Hello from me

[.... 23]

Hello, just thought I'd introduce myself in here.

I live in Redhill, Nottingham and have a keen interest in all things Nottingham, particularly history and sports. I'm not originally from Nottingham but have spent the majority of my life here.

Just caught this excellent site whilst browsing around and am looking forward to a natter and just generally reminiscing about the area.

Stu

[Limey 242]

Ay-up Stu:

I was born in Redhill - Lodge Farm Lane to be exact (number 26 if you are getting really exact)!

[.... 23]

Hello there, Eric!

Oh yes I know Lodge Farm Lane, I'm just half a mile down the road quite near the cemetary. When did you leave the area?

[Limey 242]

Stu: We moved from Redhill to Long Eaton in 1957 so I have few memories of the area. Lodge Farm Lane was unpaved when we lived there - and we lived in, what was then, the last house at the far end of the road - we had open fields next to us!

There was a chip shop at the bottom of Redhill, next to a "corner" shop at Mansfield road - I remember a lorry coming down Mansfield road that crashed into the shop when its brakes failed and the driver was trapped inside! We walked down the hill to take a look!

I lived in Long Eaton until 1976 when I went to South Africa, now I live in the USA!

[.... 23]

Oh ho! You're taking me back there Eric! Looks like you've moved around a bit since leaving the Kingdom of Redhill.

I have a site somewhere with pics of the junction of Redhill Road and Mansfield Road and I'll post here when I find them.

The chip shop you mention was Eassom's chip shop, a little single story building. Mr and Mrs Eassom used to live a few doors up Redhill Road on the same side. The shop on the corner you mention was Mr Holmes grocery store. My man memory was that Mr. Holmes was quite a gruff man (maybe my childlike memory) there were also those tins of loose biscuits around the counter as well where you would choose your own.

There were other businesses around at that time too. There was a newsagent at the end of a row of terraced houses up some steps on the opposite side of Mansfield Road to Holmes shop. There was also the 'Red Hill' (note the original spelling) post office on Mansfield Road between the Ram Inn and the Wagon and Horses.

On the opposite corner of Redhill road and Mansfield Road used to be Hutchinson's Garage which was a man dealer for VW in those days. It's still a garage of sorts

Down your road you may well know of a relative or two of mine through marriage. The open fields you describe belonged to Gadsby's Farm. My mother's sister was married to one of the Gadsby brothers, George. The lived on Lodge Farm lane in a slightly more recently built house on the left almost facing Lilleker Rise and Derrymount Road. Some years ago I lived at 90 Redhill Road which is on the right coming from Mansfield Road two houses before the junction with Lodge Farm Lane. My next door neighbour was the sister of the famous snooker playing brothers Fredd and Joe Davis.

You may also remember Gadsby's pond which was always teeming with newts!

I wasn't born here but I've spent an awful large part of my life living around Redhill on Mansfield road, Redhill Road and The Mount. I have tons of stories and picked up loads of knowledge about old Redhill, Arnold and Bestwood over the years. fire away if you have any memories you want recalling!

The next time I pass up that way I'll take a picture or two of your old place at number 26!

Best regards, Stu

Here's a bit I wrote about Bestwood Country Park just over the road. Still a lovely place to go.

Bestwood Country Park

[rob237 89]

Excellent site Stu...many congratulations.

Looking forward to your future inputs...

Cheers

Robt P.

[Limey 242]

Oh ho! You're taking me back there Eric! Looks like you've moved around a bit since leaving the Kingdom of Redhill.

I have a site somewhere with pics of the junction of Redhill Road and Mansfield Road and I'll post here when I find them.

The chip shop you mention was Eassom's chip shop, a little single story building. Mr and Mrs Eassom used to live a few doors up Redhill Road on the same side. The shop on the corner you mention was Mr Holmes grocery store. My man memory was that Mr. Holmes was quite a gruff man (maybe my childlike memory) there were also those tins of loose biscuits around the counter as well where you would choose your own.

There were other businesses around at that time too. There was a newsagent at the end of a row of terraced houses up some steps on the opposite side of Mansfield Road to Holmes shop. There was also the 'Red Hill' (note the original spelling) post office on Mansfield Road between the Ram Inn and the Wagon and Horses.

