Growing up in Bilborough

[annswabey 599]

Dr Everton and Dr Want were my Doctors too, as a child. Much preferred Dr Everton!

[piggy and babs 544]

any one remember a steve murphy brought up malbury melbourn rd area and still lives there mid sixties now.

many of the guys who came down the heart rockers or teddy boys lived in the bilborough area, george oglesby hogkinson brothers and sisters did not know the girls but knew all the lads fran clive trevor steve and nigel ivet wright mick denny ray smith the whatts brothers billy kenny and mick john and mick carling to name but a few.

[Bilboro-lad 294]

I remember the Oglesbys. Lived on Orion Close. We we scared to walk down Orion Drive in case they were there. They had a reputation for bullying younger kids. Never had any problems though, I doubt they were anywhere near as bad as they were made out to be.

[Bilboro-lad 294]

As far as doctors go, our family doctor was a Dr Griffin. No idea where his surgery was as I never went. Never saw a doctor until I was 18.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

I knew the Oglesbys. They were OK. John was in my year at Glenbrook. His older brother George used to go in my dads caravan at Ingoldmels with his family in the 80s.

When I was a kid at Bilborough, my Doctor was Dr Griffin for years. Then they built the surgery on Wigman Road next to Fremount Drive and as stated, Dr Want and Dr Everton were the Doctors there. I hardly ever saw them. After having pneumonia at the age of 11 I was pretty fit after that. Just the odd cold. My next doctor was in Glasgow.

I knew kids like Alan Lewin, David Airey and Pater Wealthall. I lost touch with them when I left Glenbrook. Still kept friends with John Smith, Peter Hopewell, Bob Catchpole and Roy Hudson. No idea where they all are now. I also remember the twins David and Trevor Scott. I wouldn't recognize these people now sadly.

[glaisdalelad 36]

_{Hi Everyone.}

_{Have many happy memories of Bilborough. We lived on Glaisdale Drive until 1959 and I spent many hours playing in the woods and the fields. I remember amongst other things the make do football pitch with the stree stump at one end. This was in the fields before getting to the woods when walking up from Wigman Road. Does any one have any photos of the fields and the woods before the Birds eye factory was built. I knew the Allisions and below is a list of occupants as far as I have been able to put together. Look forward to hearing from anyone.}

_{RESIDENTS ON GLAISDALE DRIVE WHEN WE LEFT IN 1959}

_{From the bottom of Glaisdale Drive at the junction of Wigman Road to the end of the two storey houses near the Old Coach Road}

_{2 Michael Eley}

_{4 Sandra Dexter,}

_{6 Alan Scothern (Golly)}

_{8 Linda Adams,}

_{10 Robert? Marshall,}

_{12 John and Arthur Booker (twins),}

_{14 Philip Day plus older sister,}

_{16 Angela Johannsen,}

_{18 Robin Nunley with sister Judith,}

_{20 John and older sister Whitehursts (first round the Green)}

_{22 David Brooks,}

_{24 Keith Tatton,}

_{26 Geoffrey and John Allison,}

_{28 Mr & Mrs Warsop (The chap that died young)}

_{30 June Lowe, (last round the Green)}

_{32 Max, Madeleine Jennison,}

_{34 Alan Linda Peggy and Vic Spree.}

_{36 Roger, Janet, Fran and Jerry Dawson}

_{38 Brothertons}

_{40 Margaret Leverton,}

_{42 Sid, John and Linda Loweth,}

_{44 Platts
46 Ken, Bill, Shirley, Chris, Barry, John, Peter Wealthalls}

_{48 Geoffrey and Linda Clarke,}

_{50 Alan Patty,}

_{52 Ken Hancox,}

_{54 Madeleine, Janet, Pauline and Geraldine Stretton,}

_{56 Tony Elliot,}

_{58 Hughie Burns,}

_{60
62 Derek, Janet & Roger (Knocker) Smith.}

₆₄

_{66 Margaret Keatley}

_{68 Nigel Lees}

_{70 Carol Gooding}

_{72 Peter Chamberlain and 2 younger sisters}

_{74 Margaret, Ann and John Crawley}

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Ayup Glaisdalelad. I remember David Booker, John and Arthur's younger brother. Also I used to help Arthur on his paper round. Later I knew Glenys Tatton who was in our circle of friends from school although she was in the year below me. By the way, welcome.

