Jill Sparrow

Thinking of things you could buy at Mrs Green's shop on Alfreton Road, my favourite (when I was very young) was the "cube puzzle". Nine wooden cubes with part of a picture pasted to each face which could then be used to create 6 different images, usually of nursery rhymes or fairy stories- eg Red Riding Hood.. The cubes were contained within a wooden box which fastened with a brass hook and clasp fastener. They retailed for something like 2/- (2 shillings, a florin or, for those who aren't old enough to remember what that was...the equivalent of 10p, I think!). I loved them, although no o

Ah yes...politeness. To go back to my Berridge years for a moment, Mr G O Chandler (about whom I have written previously) was mustard when it came to this subject. "Politeness costs nothing" and "Manners maketh the man" being two of his maxims. Headteacher, Mr J W Baugh was, likewise, very hot on manners. A "Good Morning, Sir", should you encounter him in the corridors, was expected. Mr Chandler seemed to be forever espousing the merits of "self-discipline" and "self-respect" when I was ten years old and one of his pupils. I recall the stinging rebuke a number of children received as a res

Very reassuring to read of so many people who also remember "whips and tops". The "Library" on Alfreton Road (alias Mrs Green's shop) sold a great many wooden toys. I also had a "diabolo"- a diabolical thing you had to balance on a rope. Now, that I couldn't get on with. She also sold tins of "bubbles" which came with a circular "wand". I enjoyed those when I was very small. I suppose it was only washing up liquid but I don't think we had washing up liquid in those days, did we? I don't really know whether I am old enough to remember packets of "Rinso" or whether I just remember my parent

Someone reminded me only the other day of the annual event of being treated to a "whip and top" at Shrovetide. I remember my mother buying these for me from Mrs Green's shop (more usually referred to in our household as "The Library") on Alfreton Road. The "tops" were usually green and we spent hours playing with them. The person who reminded me of this (who is slightly older than I am) wondered what today's children would make of this once-a-year treat. She thought they would probably not be able to divert their attention from their i-phones, tablets and I-pods for long enough to notice!

Just remembered "Parisienne" which retailed rather "posh" ladies' wear. My older sister bought a dress and a bikini from there in 1969 prior to going on holiday abroad for the first time. I found a photo of her wearing the dress the other day- she's a pensioner now! I too remember the Co-op where I often went shopping for my mother- with the divi number! Anyone remember Norman Hirstfield's grocery shop and the Sunshine Cafe on the other side of the road? They did very well at lunchtime as many of Players' employees ate there. Mrs Hirstfield (Norman's mother) was a very kind lady and once

Does anyone remember Mrs Green who ran "The Library" as it was known (actually it was a stationery and fancy goods shop near to Mr Searcy's electrical shop, just up from the Stork Club. This would be in the 1950s and early 60s. She ran a private lending library (hence the name) and also sold toys, Post Office Sets (ah, yes....I loved those!) and other treasured childhood toys. She had a daughter named Wendy, after whom I was almost named. I believe Mrs Green may have had Parkinson's disease as she had a severe tremor which I noticed even though I was only a small child. There was also Mr

Well well, someone else who remembers all those names so familiar to me when I was at Berridge. Yes, I remember Martin Jewers and Ian Munro and Jayne Topham. If it's true that she is no longer with us, that's a tragedy. I'll make some enquiries of friends I am still in touch with. I think an awful lot of the area (apart from the school itself) has been razed. I prefer to remember it (in my mind's eye) as it was during a very happy childhood. Nice to read your post. Must admit, I haven't had time to visit the site for quite a while. I'll keep my eye on it now!

