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SAVED: VICTORIA LEISURE CENTRE'S HISTORIC TOWER

The Victoria Leisure Centre has not been granted listed building status - but the city council has pledged to protect features when it is rebuilt.

English Heritage was asked to consider listing the leisure centre by a group including councillors, the civic society and campaigners.

Many supporters believe the appearance of the leisure centre, particularly the clock tower, is a vital part of the heritage of east Nottingham.

At last! The cretins we have in charge in the council are trying to save some of Nottingham`s past (after destroying so much of the heritage).

Whilst you are considering this building,go next door and have a look at the school(I think under some form of Heritage organisation-cannot remember which) The stonework and colour is amazing,as is the design for a school in a slum district.

Not many of you will remember the brilliant band leader,Cyril Stapleton(from the 40`s and 50`s) who attended there. As I have said before Nottingham has produced some pretty brilliant folk, counterbalanced I suppose by the likes of our present clown, Jon Collins!

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Spent some time on Victoria Park with my granddaughter yesterday, those 30 old terraced houses over looking the park “The Promenade’ look fantastic painted in the different colours & doors & n

It's a great shame that the "so called planners" removed almost everything that they thought grubby and old fashioned. I'll bet they would be kicking themselves now. Drury Hill and the Bath Street was

I was born in Dennet St. Moved to Wilford after the war 1945. Became very ill with TB. Spent many yrs in City hospital. Left there in 1952 .Went to a special school in Sussex. Summer holidays were s

No quite sure Stan what of your post is a quote or your thoughts?

I have walked by that skool many times on my way to the Moot Hall on a Hockey night and remember that skool in a terrible run down state.

Well at least some of the Victoria baths will be saved for the future generations to look and gaze at much like the Victoria station tower which nobody gives a second look at while passing under.

Bip.

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stan do you know the history of the flats next door to the baths ( parkview court) ?

Dennis, the 2nd half of the post from `At last...' to the end is my thoughts.

Hippo girl, I am afraid I did not even realise there were flats adjacent the school.

As to the state of the school prior to renovation there are photos of it in use as a ? factory,? grain storeetc on `picture the past.' its a miracle it exists still. To the rest may I suggest you have a look at this 1858 example of English workmanship and stone.

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I think HG means the Victorian flats on Bath St facing the park

Posh new name now, the old name escapes me?

Dreadful place!

1 Bedroom Property to Rent in Nottingham

50350416320080604113704p400x300phot.jpg

BATH STREET, NOTTINGHAM

One Bedroom Flat, Part Furnished, Few Minutes Walk From Nottingham City Centre, Benefitting From Private Car Park,

£93 p.w. (approx. £403 p.c.m.)

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Found it H.G. They were council flats!

Nottinghamshire Heritage Gateway | Research Pathways | Places ...A few examples of nineteenth century municipal housing survive, including Park View Flats, Bath Street, and Minitts Folly.

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I remember the clock tower very well as I lived underneath it for 10 or so years! My father was the manager and we lived in the flat above the main entrance. I had my first job as a youngster, cleaning the public baths!! One of my dads jobs was to keep the clock going as best he could. I went up there a couple of times when the clock changed. It was always a little rickety and will probably need a fair amount of woodwork carried out.

Memories of the CAMRA festival, wrestling (and burger-flipping, another job!) and regular bomb threats which left us outside in swimming costumes more than once.

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I think HG means the Victorian flats on Bath St facing the park

Posh new name now, the old name escapes me?

Dreadful place!

Did that place used to be an asylum of some sort ? (or am I in the wrong place) I seem te recall somewhere there being a similar thing, and a workhouse around that area.

I used to go to the wash-house with me mam on a monday. There'd be dozens of women, with the obigitaory fag, headscarf, many with rolled down stockin's,,,, and rows of old prams used to carry the weshin'.

