Growing up in Bilborough

[stpandp 0]

On 28/08/2013 at 7:35 AM, Bilbraborn said:

 

When I was in my final year at Glenbrook Junior they closed Beechdale primary. It was composed of the wooden mess huts for the Ack Ack gun that was there during the war I think. We had some of the lads move into our class at Glenbrook. I am struggling to remember names but I think George Grundy was one. Alan or David Franks. David Hockley, I have the class photo in front of me but names elude me.

David Hockley is my cousin.  We used to live in Bramerton Road, I went to Glenbrook Infants and Juniors and then Bilborough Grammar

[Martyn 303]

I have just found this site. It appears that you and I are the same age. I lived on Ainsley Estate and went to Robert Shaw but use to play at the rec off Beachdale Lane, the Canal and Bluebell Woods. My brother and a lot of my friends went to Pevrill and to Forest Fields.

Were you part of the Radford Bridge Road gang; some good fights and stone throwing at each other using the ballast from the railway tracks.

The simple good old days 

 

[Mess 518]

On 3/12/2018 at 4:49 PM, stpandp said:

David Hockley is my cousin.  We used to live in Bramerton Road, I went to Glenbrook Infants and Juniors and then Bilborough Grammar

 

Hi stpandp,

Just seen your post.

I remember David Hockley from his time at Beechdale Primary and Forest Fields Grammar school. He made an immediate impact when he arrived at Beechdale in the late 50s because he was such a brilliant footballer. Although he was a year younger than the rest of the team Mr Fletcher included him straight away such was his ability.

I'm in touch with one of David's schoolmates called David Franks if you can pass that on.

I'd be interested to know what David's been up to these last 50 years or so. Is he still in Nottingham?

Please pass on my best wishes. BTW my name is Ian Cresswell.

[Mess 518]

On 3/14/2018 at 8:29 PM, Martyn said:

I have just found this site. It appears that you and I are the same age. I lived on Ainsley Estate and went to Robert Shaw but use to play at the rec off Beachdale Lane, the Canal and Bluebell Woods. My brother and a lot of my friends went to Pevrill and to Forest Fields.

Were you part of the Radford Bridge Road gang; some good fights and stone throwing at each other using the ballast from the railway tracks.

The simple good old days 

 

Hi Martyn,

I used to live on Elstree Drive which backs on to Woodyard Lane and in the 50s spent many happy hours playing on the railway line, tin bridge and disused canal.

I well remember standing on the tin bridge and throwing stones at other kids. On one occasion a young lad was hit on the head by a stone. It was a glancing blow but it was bleeding a lot. When we saw what we'd done the whole mood changed and we immediately went to help him. How crazy were we as kids? Throwing stones never thinking we might actually hit someone and cause injury.

[Martyn 303]

I’ve just looked it up Elstree Drive on Google maps and remember it well. I am assuming that Woodyard Lane was the lane that passed by the canal and went through to Woolaton.

I still have a small scar on my forehead from being hit by a stone, during a session on Robert Shaw playing fields and having to go to the Children’s Hospital for stitches. 

I think your name rings a bell. Did you or any one from your family go to Robert Shaw or Peveril. 

 

[Cliff Ton 9,955]

2 hours ago, Mess said:

I used to live on Elstree Drive which backs on to Woodyard Lane and in the 50s spent many happy hours playing on the railway line, tin bridge and disused canal.

 

This is from the late 40s and shows the area you're referring to (including the still-existing canal). The red arrow is Elstree Drive, and the main road on the right is Hollington Rd / Wigman Rd.

[Mess 518]

Lovely picture Cliff thanks for posting it. 

We lived at 23 Elstree Drive which is in the bottom left hand corner of the drive as pictured. It looks as if it was just being completed which would date the picture as 1946 which was when my mum & dad bought it. You can also see Brown's woodyard to the middle left of the canal and the footprint for the end of Chalbury Rd.

