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I don't remember a family with the name Jones in Aspley. I don't think I ever had a Jones girl in my class all the way through school. As for the butchers named Norrish, that doesn't ring any bells either, sorry.

I loved living on Amesbury Circus as a kid. It was so 'normal' compared to nowadays, although we didnt' think anything of it at that time. All the dads worked, all the mum's stayed home. All the houses were the same, all with privet hedges that were kept clipped, and gardens that were looked after. The only difference in the houses were the front doors were painted by the blocks, green, red, yellow and blue. Before that though, all were 'corporation' green. They were cold houses in winter, the only heat was the coal fire inthe living room. I remember ice on the inside of my bedroom window all the 21 winters I lived there. We used the fire for lots of things, but the best thing was toast made on the end of a toasting fork. Chestnuts went in there too for roasting, and I dried my hair in front of it. Mum would put her curling iron in the fire till it was hot, then try it out on newspaper at first so it didn't singe her hair. She's usually spit on it to test the heat. The original fireplace had a high mantlepiece with a stretchy wire [used for net curtains] stretched under the mantlepiece and you could air clothes on it. Although this sounds old fashioned, it was quite modern compared to both my grandmas's terrace house fireplaces, which was blackleaded. Fire grate inthe middle, hot water boiler on one side, and oven on the other.

I slept in the 'tank room' it had the airing cupboard and hot water tank in it. The front bedroom had a 'bogey hole' over the stairs for storage, we also had one under the stairs where the mangle was kept. We were a middle house so the coal hole was a trip outside to get coal. End houses had their coal put through a small door to the under stairs part. The scullery [we weren't posh enough for a kitchen] had a copper under the draining board, which was dragged out on Monday's, filled with cold water, and then the gas was lit underneath it. The draining board was ribbed wood, and a deep stone sink. The washing machine was a Hotpoint Empress, which was dragged out of the bathroom on Mondays. [which was off the kitchen]. It was filled with hot water from the copper, and the same water did the week's wash, light's first getting darker as the loads went in. The water looked like gravy by the end of the day! It took all day to boil up the whites, wash the washing, rinse in the sink, mangle the water out, peg it all out. God help us if it was a wet day, washing was everywhere in the house. The scullery also had a pantry, to the left was a window and shelves, to the right a meat safe and shelves. Of course everything was bought or delivered daily, which was good as we didnt' have a fridge.

My mum was still in the same house at her death in '98, and boy, had the area gone down hill by then. Speed bumps all around to slow down the racers, the windows and doors were a jumble of styles and colours, front gardens paved over for the car, and an air of neglect everywhere. My brother likened it to the Bronx! I haven't been up there since, have no desire to really, I like my memories best.

Will write more later.

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And finally 1965/66. I'm not very good at putting names to faces but some of the lads I remember are Steven Smalley, Phillip Broughton, Neil Crosby, David Baird, David Anscombe, Michael Lilley, John B

Hello everyone. I just found this website by accident, and have loved reading everyone's memories of William Crane, Amesbury Circus, Melbourne Rd etc. I was born on Amesbury Circus, Dec '46 next door

Gilberts continued to thrive after High Pavement School moved up to Bestwood in 1955 and Forest Fields Grammar took over the Stanley Rd premises I started at Forest Fields in September 1961 having m

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My memories of Broxtowe Lane ‘Top Shops’ are more limited simply because, due to being further away, we used them less often. I can recall Horsley’s the greengrocer – Mrs Horsley being a friend of my Mother, a bread/cake shop (branch of one of a Nottingham chain – can’t recall the name!) A butcher’s (Gee’s?), a newsagent’s, Wardle’s hardware shop – which was managed for some years by my god-parents Tom & Phyllis Mason; and of course the Co-op/Post Office which is, I understand, still in use as such today.

Broxtowe Lane ‘Bottom Shops’ were more familiar especially, as a 15 year old, I worked weekends and school holidays as "Granville" at the JD Marsden branch. My Marsden connection arose because my Dad was manager at Marsden’s on Woodborough Road until he was killed in a ‘hit and run’ road accident, at the Western Boulevard/Nuthall Road roundabout, whilst cycling home from work in January 1948....he was just 38. The errant motorist who killed him was never found, leaving my Mum in permanent dire straits at a time long before the ‘Welfare State’ stepped in.