On the opposite corner of Redhill road and Mansfield Road used to be Hutchinson's Garage which was a man dealer for VW in those days. It's still a garage of sorts

Down your road you may well know of a relative or two of mine through marriage. The open fields you describe belonged to Gadsby's Farm. My mother's sister was married to one of the Gadsby brothers, George. The lived on Lodge Farm lane in a slightly more recently built house on the left almost facing Lilleker Rise and Derrymount Road. Some years ago I lived at 90 Redhill Road which is on the right coming from Mansfield Road two houses before the junction with Lodge Farm Lane. My next door neighbour was the sister of the famous snooker playing brothers Fredd and Joe Davis.

You may also remember Gadsby's pond which was always teeming with newts!

I wasn't born here but I've spent an awful large part of my life living around Redhill on Mansfield road, Redhill Road and The Mount. I have tons of stories and picked up loads of knowledge about old Redhill, Arnold and Bestwood over the years. fire away if you have any memories you want recalling!

The next time I pass up that way I'll take a picture or two of your old place at number 26!

Best regards, Stu

Here's a bit I wrote about Bestwood Country Park just over the road. Still a lovely place to go.

Bestwood Country Park

Oh yes - I remember Gadsby's farm allright - especially the pond - I fell into it!

Old memories indeed - yes I remember the newsagent with the steps, and the biscuit tins at the grocers! My Aunt and Uncle (Edna and George Martin) lived on Roscoe Avenue, and there was a "jitty" that ran behind their house from Mansfield Road and came out at the end of Lodge Farm Lane. (It looks like it is still there looking at the satellite picture from Google maps!)

I remember in the winter going sledding down Derry Hill Road - and brushing the grit off after the truck had been around! The "fast" kids could actually make it underneath the fence into the field opposite the bottom of the hill!

Last Christmas we stopped at the Waggon & Horses for a pint on our way back to Retford, where my sister lives! Next time - we'll have to let you know and you can join us!

[.... 23]

Excellent site Stu...many congratulations.

Looking forward to your future inputs...

Cheers

Robt P.

Thanks for the kind words, Rob. I'm very glad I found this site. So much nostagia!

[.... 23]

You fell in Gadsby's pond and lived to tell the tale bud? :-)

Here's a pic that will interst you. Mr. Holmes store and the chip shop. You'l have noticed on your visit that the road is much widened these days and that a bungalow now sits where the chip shop was.

I used to go fishing at a pond up the road near Lea Pool Roundabout and call in at the chip shop for mum and dad on the way back. Mrs. Eassom would always enquire if I had anything feshly caught for them to batter!

I remember well lusting over those bicuit tins...and swinging upside down on the railings outside after beating a hasty retreat outside under Mr. Holmes glare.

Yes Roscoe Avenue is still there though the little area betwen the pubs is much changed since the days when you lived there. Over the other side of Derry Hill Road is a special needs school built in the alte sixties where I used to work a couple of years back. The Derrymount farmhouse is still there as a private dwelling.

On either side of the road at the bottom of Derry Hill road lived two sisters. Gladys Lilliker and her sister straight opposite. Mrs Lilliker's husband was the man who built the estate there. I mention this as they were the great aunts of my my ex-partner and would have lived there in your days at Redhill.

The newer estate of houses built on the land you describe as being fields in your day was named after my late mother's family, Houldsworth Rise etc. I'm sure you'll remember Gadsby's farm house (the former Redhill guide house) on Mansfield Road? Many years ago it was demolished under some controversy and now sits there a bungalow in which a cousin of mine lives who I have never met! Aren't families curious eh?

There is still access to Bestwood Country Park through a few houses that are known as Redhill Mews. Also from Thornton Avenuse down the road nearer to where I live.

Rehill has changed so much when I think about it but some things stay the same. I still say it's a damn good place to live, being on the edge of the countryside, near to the facilities of Arnold and accessible to the city.

A question for you. Do you remember Redhill Barracks? That might get you thinking!

[.... 23]

There was a chip shop at the bottom of Redhill, next to a "corner" shop at Mansfield road - I remember a lorry coming down Mansfield road that crashed into the shop when its brakes failed and the driver was trapped inside!  We walked down the hill to take a look!

Well, well. Look what I found here...

"It was a lorry that ran into the shop. It was coming down the hill on Mansfield road, towards Nottingham, and had brake failure. It was big news at the time because the driver was trapped in the cab for a number of hours before they could pull the lorry free. The shop was once owned by a Mr Percy Holmes who had previously had a shop on Front Street. The smaller shop to the left was Easom's Fish and Chip shop. A Mr Attwood told us that when he joined the ambulance service in Arnold in 1970 he was told of a road accident in which a vehicle went into this building."