[catfan 14,782]

We spent many happy hours playing when we were kids further along the canal near the old Radford Pit, swimming in the pit basin !

[Martyn 303]

I had a Whatsapp exchange with an old schoolfriend of mine yesterday. He claims he caught a big Tench in the canal on his 15th birthday. His birthday is the the first day of the fishing season. The only things I ever caught up there were tiny Gudgeon and the occasional Roach, or what I claimed was a Roach 

[antigavin 2]

Staverton Rd here. I was born 1946 and my name is Anthony Gavin. I live on 16 Staverton Rd and have so many memories about Bilborough.

 

I was wild with train spotting and often hung around the train bridge on old coach road.

 

 

Hi guys and girls Anthony Gavin here.Yes Ger I know all the lads you mentioned. Remember the Water bailiff had a very nobly nose he was always telling me off for throwing stones in the water. My mates were  Clive Buxton, David Prendigast, Robert Litchfield and Paul Yates. We spent all our holidays around the canal. Climbing the trees at the bottom of the slag heap and looking for fosils on the top. There were some spots where one would sink in over our ankles and it was hot and smelled of sulfur. If anyone threatened me I would tell them that I was Ian Gavins brother.

[Stavertongirl 1,681]

Hi Anthony Gavin do you have a brother called Robin? 

[Tony G 1]

Hi Denboid, Tony Greaves here. Nice to see your memories from those days. It was sad to lose my brother Paul. My mum passed at 86 and my dad last year at 94. My sister Christine recently visited Martins pond and Raleigh pond and was here today relating to how we used to spend our time there prior to all the factories. Mainly built over now. Dennis Wren was also one of our mates. Good old days.

[stpandp 0]

On 9/1/2013 at 12:47 PM, Mess said:

I was at Beechdale 1955-1961. The lads names you mentioned were in the year below me. David Franks went on to Forest Fields Grammar and now occasionally posts on Facebook on the Forestians group site. He and George Grundy are both on Friends reunited in the Beechdale Primary School section. David Hockley was a great footballer I recall. I'd love to see the class photo you refer to. Can you post it on here please?

I lived on Elstree Drive and regularly played in Little Woods and on Woodyard Lane. We used to trainspot on the tin bridge and on the fence before they built Farrands.

David Hockley is my cousin - is anyone still in contact with him, as I've lost touch!

[stpandp 0]

 

Quote

Hi stpandp,

Just seen your post.

I remember David Hockley from his time at Beechdale Primary and Forest Fields Grammar school. He made an immediate impact when he arrived at Beechdale in the late 50s because he was such a brilliant footballer. Although he was a year younger than the rest of the team Mr Fletcher included him straight away such was his ability.

I'm in touch with one of David's schoolmates called David Franks if you can pass that on.

I'd be interested to know what David's been up to these last 50 years or so. Is he still in Nottingham?

 

I've lost touch with David - was hoping someone on here was in touch with him?

[OURA* 0]

I think Denboid is Dennis W ! I believe that I know over the 'Hill' Bilbraborn!

Roger Peck did play for Sheffield United but couldn't quite make it; (His words). He was a director (sales) i think at Hopwells foods on Glaisdale drive but would guess tht he is retired by now.

 

Anyone recall Denise Webb as was?

[davep5491 360]

OURA* I have a cousin Denise Webb as was.

 

[OURA* 0]

Thank you for the response. Next time you see her, would you ask her, please, if she went to Glaisdale and if so, who was her form teacher. I am grateful to you

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Hello all you Nottstalgia so. Sorry I've not been posting for a while but when my old mate Firbeck died 2 years ago it put me off a bit. Anyway, I'm retired now and have a bit more time on my hands. I have recently become a Great grandfather to Carson. Did I say recently? The little beggar is 15 months old now and comes up twice a week to wreck the house for us. He's a little monster but we absolutely adore him. I'll be showing him around all the Bilbrough haunts especially the new swing park near the stadium. 

