[lace market factories]

In the 30's Mum worked at G W Pryce in the Lace market, and up until the late 50's Great Aunt was still undertaking lace repairs in her home in Comyn Street. Bundles of lace net were delivered to her for her to mend, which meant picking up the threads which had been missed in the factory.

They were then picked up by Pryces and another bundle dropped off.

I worked for G.W. Price on Stoney Street in 1963 and today I was amazed when I had a walk round the Lace Market, a good proportion of the buildings have been taken over by NCN College and there are loads of bars and restaurants in the rest. The factory I worked in has not changed from the outside and is still called Price House, the basement where we kept all our grey stock (unfinished lace) is now"Le Bistro Live" and the factory across the road which I think was Gordonia Debrette is now "Annies Burger Shack".

The Old Angel pub where we used to go for a lunch time pint has not changed much but most of the factories are now multi use buildings.

[Growing up in Bilborough]

Did any old Bilborough folk know my cousin Peter Smedley of Kimber Close. He would have been in his sixties now. He died and his estate was split between my mam and cousins so he couldnt have been married or had family. We lost touch in the 60's (family fall out I reckon)

A long shot I know

Gaz

Pete was in my class at school, he was a quiet lad who kept himself to himself and not surprised he never got married. I also worked with his dad I think his name was Bill Smedley, he was a warper at Raywarp Textiles that was back in 1962.

[Open cast mining at Cossall.]

Raybo

Do you ever recall clinker being made into bricks? It was a silvery white colour. I recall that many streets in Hyson Green were paved with bricks made from iron works. Goodliffe Street was until recently paved with such bricks. Now it has been tarmac'ed over.

I think thats how breeze blocks are made they are quite light for their size compared to building blocks, I remember the first time my dad threw a building block for me to stack. Thinking it was a breeze block it nearly knocked me off my feet when I caught it.

[Open cast mining at Cossall.]

When I was a kid my father used to take me on the tandem down to Stanton Gate to do a bit of train spotting ( Garretts out of Toton in them days ). Just north of the station were two huge slag heaps from the Stanton Ironworks blast furnaces, I guess the name just stuck with me and all spoil tips subsequently became slagheaps as far as I was concerned.

From my memory slag was the waste from the coal when it was sorted at pit face and then piled high at side of the pit, I worked in a foundry and the waste from the cupola was known as klinker. Might be a regional thing or it could be that the ironworks used to burn the slag because it can be burnt if forced with air. In times of coal shortage we would sort through the slag heap for the best bits and mixed with good coal it would burn.

[Open cast mining at Cossall.]

Firbeck you were right about the driftmines at Oakwell Grange & Cossal, my dad was a bricklayer and in the winter there was a shortage of work in the building trade so he would sign on for work in pits (still laying bricks but underground) I went with him a couple of times but there didn't seem to be any coal moving so it must have been near the end of their use. You had to go down an incline sat on some sort of bogey truck on rails to get to the bottom and from what I can remember he was bricking up roadways if that makes any sense. I remember going to Wollaton Colliery with him to fetch money he was owed and we had a fantastic breakfast in the pit canteen. Another thing I remember was our coal house was full to the roof so he either got coal allowance like the miners or he did a dodgy deal. What about the pit towels?, dad would always finish up with pit towels which were the best you could buy and us kids would dissapear into one of these towels when we came out of the bath.

[Central Market]

Thanks for the photos they brought back many memories of my childhood in the 50's, my dad's maternal family were market people so we visited both the Central & Sneinton markets every weekend. Carlton lad mentioned mushy peas & cockles, does anyone remember Eric Dickinsons pea & shellfish stalls? he was a mate of my dad's and we went there every Saturday. His son Paul was still running the stalls in the Victoria Market up to a couple of years ago but I have not been down there for a while.