I also remember the makeshift football pitch on the edge of the woods. It was often occupied by Gypsies in their old fashioned wooden caravans. Keep the memories coming. By the way, I am back in my old childhood house on Wigman Road having inherited it from my dad.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Oh by the way. If anyone does have photos of the fields, I too would be interested to see them.

[Michael Booth 7,364]

Welcome to Nottstalgia, glaisdalelad. I look forward to reading your posts and sharing your memories.

[Trevor S 2,003]

Welcome glaisdalelad. I knew the Allison boys fairly well and often used to stay over at their house.

That list of yours is fairly comprehensive for Glaisdale Drive - your folks owned the Post Office?

I could not find any pictures of the vacant land across from Glaisdale Drive - especially over from 26 where the gypsies used to camp and where you walked through to the canal.

Check out Britain from Above, patch in Bilborough as your search and you will get 4 pictures of Bilborough and you can see the fields in question (not too good though).

For example:

http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw042523?search=bilborough&ref=3

That is Glaisdale Drive that curves down on the right hand side of the photograph with the vacant land on the right.

Wigman Road runs across the top and 26 Glaisdale would be a short distance down from that, in the vicinity of the dark patch of vacant land.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

All those photos we took in our back gardens in summer, and I have plenty that my dad took. Why oh why didn't we take photos on our strolls down to Wollaton Park, passing such landmarks as Old Coach Road and the canal bridge. I must have bumped into you many times glaisdalelad as we congregated on the train bridge or joined in the many games of commandos in the woods. Even daring each other to crawl through the sand tunnels. Remember cycling round the 'Death Track'? All is now buried under the warehouses which are now, for many of them, life expired.

[plantfit 7,580]

Glaisdalelad, I can remember Angela Johannsen, she used to work at Crosland filters further along Glaisdale, that must have been late 60's early 70's

Rog

[glaisdalelad 36]

Hi

Pleased to see your postings. The link to the aerial photo of Bilborough was very interesting and I will at a later date try and upload part of a 1954 map of the area showing the woods, canal and railway line which are the areas that I spent most of my time. I remember well the sand tunnels but not the death track. It is a great shame that there seems to be a lack of photographs of those environs that we used to play in.

I must admit that the list of occupants on Glaisdale Drive was not all my work as it was done with the help of some old childhood friends that I manage to contact, these include David Lever, Roger Dawson and Margaret Keatley does anyone remember them.

I went to Glaisdale Secondary later to be known as Glaisdale Bilateral and some of the teachers I recall from there are Mr Viles Woodwork, Mr Wrathal Metalwork, Mr Blenkinsopp PE, Miss Illes English,Mrs Maltby Domestic Studies and of course Mr Unwin the Headmaster. Some of the pupils I recall are Michael Eley, Tony Isaacs, Roger Cook, Denise Jones, Karen Killoran and Anne Clarke.

I have many memories of my days in Nottingham and it is difficult to know where to start. Perhaps somewhat weirdly I shall start with smell. The three overwhelming smells I remember are Dubbin used for football boots, steam from the trains passing under the railway bridge on the Old Coach Road and the most unpleasant one of rotten Fray Bentos corned beef when I punctured an old WW2 tin whilst digging in the fields opposite our house.

The mention of Dr Griffen on previous posts also brings back memories of the various treatments for ailments. It seemed that the most common one used by my Mum and Dad was Mindadex which although green in colour did actually taste quite strongly of oranges and was used as a tonic.

