Merthyr Imp

Could it have been John Newton? Date of birth: 19.1.40. Actually born in Edinburgh, but he was with Notts County from October 1957 until 1961, making just 5 league appearances. He then transferred to York in August 1961 but didn't play in the league for them. But from this page it seems unlikely he went to Haydn Road school: http://www.nottinghampost.com/Meadow-Lane-job-Hucknall-Pit/story-17826654-detail/story.html I can't find a record of any other player called Newton of that period having played for York.

His surname is Somers. I can vaguely remember him playing for Hartlepool: http://www.brianclough.com/somers.htm

Still got mine in the back of a cupboard. It would have been about 1964 /65 when I bought it from Beecroft's next door to Boot's on Pelham Street - I seem to remember they were having a closing down sale if that makes sense for that time. Last took it to a match in 1966. I don't know just when, but with the rise of football hooliganism a few years later they were more or less banned due to being classed as an offensive weapon - mine is a pretty solid piece of work, although you used to see lighter and small ones.

I remember when we lived on Blue Bell Hill Road my mother used to talk about a pub nicknamed 'The Two Heads'. I think - if I remember right - it was the Sir Isaac Newton. On Glasshouse Street? She reckoned it was known as The Two Heads because there was a head of Newton shown on each side of the pub sign. But that must have applied to any pub named after a person, so why it was only this one with that nickname I don't know.

Or re-open the Taunton to Barnstaple line and use the current line from there to reverse at Crediton and reach Plymouth without going via Exeter. But as Captain Mainwaring might have said - I think I'm getting into the realms of fantasy here!

That map doesn't show the detail that the part of the line beyond Crediton as far as Yeoford Junction carries the Barnstaple line services and is not just part of 'the Dartmoor Railway'. I still think that if they can build a brand new line between the Channel Tunnel and London and plan to build another between London and the Midlands and North it would be a comparatively small undertaking to build a deviation around Tavistock or wherever in order to restore the Okehampton line to Plymouth. It's all a question of having the will - and the money - to do it. As I said before - do they spend m

It must be almost impossible to make the line through Dawlish completely weather and sea proof because of it being so close to the sea. But with the millions it will doubtless cost to repair, and the possibly increasing likelihood of recent weather conditions occurring again it does make you wonder whether they'll weigh up the cost of further millions of pounds repair work each time against a one-off cost of any necessary deviation work and repairs to the viaduct to reopen the Okehampton line throughout (it's only the middle bit that's not still in use). There'd still a need for the Dawlish

A good rate of conversion is that half a crown would buy five Mars Bars. How much would that cost today?

Dawlish in better weather a couple of years ago:

You go through the Stonebow at the top end of the pedestrianised High Street, further up through the shopping area, then you come to the really steep part which is Steep Hill.

Don't know, but I seem to remember the Midland Marquee Company had its premises there.

It was by no means the best game Forest game I saw, but the FIRST one was when someone took me to see them play Crystal Palace away in the FA Cup in early 1965 (lost 3-1). Team was: 1. Peter Grummitt 2. Peter Hindley 3. Dennis Mochan 4. Henry Newton 5. Bob McKinlay 6. Jeff Whitefoot 7. Ian (Storey-) Moore 8. Colin Addison 9. Frank Wignall 10.John Barnwell 11.Alan Hinton. No substitutes in those days! Roy Horobin (ex-Notts) was in the Crystal Palace side. As a football supporter you realise it's a sign you're getting old when players you remember seeing play have retired

And before him it was Alan Hinton on the left wing.

Well Ian Moore of course (aka Ian Storey-Moore).

The Hull & Barnsley was actually taken over by the North Eastern Railway just before the grouping and was never part of the Great Central.

Going off at a tangent on this thread, visits to Cleethorpes in the late 1950s/early 1960s weren't complete without a trip on one of the paddle steamers. As well as their use on the ferry service to Hull, at that time at any rate they were also used to give pleasure trips from Grimsby. I can't remember how long the 'voyage' lasted - only an hour or two at most I'm sure - but they just went out on the estuary almost as far as Spurn Point and back again. I think they were still coal-fired, and it was great to look down into the engine room and see the machinery. There were also small window

Are you sure? I can think of at least three in the Grimsby area alone.

We had Instant Whip before then. How about Kraft Cheese Slices (or 'plastic cheese' as my mother used to call it)? That must have been mid-1950s.

Volume 2 - 'Beyond the City Limits' - covers the line to Trent, 'From Basford to Bennerley', Radford to Trowell, Pye Bridge to Kirkby, the GNR Derbyshire Extension from Basford North to Bennerley, the Pinxton line, Nottm to Lincoln, the three lines up the Leen Valley, the Robin Hood Line, the Grantham line as far as Bottesford, the Midland line to Melton, and the Great Central south of the Trent. Loads of interesting photos. Volume 3 - 'Off the Beaten Track' - is full of oddments: 'Tramways and Private Sidings - includes lines at and to collieries, e.g. Gedling, Cinderhill, Hucknall. Also th

Pre-tram days - here's 156414 at Bulwell in 1994 the year the station re-opened.

I don't know for sure, but I don't think 100mph was OFFICIALLY (emphasis!) allowed until the 1970s onwards. I think there was a speed restriction through Grantham - not sure what, but less than 100 - until the curve at the north end was eased in about the early 1970s after the end of steam. My Deltic photo shows it after that had been done. Don't know what the restriction is nowadays, but I would think it's over 100. There was a famous derailment at Grantham in the early 1900s, but that was due to a northbound train failing to stop and being derailed on the points which had been set for the

Late 1970s at Grantham:

Uncle Mac was Larry the Lamb in Toytown. I remember the other main character was Dennis the Dachshund (with a German accent), then there was 'Mr Mayor, sir' and of course Mr Growser - 'Disgrrrraceful!' Was there ever a TV version of Toytown? I can't remember. I'm sure it used to be in a comic but can't remember which one.

Out of interest - can anyone remember when Children's Favourites became Junior Choice? Was it in 1967 when Radio 1 started. along with the other channels becoming Radios 2, 3 and 4? I seem to remember whenever Uncle Mac had a week or two's break on Children's Favourites he was replaced by Peter Brough and Archie Andrews, and then I think Jim Dale presented it - but was there anyone else between Uncle Mac finishing and Ed Stewart starting with Junior Choice?

I don't know if they're still available, but you could at one time get 3 CDs entitled 'Junior Choice' volumes 1 to 3. There were two versions of The Runaway Train. On vol 1 of these CDs it's sung by a Vernon Dalhart, but the one I remember was by Michael Holliday. Don't forget Robin Hood, sung by Dick James - do they still play that at the City Ground?? Also - Little Boy Fishin' off a Wooden Pier by Shirley Abicair They're Changing Guard at Buckingham Palace by Ann Stephens Little Red Monkey The Owl and the Pussycat by Elton Hayes Tubby the Tuba The Little Shoemaker by Petula Clark Sp