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Dear Fiends - sorry, Friends   Well another bright, shiny day in paradise!   And Happy Valentines Day! Thank you for all the cards, many of which would make a Bishop blush.

Dear Hearts, How very kind some of you are.   At least three kind postings have flooded in and I’m overwhelmed (do we know of anyone, anywhere that has ever been underwhelmed – and what

Hi Margie,   Thank you for your kind comments.  Where our ages are concerned, and judging from your photo, that makes me 27!   I must confess I'm very new to this "posting" but it'

Ayup Moirab. I was brought up on Wigman Road (bottom end) and I am back there having inherited off my Dad. I had many friends from Melbury Road and Melford Road. I went to Glenbrook Schools and Bilborough Grammar.

Although there are lots of changes to the shops on Bracebridge Drive, some still have the original owners. Like Baxter's hardware, Stapleton's greengrocery, the Co-op, the bank and Boots has moved across the road.

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A 1923 photograph of the Jackson family standing next to Wollaton Canal with Balloon Woods in the background has reignited my interest in the history of my childhood stamping grounds. I've also turned up a photo of Grannie Simmonds who apparently lived in one of the Balloon Houses and 'traded' with the bargees on the canal, swapping her home grown vegetables for a few lumps of coal.

Now, having more past than future (like so many Nottstagians and Bilboroughians, no doubt ), I'd really like to put together a little book about the whole of that area, including photographs, drawings, history, natural history, industrial history, etc plus individual memories of the gals and lads who played tin-can-lurkey in Jacko's Oller, built dens in Balloon Woods, played ice hockey on the frozen canal, caught newts by the tin bridge and suchlike. And, of course, the stories of the folk (like Grannie Simmonds and the Jacksons) who lived there prior to the Bilborough, Firbeck, Fernwood (etc) estates being built.

BTW Does anyone remember George who had the smallholding on the opposite side of the railway tracks to the riding school. He used to deliver vegetables from his horse and cart and once let me ride the horse. I was in 7th heaven (not to mention short trousers, elephant jumper and liberty bodice).

All contributions gratefully accepted.

Mick Cox

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Hi, and I thought everyone was dead. I have just been reading through all of the pages (well not all, but a fair few) and I am amazed at the memories of some people. I have lots of memories but somehow it seems that most people I speak to move in a time frame of two weeks forward and one week back (except for arranging holidays).

I notice that there are not many postings lately, have I arrived too late ?? I also notice that no-one seems to want to say who they are so I have followed suit.

I knew no-end of people in and around Bilborough particularly at the Glaisdale end of the estate. I notice there is a brother Gavin on here, I used to 'knock around' with Robin who I believe passed away at his home in Australia some time ago, I also remember Ian Gavin picking up Mr Marshall, music teacher and sliding him up the blackboard. I didn't actually see it but it was the talk of the week. Ian was a big lad though. I knew of the Alison brothers who seem to have been forgotten to some degree by a few on here. there was on an earlier page a picture of Sandra Eggleton. She used to go out with Jeffrey Alison and lived on Monkton, I believe next door to Karen Kiloran who lived on Graylands. The train bridge and the cut were well trod stomping grounds and when I was about fourteen years old, me and a pal went to sit with the Gypsies who had camped and we watched them roll a hedgehog into a clay ball made of soil and cook it on a fire, pull the clay off after an hour or so which pulled the spilkes and skin off and they ate it, yuk, when I think of that now. I have lots of memories of those days. Is anyone still logging on to this site ??

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Welcome ger,..............everybodys not dead far from it,they all at Nottstalgia meet-ups...........stick with it mate it'll liven up...........

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Hi Benjamin & Michael,

thank you for the welcome. Its not easy knowing where to begin with memories from such a long time ago. Perhaps a few names might generate some thoughts. A couple of years difference at a young age can put people in different worlds and we mostly remember people older than ourselves rather than younger, unless they were brothers or sisters of pals. Does anyone remember Ron Thomas,- David, Trevor and Valery Airey,- Billy, Dennis and Gloria Wren,-Philip Potter,- Margaret Keetly,- Dave Marshall,- Robert Brown who lived next door to Roger Cook,- Mervyn Neeves,- Graham Copestake,- Geoff wakefield,- Neil Gribby,- Ron Thomas,-Trevor and Janet Marjoram who lived on Staverton near 'Jacks' newsagent. Does anyone remember Jack and Barbara at the shop 'Jacks' or the correct size 'Wagon Wheels' that Edmunds off licence used to sell. Or 'Domino' cigarettes that we used to smoke and shouldn't have done.

Once you start thinking, it all begins to come back, sets off a train of thought that might take a bit of stopping.

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The second Ron Thomas on the last posting was actually Ron someone else who lived somewhere near Johnny Ross and Clive Buxton who lived next door to Cunjy Astill. I don't remember his name but I went fishing with him down the cut a time or two, near the pit. The canal was still intact then, as I remember the pit used to pull water from the canal, use it for cooling and pump it back into the canal 'basin' it was called. The eels were breeding in there at that time as were, what we used to call crayfish, as the water was hot when it was pumped back in and it warmed up the whole area of water which helped the fish breeding. I particularly remember we were chased by the bailiff on one occasion, we used to call him 'fungus tab Ted' as he had a large mole or growth on his ear, poor chap.

