Broxtowe Lane (old railway)

[Ashley 288]

Was looking at old photos on Picture The Past and did not realise the route of Broxtowe Lane was not always as it is now. From what I can tell the old route went (from Nuthall Rd) up to the left where the fishing shop (if still there?) is, had always thought of that as some other lane and recall remains of a level crossing on it leading to the new estate (Harwill Crescent etc) However pre 1931 there was a bridge over the lane there referred to as "old Broxtowe Lane Bridge"

[Fynger 841]

If you mean the little fishing shop behind the long closed John Barleycorn pub...yep its still there.

[Ashley 288]

yes that's the one, re pic, I think the 3 "things" sticking up above old bridge are that pubs chimneys? and building in centre distance is Murphy's on Alpine Street or the Maltings across the road from there

[Fynger 841]

Changed somewhat round there aint it....I went to the College on the opposite corner in the 70s. and lived for a while in Broxtowe at the top of the hill.

[katyjay 5,091]

Not sure what that first bit of the lane was called, but it led to Wendover Drive on the Aspley Estate I do believe. Napoleon Square [pit houses] was on the left as you went up the lane and Bramley's woodyard was on the right.

[Ashley 288]

It was called Broxtowe Lane and diverted in 1931

[oldvic 0]

If you mean the little fishing shop behind the long closed John Barleycorn pub...yep its still there.

The little fishing shop was a Barbers Shop called Widowsons before that I had plent of short back and sides there I would come out of there with the back of my head like Velcro Tape

[Fynger 841]

Hee Hee....Did you sit on the board on top of the chair when you were smaller

Welcome OldVic

[Dick Hatts 1]

Great picture that. The wall supporting that bridge is still there isn't it? Or it was when I went up there last.

[Ashley 288]

yes both sides still there, I remember at the back of "Breffitts" there were sidings (now gone) but think at bottom of melbourne park track route can still be seen where it went to later western boulevard

[StephenFord 866]

When we lived on Aslockton Drive up to 1954 I remember seeing NCB steam engines with a few wagons crossing Melbourne Road with a flagman in attendance and then prowling off down the back of Nuthall Road shops to the Newcastle colliery sidings. There was a bridle path from Nuthall Road that led over an unprotected crossing to Melbourne Park.

[jackson 301]

Stephen, can you remember how pigs were kept at the back of 'Brefitts'?

[StephenFord 866]

Yes I can - and for that reason our family always referred to the said bridle path as "Piggy Lane". It didn't 'alf pong at times!

[jackson 301]

It did. But those great pigs were fascinating weren't they? We kids would use the bridle path to go over into Melbourne Road Park; later we'd play hide and seek along the high, grassy banks close by. :smile:

[poohbear 1,360]

That's when Basford Road was called High Street.Breffits used some land at the rear for new owners of scooters to practise before going on the road.My brother used it then drove one mile home and proceeded to hit the concrete gate post with his brand new first scooter.

[jackson 301]

Poohbear, that's what you call Irony!

[Cliff Ton 10,483]

I remember seeing NCB steam engines with a few wagons crossing Melbourne Road with a flagman in attendance and then prowling off down the back of Nuthall Road shops to the Newcastle colliery sidings. There was a bridle path from Nuthall Road that led over an unprotected crossing to Melbourne Park.

Nobody has ever yet come up with any photos of railways in that area, even though it's within living memory of a number of Nottstalgia people. So here's possibly the next best thing, a map from the 1950s of the line coming out of Newcastle Colliery and parallel with Nuthall Road.

It also includes

when Basford Road was called High Street.

[jackson 301]

Remembering the huge, smelly - but fascinating pigs - kept at the back of Brefitts:

"You've been up to see those pigs again haven't ya?" my grandmother would scold us, looking down at our sludge caked school shoes, "how many times have I told ya" . . . . . . .

[jackson 301]

Cliff Ton, thanks for the map. I'm wondering if the 'Newcastle Farm' detailed was in fact 'Piggy Lane' - it's certainly in the same vicinity.

