Jill Sparrow

Send the apprentice out for a tin!

Welcome to Nottstalgia, bigrob. Interesting photo. I was born and grew up on Bobbers Mill Road and attended Berridge Road School so knew the area well. Not sure where Berridge Aircraft actually was but often heard my father mention it, although I don'think he ever worked there. I'd be interested to see the names written on the back of the photo as some may be familiar to me. This is a topic for our now sadly offline member, Chulla. He would know where it was but, equally, there may be others who do. My father also talked about Berridge Engineering. Same plac

Although people say I'm mistaken, I can remember being pushed in my pram and then in my pushchair. One of the places I remember going to is the baby clinic which was next to Hyson Green library on Gregory Boulevard. One occasion stands out in my mind because of screaming children. Vaccinations! I sat on mum's knee and all I could hear was screaming and crying. Don't remember the vaccination itself but could probably work out which one it was because I still have all the little vaccination cards with dates on. Still have my sister's too. Mum kept them all. My word, they're owd now!

Dave is a very laid back moggie, Loppy. He lives with some friends of mine. Far too laid back to chase birds...so they couldn't have called him Ben!

I remember the Health Visitor coming to the house when I was very small, long before I started school at 4. In those days they wore very smart uniforms, coats and hats. She turned up this particular day and I was playing at nurses as I often did. Running around with a blue and white striped dress, a tiny apron and a pair of white knickers on my head to represent a nurse's cap! I collared her with my toy stethoscope and probably talked her to death. I remember her saying to mum "You'll be glad when she's gone to school!"

Nowt wrong with a dog named Jill. Actually, I know a cat named Dave...and one named Nigel...one named Craig...one called Charlie...one called Graham (he's grey!), one named Fred and one named Humphrey. They're all gorgeous! One of my earliest memories is waking up in the middle of the night and seeing the full moon, low in the sky, shining in through the bedroom window. I was frightened and started crying. I was sleeping in my cot in my parents' bedroom, so I would be very young. Clearly remember looking at this round, glowing object through the bars of the cot. Dad w

It can also catch a man doing summat useful...1/100 000 000 of a second!

Didn't know our Ben was a polyglot!

Stop showing off, our Ben!

I remember Plimsoll Street quite well. It was on the left, just past the few houses next to St Stephen's church. All gone now.

If the number had been 310, Loppy, I still wouldn't have taken em!

Trip to the endocrinologist at lunchtime. Blood test results. Cholesterol levels are down although still too high. They now do a questionnaire to assess your risk. If you score 10 or over, its medication, ie statins. I scored 6 so I'm off the hook for now and I've been discharged! Yippee!

Bet he won't be wearing a liberty bodice though!

Ey up! You've acquired some competition our Ben! With a name like that, he'll be another charmer!

Yes, Catfan. I think you're right. Often went that way, so it would fit.

The discussion about Mr Acton recently brought to mind a memory of the large electric light above the chair, at which you were forced to stare once he'd got you in his grip. The manufacturer's name was written on it and, for days, I've been trying to recall it. I knew it was Italian but it eluded me until now. It was Castellini and I believe they had a base somewhere around the Lenton area. I recall clearly passing their premises on many occasions and seeing the sign Castellini Dental Equipment outside. Made me shudder! wonder if they are still there?

Me too, Mess. I loved the Hyson Green library and started visiting in my push chair. It ranks in my top 10 loved places. Like you, I later went on to discover the Central library in Nottingham. Wonderful building. Now both are no longer used for library purposes.

Love it, Catfan! Many a true word....!

Well, Ben. You're a one-off and I'm willing to bet they've never seen anyone like you in Banjo Country! As I said earlier, there's something about a bloke in a liberty bodice...and Ben's the only one I know!

I knew that. My dad saw him. I believe he visited what was then Erickson's? Dad would have been 6 but remembered the event clearly.

That's not the one where they fuse the vertebrae together, is it? I know a couple of people who've had that done...with mixed results.

Love you too, our Ben! There's something about a bloke in a liberty bodice!

Well, I shan't be changing my ways. Shan't be asking for sandwich cream or fries or potato chips. Shan't be using the word 'like' 10 times, totally unnecessarily in one sentence. Shan't be altering my mode of speech to American either because I'm English and mine is the language of Shakespeare, Milton and Wordsworth and I am immensely proud of it! In short, all these folks can go and take a running jump. My dad advised me never to follow the herd. Never have. Never will.

Time passes so quickly. The first few birthdays, wedding anniversaries, etc are the worst. Then, suddenly, it's 12 years and you still miss them but somehow the good memories have made the loss less painful. You hear your mother's exact words coming out of your own mouth...well I do...and you realise she's not that far away and you laugh at the thought that you've become just like her because you can't help it! You are part of them and they of you. Those links are forged by chains of love and they can never be severed. But love comes at a high price. If we're paying it, it's because we've been

My doctor's Russian! I don't even like wodka!