Paulus 541 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 Stan, was that before or after Jesse Boot sold his shares in the rubber boot making factory to the Duke of Wellington, who co-incidentally was in the café business with the Earl of Sandwich selling cheese slices between two pieces of bread, .......................it'll never catch on said their American friends Ronald McDonald and Sergeant Saunders ( a man destined for fast track promotion), the rest is history.................. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,467 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 And don't forget Wimpey, who made houses and burgers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paulus 541 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 We Import More Paddy's Every Year not very PC............... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,467 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 there is an interesting thread elsewhere on this site,describing Jesse Boot`s house on the Trent overlooking the Memorial Gardens Jesse Boot's summer house, Plaisaunce. This is now the site of the ugly Rivermead flats on Wilford Lane. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 However his recommendation to smoke potato plant leaves never took off so he sold the tobacco half to John Player and went back to making cycles. But it's made a come-back since - we've all heard of smoking pot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 When was Rivermead Flats built? I am sure they were there in 1963? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,467 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 They were built around 63/64. According to PTP, Plaisaunce was demolished in 1961. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 Always considered them to be where the Toffs lived. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 I don't think that is John Players old house. Fernliegh House was sold to John Player in 1896 for ÂŁ4000 pounds, it is now the Nottingham Hospice. However I worked in the house in the mid 70s installing a new boiler and there is a very distinctive feature on that house. A large round glass cupola sited on the roof and accessed by a sprial staircase. If you look at todays photographs of the house it is still there and can be plainly seen form both the front and and rear elevations. The story I was told was the original owner had it built so that he could observe his tracts of land in the Trent Valley, but I don't know if that bit is true. Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stan 386 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 But it's made a come-back since - we've all heard of smoking pot. You mean `smoking pot(ato)? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor S 2,003 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 You mean `smoking pot(ato)? Hash browns, I presume? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
systema 13 Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 I worked at Players for about 5 years from 1965 and absolutely loved working there. I was a "qualified secretary" as we were called in those days but had a flat to pay for so worked on the factory floor because the money was better than the office and worked as a factory clerk in Tobacco Factory then transfered to Qualtiy Control a couple of years later - loads of overtime if we wanted it to pay for our week-ends of pleasure. I played hockey for Players and we were given the best facilites and load of perks - week-ends away, all paid for and great mates to share it with. Yes they were strict but that is what work was all about then. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,467 Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 I don't think that is John Players old house. You had me wondering, but it is the place. There's a weird bit of camera work happening. On both Pic the Past photos you can't see the cupola where Mr Player watched his people and places. And as a reminder........ Note the distinctive small, square window which goes across a corner of the building, and the two large bay windows to the right of that corner window. Now, look at an aerial photo of the place. You can see that corner window again, and the two triangular end gables....and you can see the cupola towards the back of the building. Both photos are taken from a low angle, and manage to not show the cupola which is hidden behind the roof and chimneys. I must get out more. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted April 9, 2013 Report Share Posted April 9, 2013 Hi Cliff, just for the record it was the owner before Player who used it has a observation platform I believe. I have checked Google Street View and the cupola can be clearly seen of Woodborough Rd at the front and from The Crescent to the rear. I pass on a fairly regular basis so next time will stop and check. Colin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
marob 0 Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 My dad worked his way up from sweeping the factory floor as a boy in the late 20's then to the offices and then became one of the first sales reps in 54/5 until he retired in '70's Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 A 6 yr 'bump' to the day! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,467 Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 I've put this link in other threads but it wasn't in this one, and it definitely ought to be. A pile of old photos of the John Player factories at various times in the past http://www.flickr.com/photos/50284741@N02/4906606685/in/photostream/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paulus 541 Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 The waste tobacco stalk was called Winnower............................... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted May 31, 2013 Report Share Posted May 31, 2013 Welcome Marob, good bump Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 'Nottstalgia' chums, do any of you have any knowledge or memories of Player's Recreational Ground on Aspley Lane - before it became David Lloyd Fitness Centre? Not much on the Internet. Paulus: can you help being an Aspley boy? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,467 Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 I didn't think I ever went there personally, but I remember my grandad - who worked at Players - talking about the place. He was a big cricket fan and would "go to Player's rec" to be an umpire at what I presume were local league cricket matches. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 Went to Player's Rec 50 odd years ago when they had sports days etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJBrenton 738 Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 While I was at uni here I worked at Player's on the temporary labour pool during the holidays. We used to stand in for cleaners/lift operators and the like when they were on holiday. One of the tasks was to clean the arched roof of the concert hall. It was a beige colour so away we all went wiping it down. i got a little too enthusiastic, and suddenly, a sky blue emerged from the 40 years of nicotine. A job that was supposed to take a couple of days ended up taking two weeks as we then had to get it all back to the original blue. Faster and cheaper to have simply re-painted it. Another memory I have (nothing to do with the rec) is when they created artificial tobacco. They used something called NSM but they never took off. Eventually, they dropped the idea and the entire stock ( millions of cigarettes) were burned in the furnace at the warehouse on Hucknall Rd ( or Nottingham Rd I can't remember where it was now). The guy tending the furnace was really annoyed as they even made him crawl under the furnace for the cigarettes that had missed the mouth. This was thanks to the customs official so that they got all the duty back. When the EU wanted all cigarettes to become standard sizes, similar to American King size cigarettes, the codenames ( not exactly unbreakable codes) were VIking 1 ( for a No 10 King Size and Viking 2 for a version with the same amount of tobacco but shorter and fatter, similar to a Gauloise. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,467 Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 Looking at 'Britain from Above', you get a pretty good view of the site as it would have been in the 1930s. The road going left-right is Western Boulevard, and the road going north-southish is Aspley Lane. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 Fernleigh was definitely the home of John Dane Player, son of the founder. They were good with their money. They spent money on the children's hospital on Chestnut Grove4 and also new wards at the General. St. Margaret's church on Aspley Lane was also paid for by him. He contributed to other churches and church halls. I think William Ashton Player lived on the corner of Forest Road and Southey Street. He also gave to hospitals and churches. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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