Some of the medication that we also had apart from Minadex was Virol, a concoction of malt and cod liver oil which was used to boost our defences, liquid paraffin which was rubbed in for all sorts of aches and pains or in some cases drank as a laxative, kaolin poultice which was heated up in a tin and then liberally spread on a bandage before being applied as a poultice to draw out boils and carbuncles. A suspension of kaolin and morphine was used to stop the dreaded runs. Butter was used to rub on any bumps or bruises. Bicarbonate of Soda was given in warm water to relieve stomach ache or indigestion or if we had it in the house a dose of Andrews Liver Salts. Iodine was applied to wounds to disinfect them and left a nasty brown stain. Beechams Powders which came in little grease proof paper packets that were carefully opened to pour the powder into a glass of water were used for upset stomachs, Carters Liver Pills that were very small and brown coloured and tasted vile if you were stupid enough to bite one, needless to say I did it once. A pink coloured Calamine lotion was rubbed on the skin for sunburn and measles. Vicks camphor oil was rubbed onto our chest to treat or ward of colds. The above seemed to encompass the whole of the care process.

Well I think that is enough for now, I hope that my memories prompt some ones of your own. I look forward to reading more postings on Bilborough. I have also written down my childhood memories so I have lots more to come if you don’t get bored with my ramblings.

[Cliff Ton 10,458]

I think (hope) I've guessed this right; Bilborough and Wollaton in the early 50s as the estate was half-built.

[katyjay 5,090]

Hi glaisdalelad, remember most of the remedies you mentiondd, but we used Beecham's powders as a cold remedy. I used to bring them back with me, not that many years ago, on my trips to the U.K, as I swore by them at the onset of a cold. Now a days they come in tablet form.

[Commo 1,292]

Ay Up Glaisedalelad, welcome to The Forum and we will certainly not be bored with your ramblings, we all like a good ramble on here!

What happened to numbers 60 and 64 Amazing you can remember all the others!

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Plantfit. Crossland Filters (now derelict) has just gone up in flames.

Back to remedies, remember the dreaded Cod Liver Oil?

Glaisdalelad!! Just keep those memories coming. Boring? No chance. I love'em. Like you I have written an account of my childhood growing up in Bilborough. Mainly for the benefit of two of my grandchildren who also live in Bilborough.

[katyjay 5,090]

Just had a thought about Beechams, it was Pills not Powders for upset stomachs. Weren't they called Beechams Little Liver Pills?

[Commo 1,292]

Katy, reckon it was Carter's Little Liver Pills, my Gran always had one of their little round boxes in her handbag.

[katyjay 5,090]

Ok, then they were just Beecham's Pills, LOL. Forget about the liver.

[glaisdalelad 36]

Hi

Thanks for your postings and your positive attitude to my ramblings. Thanks Katyjay for putting me right on Beecham powders, they were for cold symptoms and not for upset stomachs as I said, the Beecham Pills acted in much the same way as Carters Little Liver Pills. Bilbraborn I do remember Cod Liver Oil which was dreadful on its own but mainly we had it mixed with the malt which made it a bit more palatable. Thanks Cliff Ton for the interesting map which as you say must have been from the early fifties or even the late forties.

I think it is great to record and share childhood memories especially as a legacy for future generations of the family. As previously stated I have recorded mine and to do that I spent many happy hours talking to my Mum and Dad in the latter days of their lives to confirm some of my memories and be reminded of other antics. By doing this I also found out so much more about their lives.

I have lots of memories to share and I hope that it also brings back memories of happy times in Bilborough to others who lived there in the early days. To do this I thought that I would make a posting about once a week on various topics. The first I have already covered is the medicines that I remember. The list I propose is, The Woods and Fields, Canal, Railway Bridge, Toys, Games we played, Radio programmes, Television, Goose Fair, Bonfire Night, Christmas, Collecting, Sport and finally Further afield.

I have found that mentioning something sometimes prompts a reply that in itself brings back forgotten memories. That’s my aim.