Bill Haywood was the fruiterer at the first shop – I went to Crane with his son John.

Then a newsagent (Paget’s??) followed by a butcher, whose name is on my tongue’s tip. Further down was an Aladdin’s Cave of a hardware shop managed/owned? by a wonderful woman named Mrs Priestley....….straight from the pages of a Charles Dickens novel, a lovely person who was so kind to all she encountered.

Then the aforementioned Marsden’s branch was perhaps the last shop in the upper section.

Below the long wall, and the railway bridge [pictured below] came Broadhead the cobbler; another Dickensian character aged in his late 70’s, Dave Morfitt’s hairdressers, the chemists where you could buy cyanide over the counter without, as is the case today, having a ‘master class’ from the pharmacist on how to use it. The accepted situation in those days, before the advent of the ‘do-gooder,’ was that the onus was on the buyer for the buying; not the seller for the selling!

Vaguely recall another bread/cake shop and finally on to the inevitable Post Office – into which my PO Savings Book No 156 [which I still possess, somewhere!] made regular visits.

Your reference to the busy wood yard over the road reminds me of their non-stop steam driven crane which chugged away throughout the day.

Cheers

Robt P.

‘Lower Bottom Shops’ pictured from 'Upper Bottom Shops', April 1973 @ Reg Baker.

Note the rail bridge still in situ and the wood yard steam crane jib on the right.

The lengthy Welstead Avenue curves away, mid right.

Long demolished Mill Street/Percy Street flats on the horizon.

post-27-1151712927_thumb.jpg

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This makes fascinating reading. Did you live in my house Katyjay? it all sounds very familiar. Even living in The Meadows I can relate to all of that. I had an incident when I was a small girl,we had a big black fire grate like the one you refer to in your last post & we too used to toast the bread on the end of a fork,do you remember the little bits of bread that were always left on the prongs?? anyway not only did we have toast, but mum took the shelves out of the oven when they were hot ,wrapped them in sheets & put them in our bed for warmth,how dangerous was that ? & today people complain about electric blankets being dangerous!! This particular day I was wearing a new black dress mum had made herself for me [by hand I might say we didn't have a sewing machine] & I must have stood too close to the kettle which was always boiling on the fire & it get caught in the beads on the back of my dress,pulled the kettle of boiling water all down my back,mum had to cover me in a blanket & rush up stairs[ we had a 3 storey house] run up the alley way to the back of the doctors on Arkwright st & get it treated,no A & E in those days ,the doctor fixed me up & treated the scalding every day, no scar!! The doctors name was Dr Frears,how many of you remember him? he was a nice man & related to the Frears biscuit family[he did'nt give me any of his custard creams mind!] I didn't mind going to the doctors surgery they had double doors & I was fascinated by the mystery beyond them,yeah yeah I know small things amuse small minds :blink:

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We lived across the road from the number 22 bus terminus. As a little kid I used to visit the bus conductors/drivers when they were parked for a while. I knew several of them well. One man and wife were a team, her name was Hazel Nutt, I'll never forget that name, he drove the bus, she was the conductoress. Had lipstick in a cupid's bow, bigger than her lips........

I recall once travelling into town, when the infamous Hazel (four foot nothing, red hair and several tubes of lipstick) physically threw a largish middle aged man [unassisted, of course] off a 22 at Bobbers Mill, because he had been using bad language in front of some travelling children. The poor bloke landed face-down on the pavement, but had the good sense not to attempt a reboard....round of applause from the passengers!

Do you remember the notorious NCT Inspector Ernest Smith?

Woe betide the crew of any late-running Bulwell-Bilborough 55 if they passed his house on Bell's Lane and he was sat (off duty!) in his front garden deckchair.

Back on the Circus:

How about Salt the greengrocer with his horse and cart?; he had a shop besides Bulwell Fire Station on Cinderhill Road. His only dialogue was "Ge o'er!" directed at the ancient horse which was forever scratching the road with a raised front hoof. Regular races between womenfolk to collect the coveted manure....

The Nuthall butcher too (his shop was opposite the Three Ponds) who came around twice weekly in his ex WWII American Chevvy van. His name escapes me but, in modern day parlance, he was rather 'camp'

Your references yesterday to privets, toasting forks, tank room, 'Corpo' green, stretchy wire, 'bogey hole', mangle, copper (you omitted 'ponch'!).....coal-hole and scullery caused me to awake this morning convinced that it was still 1957 outside - then I opened the curtains.......

