Demolished Memories

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

I would have been happy to have been a resident in old age provided they kept the pumps in.

[carni 10,094]

Riddo re #95,

Here is my photo - sorry about the condition of it - the date is July/August/September 1953 at St. Andrew's Church, Mansfield Road. The lady on the right is my aunt, the lady on the left is the one who may or may not be Pat Box. Whoever she is i know that we saw a lot of her in those years.

PS- I'm the little blondie, I'm about 5 1/2 yrs old and my sis who is 6 1/2 yrs old. See if you recognise anyone.

[carni 10,094]

Re Photo above,

We have just been doing a bit of detective work on the photo above, and we can't recognise the brickwork behind us with the image of the church on 'Google Maps', It does not look like the front of the houses on 'Vicarage St' either so we have to investigate further! Problem is there is no one still around to ask! We will have a look round when we come for the 'Meet Up on the 19th'. Does any one recognise the back ground to the photo?

[Riddo 47]

Carni #102.

You haven't changed a bit!

Before I got to your description of the photo, just scrolling down the page, there was a definite recognition as the lady on the left came into view! I'd only be 3.5 yrs old at the time of the photo, so I doubt it's a memory from that time. However, we were living on Vicarage St at the time, having moved back from Clifton earlier in the year, and stayed until summer 1957. So my memory would be from later on.

It looks like you're all bridesmaids here, so if it's not "Pat" getting married then we can assume she stayed on the street & met up with my mum later. Maybe they both worked at Raywarp as well? More likely they met in the Mechanics.

I'll get my sister to have a look (she keeps sneaking a peek now I've told her about the website) & maybe she'll have the same response as me.

You're right about the background not being typical of the houses on the street. There's a double door, but it's not a massively wide or grand doorway is it? Could it be a side entrance to the church, you know, while you were waiting for the register to be signed or something? If it's before the ceremony maybe it was taken somewhere else other than the church.

Another thought - the little chap on the left looks a bit too relaxed for this to be a formal photo, an official photographer would have shooed him away, surely.

And who's the guy in the doorway keeping an eye on everything?

Sorry Carni - that's more questions than answers, but there was a spark of recognition!

[Riddo 47]

#102/3/4

Carni, my sister got a "spark of recognition" too, and we now assume she's a lady that we were familiar with, so if you think strongly enough that it is Pat, then we'll go along with that.

My sister also wondered if the photo might have been taken pre-wedding or post-wedding at a pub or club, which prompts me to suggest the old Parish Hall (St Andrews Church Hall) that still stands on Alfred St North across the road from The Mechanics pub. It would have been just a few seconds walk from Vicarage St. One of the doorways is now bricked up, but there's an old photo on Picture the Past that seems to show there were a couple of steps in front of each doorway then. I can't tell whether it had double doors though. Search for "Parish Hall" in "Nottingham, St Anns".

[carni 10,094]

Riddo,

Thank you for the suggestion about the photo possibly being taken pre or post wedding. I think you are right, I have tried so hard to remember where the reception was and you have given me the answer. I had completely forgotten the "Parish Hall" and i still can't think of it, but I know in my heart you are correct. I have one more tattered photo of me on Vicarage St age about 2yrs old, and at the bottom of the road behind me you can easily make out "The Minerva Garage".Would the hall have been next to it, as the Garage is directly across from Vicarage St. Have you got any more bits of info for me?. I tried to look on "Picture The Past" but I can't master it yet. Many Thanks.

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

Does this help?

[carni 10,094]

Thanks CliffTon,

I can see Gran's house on Vicarage St and also my Aunts house which was the one next to the Lace Factory on Alfred St. But i am not sure which buildings were the Parish Hall. The Minerva Garage door was opposite Vicarage St, and looks as if it goes through to Egerton St, so I imagine the Hall was to the left of the garage. Such a long time ago, the memory is not good, but the pieces are all coming together slowly. Thank you for your help.

[Commo 1,292]

Cliff, I am fascinated by old maps and your collection must be a joy to behold ! Knowing the areas that you post makes "walking" round them a treat, and I wonder if you have any sections showing Comyn Street and Alfred Street Central on the same scale, and if so could you possibly post them up for my selfish delight ?

Here's hoping!

[Riddo 47]

#107/8.
Carni, if you look at Cliff Ton's map, the "triangle" at the bottom of Vicarage St (on the left) is the Mechanics Arms. Directly across Alfred St, is a square-ish area with a darker rectangle inside it. That's where the Parish Hall is. It once served as an infant school until Elms was built in the early '50s.

Anyway, for Picture the Past, go to the front page.

Under the "Search image collection" section enter "Parish Hall" in the keyword box.
In the next box down click the down arrow on the right. This opens up a long drop down menu.
Scroll down (a long way) & click "Nottingham, St Anns".