The cafes were on the left up a few steps if my memory serves me well and I had an aunt who either owned or worked in a cafe up there so I would go there on a Saturday and she would give me a mug of tea and a plate of toast and dripping. I had another aunt who worked in the cafe on the corner of Sneinton Market and guess what? she would give me another mug of tea and a plate of toast. My gran always used to say eat all your toast It will make your hair curl (just look at my profile picture) she was avvinalaf

One of the pictures shows Joices buiscuit shop on the left of the Main Entrance, I remember going down the steps into the market and the entrance to Joices was on the left, directly opposite the steps was a sweet stall and my dad used to ask them for a threppeney bag of jar bottoms fer mi lad. The person behind the counter would fill a bag with sweets that they had to hit with a stick to free them from the bottom of the jar. There would be pear drops, fishes(that tasted like pear drops),jelly babies(usually headless from being hit wi stick) and allsorts.

I remember going to the pet store for my rabbit food, we had a few rabbits and I always wondered why I never got a white one until years later when I was told that I was feeding wild rabbits for the stew. I never worked out how a rabbit had escaped from the hutch even though there was a padlock on the door.

[Council House in Market Sqare for hire.]

My daughters getting married there next July so my wife is looking forward to going in there as she's never been inside, I have been there several times to meetings and they used to do lovely buffets in the Great Hall but not anymore due to cut backs.

[Art Deco in Nottingham]

I can remember going to Calverton Lido. I have a photo of my wife sat outside at a table enjoying a soft drink. There was a low white fence around the seating area and I'm sure it was 1968.

I remember making a delivery to Papplewick Lido one scorching summer day and saying to the owner " oooh! I could just jump in there now" she said " theres a towel and a cossie go ahead". After I had nearly had a heart attack she told me the lido was fed by spring water and is always the same temperature.

[Art Deco in Nottingham]

It seems almost everybody can remember their co-op number. http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4267&hl

Thanks for the link Cliff Ton I didn't know that one existed

[TGC - The True Tale of Woe]

At least you didn't get a criminal record. It annoys me to see so many apple trees in peoples gardens never cleared and the apples just rot where they hang. Why don't they give them to the poor or food banks or something if they don't want them?

Youre joking Bilbraborn, have you ever wondered why you often see perfectly good apples in the gutter?, the kids throw them out of their lunch boxes now cos they would rather go to the cob shop or Greggs for a load of crap rather than eat an apple.

[Art Deco in Nottingham]

I know I bang on about Co Op House, but the staircase there was totally Art Deco, with a bit of Art Nouveau too.

I have fond memories of the old Co-op House on Parliment Street, mam used to take us to see Santa in his Grotto there and years later I met my wife at a works dinner dance in the Elizabethan Rooms and this year on 23rd November will be the 47th Anniversary of when we met there. Pity its not there now we could return and reminisce of that evening, actually it was a blind date and she has been calling me blind ever since (only joking dear ouch!!).

Yes the staircase was grand but as a kid I used to love going up and down in the lift which was manned by an attendant," going up, ladies fashion,haberdashery,furniture,electricals, fourth floor accounts and Elizabethan Rooms, going down". I often wonder if they designed Grace Brothers of "Are You Being Served" on our beloved Co-op House.

Can anyone remember queing up at the accounts for the divi? and can you remember your divi number? 97120 was ours, a lot of the terraced houses around the city used to have their divi number on a brick beside the back door so the milkman and breadman could write your divi ticket out while he was waiting for you to come to the door.

[william sharp school bilbouorgh]

Another lad that went to Billy Blunt's as we used to call it, our form teacher was Mr. Smith and other teachers I recall are: Mr.Horton(the butcher) Mr.Henshaw(maths) Miss Haley later to become Mrs. Burbage(english) Mr. Kerr(P.E.) Mr. Beaver(music) Mr.Osbourne(woodwork) and of course Mr. Bateman (head). There were other teachers that I can't remember at this moment in time but they may come to mind at a later date.