Cheers

Robt P.

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Rob, you didn't use the ponch in the copper, that was a copper stick. The ponch was part and parcel of the dolly tub regime. Like cold meat and chips on Monday which was washday.

Tuesday was ironing, if it raines on Monday the fire was stoaked up and the clothes dried around the fire. The house smelt of Persil and everywhere was slightly damp.

Wednesday was bedrooms and bathroom and kitchen day. Polishing the lino around the carpets but never underneath.

Thursday was hall stairs and landing and then into the lounge (front parlour or room depending on where you lived).

Friday was shopping for the food that was the staple food of the day, this was done at Farrands accross the road from us. Horsleys on Aspley Lane provided the veg and wet fish. Selbys the joint and Bartles the sweets if you were lucky enough to have any pocket money from the week.

Flying saucers full of kayli(?) Chockstix, butter toffee with chocolate running through the middle, Mars bars that now seem like house bricks compared to the matchboxes on the dhelves today. What about pineapple chunks and cherry lips.

This seems like a re-run of a former posting when we found a site that sold all the old-fashioned sweets, BIP will know which one 'cause it cost both him and me a bomb in sweets and a new wardrobe to fit the fuller figure.

Those were the days...

A !englandflag!

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Wow Caz, that must have been excrutiating, boiling water fown your back. I know what a slight burn or scald feels like. You were very lucky not to have scarring. I'm sure if that had happened to me, my mum would have slathered butter all over me, it was the answer to everything! Not so nowadays.

Tut, you were right with the copper stick, I'd forgotton about that. That was wood, so were the props for the washing lines. I used to put 2 props up against next doors hedge in the back garden, throw a sheet over and viola, a tent to play in.

Robt, thanks for showing the photo of Broxtowe Lane. I had forgotten about the fence that ran down the left side. In my minds eye, I can see 3 rows of shops, with stone walls running in between, and no gaps. What was behind that fence, do you remember?

Had to laugh about Hazel Nutt throwing the man off the bus. She was feisty, and you didn't cross her. She was different in that she wore trousers with her jacket, most women on the buses wore a skirt below the knee. Trousers on women in the 50's was very unusual. I bet when she popped her clogs, the makeup people laid off one of the lipstick workers!

I now remember the name of the woodyard, Bramley's. Everything comes to me eventually if I can wait long enough! You could walk up a path between the woodyard and Napoleon Sq up to Wendover Drive on the Aspley est.

Top shops: I remember it was Gee's butchers now you say, but wasn't the cooked meat shop another name? Wasn't the Co-op, Farrands, before being a Co-op? I would take my mum's list in there, and you'd tell them one thing at a time, and they went hither and thither fetching stuff. They must have walked miles in a day. I remembered the name Horsleys once you said it.

Bottom shops. I always thought the grocers at the very bottom of Broxtowe Lane was Marsdens, but you say it was the top shop in the 3rd section? Sorry to hear how your dad died, what a shock. A lot of folks cycled to and from work in those days, usually because the work wasn't on a bus route, or took several buses.

I remember the post office next to the grocers, it was in the front of a house if I remember rightly, that stood alone. Then it was a shop I can't remember, then the chemists. My mum had a regular prescription every month, and I would have to go and wait in the doctors surgery in Lime Tree Ave, to renew her prescription. No receptionist in those days, you counted how many were in front of you, then counted them in to see the doctor, then it was your turn. I'd then go and get the tablets from the chemist. Once he didnt' have the tablets and told me to go to Stansby on Nuthall Rd. I only had the penny return fare, so had to walk to Stansbys, then I could bus it home. I'm sure they wouldnt' give prescriptions or tablets to kids nowadays. Patricks the mens hairdressers was up some steps at the side of the railway bridge.

Did you ever go along Percy Street? There was a shop there on the left, tiny little place, sold everything under the sun. You reminded me of this when you mentioned the Alladins cave of a shop on Broxtowe Lane. This shop had stuff piled on the counters right up to the ceiling, and piled all over the floor in front of the counters. Heaven knows how they found anything.

