Commo

Loppy, I can envisage how Western civilisation and culture will disintegrate but for the sake of harmony and the boycott of political discussion on the Forum I will say no more.

Unfortunately Fly it's too late, the takeover has been completed and the worst of it is that most folk didn't even know that it was happening!

I really enjoyed cycling from home in Ruddington early on such a Sunday morning in the 50`s on the way to visit the Grans and Great Aunt who lived on Comyn Street and Great Freeman Street. I would go either over Trent Bridge or the halfpenny bridge, down Arko, up Wheeler Gate then do a circuit or two of the Square when it was so quiet and peaceful and not much in the way of one way streets. Up Long Row and into Clumber Street then down Parliament Street past the Market, along St Ann's Well Road to Commercial Square then up Alfred St Central. All the way there was hardly a soul about. Now

I'll give my vote to Villiers too, wondered if it's an Ambassador?

Think I've put my mind to rest on this, it was The Cart and Horse. From the photos of the place (as Oz informed it's now The Scruffy Dog) it's certainly changed from the local it was when we frequented it, then again haven't they all?

Ian, great photos and is the last one of the footbridge just past Ruddington station? We always knew this as Fifty Steps, and you can just see through the structure the dormer window of our first house on Churchill Drive. We left there in 1971 and the bridge looks definitely the worse for wear than I remembered it. Before the Wimpey estate was built, the area down to Fifty Steps was known as Western (Weston?) Fields.

Oz, thanks for that, The Cart Horse it was! (Or was it the Horse and Cart ?)

Oz, The Cardinal was, at the time about 1966, a newly built pub whereas the one just beyond the level crossing, a Mansfield house, was frequented by us before Cardinal was built. Before we were married, Mrs C lived at Sutton Junction so these were our locals, Cardinal originally being more "up market" not what it became later. Mrs C went to Derby Road Tech for her secretarial course, leaving in 1963 and started work in Nottingham where we met, getting wed In 1968.

Wasn't the pub at Sutton Junction called The Railway, just over the level crossing on the road to Sutton? Used to have a drink in there with Father in Law though switched allegiance to The Cardinal when that opened about 1966(?), but Sunday lunchtime was usually at The Rushley.

Gives a totally different slant to the Corries song "Kishmuls Galley" !

I think that Newquay Steam brewery went out of business some years back, but I concur that their bitter was a good pint.

Our favourite walk on the Nortumberland coast was to park at Low Newton then walk the coast via Dunstanburgh castle to Craster, lunch at The Jolly Fisherman then return, about 8 miles round walk. Nice pub at Low Newton, The Ship Inn, good if you like seafood.

Tek yer spanner back Fly, Armstrong Siddely has a sloping front grille and is a more "curvaceous" body style. Looks to be a mascot on radiator cap, but they were two a penny in those days. I keep thinking Jag, but although the headlights look like Mareschal types, the boot is the wrong shape for a Mk X. Classic Car mag used to have a feature with such a photo and would identify each vehicle. Where are they now when you need `em? Easy identity is the Austin A40 van.

The headlamps on the A/M 15/98 are set lower than those on the mystery car, those are set on top of the wings. It certainly is keeping us engaged!

I joined the Children's section of the Central library in about 1953, loved all the oak panelling and the pervading scent of polish and the reverent silence, the large central heating pipes and radiators. Worked my way through their stock of Secret Seven and Famous Five ( always thought that Uncle Quentin was a bit iffy) and my favourite the Jennings at School books by Alan Buckeridge. Still read Jennings now as well as the Winnie the Pooh stories and they still make me smile. The first novel I remember being bought for me one Christmas was The Beresfords in Tarndale, a great childre

The ladies from Phonotas used to arrive every couple of weeks to clean the handsets. They had a uniform with a belted mac and soft brimmed hat, and whilst cleaning the phone they placed a small heavy metal bar across the receiver rest.

The Viva fastback was the Firenza, named after the beautiful Italian renaissance city which has retained much of it's wonderful architecture, unlike Trinity Square.

He did explain some time ago on a thread about how we chose our Nottstalgia names, but I can't remember the reason. Perhaps someone with knowledge of how to trace old threads can help.

That's what makes this Forum so interesting. Without the meanderings who would have thought to start a thread about oil barges on the Trent? Something about which I knew very little and now pleased to have this info stored in my cornucopia of Nottingham facts!

Slightly skewed observation but intit still April?

Gem, I'm with Brew on his suggestion of the Volvo, apparently the Compass is good in the 4x4 version for off road use and does look like a SUV, but doesn't fare too well in other departments when compared to the competition. Budget may be a factor, and if you're not anticipating much off road use, have a look at the Seat Alteca. Everyone has differing opinions on cars, all boils down to personal circumstances, but I 'll nail my flag to the Volvo, I have had various models over the years and more than satisfied with them all.

Money was tight in the 60`s, (come to think it was up until the 90`s) but Mrs C and I managed to see 2 productions at The Playhouse, Love and a Bottle, a restoration comedy by George Farquhar with Barry Rutter, and Sean O`Casey`s The Silver Tassie, can't remember who was in that. Both productions immensely enjoyable and more so as it took all of our meagre resources to go, but the fact that I still recall them quite vividly must show what the experience meant to us.

In 1956 Dad bought a 1947 Norton 18 500 with an adult/child Canterbury sidecar from Dawsons, unfortunately not particularly reliable, he could never seem to get the timing spot on and on occasions suffered scorched trousers from the overheating exhaust!

Happy Birthday Sue, have a really lovely day.

Not an impressive frontage Compo, if they were still in operation it would no doubt be re-branded as Woolworth Local or some such. Wonder if they ever stocked sticks with an `orses `ead `andle ?