by the side of the Forest and catch it when it came along Bentinck Rd onto Mount Horton Rd.

I know it's a long way to go but if you ever visit Weymouth, Bennett's on the waterfront do superb fish & chips. We have a chippy here in Daventry called Trawlers which takes some beating too. My favourite chip shop in Nottingham was Carsons on the corner of Berridge/Ewart Rd. It features in the 70s film The Ragman's Daughter. When I moved to Forest Fields in 1961 I used to have a 4d mix of chips, mushy peas and batter bits. These days if I have fish and chips after 7 o'clock I get bleddy awful indigestion. Little bit early I know but all this talk of chips and mushy peas is maki

Me and one or two college mates used to have lunch in The Kong Nam once a week when I was at People's College 1966-9. They had a brilliant 3 course lunch which was great value for money. I think it was there I had my first Chinese curry. IIRC it took over the Windmill Cafe but the little windmill mouted on the wall outside on Angel Row remained for several years I remember the owner well. He would always greet you on arrival with the enquiry "table for how many?" Happy days.

I remember a gobstopper popping out my mouth and breaking in half on the pavement. You could see the cross section of coloured layers within. It could have been the start of a career studying the earth's crust lol Before you ask, no I didn't put the halves back in my mouth. Mention of aniseed brings us to my favourite sweet of all time; Black Jacks. Who remembers the politically incorrect golly on the wax wrapper back in the 50s and 60s. It's now been removed of course. They also did a Black Jack drink briefly. Couldn't compete with Pernod hic?

I love "genuine" bonfire toffee although I haven't seen it for ages. I've made it myself for a few years now on November 5th and it's always popular with the family. The edges are almost as sharp as glass which I guess is why it's no longer available. I never took to Parma violets or floral gums but I enjoyed cherry lips which were also quite fragrant. My wife always goes on about Bar Six. She says it was nicer than Kit Kat. My personal favourite was Cadbury's Lucky Numbers a chocolate assortment a bit like Quality Street. They didn't last long. I remember my cousins and I

I think it was Berridge Rd. Central near to Stanley Rd. Jill although I'm sure lots of sweet shops sold them. I lived on Russell Rd. and loved the shops nearby. Such a choice of newsagents, chippies, sweetshops and beer offs. I've just remembered the thick receipt book that newsagents used when you paid the papers. It was a tiny little paper receipt with a number on it IIRC. And what about the newsagent marking up all the papers, comics and magazines in pencil ready for the paperboy? In common with most grocers ours used to write down the prices in pencil on the brown paper sheets on

Essentially sweetened baking powder with added flavour to mask the astringency of the ingredients. I see malic acid is also sometimes used as an ingredient. If you didn't know malic acid occurs in green apples and is very sour indeed. All the "sour" kids sweets available today use it. Do you remember Cresta which was a sherbet fruit flavoured drink? The TV ads with Cresta bear were very funny. Some of the ads are on YouTube but I can't find the first one they used when the product was launched I think in the early 70s. It was hilarious. The strap line was "It's frothy man" and i

Choked on those a few times. I believe the idea was to bite the ends off the hollow liquorice tube and suck up the sherbet. Problem was it took quite a suck to get it going and when you sucked hard the sherbet would hit the back of your throat before entering your lungs whereupon it would nearly suffocate you lol. Safer just to dip the liquorice stick in methinks. Talking of the safety of sweets my friend managed to get a giant gobstopper stuck in his mouth trapped behind his teeth. I think his mum had to prise his mouth open to flick it out.