Nottingham Smells

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

The Trent didn't smell too good on a winters foggy night either!

[rob237 89]

The Gerrard's whiff was quite pleasant to passers-by, but I can imagine that employees and folks living nearby were not quite so appreciative.

Being the Forum's 'Oldest of the Old' perhaps I'm one of the few to recall the Barton's bus exhaust of the early 50's..it really was quite unique, but not especially unpleasant - a strange type of 'red diesel'.

Apparently Tommy Barton negotiated a post-war deal with the departing American Forces to buy the fuel, which was stored on their bases, in bulk. The supply lasted many years and must have been a good long term investment.

The aroma would confirm that the hourly No 32 (Bulwell-Bilborough-Hemlock Stone-Cow Lane-Chilwell-Beeston-Mount Street) had climbed Bell's Lane some minutes before!....... ring any bells [!] Kath?

Cheers

Robt P.

[mick2me 3,033]

The sweet smell of Red diesel takes me back to the village of Skellingthorpe Lincoln,

where me Dad Stan, kept one of the village pubs "The Plough" I was about 2 years old.

But it was from tractors and not buses!

Surely Bartons must have been committing offences using the stuff?

Avoiding Duty Payment on Road Fuel? !rulez!

[rob237 89]

Surely Bartons must have been committing offences using the stuff?

Avoiding Duty Payment on Road Fuel? !rulez!

Perhaps less likely in the immediate post-war period...

It was the days before the arrival of H&S, Quango's, EU and the 'behaviour police'.

Many folk made their fortunes in the post-war austerity period, and were seemingly encouraged to do so.....despite some alleged dodgy dealings! The famous Berlin Airlift of 1948 christened many millionaires - Freddie Laker, for one.

Cheers

Robt P.

[rob237 89]

The sweet smell of Red diesel takes me back to the village of Skellingthorpe Lincoln, where me Dad Stan, kept one of the village pubs "The Plough" I was about 2 years old.

A mate, who worked on the land in Lincolnshire for many years, once told me that much of the diesel on the farms 'originated' from the numerous adjacent RAF bases - all rather 'Arthur Daley'!

Cheers

Robt P.

[katyjay 5,091]

It's funny but I can never remember Gerrards Soap Factory smells, and I must have smelled them, I crossed Basford Crossings every Sat for my first 7 yrs, not that far away. A few years later I visited my aunt and uncle who had the big wallpaper shop just over Basford Crossings, [steve Clarke's] still no memory of the smell.

Rob, I don't remember a Barton bus up and down Bells Lane, I thought they were all corpo buses. The only one I remember going from Bulwell to Bilborough was the number 55, which I'd catch to Bulwell sometimes. I'm amazed at the length of the route of the #32.

[rob237 89]

It's funny but I can never remember Gerrards Soap Factory smells, and I must have smelled them, I crossed Basford Crossings every Sat for my first 7 yrs, not that far away. A few years later I visited my aunt and uncle who had the big wallpaper shop just over Basford Crossings, [steve Clarke's] still no memory of the smell.

Rob, I don't remember a Barton bus up and down Bells Lane, I thought they were all corpo buses. The only one I remember going from Bulwell to Bilborough was the number 55, which I'd catch to Bulwell sometimes. I'm amazed at the length of the route of the #32.

Kath,

Gerrard's factory wasn't near Basford Crossing...

It was sited by the railway bridge on Wilkinson Street, which runs from Western Boulevard [just beyond the Nuthall Road junction] to Radford Road [near Shippo's brewery].

Well visible - and possibly just sniffable - from a 22 heading into the City between Whitemoor and Bobbers Mill.

Surprised you can't recall the Barton 32, as it ran for many years...must have been as late as the early 60's, as I used the service when travelling to Saturday work at Cator Lane as a 16/17 year old.

Certainly had the most circuitous route to the City, with the whole journey taking, IIRC, well over an hour.

I do recall the NCT 55, which ran alongside the Barton 32 and then on for many years after the 32's withdrawal.

Cheers

Robt P.

[Beefsteak 305]

The Trent didn't smell too good on a winters foggy night either!

I used to do a lot of fishing at Radcliffe on Trent weir and that used to stink any time. I caught a Brown Trout there in the late 70's and took it home, as my mum cooked it ,it started to smell like where it was caught!!! I took one little taste and rejected it and gave it to the cat who took one sniff and walked off and it wouldn't talk to me for a fortnight.

[katyjay 5,091]

My mind must be playing tricks, I didnt' think that bit of Vernon Rd was very far from where Western Blvd went into Valley Rd [?] I figured it was near enough to sniff the soap factory [even if I didn't!]

