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I'm certain that it was a railway house, most likely for the crossing keeper. 

You should have stood on the footbridge, as that was even more exciting !

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I can remember being pushed in my pram and also in my pushchair. I also remember being in my cot in my parents' bedroom at Bobbers Mill. Not always so clear about what I did last week! 

My Grandfather was Harold Aaron Priestley. He's on the screen on the right hand side. I have a picture of it but it's on the PC and I'm on the iPad now. He was a native of St Anns and married my Grand

I tell you what Jill, just found this thread and until then, thought that I was the only one that can remember stuff like that. I can remember being pushed in a pushchair and nursery, most significant

I'd agree that the big house was presumably for the mill owner/manager.

 

The smaller building next to the footbridge was the crossing keeper's place, and I took this photo of it around 10 years ago; by then it was not immediately obvious what it had been. It's since been completely demolished.

Jsvmhtr.jpg?1

 

17 minutes ago, Willow wilson said:

From the foot bridge we could see into the signal box, hear the communication bells tinging and watch the signalman pull the levers. Then the trains would rush under the road bridge in a big blast and cloud of smoke and steam. 

 

Me too; when we visited my grandparents on Grimston Road we would sometimes go down to the footbridge to watch the trains for a while. Strange what kept you amused in those days.

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PF yes that lime stone is all the shells of sea creatures. I lived in Buxton for a few years whilst climbing and caving and worked at Tunstead quarry for a while, loads of stuff came out of that face.

 

I believe that it has all happened before and could again, after all science tells there is still the same amount of water on the planet as then just in a different form.

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You're correct, the owner / manager is the best bet. Far too luxurious for a keeper.

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While we're down this neck of the woods I'm reminded of that big garage just 50 yards to the south of this crossing, Simpson and Slater's. In the school hols it was interesting to watch them through the doorway spraypainting vehicles. The smells were rather interesting too, made us a bit light headed. 

Going further round towards plantation side was a big factory, was it Hickings? That was gutted by fire twice in a few years.

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27 minutes ago, Cliff Ton said:

The smaller building next to the footbridge was the crossing keeper's place, and I took this photo of it around 10 years ago; by then it was not immediately obvious what it had been. It's since been completely demolished.

Jsvmhtr.jpg?1

This, I'm fairly certain, was the place where the Marshall family lived when I was at Berridge . Peter Marshall was my age and he had a younger sister, Jacqueline but I believe there were other children. I've written about them on the Berridge thread. They all seemed to have special needs. I will never forget  Mrs Marshall who went about in an army greatcoat and boots, often trundling a stout wooden barrow with a child in it.

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W.W.  You brought back a memory there.  When I was an apprentice.  The company I worked for did the electrical work at Simpson and Slaters.

 

They had some pretty fancy limousine type cars in there.  I think they did some conversion type work. Converting some of those big cars to funeral type hearses etc.

 

Jill.   Was St. Stephens where you played the organ?   Did they have a pipe organ?

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5 hours ago, loppylugs said:

Was St. Stephens where you played the organ?   Did they have a pipe organ?

Yes, Loppy. It was a two manual instrument and quite nice. It is still there, or so I'm told, but not sure whether it is used now. From photos I've seen, I think guitars and drum kits have taken over. You and I will have our own opinions about that!

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10 hours ago, Jill Sparrow said:

This, I'm fairly certain, was the place where the Marshall family lived when I was at Berridge . Peter Marshall was my age and he had a younger sister, Jacqueline but I believe there were other children. I've written about them on the Berridge thread. They all seemed to have special needs. I will never forget  Mrs Marshall who went about in an army greatcoat and boots, often trundling a stout wooden barrow with a child in it.

You're quite right Jill, this has been mentioned before. I lived not far from here and went down there occaisionally. Because it was a dead end for traffic it was pretty quiet in that there was little activity not quiet as in noise. There were a lot of blackberry bushes along side the Leen which  we'd Climb down to the Leen and catch tiddlers or go on the footbridge to watch the trains which were plentiful and be engulfed in smoke and steam as they went under although some were diesel by then. The bridge didn't have solid sides as now but a latice work of crossed steel bands so you could peer through. The little house at the side of the bridge was occupied by what seemed a large family with many children. One of the boys there, about my age had a leg calliper, one of those external metal contraptions like young Forest Gump had in the film. I remember he had a bike with one pedal which he rode with his good leg. I don't know the family name but always gave the house a wide berth for some reason.

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There were a lot of children at the railway house. I'd always assumed that their father worked on the railway, hence the tied house, but it could have been their mother. I know of at least 2 friends of my age whose mothers were employed on the railways and it was heavy work too.  Mrs  Marshall looked as though she could have handled it!

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So , don't they play it much anymore, Jill.  Everything I've read on the topic says they should be played regularly.  They deteriate faster unused.  I know that the folks at the Presbyterian church in town were happy to let me play because it would be better for the organ.

 

I hope churches do not dump them.  There may be a resurgence one day, I hope!  A new one would cost in the hundreds of thousands.

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2 hours ago, mercurydancer said:

Letsavagoo

 

Could you provide the name of your relative? My reason for asking is as I have explained previously. I want to trace Hyson Green soldiers. 

My Grandfather was Harold Aaron Priestley. He's on the screen on the right hand side. I have a picture of it but it's on the PC and I'm on the iPad now. He was a native of St Anns and married my Grandmother a Sneinton lass and they moved to Hickling Road, Mapperley in 1913. He was conscripted May 1916. The house was damaged by a stray bomb from a Zeppelin in September 1916 and had to move to 104 Hazelwood Road off Berridge Road. My grandfather was killed ion March 21st 1918 in the last big German attack. He only visited the Hazlewood Road house a few times as far as I know when he had leave on a couple of occaisions but the majority of the letters are addressed to Hazlewood Road.

I have for the past year been involved in a project to transcribe and preserve the 90 letters he wrote from the front which are being digitised and a community drama was written based on the letters and performed at the Vine at St Stephens church recently. Lottery funding was granted and the whole project will be concluded at 1pm Central library on the 11th November this year with the Sherrif present.

I have given several talks at various local history societies based on the letters and project and if your interested giving one at Basford Library in a couple of weeks. If you want the time date let me know and I'll send you details.

in the meantime look here

https://www.leftlion.co.uk/read/2017/august/present-location-uncertain

and if you google 'present location uncertain'  you will find plenty of info.

I have managed to trace within a few hundred meters or less the exact location the my grandfather was when he was killed and am going to be there on the 21st March next year exactly 100 years after his death with my son and grandsons so Harold's GG grandsons.  The area is still pretty much as it was and I can walk the line where he was. It's been a very moving experience and the letters still move me to tears and I'm not generally that emotional. He has no known grave.

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medium-2.jpg

 

This is my great uncle, John Samuel Ward, known as Jack. He lived at 24 Suez Street, Basford. I think it was NBL who posted some time ago that he thought he remembered my great aunt, Minnie Cordelia Ward from his childhood. Minnie was Jack's auntie and also lived at 24 Suez Street until 1962.

 

Jack was a Sherwood Forester, killed in 1918, aged 23. He looks so much older. His name is on the war memorial at St Leodigarius.

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