Recommended Posts

Hello my name is David Dawes my family moved to Clifton around 1953 and lived on Rivergreen. The house was located between Failsworth drive/close  and Woodbridge Avenue. I attended first Brooksby and then Greencroft junior schools leaving in 1958 to go to Fairham comprehensive.  Names I remember are from Woodbridge drive are John Hunt Robert Underwood and David Johnson ( he lived near Brinkhill crescent. 

Moved away in 1968 to the Vale of Belvoir now reside in Lincolnshire. 

Interesting site that's all for the moment will keep checking the site.

DaveD

Link to post
Share on other sites

Welcome, DaveD.  My next door neighbour's daughter and her family lived on Woodbridge Avenue. They were the Hirsts, Raymond, Kathleen and their sons Timothy and Nicholas. Ray drove a petrol tanker for Esso and I understand it was sometimes parked outside the house!  Timothy and Nicholas were a bit younger than yourself.

 

I'm sure you'll enjoy the site. There are lots of Clifton dwellers here!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello Jill, thank you. I've already read some interesting items on the forum one in particular regarding country dancing at the old police training ground on Mansfield road..

I was once part of a Morris dancing side formed in my last year at Greencroft school (1958) and danced on the police field.

Coincidentally, and not realising who he was at the time until I heard his name mentioned, I met in a pub an other member who in  the junior school Morris dancing side. He even remembered the name of the dance. His name was Richard Barrowdel he lives now in the village of Allington near Grantham.

I still belong to two Morris sides even now, Allington Morris and Alford Morris (Alford as in near Louth).

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, DaveD said:

 my family moved to Clifton around 1953 and lived on Rivergreen. The house was located between Failsworth drive/close  and Woodbridge Avenue.

 

That would make your house one of the two which face towards Clifton Lane ?

 

I lived on Woodbridge from 1950s - 70s and can still remember most of the families who lived there, including the Hursts who Jill S has mentioned.

 

If you're on Facebook you may have discovered several Groups for Clifton and ex-Clifton people; I've been in contact with a lot of my past in recent years.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Morris Dancing?  If you ever perform the routine created by The Two Ronnies 'Bold Sir John' I'll come and watch.

 

Absolutely brilliant song and very clever use of worms by Mr Barker. Even now, I still cry with laughing when I watch it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

yes it was very funny and still gets a laugh. Strange how Scotland, Wales and Ireland can have national dances and England's always seems amusing to many but it's traditional going back at least 500 years and still going. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes, it's one of England's national dances, the other being the Sailor's Hornpipe.  This was the national dance set by The Royal Academy of Dancing when I was a child. I suppose it was chosen because you can't do a Morris Dance on your own!

 

I'm all for keeping these traditions alive. You just keep on going, Dave.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I remember  doing the Sailors’ Hornpipe in my dance class …. Haven’t thought about that for about 65 years!

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Heyup DaveD, Keep posting mate and tell us more about Morris Dancing. Is it correct that ladies can join in now?

 

Phil - if you think Morris dancing is silly, what about the male ballet dancers leaping about like flying pawnbroker signs?

Link to post
Share on other sites
9 hours ago, MargieH said:

I remember  doing the Sailors’ Hornpipe in my dance class …. Haven’t thought about that for about 65 years!

I used to go to tap dancing classes practiced at home on a blackboard and before anybody asks it was flat on the kitchen floor.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
10 hours ago, PeverilPeril said:

 

Phil - if you think Morris dancing is silly, what about the male ballet dancers leaping about like flying pawnbroker signs?

That made me chuckle, although the anatomical comparison isn’t strictly accurate…. ;)   (but who knows lol)

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/25/2021 at 10:10 AM, DaveD said:

Hello Jill, thank you. I've already read some interesting items on the forum one in particular regarding country dancing at the old police training ground on Mansfield road..

I was once part of a Morris dancing side formed in my last year at Greencroft school (1958) and danced on the police field.