You mentioned a man named Salt who had a fruit and veg horse and cart. Was this Hector, or should I say 'ector and 'is 'oss. We didnt' buy from him but a neighbour across the road did, and she'd always give Hector a cup of tea, so on with the nose bag on the horse to keep it entertained while he was gone. The horse was known to take off every now and again, most likely through boredom. If you are talking about Hector, he was a very stout men always wore a leather waistcoat, and boots. You're right about all the housewives covetting the horse manure, and running out with a bucket and shovel. It either went on roses or rhubarb, the latter I prefer custard on, myself.

Other tradesmen on the Circus were Tom Bridges, he drove a green open sided lorry and sold fruit, veg and dry goods. Later a converted red single decker bus came round as a mobile supermarket. Buxton's had this. There was of course the Co-op milkman, a bread van, dry cleaner van, Davenports beer, Redgate and Redfearns pop, ice cream vans, rag and bone man, Taylor's butcher van, the odd knife sharpener, insurance men, men who collected your never-never payments for the Co-op and Raughton's on Derby rd [both kitted me out] the paper lad, it was never ending. You really didn't have to go to the shops for much at all if you didn't want to.

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Rob, you didn't use the ponch in the copper, that was a copper stick.  The ponch was part and parcel of the dolly tub regime.............

Ann: In a discussion with 5 sophisticated ladies, I'm clearly at some disadvantage when commenting on 50's household techniques.....couldn't really recall the exact function of the ponch, but remember that every household had one!

Can I add Nib-its, Liquorice Sticks and Jubblies to your confectionery list?

Katyjay: Salt and Hector were one of the same, I'd forgotten his Christian name until your prompt.

Had also overlooked the sheer number of travelling tradesmen that came onto the Circus. Our next door neighbour, Jack Taylor, did Redgate’s deliveries throughout the Council estates and, being something of a 'ladies man', devised various methods of being paid for his Dandelion & Burdock....

Didn’t mean to infer that that there were 3 ‘Bottom Shop’ sections. Surely there were only 2…one above, and one below the railway bridge. JD Marsden’s was the last shop in the top section. . The Post Office was indeed a house, but was beyond the 2nd (lower) section, then – after another gap - came grocers Shentall’s?? ….then finally the large newsagents at the junction….. Or has dementia kicked in again?

Between the 2 sections was the fence, behind which were a couple of houses. IIRC, a small housing development was eventually built opposite Welstead Avenue, but at a much later date….Biant Grove?

Across the road, the high wall ran from Welstead Avenue to the path you refer to beyond Bramley’s wood yard. These features, except the small housing development, appear in the posted picture.

If I'm travelling that way in the near future I'll get some pics of the shops 2006 style.

Whilst the names will have have changed, the basic structures should still be in place.

Be warned, my camera work is a family joke....the 2 grandaughters consider my efforts hilarious.....

Cheers

Robt P.

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I remember Nibbits, they were the forerunner of chipsticks only twice as wide. Jubblies were the things that should be drunk, if you froze them you could lick them all day, of course this could only happen if you had the luxury of a fridge.

Did any of you go to the street party on the lane for the Coronation? It was to be held in the street but, as was usual, the weather stopped the celebrations and we had to move to the Salvation Army Hall.

Ann B)

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Did any of you go to the street party on the lane for the Coronation?  It was to be held in the street but, as was usual, the weather stopped the celebrations and we had to move to the Salvation Army Hall.

Can't recall an Amesbury Circus Coronation party, certainly not in our cul-de-sac.

But have some old sepia photo's of a VJ street party in 1946......I appear in one picture looking like urchin Archie, from the Giles cartoon.

The VJ party was apparently especially poignant as Eric Varney Sr, from the cul-de-sac, had died at the hands of the Japs on the Burma-Siam railway.

Was dragged down to Aspley Lane to see the Queen drive by in the early 50's.

Had my 8 year old perception then realised what a dysfunctional inbred mob they all are, I'd have gone down Fowlers Pond instead.

The earlier generations of Council estate folk were extremely Royalist.

Cheers

Robt P.

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Aagh yes I remember that well, being at an advantage living on the Lane. I hung out the bedroom window and waved my pom-pom like mad. I agree on your view of the Royals, this has been proven over the years.

I remember the queen being driven down Aspley Lane and waving like she had a bad smell under her nose she wished to be rid of. At the time I suppose I didn't think that but times have changed.

The street party was definitely the Coronation because I remember my mum making a crown from jelly and bits of cardboard with cream and glace cherries and Angelica. The first purple jelly didn't set, it was put outside with a plate over the top where it was cool. It was touch and go whether it would be ready in time but a neighbour put it in her 'fridge and it was fine. Then the next snag was no one wanted to eat it as it was too good to pull to bits.

