Willow wilson

A feast of red buses. A very business-like 2 door Yeates VAL 3rd in line.

Shops long gone. Ashmores Arcade at the bottom of Goose Gate was demolished to extend Belward street to Cranbrook street. I seem to remember a shop in the arcade had another branch in Hucknall but not 100% sure on that.

Ben, the floor is yours..

A junior boy’s memory. In the late 40s, one Saturday morning, this young lad and his brother would be squeezed into a taxi along with baby brother’s pram and all the luggage plus mam and dad and set off to the Victoria Station. Once there and through the sacred reverberation of the booking hall, the entrance to the trains opened onto to the metal footbridge over the platforms and lines, and there below us, a shock, a mesmerising panorama like nothing else, as far as you could see, a monstrous industrial underworld of clanking and shouting, hissing steam and wafting up to us, the tempting enticing sweet smell of locomotive smoke. A struggle down the steps with the cases and pram to the platform level and we were engulfed in its titanic busy-ness, a tannoy barking out indecipherable orders, smart adults walking quickly here and there, cigarettes being lit, unheard conversations drowned out by the noise, a wink from a passing porter, his laden trolley rumbling along on cast iron wheels towering above me; this was the centre of the universe, this was the mechanicals which operated the world. And there, the most important man in splendid uniform with white shirt and black tie, with mere whistle-blow ordered the lumbering trains about their business. Dad took me to the end of the platform to see the engine. As we approached there was a malevolence about its clicking, hissing and ticking, it seemed keen to be off somewhere, its huge body was so impatient that it was scorching hot if you got too close and if it had an eye I’m sure it looked sideways with disdain at this little mortal. And just to prove its superiority it let out a deafening shrieking hiss in a geyser of steam which, save for the roof, would have blown a hole in the sky. Mam’s waving us back to get on board. The noises subdue as we move into the carriage, dad stowing things in “our” commandeered compartment as doors thump shut. A sigh of relief from mam, and that station master signals the ok, there’s a contemptuous toot from Leviathon at the front and with a gentle jolt the “Master Cutler” is taking us on our holidays, eventual destination Broadstairs!

Impeccable vocal harmonies from Mary Ford and the Chordettes. Pity close harmony and swing has gone out fashion. Going Back, beautiful poignant song. Always had respect for Dusty's solo outputs. I'm still impressed by her work with Pet Shop Boys in the late 80s. For instance, Scandal, Reputation, Nothing Has Been Proved etc. For the 1990 film about shenanigans in the government in '63.

Once again, Chet Atkins may not have been the fastest or loudest, but for me the most attractive interpretations of the tunes of his day. He duetted with just about all the top guitarists at some time or other. Or perhaps they duetted with him.

In the Picture above. Spare a thought for the linemen who occasionally worked at the top of that telephone distribution pole just beyond Peach Tree roof (I guess that's Forman st/Trinity Square corner) and the other big telephone poles found in the city.

Hi Dave. As I recall, the doctors on the corner of Grannis Drive/Aspley Lane was the site of a petrol station/garage. Next to it (city side) the now residential home was the site of the Forum cinema.

And praps loosening everybody else's !!

If it's summer, we've got to include this one

In the 60s I had an Agfa Silette in a rigid leather carry case, followed by a Yashica Minister. Both range finder cameras. I preferred that Agfa, it was simple, robust and took very good pictures when I got the hang of the exposure settings. I used a circular calculator to start with, quite involved it was but later used a plain plastic card with settings on it or even guessing. It was good for general snapshots.

There was a sun lamp clinic on Heathcote street in the 50s. It moved to Mansfield road just above Woodborough road.

^^^ Organs. If anyone's going to play that model GM755 they'll have to do it cross legged.

Worrevuh the car is, thiz a bloke on one o' these chasin' it.

Theres a showroom called Bikeshop on Tamworth road just past the canal bridge according to Google maps streetview, is that the one. I think it used to be called Butler's in the 60s. I got my T100ss from there.