[.... 23]

I'll not paste any more images to save bandwidth, but if you visit here: http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php

and type Redhill in the first field and Nottinghamshire on the drop down menu in the third it will give you five pages of images of old Redhill.

[Limey 242]

I'll not paste any more images to save bandwidth, but if you visit here: http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php

and type Redhill in the first field and Nottinghamshire on the drop down menu in the third it will give you five pages of images of old Redhill.

Stu: It was me that supplied "Pictures of the past" with the information about the lorry crash!

I do vaugely remember the Lilleker family living in the area. It's a pity my mum and dad are gone - you would have loved to talk to them! However, my cousin who was born on Roscoe Ave. is still alive - she lives near Bristol and probably knows more about the area than I do - I'll try to get in touch with her! I also have contact with Ivan Poole - who is the same age as me, and lived at 22 Lodge Farm Lane - at the corner. His sister, Judith, runs a B&B in Cornwall!

The Dickinsons lived next door to use. They had two children, Ann and John who were both older than me.

[.... 23]

I do vaugely remember the Lilleker family living in the area. It's a pity my mum and dad are gone - you would have loved to talk to them! However, my cousin who was born on Roscoe Ave. is still alive - she lives near Bristol and probably knows more about the area than I do - I'll try to get in touch with her! I also have contact with Ivan Poole - who is the same age as me, and lived at 22 Lodge Farm Lane - at the corner. His sister, Judith, runs a B&B in Cornwall!

The Dickinsons lived next door to use. They had two children, Ann and John who were both older than me.

You know I had thought your story was coincidentally close Eric! What brought you back to these parts for a visit, was it curiosity? It must seem quite different to what you remember?

Just drop by when you're next around - I'll take a walk up to the Waggon!

[mick2me 3,033]

I'll not paste any more images to save bandwidth, but if you visit here: http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php

http://www.picturethepast.org.uk

Stu

Regarding posting Images here, you should use the IMG button and past the actual image link. Some sites dont like this 'hotlinking' but what actually happens is that google (who lives here most of the time) increases the search rating of the sites we link to, but always give a link below the picture to credit the site with linked images.

OR create an account at www.photobucket.com to host your images

[radfordred 6,284]

Yeah big welcome from me Stu - like the tears of a clown site - being nosey whats the Hibs connection ?

[.... 23]

I'll not paste any more images to save bandwidth, but if you visit here: http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php

http://www.picturethepast.org.uk

Stu

Regarding posting Images here, you should use the IMG button and past the actual image link. Some sites dont like this 'hotlinking' but what actually happens is that google (who lives here most of the time) increases the search rating of the sites we link to, but always give a link below the picture to credit the site with linked images.

OR create an account at www.photobucket.com to host your images

Cheers Mick.

I think that's what I did (scratches head!) Whilst I'm aware an image or two animates a post. I'm always aware that these things cost money. Thanks mate.

[mick2me 3,033]

Sorry Stu

You had posted an image by that method prior to my post.

[mick2me 3,033]

We dont have any bandwidth problems.

everyone likes pictures, sadly we cant host any more here.

But there are plenty of free image hosts.

[.... 23]

Yeah big welcome from me Stu - like the tears of a clown site - being nosey whats the Hibs connection ?

Thanks for the welcome RR. I appreciate it.

I've a pal or two that used to spend a bit of time at the Variety when your old fellah was there. Sounded absolutely hilarious. Is it right what I hear that it's finally hit the dust? Sorry to hear that if so.

Thanks for the kind words about the site. The Hibs connection is a lifelong one. I was born and bred in Musselburgh near Edinburgh before my family came to Nottingham when I was a youngster. Dad and his dad were Hibs fans as I was as a kid. I just kept up the family tradition al these years and they're still my team. I write on all the unnoficial Hibs sites and always like to offer them a Nottingham slant on things. Especially on the likes of Joe Baker (my hero) for whom we all share a love and respect. Like they say, you can change your partner but you can't change your football team. :-) A bit of mutual interest footy stuff.