Those were the days...

Ann

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I thought I'd recall a few memories of my years at Crane School. I started there Dec '51 the day after my 5th birthday. I sat next to Sheila Cook, who lived round Amesbury Circus from me, and already an old friend. She was exactly a week older than me, so a week ahead of me at school. I think my first teacher was either Miss Ward, or Miss Maltby, either way, one was my first, the other my 2nd yr. Miss Stoker was another teacher there, not very nice either, she really slapped my legs once because I'd dropped a pencil when she wanted silence. Hope she got her come-uppance later in life! I remember parties there, mum taking trifle, everyone bringing a plate, knife fork and spoon with your name written on plaster on the utensils. Once we did the Pied Piper of Hamlin, I was a rat with a brown paper bag on my head. I think Miss Yardley was headmistress. I remember the coronation in '53, we all had photos taken, and all sat on the ground inthe playground for a display of some kind.

I don't remember much of the juniors, Miss Starling was head, and the only teachers I really remember are Miss Baines and Miss Ellis. I remember playground games more than anything, and playing on the top playground up some steps. I had my first school trip in the 4th yr here, we went to Birmingham to see a dancing display in a huge theatre/hall. I remember more than anything, passing the kilns of the potteries along the way.

Seniors I remember more of. It must have been Sept '58 I moved up to here. Miss Hilditch was head, Miss Cantrell was deputy head, and also taught science and maths. My first year I had Mrs McGowan in an annexe classroom by the clinic. She also taught needlework. 2nd yr I had Miss Spencer, who also taught English, handwriting, spelling etc. She taught us the Marian Richardson style of writing, and would put us in for handwriting competitions. 3rd yr was Mrs Portwood, also a history teacher. I had her for my 4th yr too, which only lasted one term, as I left the Dec I turned 15. Other teachers were Miss Bilton, Miss Bodkin and Mrs Pavier, all taught PE/Games. Miss Bilton also taught art. Mrs Nannery taught Geography, Mrs Evans taught music appreciation. We listened to old 78's of classical music on a record player and learned all about the composers. Miss Flint taught choir, which we had in the canteen. Mrs Henstock taught domestic science in the hauser hut. Miss Smedley played piano every morning at assembly and for Miss Flint's choir classes. Mrs Ridler taught French and RE, she was the wife of the vicar of St Margarets on Aspley Lane. We went there for any special services. Also we traipsed down to the tennis courts on Aspley Lane in the summer. Swimming was at Noel Street baths by bus [Nole 'Ole] We used the big field in the middle of the schools for hockey, rounders and track and field, we had a netball court on the playground, a gym where we pulled the equipment out of the walls [assembly was in there too] and the canteen. I loved school dinners, it cost a shilling a day and we had plenty to eat. No chips, or fancy stuff of nowadays, just plain, filling meat and 2 veg, and a rib sticker of a pudding afterwards.

I remember going to school one Monday morning in November, around 1959/60 to be told Miss Cantrell had died suddenly over the weekend. We were stunned. At that age you don't come up against death much.

I hated leaving school, especially as most of my friends were there until the following Easter and Summer. But that's life. They really were the best years of our lives, but we didnt' know it at the time.

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Does anyone remember a teacher by the name of Miss Barnes? She had a distinctive hair style. her hair was plaited and then rolled around her ears in spirals. fascinating as kids..

A lips0

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Ie was definitely the Junior school. She was there for years as my Uncle remembers her and he is now 85. I do believe she taught at a Radford school because my husband can remember her as well and he went to Radford Boulevard.

I spoke to my sister about Miss Hilditch, she said they always called her quack feet as she walked at ten to two. June also remembered the maths teacher as Miss Mantfield or something like that. June is 5 years your senior so you would not have been there when she was.

A lips0

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I remember the name Miss Mantfield, but I think it was because she was spoken of, and wasn't there by the time I went 'up' in Sept 58. If she was still there, I never had her in any of my lessons. I guess there were other teachers there that I never came across, there were a lot of girls there and those few teachers I mentioned couldn't have taken them all for lessons. There were 4 streams in each year. Towards my latter time there a man joined the staff. I can remember the whispers that went round when we heard about him coming. With all female teachers and all girl pupils, he was definitely outnumbered. His name was Mr Lemon and he taught shorthand and typing.

