Manversboy

Earlier this year (2018) David Birch began producing a Volume 4 of the NSR history, this was to be a digital volume, not a printed book like the others. After a few pages and quite a few photographs were sent out there's been silence. Anyone in touch with David? I know he had major damage to the roof of his house from the the "Beast From The East" and maybe he's still sorting that out. If you look back to Feb of this year on this page you'll see a post from David about the new volume. Cheers all, MB

Isn't the Mapperley Tunnel the one that has an enormous rubbish pile underneath one of the air shafts? If so, there are several videos on YouTube of people exploring the tunnel, accessing from the Gedling end. I believe there is a Facebook group now for the Nottingham Suburban Railway. Cheers all MB

Mine arrived today as well, very pleased with the selection of photographs and looking forward to a good read this weekend. MB

Welcome David and thanks for the update on Vol 3! Good to hear that you're in better health. Looking forward to the Vol 3 launch next month and like others on this forum I have put in my order already to Booklaw. I'm already a FONSR member and you should have had a reply to the latest newsletter from my Norfolk address. Best regards MB

Early birthday pressie? MB.

Ladies and Gents, Some very good news, see:- http://www.booklaw.co.uk/shop/index.php?id_product=4068&controller=product My order is going in tonight! All the best, MB

I seem to have fallen off Booklaw's mailing list. Has anyone asked them for news of David and Volume 3 recently? Cheers MB

Sorry, nothing heard back from David or his wife and I felt it wasn't right to send a follow-up e-mail. Maybe someone will take up the reins and finish the third volume. All the best for Xmas and 2018 to fellow NSR fans. MB

Well, no response to my e-mail of June 20th by David or his wife, hope that isn't a bad sign. Cheers all, MB

Hi BW, I've e-mailed the address used in the Dec 2014 message I had from David's wife (see #117) and asked after his health.also what was happening about his NSR work. I didn't ask directly about Vol 3, will wait to see if I get a response. Reading through the newsletters David sent to Friends of NSR (FONSR) I see that Vol 3 was planned to be largely photographs and David had a lot of not previously seen material he intended to include in the book. Cheers MB

Thanks BW. All that's left then is to contact David and get his input. MB

I agree! The closure years are what interests me the most. I grew up around in the area around the line and Thorneywood tunnel went directly under our house, the brickworks was in action until early in my teens and so the promised Volume 3 photos were always going to be what I wanted to see. MB

Compo, The last e-mail that I had from David Birch is a round-robin to members of his Friends of the NSR in Dec 2014 group. It is written on David's behalf by his wife as he was still unwell. The move to Butterwick that katyjay mentioned is also in the e-mail with the full postal address. There is quite a bit on health matters, so I won't quote that here but if anyone with a genuine interest in the NSR books wants a copy off-list then P/M me. From reading the last part of the message, it looks like some sort of breakdown in comms between David and Booklaw, possibly his

That's a shame. Can only wish David well in the absence of any news about his health. Volume 3 was to cover the closure years, the period most of interest to me. MB

Hi All, My latest Booklaw catalogue, Issue 1 Spring 2017, turned up today and there is no longer any mention of volume 3 of this series of books, just 1 & 2 on offer at £12.99 each (page 7 of catalogue), I've heard nothing from the NSR mailing list about David's health either. Any news? MB

Oztalgian, Thanks for that, I can see the connection too now, but odd how it came to be a piece of British slang unless Chinese idols were common souvenirs? Ta MB

Joss Ackland, the actor, is also called Jocelyn among other first names. I've found another reference to Joss being good luck in a short story in "Sea Warfare", by Rudyard Kipling, called "Concerning Joss" in which he talks about the value of good luck in wartime, in his story the war at sea in WW1. And Joss also may refer to The Boss or foreman, so "standing around like Joss" may refer to a boss who doesn't do much? Smelly dogs! Our last dog, a very furry Beardie, liked deer poo, urrgh! MB

Hi All, My late mother had an expression "standing around like Joss", by which I think she meant being kept waiting if I was dawdling. Has anyone else come across this or similar? I've looked up "joss" on Google (there are no hits on this site) and it seems to refer to good luck or a lucky charm or figure, especially in China. Why do I want to know? I'm trying to choose a name for a new puppy and Joss came up on a search of dog names. My wife and I rather like it, especially the "good luck" meaning - but how being kept hanging about relates to good luck beats me, though!

Thanks DavidW! That will give me some confirmation of the club name. I did come across a mention of Swan's Hotel in my searches but just adverts. Bye, MB

November Booklaw catalogue arrived here today and says that Volume 3 of NSB is "well over due, we are still waiting for the final chapter from the author". No publication date given. Bye MB

Yes, looks as though most of the building at the front has gone when you look on Google Earth. MB

The photo looks a bit like my old primary school, Hogarth Junior on Carlton Road/Linnel Street. If so, it's now a Hindu temple. I went from Hogarth in about 1958-9 to Manvers Bilateral, I'm just wondering if Hogarth was called Manvers prior to the new Manvers being built in the early 50s on the old brickyard further up Carlton Road? Cheers MB

Hi All, Doing a bit of family history research. I have a cricket ball, mounted on a wooden plinth, which apparently was awarded to my paternal grandfather for taking six wickets for five runs in a match against Eastwood Colliery on June 5th 1915. His team was called Swan's Athletic CC, however the "Swan's" part of the plaque is a little hard to read. Does anyone know anything about Swan's, were they maybe a company team? The match was played in West Bridgford but the ground isn't stated. TIA, MB

HI All, Just received my Booklaw catalogue, dated July 2016. "The Story Of The NSR" volume 3" is listed under "Proposed Titles" on Page 6. Does anyone have any further info, in particular how David Birch is faring? Bye, MB

My Dad joined the RAF in April 1940, initially as a wireless operator/air gunner but following a lengthy spell in hospital he was reallocated as a clerk. He was sent with a draft of odds and sods to what is now Java in Indonesia and was caught up in the chaos after the Japanese invasion. He then sent 3 and half years as a POW, ending the war in Sumatra working on one of the lesser-known "death railways". He spoke very little about the POW time and I recall him having bouts of malaria-like symptoms in the late 50s, He was very unsympathetic to my occasional malingering from school, I could ofte