philmayfield 6,134 Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 Does anyone recollect the house with the name ‘Memoires de ma Mere’ on Loughborough Rd. in Bunny many years ago?The name was on the house in bold fluorescent lighting. What was the story behind it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,417 Posted December 12, 2020 Report Share Posted December 12, 2020 I remember it well, I passed by many times when walking to Bunny bluebell woods. No idea why the sign was there but over several yeasr I never saw any signs of life or occupancy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,730 Posted December 13, 2020 Report Share Posted December 13, 2020 Absolutely no idea.... sorry. Around 1966..we had a phase of going to the Packe Arms in Bunny and getting helplessly inebriated.. but beyond that my knowledge of the area is somewhat cloudy... in fact including that my knowledge of the area is..etc.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,507 Posted December 13, 2020 Report Share Posted December 13, 2020 I rarely went through Bunny years ago, in fact I rarely go through there nowadays but a good friend of ours, a 90 year old who lived in Bunny for many years, has no recollection of the property at all. I really thought he could shed light on the query, sorry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,417 Posted December 13, 2020 Report Share Posted December 13, 2020 I'm AMAZED he can't recollect it, it stuck out like a sore thumb and looked more like a night club than a private residence. Just shows how AMAZINGLY little notice people have of their surroundings... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,134 Posted December 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2020 I'm amazed your friend didn't see it Lizzie. It was on the LHS as you went into the village, just before the bend. I'm sure the planners wouldn't approve it now. It would be amazing if they did. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,507 Posted December 13, 2020 Report Share Posted December 13, 2020 I’m AMAZED too. Although he’s 90 he’s still running a business and looks the biz, always very well dressed, no dinner down his jumper sort o’ thing, although his wife (my best friend for the past 50 years) is 20 years younger than him. Something that made me laugh about him recently though ...... he went to the Hearing Clinic (or whatever it’s called) and the doctor asked him how long he’d had a problem with his hearing. He replied “Since 1948 when I joined the Navy” Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,507 Posted December 13, 2020 Report Share Posted December 13, 2020 Just been googling and found that the owner of the property was a Miss Helena Ethel Gregg-Roberts, passed away 26th February 1972. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,417 Posted December 13, 2020 Report Share Posted December 13, 2020 Well done Lizzie, I always imagined the owner to be some sad bachelor with an Oedipus complex. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 Interesting, this. I now remember the building and its sign very well although it had slipped my recent memory. I often saw the sign when on my way to visit my granny (who lived in Rempstone) from the window of the Nottingham to Loughborough Trent bus. This would have been in the 1950s - early 60s. I was about to try to contact an ex-colleague (from my days working at HATRA) named Jack Smurfitt. He ran the company library, a real bookworm who, on retirement, took up the post of archivist (or similar) for Bunny, Ruddington, Costock, Hoton etc. Unfortunately he died a few years ago. So, thanks Lizzie! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,134 Posted December 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 I too got as far as finding the name of the owner but could get no further. I have emailed the Bunny local history society to see if they have anymore information and will report back if they contact me. Its bugging me now! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 What years are we talking about when the sign was visible ? I've driven along that road occasionally over the years and I'm not sure if I remember seeing it or not. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,134 Posted December 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 I certainly remember it as a youngster back in the 50’s and I’m sure it was there for very many years after that. Looking on Google Earth my guess it was 33, Loughborough Rd. The house looks to be pretty pre war vintage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
annswabey 599 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 Her mother appears to have died in 1928! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,417 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 The house was large, painted white and the neon sign was blue and curvy. I first saw it aged about 10 or 11and due to the shape of the sign thought it must mean memories of the sea, (before Dr Chapman failed miserably to teach me French). To the right hand side were balustrades that I presume walled a patio style area although the word patio was unknown to me at that time. Later when I learned what the sign meant I thought there had to be a tale to be told, though as I said I always assumed the occupant was male. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,417 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 Well well well, heres a funy thing... https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Miss+Helena+Ethel+Gregg-Roberts Scroll down a little to images and who do we see? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,134 Posted December 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 An explanation is called for! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,134 Posted December 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 No 28 is a large white 30’s house. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,417 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 I'm more inclined to think it's been replaced by a modern house at No21. No 28 is the wrong side of the road Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 Fascinating thread, this! I'm having some difficulty in placing the house from the Google maps as my view was always quite fleeting, travelling as a smallish child on the upper deck of a bus. Something I do recall is that the house was on the left going towards Loughborough as I had to rush to the other side of the bus to check if the clock on Bunny church was actually working (only very rarely). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Brew said: Scroll down a little to images and who do we see? That's odd, and slightly disconcerting. I don't understand how it's picked up Margie's image as she hasn't even posted in the relevant thread. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trogg 2,016 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 Come on Margie spill the beans, why are you famous on the internet ? only for good reasons I think. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
annswabey 599 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 Helena was divorced in 1935 and was living at "Memoires", Bunny at the time (no mention of her mother in the name of the house) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,134 Posted December 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 My email to the history society just disappeared. Sadly the people I knew who lived thereabouts are now up in the sky or wherever you go to. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,306 Posted December 14, 2020 Report Share Posted December 14, 2020 Scunthorpe .... if you've been naughty! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.