I have mixed feelings about school, some days I loved it some days I absolutely hated it but after a few years slogging for 40 hours at work I would often say "wish I was back at school". The discipline was hard and I would often get cane for stepping out of line, or in the case of Mr. Kerr in P.E. it would be a size 13 plimsole accross your backside (if F1 drivers had the same tread on their tyres as that plimmy they would never come off the track). Yes they were tough on discipline but we had a certain amount of respect for the teachers, something lacking these days.

I went to the open day at the brand new Sandford Acadamy which now occupies the site and was really impressed with the facilities that were there, indoor sports arena, dance and music studio and media facilities to name a few. We would have given our right arm for facilities like those but I fear that they will be abused by the unruly kids that we seem to have today. Please!!!!!! kids prove me wrong.

The open day was quite enjoyable because parts of the old school were still standing and in the old assembly hall there was a display set up with artifacts from the past including the induction registers for each year. It was strange seeing your name in the register after all those years and there were quite a few interesting photos too. To top it all guess who was there?, Smiffy my old form teacher, he must be part of the school structure.

[What was the last thing you did at the end of a day by the sea?]

The last thing we did was wash the sand from our legs, dad wouldn't let us in the car until we were clean.

[Growing up in Bilborough]

Raybo (#252), babs had misspelt Clive's surname. The family name was Hodgson, not Hogkinson as stated. Clive is a real Rock & Roller and does have long sideburns. I've put the photo on to see if you recognise him.

Looks very much like the lad I worked with at Rennets are you in touch with him

[Things our parents used to say]

Mi mam used to be a school dinner lady and when she came home she would say the same thing every time "put kettle on Ray I'm Gaggin" I would always ignore her, she only had to say one word "Raymond" I put the kettle on.

[Things our parents used to say]

The discipline was always handed out by mam as dad used to work away a lot and when she was about to clout me she would say "this'll hurt me more than it'll hurt you"

Ok mam save us both the pain why don't ya.

As a teenager I gave her some lip in front of mi mates ooooh! big mistake, wham straight round the lug hole and when mi muckers laughed they got one too.

Your not allowed to chastise kids now but they are allowed to go round abusing people often physically and get away with it, who brought that rule in?. If my mam was here today she would give em all a good tabholing. Bless her.

[Things our parents used to say]

I don't know if this is pure Nottingham speak but when eating a doorstep I was asked "eya gorra bad and"? I assumed it was because the doorstep made my hand look bandaged. Anyone else heard this one?

Too right Pevril always had a bandage on mi hand

[Things our parents used to say]

I have heard that my real Dad told my mum to take the clothes pegs out her mouth when she was hanging out the washing,otherwise the kid would be born with a hare-lip. ( My mum was pregnant at the time)

Another one was: I hope your underpants are clean, just in case you got knocked down by a bus.

I did consider not wearing any, at least I would not have got knocked down by a bus if they were a little soiled lol

Mi nan used to use that one Thomas,

If I got run down by a bus the last thing I would think was are mi clouts clean? and lets be honest your clouts would get soiled just before the bus hit you anyway lol.

[Things our parents used to say]

I wonder who Jack Robinson was? Same with Gordon Bennett, I still say this, and folks say, who was he? I haven't a clue.

I think Gordon Bennet was an eccentric American who was famed for doing silly things.

[Things our parents used to say]

Eating a sweet last week which was quite sour and my cousin said I'll bet that made your tabs flap

Dodie, my wifes family originate from Norfolk and on a visit there we went blackberry picking, when I put one in the bowl that was a little unripe her cousin said "moint put them'as in as they fair moik yer arse touch your elbows" meaning they are a little sour boy.

All I know is, a pair of crows were trying to build a nest in the trees at the back of our house in November !! (I kid you not!), but it kept getting blown away so eventually they gave up , I've got a Cock and Hen Blackbird doing similar now!!