Coincidentally, and not realising who he was at the time until I heard his name mentioned, I met in a pub an other member who in  the junior school Morris dancing side. He even remembered the name of the dance. His name was Richard Barrowdel he lives now in the village of Allington near Grantham.

I still belong to two Morris sides even now, Allington Morris and Alford Morris (Alford as in near Louth).

 

 

Hello Dave D,  Being  ex Woodbridge (other end nearest Brinkhill)and Greencroft (left in 1960) I too was press ganged into being a member of the school Morris Dancing team for a display and "mass dance off" of other schools Morris teams at High Pavement School.  Think it was for Nottingham Schools sports day 1960.   Having all the grace and poise of a newly born hippo this seemed the qualities that Jack Bailey (Teacher at Greencroft) was looking for. 

 

After what seemed months he managed to turn out a Morris team fit for display. We had to do two "dance offs"  one bashing each other with sticks the other waving bits of cloth about.Not sure if it was the music or name of the routine but "The Rigs of Marlow" rings a bell.  Looked it up its on Youtube can confirm that was one no idea what the other was.

 

Many years later, got talking to a regular Morris Dancer (Who smoked a pipe, had a beard and wore a crown bottle opener on a string round his neck) who said " That they go out on a regular circuit of pubs performing a dance at each and the team being rewarded with a pint per dancer at each one. A minimum of 6 pubs. and the performances get better as the night goes on"  made it sound more attractive than Jack Baileys Morris Men.

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello Mr Meeker yes the teachers name was Mr Bailey who taught Morris dancing, he also was in charge of the cricket team for which I  played at the time. I actually spoke to him on the phone around late 1980s he was living in Chilwell at the time. Nice teacher as I remember.

So that may have been 1957/1958. My last teacher was Mr Richard's,  he was a jazz enthusiast and played the piano. I'm still trying to find any photos of year classes at Greencroft without success. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

As I mentioned in a previous post, the FB Group for Clifton School Photos has many examples of Jack Bailey, and a couple of Sid Richards.

 

And because I'm a Moderator on Nottstalgia, I think I know your real name, and there's at least one photo with you on it. I may get round to 'borrowing' it from FB and reposting it here....without giving away any secrets.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you Cliff Ton that would be wonderful. I have often been tempted to join FaceBook but unsure of the security aspect.

In the 1990s a woman who was in my class at Greencroft junior school (and now lives in Canada ) sent me an old photograph of our class but I  seem to have mislaid it. She lived on Failsworth close. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Here's the photo in question. If I've got your identity correct, you're in the back row. 

 

morMwCf.jpg

 

16 hours ago, DaveD said:

 I have often been tempted to join FaceBook but unsure of the security aspect.

 

I've been on FB for over 15 years and never had any problems. It's no more or less secure than any other part of the internet. It's also very good for finding people you haven't seen for years, or finding people who have similar interests to yourself.

 

16 hours ago, DaveD said:

In the 1990s a woman who was in my class at Greencroft junior school (and now lives in Canada ) sent me an old photograph of our class but I  seem to have mislaid it. She lived on Failsworth close. 

 

Does that person have the initials JS ?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello Cliff Ton that's wonderful thanks so much. I can name quite a few of the pupils here, I'm the 3rd boy from the left back row. From that class year all the boys went to Fairham whilst some girls went to either Clifton Hall grammar or Farnborugh . Yes that person was J S she had a successful accountancy firm.

BTW I joined  Facebook yesterday but unsure how you reached Greencroft site.

Thanks again

Link to post
Share on other sites

To get to the Clifton School Photos Group, go to your homepage on FB (assuming you are viewing on a desktop or laptop; it may not be the same on a phone).

 

In the top left corner is a box titled 'Search Facebook'.

 

In that box type 'Clifton Estate School Photos'.  (it may also show several other options).

 

You will have to apply to join the group, and wait for approval.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...