[Gedling Christmas Tree]

Hi Carni A few corrections and after thoughts. The lads i had trouble with between Balls and Hardys were the Simms, the Woods, two brothers i think,lived at the set back house next to the Memorial Hall. It was always good going around there. The dolls hospital was on the corner at the bottom of Westdale. It was a old derelict house,inside the rooms were full of dolls legs, arms etc. I presume thats where it got its name from. Peppars? chemists down towards Chesterfield Arms had thick soft rubber matts you sank in to.Ithink they were a dak red? Up past the CO-OP there was a hardwear shop set back, i took paraffin etc out from there on a old grocery bike. Another shop Mckees ? down near gedling station and the post office idid a grocery round for.Youth employment office between the twiichall and the Memorial Hall had a large glass sign above the entrance, i got caned at Priory Road school for smashing it. It wasnt me, honest i knew nothing about it. When i left Gedling school three of us signed on for the Navy,i backed out, and had to go back to the employment office. The old bugger remembered me and after a two min. interview i was a nylon folder at a factory in Daybrook Sq. By the time i had payed £2 board and bus fares i would have had more money on my paper round. I only have three photos from that era, one is in the back garden at Main Rd.Standing on a old bodged up wooden scooter. Short trousers and a Priory Rd. school cap. I have a smile on my face, and the memory came back. I had just been on a visit to the rough side of the road, two small girls were on my gate! I pushed it faster, and they fell off crying. I felt sorry gave them both a kiss, left them starry eyed, and went out of there lives forever and went back to posh side of the road.Sorry. Tiveys good bread. Dc Torance find where you were in the queue. Dentist Boyds near the fire station, only if you were desperate. Smelt of Whiskey,gave you the jab, pulled the tooth out but you were half way back to Gedling before your gums went numb.Can remember lads and girls up Chatsworth, but you would have left by then.Will keep thinking!

[Gedling Christmas Tree]

You are testing my memory now! Hardys Drive, it was a unmade road then.The first house on the right going down my sister in laws sister lived there.Cath or Kath. i think. At the bottom of the road was a big gate? leading to a big house? the doctors house ? I seem to remember going down there so i presume i must have known someone down there. Between Hardys and Balls there was a family with two lads, possibly Michael Wood and a older brother. The younger one{my age} decided he wanted to fight me ? after i had dealt with it his older brother chased me.Luckily i was a good runner.There was a Charlie Bull somewhere near there, he used to pinch things from Balls.The road next to Balls there was a big house the lad there was Jack Massey he was older than me, always in trouble at Chandos. The only girls i can remember from near there was a Sandra White and Richardsons daughter at the paper shop.Down Duncroft there was a Howard Neil who had a big serious pedal car and a good water pistol. Further down was the Brightmans, who had three sons, one my age Cleveland and two older. Some people moved in next to us who had a son and a daughter, cant remember there name, but there dad had a medal for hitting a German plane over Gedling pit!! People used to reckon half the people in Gedling claimed to have hit it! Dont know if the story was true. Thats about it. Knew a lot of people off the pit estate and Gedling school. Had a short spell when i was at the Co-Op helping out on the mobile grocery van that went around there.April 45 by the way.

[Gedling Christmas Tree]

Hi Carni Lived on Main Rd, no 18. Front room used to be a green grocery shop. Next door was Leafs the butchers, then Duncroft Ave. Skellingtons the barbers, then Horsepools green grocers. Further down twds. Chesterfield Arms a chemists, Peppars? Across the road from us Richardsons paper shop, i think they moved further up towards Marsdens into a bigger shop There was another small shop across the road from us, Balls, a little old lady, sold sweets. Worked for a short time at Co-Op in the grocery dept. My mate worked round the corner at the mens hairdressers.Co-Op had old wooden counters then, people queued to be served. Loose Lurpack please! We had to skin giant cheeses, and bone sides of bacon. Further up Westdale two Lawrences , Stephanie was in our class at school. Turn right up Pheonix lived in one of the last council houses on the right before the pit houses start. Also lived on Westdale near the tavern, on Redland Grove, and Burton Rd near the railway bridge Went to Priory , Chandos, and Gedling Sec. Bet you wish you had never asked. Sorry. Always had a soft spot for Gedling. A few years ago drove up from Burton Joyce, and missed Gedling ,some wally had built Netherfield by pass. Stop yawning thats it.

[Gedling Christmas Tree]

Hi Carni Sunday school in the hall, made to go until i was 15. A cousin was the teacher, was one of the most boring things i can remember. The house next to it had a good apple tree in it Wire fence around it, and a big Pig inside it, someone had to get the Pigs attention then you could run in and get apples. You had to be quick, the Pig did bite. Sunday school at church was better you could sneak off and climb up to the belfry.Cant remember a Xmas tree in Gedling What thread? Apple Tree Lane nearby, and the field next to it used to be good for sledging. The lamp posts on it accounted for quite a few broken bones.

[Bring back any memories?]

