Jill Sparrow

I remember once going to have my hair done before going to a wedding. I had long hair and wanted to wear a pill box hat with a short net veil. This was in the early 80s and they were very fashionable at the time. Howard Hutchings was brilliant with long hair, so I asked him to do it. While I was under the dryer, I watched him working with an elderly lady. Her hair was so thin and sparse that her scalp was clearly visible. In places, she had no hair at all. By the time he'd finished, she had a beautiful halo of what looked like candy floss around her head. It amazed me to see how he

Sounds like a very dangerous business, nonna!

Dread to think what he's got the women doing for him!

Hairdressers of the 1930s may not have had the qualifications needed today but women like Olive Wibberley must have had some training in cutting hair, at which she was very skilled, and using the dangerous chemicals needed for perms. I suppose, sole practitioners like Olive just didn't have the time or finances to keep up to date with styles and techniques demanded by an ever more fashion conscious clientele.

The pennies were used in the novel to cover the eyes of Susan Henchard after her death. Perhaps, if you had dug around a bit at the time you may have found others and they might well have been used for the same purpose, then buried in the field. This is the extract from the novel And she was white as marble-stone," said Mrs. Cuxsom. "And likewise such a thoughtful woman, too — ah, poor soul — that a' minded every little thing that wanted tending. 'Yes,' says she, 'when I'm gone, and my last breath's blowed, look in the top drawer o' the chest in the back room by the w

They were known as ounce pennies, due to the weight, and often used in 2s or 3s to place over the eyes of a corpse to ensure they stayed closed. The pennies were usually buried afterwards. This custom is referred to in Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge. In that story, some yokel digs them up again and spends them on ale at the inn, demanding, "Why should death rob life of 4d?"

Not the same one, Beekay, but it's not a common name.

Thinking about it, Mary, a hairdresser working on her own from a front room needed to make a considerable investment to purchase a salon dryer, a permanent wave machine, a sterilizer, etc. All would need maintenance and repair if they broke down. Olive's salon dryer was grey stove enamel. I remember it distinctly. The chair under it was a Bentwood chair with curved arms and a seat cushion. She had her work cut out with me. I was apt to scream blue murder if anyone tried to put a comb through my tangled locks! She must have had some patience!

I'm sure he's right. Perhaps there was another bus run by South Notts. Noreen always referred to catching the South Notts.

So very sad. We've lost all these wonderful buildings and gained.....tin sheds! this one was gone before my time. Always said I was born too late.

Excellent news, nonna! Break open a bottle of wine!

Well, long shots pay off sometimes...and this one did, I'm delighted to say. Olive's mother, Harriet, generally answered the door when my mother rang the doorbell. The front door opened onto a long passageway which led to the stairs and in that narrow hallway was a bentwood chair and a little table with an old-fashioned black Bakelite telephone, Olive's hairdressing appointment book and a pencil. Mrs Wibberley, as we always called her, would write down an appointment in the book and we would often call back later in the day either for my hair to be trimmed or my mother's to be tri

My mother's friend, Noreen used to come over to spend the afternoon with my mum in the 60s/early 70s when I was at school. She'd catch the South Notts 53 in Clifton and walk from Western Boulevard to Bobbers Mill every Wednesday. I'd usually get home in time to spend 20 minutes with her before she left to catch the same bus home. Sometimes, on Sundays, she and her husband, Les, would come over for tea. After a drink at the Whitemoor, they'd catch the 53 home again. During the school holidays, we would go over go Clifton but we always went through town. Lovel

On summer evenings, Sundays especially, when I was a child, it was enjoyable to walk over Bobbers Mill Bridge to the Whitemoor where some of my friends from school might be sitting outside with their parents. One of my best friends from Berridge would be there with her mum and dad who had an allotment nearby. I often went up to the allotment with them. They'd stop at the Whitemoor for a drink on the walk back home. Sometimes, friends of my parents came over for tea on a Sunday. They lived in Clifton and we'd all walk to the Whitemoor for a summer evening drink before they caught th

Last autumn, a friend gave me a bag of conkers to try out the conkers deter spiders theory. I put some in the corners of the sitting room and my ginger moggie had a good time playing football with them in the early hours but still found as many mangled spiders first thing in the morning! I put a few conkers in the garden and am delighted to see they've germinated. To me, it's always a miracle to see this happen. I've potted them up and shall enjoy watching them grow.

Well, I don't live in Selston , Ben, but for you I'll move!

Aren't there any blokes living near you Ben? If so, and they've got females in the household, they'd better look out!

To quote from the Berridge Centenary booklet, ' The Education Committee calculated that Nottingham would need 49 new nursery schools 29 new primary schools and 24 new secondary schools as well as a large number of extensions and Improvements to existing schools. The state of the nation however prevented any large-scale resumption of the school building programme. Work was not to begin on the first five new schools until 1948 and it took a further year before sufficient classroom space was made available to accommodate properly all the pupils kept on for an extra year. This was achieved by the

Whitemoor House looks to be a substantial dwelling of some age. Has anyone any idea who lived there?

I did my teacher training in north Yorkshire. Had friends up there for many years. One of my favourite places for lunch in later years was The Ellerby Inn. From the car park, you could look out over Boulby Potash Mine - a very dangerous place to work from all acounts. Lovely area. I've always regarded it as my second home.

I don't know when it became a Lutheran church, WW, but was always rather surprised that it was. I suppose I thought that most Lutherans were German, for example the great JSB. Seems an odd place for one somehow. From the map, do I take it that the rather grand looking double fronted house with bay windows at both ground and first floor level is a contender for Whitemoor Lodge? I don't remember that building being there when I was a child but do remember the crossing keeper's house.

They were also features of monasteries and convents prior to Henry's antics.

Excellent photo, CT. I was in that area in March and it looked much better in 1930! My mother remembered the fields before Haselmere Road, etc was built. The Lutheran church is already there in 1930. Whitemoor house looks to be Georgian, possibly built around an older dwelling, as many were. A sad loss.

Good for her, Gem. I hope she's had a fantastic day, bless her.

Ay up, our Ben! Missed you! All the best in your new home. Ladies of the neighbourhood beware!!! He's a little terror but lovely with it!