Mansfield, Sutton or Kirkby.


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I was adopted in Mansfield, lived in Sutton when I was young, and Kirkby about forty years ago. All my parents relatives lived in the area, and several still do. I frequently visited the area, and obviously have recent first hand knowledge of the places.

Since regeneration and new industry evolving, things are on the up. 

Anyway, I wasn't going to get political, but folks need an update on the situation.

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I've always liked Mansfield.......the folk are different but not in a bad way,, worked there quite a bit Vernons,,(ex marsdens) Queen street,, Farrands Church street,,both in the 60s,,obviously did a

About 13 yrs later yes i was Mick........was there when it was converted to self service, remember being stood in the first aisle manning a broken biscuit stand ,gabbing to all the ladies who had prob

Talk about thread drift! Mansfield to Netherfield is about 17 miles but interesting comments nevertheless

5 hours ago, FLY2 said:

I'll strongly resist the temptation to become embroiled in political conflict, but it was the Clean Air Act which sounded the death knell for the North Notts collieries and mining communities. Housing was going over to gas and electric, the railway was going diesel and electric, so the demise was inevitable. Power stations were moving to gas and nuclear.  Margaret Thatcher just completed the long drawn out conclusion sad as it was.

Yes FLY, the Clean Air Act and alternative fuels were certainly factors, but the industry was on the decline well before that.  The final nail in the coffin was ultimately political as you say.

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Reminiscent of Netherfield. It was said that they never saw the sun until Colwick steam depot closed in 1968. 

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This was in a railway book I read years ago loppy.  Not my personal experience.

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I’ve mentioned before that I spent the first 8 years of my life in Netherfield.  At the time I had nothing to compare it with, except one Granny who lived in the Meadows and another Granny who lived in what seemed idyllic surroundings with a garden gate straight onto Wollaton cricket field.    I had a happy few years in Netherfield, we had a decent sized garden and just a short walk along the dyke to Burton Road cricket field where I played with my little friends from Ashwell Street Infants and wave to the train drivers going past.  However, my Mum always hated living there, she reckoned it was too low-lying and she never felt well.  She couldn’t wait to get enough money to buy a brand new house on a hill in Arnold.   Seems crazy in this day and age but in 1958 they took on a £2,500 mortgage at £12 per month over 25 years!   It was a struggle too.  

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Nether is an old European word meaning low lying. Hence Netherlands (Holland)

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4 minutes ago, LizzieM said:

they took on a £2,500 mortgage at £12 per month over 25 years!  

My first 'brand new' house was in Awsworth. Three bed detached for £3000 and an extra £500 for a corner plot with a large garden. It came with a fitted kitchen, a serving hatch, a Potterton boiler only slightly smaller than VW Beetle and a pale blue bathroom suite! how posh were we!

 

There was some delay moving due to some legals over the route of the drains and in that time the mortgage went from £24 to £27 a month. It meant serious scrimping and scraping to afford the increase, we almost didn't make it. 

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So whereabouts in Netherfield did you grow up, Lizzie?  From your description it sounds a bit like Chandos Street.  I was on the wrong side of the tracks dahn 'odgkinson st.

 

The railway sheds were a big employer back then. An uncle of mine was a driver, I had numerous friends who worked there as apprentice loco fitters.  The joke used to be that the only tool they needed was a big hammer.  Still hear from one of them, now retired and living in Oz.  Seemed like most folks worked there or Bournes, or Staffords printers.  Sure don't remember any unemployed.

 

When it got foggy down there you could cut it with a knife.

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Colwick steam shed was one of the hardest in the country to bunk (Enter unofficially) I went many times, and was frequently chased out, and once had my name and address taken by a Transport Cop. 

It was always very busy and extremely dangerous. Sometimes there were well over 150 engines there. The best time to bunk it was Saturday and Sunday at dusk. I've scars on both palms due to broken glass on top of high walls and barbed wire on top of fencing.

I also tore a new pair of jeans, lost a plimsole, fell into an ash pit that was full of water and frozen on the surface. 

Of course, every visit was beset with such perils, but to an avid train spotter in the late 50's - 62, NOTHING was going to stop us !

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Lucky you survived Fly.  Lol.  I always managed to get in with my uncle and have a look around when he was going to work.

 

Edited to add:  Apparently it was a target during ww2.  My grandmother spoke of German planes dropping flares, but they never managed to hit it as far as I know.

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34 minutes ago, katyjay said:

Lizzie, have you not heard of having 'nether regions' on yer body?

Well actually ‘nether regions’ did spring to mind but I didn’t want to be dirty and mention it!!   

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Nothing 'dirty ' about buttocks, loins, groin etc......... Well mine aren't !smile2

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1 hour ago, loppylugs said:

So whereabouts in Netherfield did you grow up, Lizzie?  From your description it sounds a bit like Chandos Street.  I was on the wrong side of the tracks dahn 'odgkinson st.

 

 

We lived on Norman Villas which ran across the bottom of Dunstan Street and had a dyke at the bottom of the garden.   I’ve seen a photo on the internet somewhere of the row of houses.  I have a vague memory of being held up at the back bedroom window at midnight on New Years Eve and seeing the loco sheds lit up in the distance and on the strike of 12 all the trains blew their hooters. 

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No loppy, feet have always been feet !

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I know where you mean Lizzie.  I used to walk up and down Dunstan street twice a day every day on my way to and from Chandos school.  No wonder us kids grew up skinny.

 

Do you remember the old Labour hall made of corrugated Iron?  One day my dad got a message to go fix it.  Somehow it had become electrified and folks were getting shocks off it.

 

Btw.  I think the dyke was probably the Ouse dyke.  It ran past the Oak pub and the cricket field.  I think it went through the rail yards somewhere and came out in Netherfield where the loop road runs now.  Us kids were always playing around it.  Dread to think what might have been in it, but we all survived.

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I don’t remember that Loppy, don’t remember too much about the street sadly.  Got scars on both knees from the loose grit they put down on the pavements though. Fell down a few times running from Ashwell Street school in the afternoon to get home in time to see ‘Watch With Mother’ :sorry:

We’ve gone and done it again ....... hi-jacked a thread and gone off on a tangent ! 

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