Thanks everyone for all the information relating to Barbers. Ruth and her father Dr Robert David seem to defy all effort to link them to the Lamb Close Barbers, yet she always said they were related. The chap whose name I couldn't think of (Manager of Barber-Walker's) and who resided at the Grange in Eastwood was John William Fryar- a brilliant mining engineer who was way ahead of his time and who died tragically young. Ruth recalled spending Christmas and New Year with John William Fryar at Eastwood Hall in 1913/14 when she was 14 years old. I shall keep a close eye on future posts on thi

My partner, Richard, was brought up by his grandmother (born Ruth BARBER 1899-1995). Ruth was the daughter of Dr Robert David Barber of Eastwood and his wife Alice Georgiana Strelley (her second marriage). After much research, we still can't work out how Dr Robert David Barber (son of Samuel Barber) is related to the Barber family of Moorgreen, colliery owners. There is also Canon Barber (Hucknall) who, in old age, bore an uncanny likeness to Ruth in old age...but that's another story. What I would like to ask Nottstalgians is this: does anyone have any images of a house named The Grange, w

I have been looking through some old scrap books and found some programmes from the Youth Drama Festivals for the late 60s and early 70s- held by the City of Nottingham Education Committee at the Co-Op Arts Theatre. Thought some readers may be interested to note who was taking part: Aspley Boys' Club Glenbrook Junior Girls' Club Nottingham Theatre Club (Max and Joyce Bromley) Meadows Boys' Club- in 1969 they performed an extract from Dylan Thomas's "Return Journey" directed by John Shooter St Leonard's Youth Group Bilborough Baptist Drama Group Clifton YMCA Hyson Green Boys' Club and

That's tragic, Stan, but they were pretty ubiquitous (oh, bless my soul...another long word...) in the 50s and 60s (Ascot water-heaters, that is). Yes, I was educated at Berridge from the age 4- 11 years. My reminisences of those halls of learning are on here, under 'First Day at School'. Su and my sister (being several years older) had moved on to Peveril by the time I arrived at Berridge, but they were educated there too. I remember Su calling for my sister, en route for the bus to Peveril, each morning. Su was always immaculately dressed in school uniform and a beige trench-coat. Her

Stan, I think a large part of Su's idiosyncratic (whoaaa...that's a big word for a Friday!) speech is due to the fact that she's a Nottingham lass- and PROUD of it! After all, whenever she appears on TV, everyone knows she's from Nottingham. Actually, I saved her life when I was a child. Her parents lived in Prospect Terrace (the houses are long since demolished) and had a caravan at Skeggy or Mablethorpe (I forget which) where they'd go every weekend. When Su and my sister were around 17, four of us slept at the Prospect Terrace house one night: Su, her sister Jean, my sister Julie and me

Ah, that's where you're wrong, Stan. People who only see Su on TV have no idea of the talent she really has. She's a brilliant serious actress: I remember seeing her play the lead in Federico Garcia Lorca's "The House of Bernarda Alba" at the Co-Op Arts in 1969. She's also a brilliant singer: I saw her in The Student Prince, also in the 60s at the Co-Op Arts. The problem is (and she bemoans this herself) that, once you've been typecast on TV (as a dotty chalet maid) that's all you'll ever do. Very very difficult to break out of the mould. A crying shame because there is so much more to S

From the age of around 10 years old, I was a member of the Co-Operative Arts Theatre's Junior Group. What a fantastic facility that was for young people. My sister (and her best school friend Su Pollard- she was known as Susan Pollard in those days and sported long, straight blonde hair!) were members of the Senior Group. We were taught by a lady named Phyllis Blackwell, who covered the areas of elocution, stagecraft, correct breathing and all kinds of useful know-how tips for speaking in public and in performances. Anyone else remember the Junior Group?

Welcome nlightnd9 who is obviously one of our Berridge alumni. I am sure I must have known you at Berridge, since you will be around the same age as me but of course, I can't identify you from your Nottstalgia name. I knew several boys who went to High Pavement: Ian Munro and Philip Walker among them. Not sure who 'Jill M' is. Just thought that, if you are slightly older than me, the 'Jill M' could be Jill Maddern who was in the year above. I have put all my Berridge Photos on Friends Reunited, so if you want to look, you may find your mug shot on one of them...didn't we all look innocen

You've heard of the American Dream....it's only a dream, because you have to be asleep to see it. This is going into my personal book of quotes...I love it! Thanks Dave!

