Nottingham Evening (sic) Post RIP


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It just reminded me.  Johnny Preston had a jazz band.  He called it Johnny Preston's Upper Set.  :).    I don't know where they played but maybe some of you heard them.

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Walked along Gregory Boulevard virtually every day of my young life, Trogg. Before I could walk, I was pushed along it in my pram or pushchair.   I think back to when I couldn't keep up with

Here is a link to the paper Nottingham live on Gregory Boulevard over the years with several photos , I thought it easier to put the link rather than individual photos as the written info is important

The Evening Post  belonged to us all, how many of you put birth, picture of your wedding or something in the rest in piece collom, and don't forget when you went looking for the job Tuesday night ther

I'm not sure but I think mum said her father's dentist was Mr Birch. Grandad lived in Birkin Avenue before his marriage, so would have been fairly near to where his parents still lived.  I recall my mum saying that his own teeth were so decayed that he decided to have them out. This would have been in the 30s. His first set of dentures were, apparently, made of wood, in the days before resins and plastics. Later on, he had a more modern set. I also recall her telling me that he had to borrow the dentist's spectacles to sign the paperwork and he was so distracted that he came home with them!

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M.D. is correct. 172-174 is now The Boulevard Dental Practice. According to its website, their dentists are wonderful!  There is a photo, showing the original house where Acton pursued his grim work behind the first floor bay window. Business is so good, the new set up has also taken over the house next door!

 

Probably just as well it's still a dental practice. I certainly wouldn't want to live there, given all the blood curdling screams from yesteryear within its walls. Some of them mine! :Vampire:

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Indeed it was Ronald Acton. I have not heard that name in a long long while, but it is him. Nowadays he would have been struck off, if not facing criminal charges. I have some vague memories of him slapping me, but I cannot be sure. 

 

Sometimes, on this site, the names of the past should be left anonymous, but with Acton, he should be named. 

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I believe Acton died years ago, M.D. As for slapping people, I think he regarded it as part of dentistry, along with telling people to shut up and mind their own business when they asked what all those instruments were for and what he was going to do with them.

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I did hear something about another dentist taking it over. Mum worked at the Dental Technicians until her retirement in 1986. I remember she said Acton was no longer sending in work and some time after that she heard he had died. I expect my comments at the time were none too sympathetic.

 

Like my mother and sister, I have always suffered from soft teeth due to lack of calcium although heaven knows I eat enough cheese and drink enough milk. I will admit though that Acton and his shennanigans put me off going for check ups and, as a result, I have fillings in my fillings!

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7 minutes ago, Jill Sparrow said:

I believe Acton died years ago, M.D. As for slapping people, I think he regarded it as part of dentistry, along with telling people to shut up and mind their own business when they asked what all those instruments were for and what he was going to do with them.


I would not wish ill on anyone, and the passing of anyone especially, but psychologically he did me much damage which persists to this day. I do not forgive him for that. It took me a decade or so to get to a dentist, and that was in the army, and as RAMC I knew some very good dentists. My mate Nigel sorted out my teeth after years of neglect, without pain and distress. 

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No more would I wish ill on anyone. It only rebounds on the ill wisher. I do remember being informed that the dentist in question suffered some kind of nervous breakdown and had to retire. As I said, what goes round comes round.

 

Perhaps the man had his own demons to deal with. We cannot know but he had absolutely no right to inflict that kind of abuse on others.

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I seem to recall that Acton had an alcohol problem. Maybe that was his demon. 

 

However, I have known alcoholic surgeons (quite a few, but that was my line of work) but none of them were cruel. Not fit to practice due to alcohol, some temporarily while they got themselves sorted out, but cruel? Never. 

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I think it's not uncommon among doctors and the medical profession in general to turn to drink to prop them up. The same goes for vets. The toll on their nerves and emotions must be very great.

 

When I was a child, and I've mentioned this before, our doctors were Kelly, Halley and McGrath, just around the corner on the ground floor of the last Victorian villa next to the little garage on Alfreton Road. They were all Irish, all smoked like chimneys and liked their whisky too. Halley was well known for asking whether there was a nip of whisky available when he made his housecalls! He never got any at our abode.

 

All three died of diseases related to tobacco and alcohol. Physician cure thyself!

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Oh Jill, I do recall Dr McGrath, although I cannot recall if he was Irish. I can certainly recall the surgery as you say, next to the garage. It was quite big inside. 

 

I do recall Dr McGrath as being very kind and understanding.I was knocked over by a car on Berridge Road and surprisingly I was not severely injured. I do remember him coming to the house after I was discharged from hospital on a daily basis.  I did have a moment of horror with him. I had repeated tonsillitis and was quite ill, so he sent me to the Children's hospital to have my tonsils out. I was terrified. After my father died (actually 2 years today) I found my medical card. It was during the Mexico Olympics when I had my tonsils out. 

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The discussion about Mr Acton recently brought to mind a memory of the large electric light above the chair, at which you were forced to stare once he'd got you in his grip. The manufacturer's name was written on it and, for days, I've been trying to recall it. I knew it was Italian but it eluded me until now. It was Castellini and I believe they had a base somewhere around the Lenton area. I recall clearly passing their premises on many occasions and seeing the sign Castellini Dental Equipment outside. Made me shudder! :wacko: wonder if they are still there?

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I've just read through the posts on this thread re Mr Acton. He was my dentist from when I started going to the dentists as a child until he retired. I'm really surprised at the negativity as personally I never had any problem with him at all. I recall one of his nurses had a false arm which when I was young was a bit scary although she was very pleasant.  I heard he retired to Ireland and passed away years ago. I continued going to the practice when it became the Boulevard Dental Practice and Mr O'Hanarahan took it over. I even carried on going there when I moved away from the area as there were no NHS dentist in Southwell but found one closer to home in the end. So all in all that dental practice served me for over 45 years.

I believe Mr O'Hanarahan was extremely well qualified. Top of his field.

Like Jill recall coming home from school and finding my mum lying on the settee with a bowl at the side of her with a towel over her head spitting blood in the bowel and constantly repeating 'God fathers'. Not sure if it was Mr Acton as I don't know where she went but she'd had all her teeth out in one sitting.

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On the subject of dental equipment suppliers, much closer to Acton's Chamber of Horrors was Claudius Ash on Bentinck Road (I think now occupied by AAA Windscreens).

They were there during 1964 to at least '74. It sticks in my memory as I misread the name as Glorious Ash. Another reason it's in my memory is that almost opposite was an off-licence/wine shop* which had thrown out some window display cloth advertising Martini  (red with little Martini logos scattered all over). I got my mother to make me a shirt from it.

Edit: *Looks like the offie is still there

The Claudius Ash company has an interesting (if ghoulish) history see https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Claudius_Ash

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13 hours ago, Jill Sparrow said:

The discussion about Mr Acton recently brought to mind a memory of the large electric light above the chair, at which you were forced to stare once he'd got you in his grip. The manufacturer's name was written on it and, for days, I've been trying to recall it. I knew it was Italian but it eluded me until now. It was Castellini and I believe they had a base somewhere around the Lenton area. I recall clearly passing their premises on many occasions and seeing the sign Castellini Dental Equipment outside. Made me shudder! :wacko: wonder if they are still there?

 

I think Castellini Dental Equipment were originally near the old MFI warehouse on Abbey Bridge roundabout.

Possibly here. ?     https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.9471002,-1.1717176,3a,75y,325.52h,78.08t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sUdh4w7mF_UhxtlfRXXis-A!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DUdh4w7mF_UhxtlfRXXis-A%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D186.99847%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

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