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As kids we'd go to the baths 2 or 3 times a week when off school. Always the 'Oval' (always got a clout for looking in the girls 'pool' - never stopped us tho'). When representing Boys Brigade (under Sammy Chadwick) we'd use the 'big' pool.

Incy Dentally: My grand-dad used to dive off a platform built on top of the veranda in the big pool (never did know why - I know he was well known for swimming exploits).

In the summer we'd use all the outdoor lido's (including one at Newark). Does anyone else think that Highfields water was colder than all the others ?

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A nother incidentally: I was at Vic Baths when Billy Two Rivers career nearly finished (actually - it did for a while) as he damaged his back badly (i thought the story was that he'd broken it,,,, but now not so sure !!)

Wasn't the graveyard over the road supposed to be haunted ? I know that "all graveyards" are haunted,,,, but seem to recall some proper stories about that one,,,,,,,,,,,

ah ,,,, the memories

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The asylum was where king edwards park is now I believe..

Extremely slow typist but will try to pull in 2 threads-hope you cotton on.

Someone mentioned the old cholera cemetry on Bath St being spooky (the one where Bendigo is buried in his mum`s grave). As a kid I would climb the cemetry wall from the little park and cut down branches for my bow and arrows to imitate Robin Hood.

This was cheaper than taking the 44 Trolleybus from Carlton rd/bus depot junction.(this was acheived with my mate Johnny Hardy(both of us 6 years old) at the unheard of price of 1/2d each way to Colwyck Woods.(also 1/2d on the trolley no. 45 to fish at Trentbridge).

The park you mention was King Edward-my favourite stamping ground at that time. It is amazing you know,all the years we lived around there never visited the windmill -did not know it was there

until 5 years ago!

Saw dozens(`scuse the hyperbole) of layabout council workers there on that visit.

Now,the Asylum:

"The Sneinton Asylum, Nottingham was the institution at the top of Dakeyne Street, off Carlton Road, then its buildings survived until the 1960s, though not for mental health purposes. In the late 1950s and 1960s the building was used by the Oliver Hind Boys Brigade Company. I remember being told that in the basement the building still had its padded cells! I think the site was demolished in the mid-1960s after a new Oliver Hind Club had been constructed by the Boys Brigade."

I used to love rolling down the huge hill on the park -ah what a life! Absolute happiness and all free!

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Sarah Rutherford

Rutherford, S. 9.2003 The Landscapes of Public Lunatic Asylums in England, 1808-1914 PhD thesis, DeMontfort University. Includes a gazetteer of most of the English public asylums (which I am using).

"In the early 1900s the asylum was superseded by the new asylum at Saxondale, and was closed and demolished. The grounds were reused as King Edward Park." (Sarah Rutherford)

Now I am really confused! !faint!

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Those flats referred to in the postings, I think they were called Victoria house/court/square/place or similar? Also for "workmen" I read/was told this about 15 years ago when researching Basford as there was a similar block of flats called Albert house/court etc off Nottingham Road Basford where Flewitts wood yard (Later DIY depot then Lexus car sales) was on left between Valley Rd and Vernon Road, there was also a gasometer in that piece of land and "the flats were for gas works men" Never saw a photo of the one in Basford so not sure if same? all 2nd hand or maybe 10th? hand info) maybe Bath Street ones for similar workers? though nearest gas works at London Rd? (as far as I know) So much has changed, and did so long before we were born! Take Old Basford, kids, teenagers etc will only know of the houses where basford flats were? not realising those flats existed let alone the town there before them! Same with where Asda etc is on Hyson Green? And although fairly obvious (maybe?) why was part of Lower Parliament Street formally called Coal Pit Lane? no trace of any pit or anyone who knew of one

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The place I am on about is/was on Bath Street. Coming up Bath Street, towards Sneinton - past Cemetery & Handel Street on left,,, Market & Baths on right, this place was on the right - opposite the cemetery. I'm going back to when I was a kid, a young 'un. I was told that it was a madhouse/lunatic asylum or some derogatory named institute,,, so we would run past the place Justin Case we got chased !

