Amesbury circus

[katyjay 4,997]

Here is an aerial photo of Amesbury Circus and the surrounding streets, taken either late 50's or early 60's. The road in the foreground is Eltham Drive and the little road right at the bottom is Eltham Close which led into Broxtowe Woods. Ainsdale Crescent is half way between the Circus and Eltham Drive.

[jackson 301]

Beautifully planned the above estate.

Memory: I've just come out of the back kitchen door, gone down the entry, crossed over to the other side of Amesbury Circus, past Sandra Lyons house, on up to the Nursery, past Katyjay's house and I make my way down to little park - where hopefully some of my friends will be waiting.

[Paulus 541]

Nice Memory...................No texts, phone calls or mobiles involved............................we communicated by 'promises', if somebody said they'd be at a pre-appointed meeting place, it happened, unless they'd been given 'errands' or suchlike

[jackson 301]

Paulus, your beautiful few words: 'we communicated by promises' - so lovely.

[jackson 301]

I remember a man coming round Amesbury Circus, knocking on doors and asking if the householder was interested in purchasing a copy of the above aerial photograph; I don't think he took many orders as the photograph was exceedingly expensive!

[katyjay 4,997]

You don't realise until you see this aerial photo, what big back gardens some of the houses had. Ours was relatively small, it backing onto the playing field and the nursery garden, but some were huge. My aunt at #143 had 2 back gardens with a path dividing it, and the bottom of the 2nd half butted up to the railway line for the pit.

[Paulus 541]

We lived on Aspley Lane, 458, back. front & side garden.....................was always my job to mow the grass, (bl00dy gardening)

[jackson 301]

The gardens of Ainsdale Crescent and Eltham Drive backing on to each other were exceedingly long. My sister had a friend living on Ainsdale Cres. and I recall the bottom part of her back garden seemed like an orchard.

And just look at how long the back gardens are of those houses on the opposite side of Eltham Drive, with Broxtowe woods at the back. I loved going in the woods, adventuring, exploring and playing in the meadow but had no desire to live on top of them - all sorts of spooky things could go through your mind when lying in bed at night!

[Paulus 541]

I could even frighten myself in Beechdale woods, & they were a much lighter environment (there's a word we never heard in the 60's)

[StephenFord 866]

Those big back gardens were great for growing vegetables, and a lot of folk did. There was still room for a lawn and flower beds. My parents weren't avid gardeners, but they usually had a couple of rows of spuds, and a few peas, beans, radishes, lettuces etc in our little plot at the back of the prefab on Aslockton Drive.

[jackson 301]

Hi Stephen, my grandma and grandad worked their vast plots of land at the back of their two council properties in Aspley; and the garden lay-out was exactly the way you describe in your post.

[katyjay 4,997]

There is a number 22 in the terminus on Deepdene, and outside Mrs Joynes at #35 is 'ector and his 'oss. He's most likely having a cuppa. [have put the magnifying glass on the original photo]

[piggy and babs 544]

most of the houses built around this time had at least one lare garden to grow vegies on as there was still rationing . our house on cavendish rd had a large garden at the front but only a small garden at the back , the back garden was congreeted for the washing lines when we moved in but the allottments were at the back of this so always plenty of fresh veggies from the gardners on there . my dad grew his flowers on the front garden plus a small rockery and a pond full of goldfish.

like it was said earlier in this post no telephones in them days when you went out to play you met your friends on the parks or on the streets or knocking on their door to see if they were comming out to play and off we would go to play werever we wanted very rearly in our own gardens as most of us only had small back yards were i lived. i would often go off on my own with our dog if no one else was about

[jackson 301]

Hector the travelling salesman on Amesbury Circus

Hector and his horse and cart would visit the Circus every Saturday morning /lunchtime. I'm sure he had a certain call, listened for by the housewife/ladies of Amesbury Circus.

Hector was a huge man, wore a hat always, dressed as though he'd travelled from the country, wore gaiters. His cart was well stocked with fresh vegetables and household goods that the housewife/lady could probably have run short of, being as Amesbury Circus was quite a way from: 'Top Shops', Bells Lane shops and Broxtowe Lane shops.

Hector's horse wore blinkers and seemed huge and fearsome, not quite as vast as the Shipstone's horses that waited every week outside the John Barleycorn, Nuthall Road. As I queued at the cart Saturday mornings for my regular packet of Polos, mint or fruit, costing 2 pennies, my common sense told me to stay away from Hector's horse - just in case!

Hector had certain stopping off points as he travelled up the Circus:

1) Outside Mrs Joynes' house

2) Outside Mrs Roper's house

3) Outside Glennis Herrod's house

(No doubt he'd call in one of these for a cup of tea)

I recall once standing behind Mrs Roper (she lived across the way from the nursery) and her asking Hector, whilst being served by him: "Have you time for a cup of tea Hector?" The housewife/ladies relied upon Hector and it would be easy to believe that this travelling salesman was rather fancied by them!

[Paulus 541]

We had just such a man around Minver Crescent, Aspley, although he had a lorry ont a horse. His name was Ted Taylor & he sold all sorts of greengrocery..............rang abell to let us know of his arrival

[katyjay 4,997]

We had someone called Tom Bridges come round our way. His small lorry was so laden with food, it's a wonder his axle didn't snap!

[jackson 301]

Not heard of him Katyjay, was this round Amesbury Circus?

[katyjay 4,997]

Yes, he lived on Broxtowe Lane between the 2 rows of bottom shops, set back off the road. I know he came down Deepdene before turning onto the Circus, cos I'd go and find him sometimes if mum was desperate for an item before he reached us. I think my mum knew him from way back when, cos he usually had a cuppa at our house on his rounds.

[Cliff Ton 10,008]

Not an area I know but quite a few Nottstalgians have connections with the area......... Britain from Above have added several new aerial photos from the 1920s which centre on Amesbury Circus http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/asearch?search=amesbury%20nottingham

(You won't be able to see yourselves unless you're nearly 90))

[Paulus 541]

Katyjay- Did the grocer Ted Taylor come around your area, he did the Aspley round Saturdays I think

[katyjay 4,997]

Cliff Ton, thank you so much for the link, I'll have to send it to my eldest brother, he'll enjoy it too. Paulus, I don't remember a Ted Taylor at all coming round our street. Only Tom Bridges, Hector Salt and his 'oss, Buxton's red bus [grocery store] and Joe Taylor butcher.

[tomlinson 879]

I remember Teddy Taylor trading on Tunstall Cres. He used a dark green army surplus van/lorry.

[Paulus 541]

I remember Teddy Taylor trading on Tunstall Cres. He used a dark green army surplus van/lorry.

That's him Tomlinson, I thought I might be imagining it.............

[jackson 301]

Cliff Ton, you're so kind for putting the above on @ #44; thank you so much - wonderful images.

[Chulla 4,946]

katyjay (me skin and blister). Tom Bridges lived in the cul-de-sac on Ainsdale Crescent, not Broxtowe Lane. His lorry was a war-surplus American-make (Chevrolet, I think) supplied by Hooleys. In those days Hooleys used to put a small H between the letters and numbers on the registration plate. The things you remember! It was always grossly overloaded, but never seemed to let him down. Would never pass an MOT test these days.