I've avoided, thus far, Manning School's take on the teaching of history. The past is my favourite subject- always has been. My Daddy used to say I emerged from the womb asking awkward questions about my forebears and I've been doing it ever since. I intend to go on doing it: I like it, so why should I stop? History at primary school (Berridge Road) was well taught: outings to Nottingham Castle and the caves: tales of Isabella and Roger de Mortimer. Museum expeditions, where you could almost smell the past. It became tangible and real, inspiring you to find out more...ask questions, read

Having mentioned Wilkins Micawber recently, I was reminded of Manning's euphemistically titled 'Head of Music': one of its rare male teaching staff. Wilkins, the poor relation of the curriculum, was not just 'Head of the Music Department', he was the Music Department, all artistically-tempered 5' 2" of him, forever hoping that something (in the way of funding) might turn up. Music was not regarded as an academic subject: a crass decision that only a non-musician could arrive at. The ASE, who should have recognised that music and maths are inextricably linked, to her shame ( between quoting

Anderson shelters were constructed outside. Morrison shelters were for those who had no cellar, no garden and no access to a nearby public shelter- named after Herbert Morrison. Thatcher? Er....who?

Well, don't thank me...Fate dictated that I should spend 6 years surrounded by cranks, misfits and utter nutters- the kind of person who, as an elderly relative used to observe: "they let out while they whitewash his room!" I often used to think that Dickens would have had rich pickings with 'em because some of our pedagogues at the Manning (if that's what they were) were every bit as 'radio rental' as Montague Tigg, Chevy Slyme and WIlkins Micawber. I merely report their antics. If you can't laugh, you'll go crazy!

The sad fact is that, as the late and wonderful Harry Patch said so often, wars are brought about by a few crazy men (and, yes, I'm sorry but they always ARE men) who are eventually constrained to end up sitting round a table and making peace but only after the needless death of millions of innocent people. And for what? Just a waste. There is the point of view which says war is necessary for controlling the population and I sometimes look at 18 year old inebriates in the street, shouting their mouths off or vandalising property and I think of those 18 year old lads climbing into Spitfires

In September 1969, my first term at the Manning School, the All Seeing Eye (aka the Headmistress) had very recently been married for the first time to a clergyman. The ASE, approaching retirement and probably wanting a little companionship in her twilight years, was unusual because marriage and children were not on the agenda of the Manning ethos. That was regarded as a last resort: something you did only if you couldn't do anything else or when the time came to stop doing it. Holy matrimony with a man in Holy orders seemed to endow the ASE with an almost evangelical zeal for boring us rigid

Yes, Stephen, I too came across several former POWs of the Japanese- not at school because they were mainly female teachers but I once worked with a chap named Walter Riley (lovely man) a former policeman in Nottingham who had been in a Japanese camp. He was tall and very very thin. I remember him on one occasion- very uncharacteristically- going for the jugular of some colleague who remarked they wished they could catch beri-beri so they didn't have to come to the office. He, of course, had seen the consequences of that awful disease at first hand and, boy, did he give them a rocket for ma

Pidge Pie...yes, Terry Hill. I've been trying to remember the name and it wouldn't surface. Poor Neville Eccles, that's horrible. He was a quiet lad, like Winsome. Yes, it makes you think when you see your peers shuffling off and realise that you're probably well over half way through your time here. It's not morbid...it's all part of life's rich tapestry and hopefully it won't put Stephen Ford off his lunch! Terry Hill was a small lad- quite wiry- but not wiry enough to avoid the train. I've been looking at the photo of Mrs Price's class and there is Charles Haskey on the back row. I d

I was looking at the old black and white school photos last night. Peter Marshall isn't on any of them. The name Jacqueline springs to mind for his little sister but I can't be certain. His mother used to walk about with a stout wooden barrow- often wheeling her daughter in it and she usually wore what looked like an army greatcoat and boots. Presumably, Peter's father had a job connected with the railways, hence living in the house which was virtually on the rail lines. Pidge-Pie, do you remember Winsome Eccles and her cousin Neville? I think they were two of the best dressed children i