Dave Spence

I knew Sue, the butlers daughter, when she was a barmaid at the Broad Oak. my dad used to own Nottingham Brush Vac in the 60’s/70’s and regularly swept the chimneys at Strelley Hall. He always referred to Mrs Edge (Ma Edges as we always called her) as a real lady and she would always make time for a chat whenever he was there.

Hi guys, what a mess I’ve made of this. I started this thread as Dave Spence and forgot all about it. I then posted on my own thread after rejoining, inadvertently, as David spence. Told you I was a technophobe. cotgrave girl… I was a very big mate of your dads and I actually worked with him in the turning shop after billy barret, sadly died. Your dad was the best lathe man I ever had the privilege to work with. My time with him was always guaranteed to be a laugh a minute and I often think about my old mate Ghandi, as we called him.

Back in the mid eighties we used to got to the Astoria on Wed, Fri and Sat nights and the doormen were run by Stu Morris, is he still around? Others included Steve Sharp (who I worked with at the NCB), Raj and Steve Elliot. Sunday lunches were always at the Variety Club listening to Barry St Ives, playing Bingo with Gordon, I still chuckle to myself when I think about Gordon's Bingo rules. Although these rules are, sadly, not fit to put into print if you were ever there you are certain to remember them. Happy days!!

Thanks for the info on a new thread, much appreciated. Thanks for clarifying Mick Wolvins' position, I think I can place him, do you know who his counterpart was on the fitting side? If I remember correctly they were Norman White, Norman Evans and George McNeil.

When we were at school in the 60's we used to hang out around the old tin bridge between the bottom of Wigman Road, where Chromoworks was, and Raleigh Pond. A lad named Keith Holland AKA The Music Man had a battery powered record player and we spent many happy hours with, Long Shot Kick the Bucket, Return of the Django, etc. Great times but I think the residents of Charlbury Road got a bit sick of it!!

Sorry about this folks, told you I was a Technophobe, but how do I start a new thread?

Thanks for your replies folks, I remember Mick Wolvin now that you tell me he was a shift charge electrician. Back in the 70's all the mineworkers were given the option of buying their pit houses and a lot of them did so. Are there many still living there? I transferred to Bentinck training centre in 1979 after gaining my AMEMME Hons. If you were a fitter or an electrician from 1970 ish through to 1986 you will surely remember, Barry Parnham, Bram Butt, Charlie Pass, Jack Clarke and co. They were all Instructors and you couldn't have wished for a more miserable bunch of so and so's.

I worked with a lad named Clem on, it was either 3's or 5's, I was just an apprentice fitter working with Jack Hallam on 3's or Bill Thompson on 5's. If I remember right all Clem could talk about was fishing, this suited me as I was, and still am fishing mad. I remember him moaning for the whole shift about the number of 'Monsters' that had snapped him the day before at the Pod-Hole. The name Mick Wolvin rings a very loud bell but I cannot put a face to the name. My Dad has asked me to ask if any of his old mates are members. His name is Kenny Spence and he worked at Radford, then a short t

Ayup me ducks I am new to this sort of thing so bear with me if I make a mess of it. I worked at Cotgrave colliery from 1972 - 1979, does anyone remember the fitters v electricians football matches that were an annual event. Main players, that I can remember, were my old mate Keith "Aussie" Austin, my travel partner Don Parsons, "legend in his own mind" Paul 'Ando' Anderson and I think that the lad who sent a write up to the local paper every year was named Malc Woods. We had some great times, especially during my last 3 years when I was permanently in the surface fitting shop. I had asked