[Bip 88]

Going back as I must to the smell of soap works I recall at Dunkirk when I was a nipper a soap factory next to the iron railway bridge on Cavendish Street, I should imagine I would be the only one who does. I have looked in the AtoZ and the only place that is marked in that is a warehouse but then again this was in the fifties and things have changed a little.

Thinking about the soap factory I maybe mistaken, at the time I was pre-occupied with train spotting to take much notice if it was a soap factory or not but one thing is for sure it smelt of soap.

I shall ask me mum tomorrow she was born and bred at Dunkirk.

Bip.

[Bip 88]

It would be 1963 when I began working for Messer’s John Player and son and at that time I caught the bus from Trowel road getting off on Ilkeston road to walk the mile or so along Radford boulevard to the John player Factory complex.

Walking up Beckinham road passing by the cellars where the pipe Tobacco was pressed into carrots ready for cutting into flakes the smell of Honey, Jam and whiskey emanating from the ventilating system up there to this day I have never forgotten.

Also I recall while working there the leaf department where rows a pone rows of women of all ages took the woody stem out of the middle of a tobacco leaf, from there the leaf would be tipped onto a conveyer and in turn would end up in a large metal drum where it was sprayed with flavouring.

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing?

Bip.

[Frank 13]

And what about the smell of Town Gas from the Basford works where they used to smelt coal into coke. In the days before the changover to Natural Gas - which incidently is ouderless - they have to inject a 'smell' into it.

Me dad used to drive a coke lorry from Basford to Northampton twice a day - sometimes dropping the odd shovelful of coke at home saying that he would make out the lost weight was due to wind on the motorway.

[mick2me 3,033]

I bought some coke for the solid fuel stove, expected it to be light like the coke of yore.

It was cr4p, halfway between coal and coke, burned very cold, if it got wet it never dried.

Cost 1/3* more than coal as well! (*thats 0.333... not 1/3d)

[katyjay 5,091]

How about the smell of tar when it was hot and the tar on the street started to go soft, near the kerb. [where there weren't any chips in the tar] You could sit on the kerb and pick at it.

[mick2me 3,033]

The rather sickly smell of school dinners cooking.

Always the same smell, whatever was for dinner.

[Caz 25]

Always smelt of cabbage Mick !tony!

[mick2me 3,033]

Thats what it was, I always imagined mixed veg! Yuk

I'd rather eat prunes.

[Bip 88]

I'd rather eat prunes.

I do and love um.....................

What about the smell of manure emanating from the once Police horse stables in Wollaton Park.... such Nostalgia.........now I believe they are a museum minus the pong of horses.

Bip.

[Bip 88]

Here’s one for you, which I reckon not many people will recall unless you lived around or nearby a Motor racing circuit or even went as a spectator to a motor sporting event, the smell of the exhaust from a highly tuned two stroke engine.

Castrol RH40 motor oil, which you diluted into the petrol mix at a certain ratio to suit ones engine.

I used it in my petrol mix for my Yamaha back in the late sixties it is a very sweet smelling when burnt oil and I believe it is still used today in modern two stroke racing engines, whether it’s a mineral oil or vegetable oil I’m not certain but when I gave it full throttle in second gear going up Beckinham road by the side of Players number one factory all could be seen of me and my bike was a cloud of blue sweet smelling smoke.

You maybe asking yourself what have this to do with the smells of Nottingham? It's a tenuous link I must admit but living not far from the once Speedway stadium on the outskirts of Long Eaton and on a good day if the wind is in the right direction and it normally is I get the sweet smell of said burnt oil drifting over from Donnington Motor racing Circuit.

Bip.

[Limey 242]

You got me on that one Den! As a young 'un, my dad would take me on the bus (Bartons) to Mallory Park - and I can still smell the Castrol "R". If you go to vintage car races, you will still get a wiff from time-to-time. Some of the racers will still add it to the petrol as an upper cylinder lubricant.

Do you remember "Red-eX" - one shot per gallon of petrol?

[Beefsteak 305]

Re fuel, smells what about the smell at the rear of an ice cream van as you chased it down the road or just stood in the queue to by one??

[Beefsteak 305]

that should read buy one LOL

[plantfit 7,592]

Ayup BIP,

Yep Castrol R40 oil is a vegetable oil from the castor bean, It don't like the cold weather and it don't mix with mineral oils, they use it in high performance engine because it keeps its viscosity at high temperatures, mixes freely with petrol or alcahol ( not harvest pale)

Rog

[Stan 386]

Do you remember "Red-eX" - one shot per gallon of petrol? (Limey)

No,but I remember Red Ken who should be! (shot that is!)

[Stan 386]

After that I had better try to add something. I always remember the `new smells of the interior' of the fleet of motor buses purchased by the council just after the war (second that is!) Very pleasant and not unlike the smell of a new car.