WOODS AND FIELDS

My first memories of the woods and fields start from about four or five years old although I am sure that many are not true memories but really of stories told by my Mum and Dad. We moved to 36 Saltburn Avenue in 1947 and a couple of years later I have vague recollections of walking with my Dad to the area of the fields at the bottom of Glaisdale drive to dig up grass sods and take them back home in a wheelbarrow to make a front lawn. At that time the Gypsies used to park their caravans at the lower end of the fields next to Wigman Road perhaps that was why the grass seemed lusher down there, fertilised by the horse dung.

I also recall stories of the bogey man living in the woods up the hill on Glaisdale Drive. I have no idea who perpetrated this tale or why, it may have been adults who were trying to keep children near to home especially as the nights were drawing in and the fog was around or it may have been older children with a bit of verbal bullying. However, I never did stray further afield than the lower end of Glaisdale Drive, until that is we moved there in the summer of 1950.

I cannot remember specifically the early days at Glaisdale Drive, all I know is that the setting was ideal for a child and that they were truly happy days. I did not see the bogeyman and that story had lost any impact by then anyway.

As you went up the hill on Glaisdale Drive the left-hand side was basically fields except for a Heinz 57 building near Wigman Road and a small lace factory situated about half way up. The fields became a wood almost directly opposite our house.

When I was fairly young most of the time spent playing was on the green but as I grew older, from about 8 years, my attention gradually turned to the woods and fields. I was of course warned not to stray too far but my friend, Roger Dawson, and I did not really understand the meaning of too far.

The woods were an endless source of enjoyment and adventure. We gradually extended our horizons as we became older and came to know all the tracks, streams and dens. The wildlife became recognisable and we learnt what delights nature could provide us. Some grasses were sweet to chew, raspberries, blackberries, elderberries and blueberries were in abundance, we recognised the poisonous berries. Dock leaves always grew by nettles and relieved the stinging. Some of the small springs yielded cold refreshing water even on the hottest day and sticky buds all over your clothes was a great way to annoy your parents. Although we spent many hours away from the home this did not particularly worry our parents as there were no fears about child molesters or anything like that.

Roger and I decided to call ourselves "the outlaws" and that the corner of the woods opposite our houses will be our territory. To protect this area we decided to have a den. We decided not to tunnel into the ground as we had heard that some other underground dens in the woods at the top of the hill had collapsed and one boy was nearly buried alive. We spend days scanning the woods for suitable fallen branches. We found a couple of old dens, which provide us with bits of lino, an old curtain and more timber, we were ecstatic at our good luck. The location of the proposed den was through some thick bushes and near one of the taller trees, which we thought we would use as a lookout. The larger branches were used to form a structure almost inside a large bush, the smaller branches used to support the ferns and bits of lino that made up the roof. We used our penknives to trim the bush to form an entrance that was concealed by ferns and the old curtain. Our John Bull sets were put to work to print warning notes emblazoned with skull and crossbones and conveying the message "Beware Property of the Outlaws Keep Out", these are displayed in the den. We set traps by digging small holes and covering them with ferns. Catapults and Bows and Arrows were made to defend our territory. After about a week the den was wrecked by someone and we never did manage to climb that lookout tree although we did try on a number of occasions.

Just at the corner of the woods and the field there was a mound of grass covered earth which we called the hump. It was in an elevated position about four feet above the surrounding terrain and was approximately fifteen feet in diameter. It was irregular in shape with a small hollow in the top surrounded by long grass where you could hide. It was I presume at some time a pile of rubbish or excavated material. It formed a perfect place to sit and talk whilst generally overlooking what was going on around. We used to sit there and plan all sort of escapades, discuss the latest football matches, swap cigarette cards and generally enjoy ourselves.

On the hotter summer days there was the occasional fire in the woods and the bracken would blaze across large areas. Lots of the kids would break off branches and spend ages trying to stop the fire spreading. On the odd occasion the fire brigade were called but generally we managed to put it out ourselves, after all they were ‘our’ woods.