[StephenFord 866]

No, "Piggy Lane" was the footpath shown dead opposite High Street. Funny thing - when we were coming home from town we invariably got off the bus at the High Street stop in front of the shops, but when we were going TO town we would never dream of turning left at the bottom of Aslockton Drive and waiting at the corresponding stop outside the Newcastle Arms - it was always turn right and wait at the timeclock in front of Pinketts. When I started school in January 1954 I used to walk up High Street and down Hayling Drive to Whitemoor Infants. Does anyone remember Miss Maltby, my first form teacher? - I think she retired at the end of that term (but it wasn't because of me - honest!)

[poohbear 1,360]

Newcastle Farm was the source of your piggy smells undoubtably...

I love these old maps...the tiny details bring back so many memories of buildings and businesses long gone.The tiny police station on the central reservation of Melbourne Road opposite the Aspley Cinema.The huge coal hopper opposite the Newcastle Arms and the lorries being loaded.And why did they build a public convenience next to the library on Nuthall Road?...nowadays if they bothered at all they would be inside the library.

That time clock in front of Pinketts was there some years...and yes I remember Miss Maltby..The whole class was standing on the grass as punishment for something and I was talking to my neighbour as 10 year olds do.This delightful lady crept up behind me and punched me in the kidneys...I sank to my knees in agony.

Some years late aged around seventeen I met her again when visiting the school at a reunion do with a friends kids...I reminded her of the incident and asked her how she would like it if I punched her in her kidneys so she would know what it felt like....she made a hasty white faced withdrawl.

[jackson 301]

Stephen, I had a Miss Maltby amongst one of my first teachers at William Crane Infants; it must have been around 1952 - it could have been the same one.

I remember the time clock in front of Pinkett's, can you recall the immaculate dry cleaners shop further along? And then the sweet shop opposite? my regular going in place after Aspley library Saturday mornings. I once bought 'Everlasting Strip' from there being told by friends that the three halfpence strip lasted forever. What a let down! What a fool I was to believe them.

[StephenFord 866]

I only vaguely remember the sweet shop. It was my impression that we usually bought sweets from Pinkett's but I may be wrong. There was also a little sweet shop on the left going up High Street, and on my way back from school, my mam would often buy me two ounces (!) of sherbert limes - loose out of the big glass jars.

Yes, I guess it could have been the same Miss Maltby - or there may have been more than one sister. I used to think it strange that there were so many elderly unmarried lady teachers in the early 50s. Then someone pointed out to me that a lot of them lost their boy friends or fiances in the trenches, as teenagers or twenties during the first world war. Maybe that was why some of them seemed a bit hard and embittered.

[jackson 301]

Being a lover of sweets as a kid I had many stopping off points on Nuthall Road: Pinkett's, the one across the road I mentioned and can you remember Dorothys (past the Aspley Pictures) - a real palace as far as sweet shops were concerned.

Like you, I'm wondering if there could have been two Miss Maltby's; and I'm having second thoughts about whether she was my teacher in Crane juniors rather than the infants - especially after reading Pooh Bear's description of Miss Maltby as being strict.

Yes, many women teachers were spinsters (an unkind word these days) back then; I always thought this because they'd chosen the profession of teaching rather than marriage - as was the norm. Interesting point to ponder on: that some may have lost loved ones in the war and lost themselves in their jobs in order to get over this.

[poohbear 1,360]

The sweet shop over the road and a little bit towards the city was Bennets at that time..taken over by another family that were there for many years.Their shop backed onto the railway as did Watkins the grocer who had an old railway carriage on his property he used for storage.

On the same side was Jack Norris the butcher and Stansbys' the chemist...the Co.op being on the corner of Melbourne Road.My memories of other shops that side is vague...but there was Walkers Garage in the middle of them..I think a wool shop and haberdashery,and further along was the sweet shop...then a cake and bread shop,then the post office Wardles...a bike shop...Harris's I think, and then an electrical shop that sold toys too...spent many hours staring through their window at Dinky toys...they also sold all the bits to Meccano..a boys paradise.(They had a shop on Arkwright Street too and the Double barrel name will come back to me later.)

On Pinketts side was the dry cleaners then Newbolds the Wines and spirits people...then George and his missus the hairdressers in the corner.Then a big house in large grounds and prefabs down to the Newcastle Arms.

Shame there's a lack of pictures on 'Picture the Past' of this area.

There were two small corner shops on the lower end of high street...the first being my favourite because they sold the halfpenny licorice sticks...the hard ones that left black all round your mouth.