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I remember Roger (knocker) Smith, who was never seen without wellingtons on, trudging off to Australia with Trevor Marjoram and David Hill. Derek Smith who was Knockers elder brother was going out with Janet Marjoram (Trevors sister) and they later went out to Australia as well. We last saw them in the Three Tuns which was somewhere near Hockley about 50 years ago. Trevor finished up mining opals and has made his fortune doing that.

Reading on an earlier page about Raleigh Sports Club down Coach Road brought back memories. I would be about 13 and managed to get to be the one to fetch Wally Swift a paper, I think it was the Daily Sketch and the Racing Post. I used to take his paper and then watch him training in the pavilion on Raleigh Sports Ground. He worked at Raleigh and they gave him I think it was three days a week off to let him train. He was there early in the morning as well as later in the evenings. I am supposing you know who Wally Swift was of course.

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I would be about 13 and managed to get to be the one to fetch Wally Swift a paper, I think it was the Daily Sketch and the Racing Post. I used to take his paper and then watch him training in the pavilion on Raleigh Sports Ground. He worked at Raleigh and they gave him I think it was three days a week off to let him train. He was there early in the morning as well as later in the evenings. I am supposing you know who Wally Swift was of course.

If you want more Wally Swift, take a look at this old thread. http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=381

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Hi catfan,

they wouldn't hurt you, you wouldn't see them unless you fished them out. We had a bit of old drainpipe blocked at one end and we would half fill it with dead fish and tie a rope to it. leave it for an hour then carefully pick up the rope and run back with it pulling the pipe out of the water as quick as we could onto the bank. we had laid out old newspapers on the bank previously, when the eel came out of the pipe it would roll itself up in the newspaper as it was wet and smooth. We could then pick it up. We used to get one about every four or five times we tried, it was always better in the dark. There was a little dark haired man that started coming over to us, lived in the houses opposite the pit, the other side of the canal, started showing us stuff he shouldn't have been doing, mucky drawings we called them then, so we stopped going down there when it was dark. One or two of the lads used to fish in the lock near the pit, they could afford bait so used to 'skulldrag' as they called it. sort of waiting for a fish to swim over the hook and yank the line up hooking the fish in the side of its body, shocking, the bailiff heard about that and said they would be in court if ever he caught them doing that, probably right too.

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Just a quick one, talking about swimming in the canal. If I remember right, it was Kenny Hancox who told me that Dennis Wren had jumped off the canal bridge into the water and either a nail or piece of metal on an old pram had gone straight through his foot.

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I was at John player school 1962-1974. I lived in Bilborough. I remember Mr oaks was the English teacher. My favourite. There was a miss parsons too who taught us girls dressmaking. And Mr Terry. Think he was a maths teacher. I loved English. Hated maths.

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Mr Terry, a fantastic "old school" teacher who certainly knew how to teach, he always spoke about his young daughter, Helen.

She in later life became a very good doctor.

Mind you, Mr Terry being a resident of Bulwell, living on Ravenswood Road speaks volumes of a Bulwell lad.!

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You remember Mr Terry! I think I was only in his class when Mrs lomass? Lomax wasn't in. She was scary. I remember so many names from those days and wonder what happened to everyone. Pity there wasn't any school reunions, not that I know of anyway. I remember Karen froggatt very well. She was funny and very kind to me.

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There was a reunion a few years ago before the school closed, not many attended by all accounts.

I left in '67, although the school was mixed with the girls it was until the following year that the classes were actually mixed.

Some great teachers there too. Mr Cranswick was my form teacher for four years.

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Hi catfan,

You left soon after I started, but my sister's went there for a while. Pat and Margaret. Mr oaks was very much my favourite, English was the lesson I enjoyed. Always top of the class. Wish I had known about the reunion I would have gone for sure. I had a look at my old house on Google a while ago. Really strange seeing it again.

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Went to Players Senior from 1956-60, think i remember Mr Inskeep, Mr Jones, Mr Auckland, (nobby), Mr Caulfield and Mr Mills, MR Marshall took us for Maths, detested him and his lessons, Mr Messenger and of course the great Mr Mr Gallagher, Headmaster. its been over 55 years since i went there but can still, in my mind, walk through the school,

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Hi Terence, I remember Mr Auckland. He took my class sometimes for RE. One day some of the kids told him I hadn't joined in something or other he had set up for us to do. I was very, very shy. When nothing happened I heaved a sigh of relief. But as we all passed by him at the door when the lesson was over, he took my hand and gave it a stinging slap. All the kids gathered round me asking if I was going to cry. I hid my hand and stoically shook my head. I'll never forget him. An adult man slapping a little girl. Like to see him do that now!

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Snitches for classmates..........bully for a Teacher.............you tell em Pash...........lol

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Nobby Auckland was the cub & scout leader, he kicked me out & banned me for fighting.

He only passed away last year or so I believe, well in to his '80s.

We always called him "peg-leg Auckland or Nobby Auckland" amongst other things ! hellothere

He lost his leg while he was a "desert rat" I heard.

A fine teacher but very strict with it, some of the kids today don't know they are born.

RIP Jack Auckland.

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