The Trent Embankment

[Guest a5h4w]

Hands up all those who abandoned their row-boats 5 mile downriver because they didn't have the strength to row back ..

And the boat trips to the pleasure park .. thre'pence to enter the park, swingboats, a roundabout, fruit machines, and plenty of tea .. a grand day out !

what year did it end ?

AL.

[mick2me 3,029]

I remember the Pleasure Park, in the early 70's, up till about 73.

I at that time worked on the boats at Trent Bridge. There were two competing companies hiring out rowing boat. On a sunday I would work hiring out the boats belonging to old man Treverthick. I also used to go down to The Pleasure Park on the big tour boat. I was the Lifeguard !, or I should say made up the required number of 'crew members'

Here you can see Trevethicks setup in the forground, with one of the pleasure boats moored further up. This photo state it was taken in December. There are no rowing boats, so it is out of season, but in the winter Trevethick took all his boats to his yard at Dunkirk. I am not sure why the pleasure cruiser is still there ?

[Guest a5h4w]

The above photo is more or less how I remember it..

When you stop and think it was a treacherous river to be hiring out row boats to the public, even in the 60s it had a fast flowing current, you wouldn't have stood much chance in a capsize or whatever, unless you happened to be a strong swimmer .. couldn't see it being allowed nowadays..

This photo is from the 50s but it looked more or less the same as this during the 60s .. including the swans!

[mick2me 3,029]

Only the old lady dates it..

There is old man Trevethicks boats. It might even be him on the pleasure cruiser.

The little houseboat I remember well. We use to go there at quiet times to have a cuppa.

Yes dangerous currents indeed, I remember the other crew hiring a boat to some drunks. It was a beautiful sunny day. The drunks decided it was fun to stand up and 'Punt'. Over went the boat dumping thm all in one drowned. I remember the black clouds coming over and rain starting, an hour later as they located and dragged the body into the Police launch. Spooky!

[Guest a5h4w]

I can remember a certain 60s Nottm carnival fearuring a man who would apparently walk across the Trent .. holding a tray of glasses he gingerly stepped into the river, and he did indeed cross, albeit slightly unsteady and slow .. the wire or rope had been cleverly concealed ..

on the subject of the carnival .. last years was a magnificent show - bands, fair-rides, etc. plenty to see .. I shall be going again this year weather permitting, and I'll let the grandson treat me to an icecream a go on the roundabouts, and perhaps some candyfloss :lol:

AL.

[Guest a5h4w]

Wonder if the boatclubs still exist? .. It was a regular sight on the Trent to see a crew whisking along, with the coxwain at the back bawling out his commands .. "in 234 out 234" and "out of the way pleasure boat!"..

I once saw a chap dive off the suspension bridge, and during his resurfacing a skulling team had suddenly appeared in full flight .. the diver popped up for air and was hit square on the head by the boat, it was perfect unfortunate timing! .. don't know what the outcome was,as I didn't hang around, but I should imagine it was fatal.

on a lighter note.....

The boatclubs at one time were the in place for music and live bands, regular catawailing could be heard coming from the clubs at the weekends, and apparently Led Zeppelin once played there so I've been told.

what year did it end?

AL.

[admin 21]

I have moved the Boat Clubs Music part of this thread HERE

The Trent around the bridges is particularly dangerous. Many people have died,

usually drunks jumping in. Below TB there is lots of debris, dropped during bridge work, Scaffold poles etc. Add to this items such as ASDA shopping trollies, old mopeds etc. A very dangerous trick to perform :o

Continue the General thread re Trent Embankment Here

[Hal 0]

Hi I've just found this site and it makes very intresting reading. I was born in Nottingham in 1932 in the Meadows and went to Collagate infants and Trent Bridge juniors and seniors schools. This was in the late 30s and early 40s

Talking of the Embankment I can remember, I think it was in the 40s, a scaffold tower was built on the suspension bridge, some 40/50 foot high. From the top of the tower a one-legged man [ Peg leg Pete] would dive into the river. At one of his shows he was wraped in sacking which was set alight just before he dived.

Saturday afternoon at the globe cost 5 old pennies and if you went in the evenings it was 10 old pence.

OOH THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

[Hal 0]

I once went to the Plaza. As I remember you had to go down a wide flight of stairs to get in. I can also remember the Queens just before the LMS railway at the top end of Arkwright St. There was also the Imperial on Wilford Road and the Grove on I think Mayfield Street.

I can also remember catching one of the motor boats at Trent Bridge to go to the Pleasure Park up River. You could walk dowm the side of the river infrony of the football ground under the railway bridge and then catch a penny ferry over to the park.

Hal

[Hal 0]

Re the pleasure park I don't think I paid anything to get in if you went across on the penny ferry.

On a sadder note can you remember at the top end of Meadow Lane there was a level crossing. Well as a small child I was once told that my Grandfather, who was going blind. put his head on the line in front of a train. I have never been able to find out if this was true. Still more cheerful things next time.

Hal

[admin 21]

These posts brought back some memories.

The railway station on Arkwright street was at high level. We used to go up there

at Dinner time after we had been to the 'penny cake' shop on Holgate Road.