Valentines day (Only 35 days away) is the day that birds are supposed to mate for the Spring

Can someone send me a bird round on Valentines day then, oh I am naughty!

[Things our parents used to say]

When they yelled you and they used your middle name too...then you knew it was trouble.

In our house your proper name meant trouble as in my case "Ray" meant she wanted you, but "Raymond" meant you didn't want her to want you. "Raymond, gerrin ere this minute" meant you wanted to take an age to get in there.

[Things our parents used to say]

Now that the tone of this thread has already been lowered a bit, perhaps I can now add that we kids were sometimes told to soak our feet in the guzzunder, po, poe, pot or whatever . Not filled with water either!!

Supposedly a good old country remedy for the chilblains on our feet caused by the lack of heating in our cottage (was probably frostbite if truth were known).

Yes, there were days when frost had to be chipped off the inside of the bedroom windows, and there was also no water available from the tap (single) for the same reason.

But we did have some bedtime comfort in the form of the cast iron oven shelves, hot from the kitchen range, wrapped in a towel and placed at the bottom of the bed. Or a housebrick that had been heated the same way.

(Should this be in a new thread - drifted off the topic a bit ??)

teebee it's not a supposed remedy it's tried and tested as I have stated in another forum, as a teenager I suffered badly with athletes foot and no matter what remedy I tried it never cleared up. On a visit to my doctor he said you can try all the medicine on offer but the best cure is to pee in a bucket and soak your feet in it, you are taking the p*ss I thought but in desperation I tried it. After about two weeks there was no sign of the disease and I have not had an infection to this day, my wife says that I am the only man she has ever known not to have smelly feet perhaps the ammonia seals up the sweat glands in your feet.

[Things our parents used to say]

Always hoped I'd got a rich relative somewhere.

Blankets ??? Don't think we had those. Just an old eiderdown with our coats piled on top.

And no central heating or double glazing -- or even gas & electricity.

(And had to be careful where you put your feet when you got out of bed. Especially if the guzzunder hadn't been pushed fully under under the bed!

Hi teebee, brings back memories of my early childhood living at mi nana's, I would never pee in the guzzunder so I had to walk down three flights of stairs and down the yard to the lavvy sometimes in the snow. Like you there was no electricity but they had gas and it was waste of time trying to light the gas mantles to see where you were going cos they took an age to brighten up.

When it was bathtime nana would say "come on mucky pup lets avya in tin", tin meaning tin bath in front of the range and she used to heat the water by dropping flat irons into the tin which were heated on the fire. There were as many as four flat irons on the fire at any time ready to be dropped in (the prototype of the modern day combi boiler). I often would moan out "nana the waters cowd" and she would say "oppen yer legs" and drop a red hot iron into the bath, the water would bubble up and my legs would be kicking like a strangled duck "your not moaning its cowd now arya". Health and Safety eh!!.

[Things our parents used to say]

jackie bells was a rough pub in netherfield, see elsewhere

Mick, Jackie Bells was only rough if you wanted it to be, they used to do tremendous beef and dripping cobs back in the days when I worked in Bournes Mill.

It was also a Notts County stronghold.

[Things our parents used to say]

They use 'me duck' all along the Trent Valley . From Crewe, through Stoke, Rugely ,Burton etc .It's one of the only things I say to folk round here and they understand what I mean

Hi Beefsteak, I have heard it used in Manchester too which got me thinking???? Manchester,Crewe,Stoke,Burton and Nottingham this would be a route taken by the Fellows Morton & Clayton narrow boats bringing tar oil along the Trent and Mersey Canal to Nottingham, the boat people would have seen loads of ducks on the way. Who knows someone might have seen a duck and said "ayup mi duck" and it stuck as a greeting. Another saying you often hear is "tar very much" meaning thank you, but it could have been used when the boatman got his measure chitty after loading up with tar. I'm sure some history buff will put me in mi place but it meks ya scratch yer ed dunnit.