Click the little "search" button, et voila!

There's only one pic of the hall & it's quite old, but you'll recognise it. I'm afraid I don't remember the garage you mention at all.

I've got recent colour photos to post but no success yet (posted a "help me" in the How To forum).

[poohbear 1,360]

I've got recent colour photos to post but no success yet (posted a "help me" in the How To forum).

Messaged you

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

This Parish Hall ? http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?action=printdetails&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NTGM004956&prevUrl=

[piggy and babs 544]

yes clifton its a lovely building

the front door of the building is a double door now riddo so i supose itsthe way it was built

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

I wonder if you have any sections showing Comyn Street and Alfred Street Central on the same scale, and if so could you possibly post them up for my selfish delight ?

Some of the maps I own, others come from knowing where to look on the web. This is one of the former.

[carni 10,094]

Thank you so much again CliffTon,

The bricks on the "Parish Hall" look very much like the ones on the wedding photo so it stands a good chance of being where the photo was taken. My Grand Parents lived about 50yds from the Hall. I have had a walk up there in recent months but i don't recall seeing any of this, is it still there? I am quite shocked that I can't remember it, yet I can remember the Tattooist and various other shops.

We are just scanning an old battered photo of me at 2yrs old on Vicarage St, if you look in the background you can just make out the Minerva Garage across Alfred St. The photo is in really bad condition but it might remind you Riddo. Thank you again.

[carni 10,094]

This photo was taken in about 1950, it's in this condition because it was found at the back of a cupboard about 6 years ago! Arrrh, that's me in the right, 2yrs old, not a hair on me ed. Pushing my pram with my little celluloid dolly. The man looks like the one in the wedding picture - could be an uncle. Anyway, as you see there is the Minerva Garage in the background.

[piggy and babs 544]

you got a sib of hair carni but its very blond and difficult to see.

[carni 10,094]

I thought that as well ,Lol, I just got used to being told I was bald until I was two, I can prove them wrong now looking at the photo. Looking at the photo it reminded me that all these little terraced houses had cellars, and I remember Granddad used to get us to go down there to fetch something and then he would switch the light off. Lots of screams and mad scrambling up them steps.

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

This is pretty close to the area in question. The PTP description explains it all. http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?action=printdetails&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NTGM013449&prevUrl=

[carni 10,094]

Spot on CliffTon again,

I shall have to go exploring when we come to Nottingham.

I see Raywarp is still there, I used to earn some fairly good money making ladies Hair Bands and Bath Caps in there in 1964/5, when I was on "My own time," I could pick up £20 on a good week, which was very good in those days, my boyfriend (later Husband) used to draw about £8.

My Granddad worked in one of the buildings on the right side of the picture, He was a Blacksmith, though I am not sure what he did there.

Thankyou

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Knowing the areas that you post makes "walking" round them a treat, and I wonder if you have any sections showing Comyn Street and Alfred Street Central on the same scale, and if so could you possibly post them up for my selfish delight ?

Here's hoping!

Commo

I have a large collection of maps of the town/city of different dates,

I do have most of the city 1950s/60s(a few bits missing) scale 50" to the mile or four maps to one square on a 1" O.S. map,

If you P.M. me I'm sure I can get photo copies of what you require.

[Commo 1,292]

Cliff, re #114, Top Man, many thanks.

[Cliff Ton 10,457]

That is copied from one of the Nottingham maps sold via this company. If you want your own personal copy......... http://www.alangodfreymaps.co.uk/

[Riddo 47]

#115/116.
Carni - I don't remember the garage at all, yet we must have walked past it every day on the way to Elms school! 
You're correct in thinking the Parish Hall is to the left of the garage and it must have been the next building up Alfred St in those days. There's a road junction now where the garage stood and all the old buildings down to the right have gone.
 
With some advice from poohbear and a bit of fiddling with HTML activation I seem to have managed to post a pic at last! These were taken a couple of weeks ago. Here's the Mechanics Arms (Pride of Erin) from St Anns Way (as it's called) and your grandma's house looks a lot different now! Also a closer shot of the Parish Hall. You can see the bricked up doorway (3rd window from right) and if Babbs says the remaining door is a double, then it looks as though we all agree it's the place for your wedding pic.

[carni 10,094]

Thank you Riddo,

I have studied the pictures you have kindly posted, but I just can't get my bearings at all. I have the old image of the area as it was, so strong in my mind that I just can't work out the angle we are looking from. We are coming to Notts in three weeks time, so we will park up and have a look round. Looking at the second picture, is it taken from where the Mechanics Arms is? if not then I really am confused. Though I have visited family over the years, I had no reason to visit the Alfred St area, as all the family moved away, so I can't get the old vision out of my mind.