Gedling pit gate. Memories for me as well. My Dad worked there and i used to walk up with him to fetch his wages. Never had a meal there, just a giant jam tart, and a huge mug of tea.Walk back down bursting for a wee! Used to go swimming in pit top lake. We had a raft up there. Nearly got into trouble once diving in with all my clothes on, and had trouble getting back on the raft. I also had a packet of Park Drives in my shirt pocket. Had bought them for my sister in law who had supposed to have packed up. Dad used to sing take me back to the black hills as we walked up to the pit.Sitting in the class room watching the buckets tipping spoil on the slag heaps.The coal board had there own small tank engines shunting on there way up. [ Queeny ??} Not many years ago i went up on to pit top again to see a Rough -legged Buzzard.Through the telescope i could see the old classroom. Couldnt believe i wasnt in my chair, i never seemed to get any time off. Just down the road from the pit gates there was some Alms houses ,i was on my way to a friends house to play,and we ran behind a tractor pulling bits of hay off. My mate ran across the rest of the road, i followed, didnt make it, got hit by a car, broke my thigh. General Hospital, caught Chicken Pox there,got put in a isolation ward.Lad in the main ward used to cry all night, telephoney home, he never stopped drove you barmy.Oh and i had a cigarette tin in my back pocket which had pictures of warships in it. Never went in the Grey Goose. Was born born in Gedling on Main Road next to Leafs the butchers,can remember all the old shops,Chesterfield Arms, where i used to get abandoned in the Skittle Alley,and every hour or so get fed with a packet of Cheese and Onion crisps and a Lemonade. I seem to think a girl from our class at the Gedling school was a landlady there at some time, not sure about that though. As usual i am not on any thread, sorry Can you remember the Doll Hospital on the corner of Westdale. Proper steam rollers, chewing the bitchumen. The vicar cycling down Main Road with his hairy dog behind him. Anybody dropped off? I think i can remember most things about those days, but suffer from meeting more recent aquiantances and forgetting there names. Had trouble spelling then.Any thing else you want me to remember about that period just say.

[The Cane (corporal Punishment) !]

Probably the last year at Priory Road Junior School was my first caning.. We had a tennis ball on the ground and were throwing stones to hit it. I hit it and the stone shot up and broke the class room window. There was a more painful one at Priory. Hold your arm out,clench your fist, and you were hit across your knuckles with a ruler. There was a boy there,Robert Pilsworth who kept moving his hand out of the way, cant remember the outcome. The teacher was a woman,probably a Miss Peachy, but i am not sure. Chandos just once {already on one other forum}. I can remember the public executions here. The whole school in the hall to witness it. Marshy used to have a wicker basket next to him full of canes. I can remember him using a cane until the end splintered, then throw it onto the stage ,and get another one. One boy was a regular, his name was Jack Massey,you got the impression that Marshy really hated him. There used to be a story at that he had some German blood in him, and that Marsh had some kind of injury from the war! Probably a load of rubbish. Gedling School i must have been a angel. I can only remember having to sit outside the headmasters office once. For tying a girls ponytail to the back of her chair in assembly. Cant remember the punishment, just that a prefect {my mate] shopped me. Cant remember the punishment. Was it a Mr Percy?

Thats the lot, sorry.

[Fox and Grapes 1963 - murder]

I was questioned about the " pretty windows murder" Had to go to the police station opposite Victoria Baths. I had been at my girlfriends,and was reported as not at home by my dads partner!! About my only claim to fame!

[The Gay Cafe Burton Road Carlton]

Went to the Gay Cafe a lot in the late 50,s. Lets see what i can remember. Two table tennis tables, one dartboard,used both a lot.A jukebox,can remember playing Eddie Cochran a lot. We even had a word with the bloke who changed the records to make sure he stayed in.Dancing! NO, despite what i have told my children i was never born to dance. Used to regret it then, and still regret it now.To much to drink and i could manage a quick grope that was my lot.I seem to remember the cafe got hold of a bus, and went to see Bantam racing at Mallory Park.One of the lads from the club drove it. Also seem to remember he drove a bulk powder tanker, and a accident on the A38, and his girlfriend who was small and very nice! All the motor bikes outside, i remember a lot of them and there riders. Went pillion on a few of them, can remember the acceleration of a Road rocket! Can anybody remember the visits of Streddar!!!, hope you cant they wasn,t pleasant. What else, girlfriends, Doreen -Netho, Collen- Carlton, and of course met the wife there.Cant remember the blokes name who ran it.How about a heavy night of drinking COKE,and feeling very light headed afterwards (what was in it in those days) It was sixpence to go in.Thats about it, doesnt seem much for the time spent there. Lets lose the thread and go across the road to the Ritz.{Sorry} Pictures ran Mon to Wed, and Thur to Sat. Sun. was tame horror or similar, sometimes quite good. The Blob. Untamed Youth{ Eddie Cochran} and the first time i saw Rebel without a Cause. What about free entrance! Two pay to go in, get seats. Then go to the toilet, open the window wide ,and two climb in.Then go to seats in two,s. The toilet window was low down in the car park. Last year at Gedling School used to meet a girl there, go in with mate then shout Rose and when she answered go and sit with her.Well we werent flush with money then.Chip shop on corner was as good as Ferns on Westdale, ask for fish bits everybody had big pickled onions. As a after thought a mate and his dad stripped the seats from the Regal for scrap.Its not all good bringing these things back, we cant turn the clock back. Sorry for rambling.

[Ilkeston Road picture house]

I can remember going to this picture house and staff walking down the aisles and spraying something around!!