Another place where we liked to sit was on the tree stump in the middle of the fields it was from here that we watched the bigger boys aged about fifteen play football. The stump was by an area that was quite level and well worn in as an improvised football pitch. The stump was about three feet in diameter and approximately the same distance off the ground. The surface was level as the tree had obviously been expertly felled with chain saws. While watching the bigger lads play we managed to vastly improve our vocabulary of profanities and was amazed at some of the stories with particular reference to girls. We still thought girls were there solely for tormenting.

One day on the way to the railway bridge we came across one of the underground dens in the top part of the woods. As no one was about we decided to have a look inside. It was dark and confined, the tunnel was in a hollow pointing towards the surrounding high ground and dropped down at about thirty degrees for a distance I suppose of about six feet. At the end of the tunnel it opened out into a cave in which three people could just about squeeze into and sit upright. A new tunnel had been started from this area but there was no way that I would attempt to go any further or stay any longer as memories of the stories of these dens collapsing came back.

In one part of the woods there was a small stream which was in a hollow shaded by trees and it was here that some of the older lads took their girlfriends for a bit of ‘snogging’. We would creep up on them through the bracken, give them a wolf whistle and then run like mad so they would not catch us. Roger and I thought it great fun but judging by the remarks shouted at us I somehow don’t think the older lads did.

One day we were confused and angry as while Roger and I were sitting on the 'Hump' contemplating life which, now included girls and pop music a gang of men park their lorry on the verge and start to put up fencing across the fields down to and over the makeshift football pitch. A bulldozer arrived and we watch in horror as it works across the fields and removes the 'Stump' and other obstacles.

We found out later that SPD were going to build a cold storage warehouse on our fields. There was a growth of unrivalled anger and camaraderie between all of us that loved those fields and various plans were hatched to show our disapproval. In the weeks during construction excavations were mysteriously filled in, fences fell down and brickwork collapsed. All was to no avail and in months the building was complete and our domain scarred forever. Rumours flew around about more building to come. We considered ourselves lucky that we had the woods and fields for a large part of our childhood. However, we never did get to play football with the big lads on the pitch. It was ironical that the place we hated so much when it was being built provided Dad a job and the family the odd frozen chicken that escaped its cold confine.

As I grew older the woods became a place where we would look for bird nests to carry out one of our collecting phases, that of birds eggs. which of course in those days seemed perfectly acceptable and was encouraged by such books as the Observers Book Of Birds Eggs.

We moved to Portsmouth in 1959 which at least spared me the horror of the industrialisation of the woods and fields.

[glaisdalelad 36]

I have been trying to upload an image though photobucket as a first time user so I hope this one of the glaisdale environs works

[Michael Booth 7,364]

Thanks for your post, glaisdalelad (#121), I really enjoyed reading it. I just wish someone from the Meadow Lane area would do the same.

[Dave 48 847]

Hi glaisdalelad I lived on Broxtowe Estate but had mates who lived in Bilborough. Was Terry Derbyshire in your "gang" or his brother Ian? Also Johnnie Evans.

I worked with Terry Derbyshire at Entex Springs and went to school with Johnnie Evans ( Evo ).

[Trevor S 2,003]

Keep up the good work, glaisdalelad. As you say - memories promote memories.

I remember one Christmas pre '53, our family went over to the Allisons for the day. I got a six shooter and holster from Jack and Sybil Allison as my Christmas present and after a while, Geoff and I went across the road and played around in the fields.

Why do I remember this....well it was a very cold morning with a bit of snow around and a heavy frost that had frozen the pools of water around the place. I tried to break the ice on one pool by hitting it with the butt of my newly acquired toy gun and only succeeded in breaking the handle grips off the gun.

Got back to the Allison house and big mouth Geoffrey tells everybody how I had broken my present. Back hander from Dad, Mum told Dad off for hitting me, family argument broke out and we left before we even had lunch. Geoffrey sniggering. Mum crying in the car. Merry Xmas. That is why I remembered that day at #26.

Remember the lock on the old canal and also a chippy over the back of Glaisdale Drive somewhere, in a small group of shops that was still going in the early 60s.

Jack Allison had an allotment nearby but I did not think it was one of those shown to the south of Glaisdale - could be wrong though.