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Sorry to hear that fibeck, they are such lovely, gentle horses. When we lived in Surrey, we'd take the kids to the Shire Horse Centre in Maidenhead to see, and pet the horses. Over here, we've been to Sea World in San Diego and Busch Gardens in Florida, both have a wonderful number of the Percherons [?] to pull the Budweiser drays, mostly for shows, parades etc nowadays.

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My grandad had a chemist shop on the corner of Rawson Street in New Basford just along the road from the brewery. I remember the drays clattering by on the cobbled roads.  My dad was friendly with Shi

Found this one among my old photos. Don't know when or where it was taken.

Found these Wish that lorry had been a Foden not Leyland.

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Re the Hook Norton Drays. My mum was raised in the village of Hooky and when we had relatives still alive there we used to have a bi monthly family gathering and a clay shooting contest (At this point I would love to say I always won, but I can't 'cause I didn't !!!) This was always preceded by a visit to the brewery, and a sample of their fine wares was always partaken (probably why I didn't win !!!) We would then get taken back to the shooting grounds on the Dray (We needed it)

Re the Bass Drays, I have a photo somewhere (And possibly a bit of video too,) of yours truely making an ass of himself in the stables there, strutting around with a horse collar on, stomping my feet, and making horsey noises !!! We didn't get a ride on this occation as they didn't do them on a Monday !!

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Although it looks a proper country scene, there is an unusual "stepped" building with a large aerial ? in the distance behind the chap with the ciggie .

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7339/12706106823_907012fcce.jpg

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Thanks for asking Lizzie , No if we got floods it would be very serious ! More a case of hanging onto the roof tiles ! Just busy with other stuff at the moment .

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Ah, weren't they lovely? I remember seeing those lovely animals around the streets of Basford when I worked there in the 60's and 70's. I got the same thrill seeing the Notts Police horses around the city ...... what a pity they're no more too.

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Hi creeky, as a kid I used to love Shippos Fodens. They were always spotlessly clean and had a lovely sound to them. Very strong looking . The Leylands were not as rugged, but still good wagons. This was of course after Leylands took over several smaller manufacturers.

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What a memory jerker seeing those lovely horses again. Walking up Huntingdon Street to work in the 1960s I would often pass them as they were coming back down towards me. I still love the sound of the hooves on the road. Not to keen on the little presents they left behind sometimes. If my dad had been around with his bucket and shovel, he would soon have been shovelling away for the allotment. :P :)

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This is part of an article that appeared in the Foden Motor Works News during the late 1950s - early 60s.

It refers in part to Shipstone Horses and their use during the Great War (100 years - this year)

I am sure there are many Nottingham Families that were touched by this dreadful war.

FodenNews1_zpse51fadfe.jpg

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My dad (1915-2004) grew up on Egypt Rd close to the Star brewery. He used to relate a story about his mate who was killed when a barrel came off the back of a Shipstone's dray and crushed him. I used to know the kid's name but it's gone from my mind. I'll post it if it comes back to me.

I wonder if it gets a mention in The Nottingham newspaper of the day.

Perhaps someone with a subscription to the national newspaper archive could look it up.

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Can't see any mention in the news archives , tried search terms of "Shipstones, dray, barrel , crushed etc." A name would make it easier if you remember . Bare in mind the archives only go up to about 1953 .

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When I lived on Rosetta Road, my mates dad was a ostler for Shippo's. This meant we could get in the stables off Northgate and get close to those wonderful horses. I had a pic of me on the back of one but over time it's vanished.

Ma Taylor's on the corner of Suez Street and Rosetta Road used to have one call every week. It was the drays last call before returning to the stables so you can imagine the state of the draymen by the time they got to Ma Taylors. Good job the horse new where it was going and when to stop and start because by then the guys where pretty much legless.

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I lived opposite the Charlton Arms pub in Chilwell which was a Shipstones pub. I remember well watching the horses and dray pull into the pub yard to unload the wooden barrels. I nipped over to the pub yard once or twice for a bit of manure they left behind lol

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