Joe and Me

Brian

Brian

Brian (2)

Peter Cormack

Jimmy Sirrel

Justin Fashanu

Seems like a really friendly site this. It's great being able to catch up with a bit of Notts natter. Incidentally anyone here ever log on to this blog: http://leftlion.blogspot.com/ It's a good read.

PS Apologies for the double post above. I'll get used to this site soon enough!

[Frank 13]

PS Apologies for the double post above. I'll get used to this site soon enough!

No worries with the double post - I've sorted it.

And a warm welcome from Heronridge too.

Nice blog site Stu.

Do you drink in the Poacher?

[Limey 242]

You know I had thought your story was coincidentally close Eric! What brought you back to these parts for a visit, was it curiosity? It must seem quite different to what you remember?

Just drop by when you're next around - I'll take a walk up to the Waggon!

Stu: I try to get back to the U.K. every other year or so - more often when I can afford it. I still have a sister who lives in Retford, and an aunt in Heanor and in general just like England. Fortunately, my wife seems to like visiting too. I try to visit my old haunts from time-to-time, mostly just for the sake of curiosity and to see how things have changed.

The pond is long gone, but the memories remain!

I do want to visit Papplewick Pumping Station, and being an ex-miner, the winding engine at Bestwood. I worked in the mines in the South Midlands Region (around Ashby-de-la-Zouch. One mine I worked at, Snibston in Coalville, is now a museum!

[.... 23]

Stu: I try to get back to the U.K. every other year or so - more often when I can afford it. I still have a sister who lives in Retford, and an aunt in Heanor and in general just like England. Fortunately, my wife seems to like visiting too. I try to visit my old haunts from time-to-time, mostly just for the sake of curiosity and to see how things have changed.

The pond is long gone, but the memories remain!

I do want to visit Papplewick Pumping Station, and being an ex-miner, the winding engine at Bestwood. I worked in the mines in the South Midlands Region (around Ashby-de-la-Zouch. One mine I worked at, Snibston in Coalville, is now a museum!

It's nice to see you have fond memories of your roots, Eric.

Papplewick Pumping Station is a nice visit if you've never been there. Bank holidays are the best time as they get those massive beam engines up in steam. I'm often past there as I and the missus sometimes eat up at The Fox and Hounds at Blidworth Bottoms just past there.

Were you aware of what happened to the old Bestwood Pumping Station on the Mansfield Road just after Lea Pool roundabout? After many years of disuse it is now a restaurant and health club called 'Lakeside'. Very nice too and like Papplewick it's a great old building full of ornate ironwork and stained glass. The Victorians knew how to do these things right eh.

I certainly know of Snibston too. The science park has visits down the old shaft I understand. The winding house at Bestwood villagelooks as though funding will mean refurbishing it into a visitor centre. Apparently some money has been allocated from the lottery (I think) and there are big plans for it. I've always gone up there a lot and I remember the old pit as it stood up there, just two and a half miles walk from Redhill up the old Colliers Pad.

[.... 23]

And a warm welcome from Heronridge too.

Nice blog site Stu.

Do you drink in the Poacher?

Hi Frank

Thanks for the welcome, the kind words and for deleting the dupe. I do indeed drink in the Poacher quite regularly. In fact I've been in there tonight! Why do you ask? Are you a customer of one of Nottingham's very finest hostelries too?

[Frank 13]

Certainly am Stu.

During the week if I'm working in the City (NTU) I tend to pop in for a couple but I mostly frequent on a Saturday night. I have also been known to enjoy the lunches on Sunday, washed down with a few HP's.

Another Nottstalgia member on here also likes the HP as sold in the Poacher.

[.... 23]

Certainly am Stu.

During the week if I'm working in the City (NTU) I tend to pop in for a couple but I mostly frequent on a Saturday night.  I have also been known to enjoy the lunches on Sunday, washed down with a few HP's.

Another Nottstalgia member on here also likes the HP as sold in the Poacher. 

Ah, good to hear Frank.

I tend to go in whenever I'm passing. (I tend to find difficulty passing!) Often early doors during the week and sometimes on a Friday evening. Rarely on a Saturday it has to be said.

Wondered what you do at NTU? I'm actually a mature student there just completing an MSc in Psychology. My partner lectures at NTU in the Business School too.

Not a bitter drinker myself (I realise I could get thrown out of here for that admission!) but am always appreciative of the choice of drinks in the Poacher and the way there are served. I'm partial to a pint of Stowford Press myself. The Poacher is a great pub and always has been.