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

5Hello all you Nottstalgia so. Sorry I've not been posting for a while but when my old mate Firbeck died 2 years ago it put me off a bit. Anyway, I'm retired no

 

Sorry. I'm still getting the hang of this new tablet. Probably need a six year old to show me how to use it properly (lol). Be hearing more from me hopefully. 

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Sorry if my posts are all scrambled. My tablet just seems to do what it wants. I'm back on my proper PC now. 

      My Friday writing group at St. Martin's in Bilborough Village is hosting a poetry recital  during the Bilborough Arts Festival. It will be visited by Henry Normal, co-writer of TV comedy series The Royle Family. Henry (not his real name) is a Nottingham man who started his life in St. Anne's but spent his teen years living on Baythorn Road at the back of Bracebridge shops in Bilborough. He is now retired and living in Brighton but still writing poetry. He was also the founder of the Nottingham poetry festival which is held in Nottingham every year in the early spring.

          The Bilborough Arts Festival starts on Saturday 29th June 2019 and ends on Friday 5th July. It includes a Jazz café at St. Martin's Church on Sunday 30th July from 2pm til 4pm,  A history walk around Bilborough (lasting an hour) on Thursday 4th July from 2.30pm until 3.30pm and also from 6.30pm until 7.30pm. Both walks start and finish at St. Martin of Tours Church in Bilborough Village. The Friday Writer's performance is on the 5th July also at St. Martin of Tours Church starting at 7.30pm.

[Cliff Ton 9,955]

2 hours ago, Bilbraborn said:

      My Friday writing group at St. Martin's in Bilborough Village is hosting a poetry recital  during the Bilborough Arts Festival. It will be visited by Henry Normal, co-writer of TV comedy series The Royle Family. Henry (not his real name) is a Nottingham man who started his life in St. Anne's but spent his teen years living on Baythorn Road at the back of Bracebridge shops in Bilborough. He is now retired and living in Brighton but still writing poetry. He was also the founder of the Nottingham poetry festival which is held in Nottingham every year in the early spring.

 

I'd heard of him, but I didn't realise just how much Henry Normal has done over the years.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Normal

[radfordred 6,278]

Also a Forest fan & jointly produced the Forest documentary "I Believe In Miracles"  U-REEEEEEEEDS!

[Alpha 162]

Yes,

I spent my early years in Beechdale, at Ranmere Road until 1952 when I remember at Beechdale Junior School's announcement that the old king had died.

The classrooms consisted of wood constructed buildings where I believe the anti-aircraft battery were billeted during the war years. The pivotal gun base was located on the rough ground between Ranmere Road and the shops. There was an access road to the gun site running parallel with Ambergate Road.

 

This was our main play area at the time and the focal point was around the trunk of a felled tree in the middle of the rough ground.

 

The Bilborough's who we encountered in Beechdale woods (before the bus depot was developed) were considered 'persona non grata' due to the bad name that Bilborough inhabitants had then and which appears to exist today.

 

I often frequented Wollaton canal areas and the woods that bordered both sides of Beechdale Road with a friend, Andrew Duckworth. I remember the junior school heartthrob Pat Rhodes or (Rose) and others who lived nearby, Daryl Edwards and his brother.

 

I remember the civil engineering company, Holloway Brothers (later Beechdale Engineering) with its derrick boom dominating the sky-line  and Wimpey's site at the bottom of Beechdale Road.

 

In the early sixties I knew a girl, Barbara Theeker who lived in Darnhall Crescent (2 O'clock position looking from the shops). Does anyone remember her? I believe the family emigrated to Canada apart from her.

 

 

[plantfit 7,098]

Nice memories Alpha,I'd forgot about Beechdale engineering,they are now on the Blenheim industrial estate Bulwell (if they're still there) have also heard of the "Beechdale Guns" from father in law

 

Rog

[catfan 14,782]

When I was born on Darnhall Crescent the Theakers were our neighbours !