Is that cemetery still there ? I have/had relatives in there.

King Edward Park: Cheers Stan,,,, I was about to say that the park has been there as long as I can remember, but as that’s only 50 odd years,,,, then it could have been anything before then. Used to love riding me bike down the twisting zig-zag terraced path.

Likewise the Windmill. I was born on Haywood Road (just around the corner),,, but never did see the grandeur of that building until I visited ‘home’ about ’76.

Dakeyne Street: I do recall there being a club of some sort up there (I don’t recall it being B.B tho’). Is that the same place that was used as a boxing club at some point ? Didn’t it turn out a couple of decent boxers ?

Where did the name Dakeyne come from ?

Just before I left Nott’m, I lived over Bonds Butcher shop - opposite K.E.Park - on Carlton Road.

Many many years ago, there was a Jewellers or some such place down there called HAZARDS. He was a relative of mine,,,,,, don’t know what happened to the name tho’,,,, surely they didn’t emigrate to the U.S just to take the micky out of the ‘Hoggs’ ?!?!

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I am sure that there is an old map of the lunatic asylum - I lived on St Chads road for a few years as a child - hence the interest..... I cannot remember whether the asylum was where st chads, and rest of roads going up to spalding were built on the old grounds or actually were king edward park is now. The asylum wasn't there after early 1900s.

Does anyone have this old map?

Incidentially Bazzer, did the Bonds butcher owner also have a shop on Carlton hill? I also remember playing on this great park - went back for a look see a few years ago sadly didn't feel the same.

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Many many years ago, there was a Jewellers or some such place down there called HAZARDS. He was a relative of mine,,,,,, don’t know what happened to the name tho’,,,, surely they didn’t emigrate to the U.S just to take the micky out of the ‘Hoggs’ ?!?!

I wonder if it was the same chap I had my very first watch from in 1948.It cost 2 pounds 10 shillings(half a man`s wage in those days) The shop was at the end of Handel St at junction with Carlton rd.

Mick T has posted a pic. of the building you refer to earlier in this thread.The cemetry is still there it is now a park,with the tombstones around the edges.

Mariag,thereis a picture of the asylum on `picture the past'

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Of course - I don't have a clue as to whether it really was an asylum,,,,,,, or just sommat my mate had heard,,,,, it did look pretty spooky (who's an oxi moron ?) all the same.

STAN: I wonder if it was the same chap I had my very first watch from in 1948.It cost 2 pounds 10 shillings(half a man`s wage in those days) The shop was at the end of Handel St at junction with Carlton rd.

Right area, but i'm not sure of the exact address. I thought it was lower down - between Handel Street & Sneinton,,,,, but you are probably right.

MARIAG: Incidentially Bazzer, did the Bonds butcher owner also have a shop on Carlton hill?

Yep - top of Carlton Hill/Road I think. Same business,,, same bloke.

Place was a dump, but we were ready to leave town, so put up with it for a few weeks.

Baz

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MARIAG:- Baz, 'Bonds children/child went to my secondary school early 80s.... I remember it had a fairly good reputation then....... were both shops open at same time?

Yep - both shops were open at the same time. I guess this was early 1970. The shops (& people) themselves were fine. As an ex butcher boy / slaughter man / shop owner i might have been a bit more critical than most when it came to cleanliness.

We bought our meat in the shops,,,,, which I certainly wouldn't have done if I thought anything bad of 'em !

The flat above the shop tho' was something else. Mind you - in 60's /'70 I s'pose we had a different idea of what was right'n'wrong. As it is, it was any port in a storm for me - & served it's purpose.

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Bazzer, you were right that part of the asylum building wa at the top of dakeyne street - this was called the dakeyne street lads club before it was boys brigade. King edward park is the gardens and grounds of the old asylum.

Went on a good web site a few minutes ago called nottingham civiv society that went into great detail about all of bath street and around

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