The Park Estate

[swe62 334]

Has anyone any memories of the Park Estate my dad. converted no 5Cavendish Cresent South into flats it was formerly the headquarters of the British Soviet Friendship Society, It was almost derelict when he started the job it had a coach house on Lenton Road,large gardens a huge kitchen with wine cellar and many rooms it was three stories high and the brickwork had a three inch cavity which was very unusual for such an old proprerty ,I wondered if any Nottstalgia members knows any former history.

[Robbie 39]

Old work colleague who was a keen tennis player many many years ago sold me, not gave a two seater park bench with cast iron ends from the tennis club in the Park. I think he was a member of the club and the bench being replaced because of rotten seat slats.

Another resident of the Park, I think closer to Castle Boulevard rather than Derby Road had an open drain across her cellar floor carrying raw sewerage.

I remember the security guys manning the entry posts into the Park, not sure if that practice is still going on.

[TBI 2,351]

Very upmarket, even the flats are very expensive. Working in Broadmarsh, we used to deliver household electricals regularly there in the seventies. Nice people though, not stuck-up as I recall, one lady gave us tea, sandwiches and cake once. I can remember security, certainly on the Derby Rd gate. I also seem to remember they had their own system which lit the street lights by gas.

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

It only became upmarket and expensive in the late 70s / early 80s. That was the time when redevelopment started on the big old houses, either converting them to flats, or into real houses for the very wealthy.

In the 50s / 60s The Park had become quite run down as all the victorian mansions were no longer used as individual houses; the area had become bed-sit land with all those old places turned into flats. In the late 70s The Park was full of students - just like Lenton now - because there were hundreds of cheap rooms. It's totally changed its character - and partly returned to its origins - in the last 30 years.

And there's also this http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9990

[swe62 334]

thers a good map on their website detailing some of the nobs who lived there ,

[terence12 725]

had a bedsit on Barrack Lane, The Park, rent was £5.00 per week, awful place, kitchen was like a wardrobe with a curtain to cover the sink and cooker, tiny 8 bar electric fire which even in those days, 70s, cost too much to put on so at night after work, Boots, Station St. went to Hand & Heart got 1/2 pint and sat at the back for about 2 hours then back to bed. Can't believe i actually put up with it, must have been mad, probably still am

[poohbear 1,360]

Some of the houses were still bathed in the past in the sixties and owned by the rich. I used to deliver to Mrs.Kaplovich (Jersey Kapwood) rear door of course.It was like walking into the set of 'Upstairs Downstairs' including the cook and footman and the bells on coil springs connecting the rooms upstairs.

Another was the 'Judges House' where circuit judges stayed on their travels,and boy did they like their food...would have fed ethiopia for a week.Whole cooked hams,whole fillets of steak,and giant pork pies by the dozen....all paid for by the plebs of course.

[swe62 334]

...plus limo and police escort to court

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

Probably the only place in central Nottingham where you could've seen a horse grazing in the early 1970s.

[swe62 334]

owned by the park estate company he used to pull the maintenance cart round ,when they fixed the roads cleaned up the leaves ,I think the maintenance man was called Fred

[firbeck 859]

A common sight down here, they're called Pykie Horses and the poor things are left everywhere to fend for themselves, it's disgusting that the 'Travellers' are allowed to get away with it, though after a load wandering on a main road in Cambs were killed recently along with the poor sod that hit them, the 'Powers that Be' say they're going to bring in legislation, that'll be the day.

Sorry to hijack the thread, it just reminded me.

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Pretty fond of horses myself Pete.

My wife grew up in Lenton and the Park Estate was part of her playground, they used to do their carol singing round there hoping to get some decent dosh. Later, she cleaned the house belonging to a man and his son. They were lovely people to work for but both died of cancer within a couple of years of each other. Apparently they were involved in the Lace Market Theatre. They must have been well off as they left my wife a decent amount5 in the will.

My interest is the architectural design of the houses. The majority are by TC Hine but I have more interest in the Watson Fothergill designs. I spent a day once wandering round the Park photographing the houses he designed.

[Robbie 39]

Bilbraborn,

Don't forget Cecil Howitt, designed the biggest and most expensive Council House in Nottingham

[Cliff Ton 10,464]

Also, at the top end of The Park (Derby Road end) are a group of earlier buildings - pre-Fothergill and Hine - by a guy called Peter Robinson. He designed this lot, and others behind.

[hippo girl 1,995]

How interesting Kev, just been on a viewing in that terrace

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

Robbie, I used to spend my Saturday mornings in there when my granddad was the Sherriff in 1959/60 and Lord Mayor in 1961/2

[Robbie 39]

Bilbraborn,

You and your grandad could have sat on the seat that is now in my garden. I better check to see if I have still got the receipt of purchase.

Sidney Hill rings bells with me but I can't at the moment think why.

[radfordred 6,284]

Weathers looking good for Sunday's Park Garden Trail if you've never been it's worth a visit.

http://www.parkgardentrail.org/

[Dave 48 847]

# 18. We are going should be a good day out.

[sue B 48 1,226]

#18 Yes I'll be going with my Daughter all being well.

[Dave 48 847]

http://www.parkgardentrail.org/

What's going off.

[Compo 10,328]

#14: In 1975 I bought a suit from a sale in one of the houses in that row. It was a posh three piece from a bankruptcy sale. I still have that suit but alas, it has not fitted me for a couple of years now.

[Compo 10,328]

I used to work with a bloke who had a bedsit in the Park. In the 70s there used to be a televised tennis tournament from the Park Tennis club. The programme went out almost but not quite live. So he used to ride around the road outside the court on his motorbike, pop back home and listen for his motorbike on the telly.

[Compo 10,328]

I had a flat on Arundel Street from 1973-77. One day I kept getting telephone calls for a house in the park. The poor woman was trying to telephone her daughter to tell her that arrangements had to change for something or other. In the end I took her daughter's address and as it it was just around the corner I went around and delivered the message in person. The family were grateful - no tip though.

[trophydave 12]

One of my brothers lived in the Park in the early/mid 1970s.He likes to say that turning up with his furniture on the back of one of my Uncles milk floats got some funny looks from the neighbours.