This shop sold off the day before's cakes for a penny. In the winter we used to

lean against the hot wall where the ovens were. The wall used to bulge due to heat distorsion. I bet it still does, whatever the buiding is?

Anyway the station had helter skelter type parcel chute, wich was totally enclosed. We used to hurtle down it in the dark. My mate used to throw bricks down after me :o We would go bact to TB with tha 4rses hanging out of our short trousers :lol:

Re the Queens, there was of course the Queens Hotel pub opposite that cafe, AFAIK its still there?

In the pic next to the midland fish bar, wasnt that building the Royal Navel association, or some such organisation?

Re cafes in that area, when I arrived in Nottingham Midland Railway Station(seen on the very left side of that picture) as a young boy on a cold winter afternoon in 1963. The first stop was just the other side of the station, between Station Street and the canal Bridge. "Ye Old Moo Cow Cafe" Still a Cafe but not such an interesting name! B)

Great stuff though, keep em coming!

[patsyann 1]

I once went to the Plaza. As I remember you had to go down a wide flight of stairs to get in. I can also remember the Queens just before the LMS railway at the top end of Arkwright St. There was also the Imperial on Wilford Road and the Grove on I think Mayfield Street.

I can also remember catching one of the motor boats at Trent Bridge to go to the Pleasure Park up River. You could walk dowm the side of the river infrony of the football ground under the railway bridge and then catch a penny ferry over to the park.

Hal

Yes I lived in West Bridgford and used to walk over Trent Fields and get the penny ferry over to Colick Park!!!

[radfordred 6,278]

Them trees are massive now?

 

[Cliff Ton 10,007]

For anyone who hasn't been in Nottingham recently, there are bits of it which don't look too bad given the right conditions. 

 

And these are them trees.......this morning.

[benjamin1945 15,560]

Lovely CT...........So many memories along there...........

Thursday half day Dates.....early 60s.

Playing Cricket with my sons......with tree as a wicket.......70s AND 80S

Rowing down the river with the Girl of the moment.....60S

Fishing with Uncles John and Jack..........50S

Playing music on Portable record player with my mate 'Columbo'' 1960

Walking along there with Mam and Dad  50s

Catching a Trolley bus....and a football bus........50s and 60s

Walking hand in hand after summer time Pictures with a girl who was singing (loudly) songs from sound of music..60s

My school mates jumping off the 'Suspension bridge'' in summer holidays........

Got photo's somewhere of Me and Grandad 50s and with 'Columbo' 60s

Lost a bet after coming out of boat club late one night....i ran across Trent bridge and a bloke swam across...he won...66

 

Plus so many more memories...........Quite a place........thanks Cliff ton..............

 

[David sheridan 158]

Ah the river trent , used to go fishing with a little net on a cane for sticklebacks , carried them all the way back to leicester street in st anns in a little ice cream tub , time we got home hardly any water left in the icecream tub !

[mary1947 1,907]

I use to go down the Wilford end as my aunt lived bottom Wilford rd. Sarurday evenings in summer it was over the half penny bridge to The Ferry pub.  The Trent Bridge end we also visited most weekends, 2/6 for a rowing boat, then catch the larger boat to Colwick and plesure park. Summer school holidays down to the paddling pool with fish n' chips befor getting on the bus for town, teenages years took the trannie, laid on the grass and listend to Alan Freeman Pop picker's charts.  Now all gone. you can.t even go on the grass anymore as it's full all over of Canadian Goose poo   .

Nottingham could make much better use of the Embankment  it just needs a little thought.

[Brew 5,007]

 

A picnic on the embankment would cost a fortune in parking charges now.

[Cliff Ton 10,007]

10 hours ago, mary1947 said:

 you can.t even go on the grass anymore as it's full all over of Canadian Goose poo   .

 

Not only the grass. You also have to be careful walking on the footpath along the embankment; that's also covered in goose droppings. And in warm weather, you can smell it as much as see it.

 

Their numbers need seriously reducing.

[philmayfield 5,504]

Can you imagine the outcry from the goose lovers!

[Jill Sparrow 9,670]

On a par with the mess created by that other bi-pedal menace, is it? 

[radfordred 6,278]

Four up @BrewI always park on Wilford Grove parking spaces next to the Victoria Embankment Play Area, I park there for a good 3 to 4 hours when I take young Ez on the park & to feed the ducks, I have never paid to park there.

[katyjay 4,997]

The Canada geese are on every golf course in Arizona, and we have about 500 of them.(courses, not geese) I see they are over there too. Years ago you never saw a goose, I am guessing they were in Canada! So why now?

[Cliff Ton 10,007]

On the embankment they peck the grass down to the soil, so in those areas there's no grass left, it's just a dusty waste land.

 

And then that waste land is covered with what's dropped out of the rear end of the geese.

 

So you can't sit on the grass because there's no grass; and you wouldn't want to sit on what's left - the soil - because that's covered with something else.

 

[Brew 5,007]

1 hour ago, katyjay said:

I am guessing they were in Canada! So why now?

 

They were imported into London parks in the 1600s and simply spread from there..