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Rob, did you know my cousin? He lived at no. 143, born 1942, his name is Malcolm Lowe-Guest, or he could have gone by just Guest? Also I gather you lived in the little cul-de-sac near to Dulverton Vale, there was a girl in my class in the infants who lived in there, Janet Reeves, had long pigtails. Her family are not on the 1958 voting register we have for the street, so must have left by then. Just wondering.

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Yes indeed.....knew them both!

Our already 'small world' becomes yet smaller....

Malcolm (just known as 'Guest') was a close pal, in and out of school.

Regular companion on the trek up Bell's Lane and down Rosslyn Drive, to and from Crane.

Another pal near to Malcolm's house was Graham Braddock (he lived at the top of Tilbury Rise) who went on to establish a highly successful household blinds company that was based in Bulwell.

I knew all the Reeves family too, as they lived but a few houses down (211/213?) at the bottom of the cul-de-sac.

I remember Janet, who also had an elder sister named Shirley???

Elder brother too....Brian???

Dad was a Master Painter & Decorator, who was periodically interviewed by the Evening Post - giving decorating tips etc...

Can't recall much of Mum...except that she was rather plump!

Also remember that they were the first of the 1933 pioneer families to leave the cul-de-sac, for Nuthall? (possibly due to Dad's lucrative business). Hence their absence fom the '58 Electoral Roll....

As a test of my dwindling memory cells, do compare this list against your '58 Roll:

197:MacDonald/ 199:Murcott/ 201:Haskard?/ 203:Hufton/ 205:Kirk/ 207:?/ 209:Varney/ 211:Henson/ 213:ex Reeves/ 215:Parr/ 217:Orton??? (anguish)/ 219:Waller/ 221:Taylor/ 223:Pollard/ 225:Halford/ 227:Morley/ 229:Childs/ 231:?/ and 233:Ward.

Fred Halford became the last of the 1933 cul-de-sac pioneers to go when, after almost 70 years living at 225, he very sadly took his own life through desperate loneliness.

Cheers

Robt P.

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Hi Rob, well, as you say, small world. Malcolm is the last of his family to survive. He lives in Lincoln. He lost his mum last December, she was 94 1/2, she was my dad's only sister. Malc's dad died in a pit accident in 1951 at Babbington Colliery. That left his mum with 15, 9 and 3 yr old boys. She remarried in '54 to Steve Clarke, who had a paint and paper shop on Vernon Rd nr the crossings. This shop was enormous as he kept buying the next one along and the next. Malc's eldest brother Brian died in his early 60's and Ronnie the youngest died at 50, so like I said, just Malc left.

Regarding the 1958 electoral roll. You were pretty close with the names. 197 James and Ellen McDonald, 199 Arthur, Ivy, Ronald & Brian Murcott, 201 Sam & Margaret Epworth, 203 Samuel & Louisa Hufton, 205 Leonard & Nellie Kirk, 207 Ethel Rushton, 209 Ernest & Lily Varney, 211 Kenneth & Nora Henson, [also Brian Reeve living here] 213 Arthur & Annie Hemmings, 215 Arthur, Leonora & Malcolm Parr, 217 George & Gladys Houlton, 219 Albert & Hilda Waller, also Jean and George Taylor, 221 William, Ernest & John Taylor, 223 Doris Pollard, 225 Frederick & Gladys Halford, 227 Ruby & George Morley, 229 Frederick & Ada Child, 231 Arthur & Cissie Davis, also Alan Watson. My list ends there, at the bottom of a page. I guess 233 was on another sheet. Not counting this house, I have every house on Amesbury Circus, Wareham Close and part of Ainsdale Cres. They list everyone over the age of 21 in the household.

I can't see a Braddock on the list, they must have moved by 58. My dad had a cousin at no 165 which was not much beforeTilbury Rise. They had no kids though so you might now know them. They had a sign on their house that said Stirrup Pump, left over from the the war. I thought it was the name of their house.

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Following your reminder I do recall your Uncle's death at the pit.

As an aside - some 8 years later I was working at NCB Bestwood HQ Records Office and recall (without permission) reading their confidential Guest accident report.....didn't it occur just before Xmas?

The report was couched in the 'them and us' phraseology of the time.....the worker known dismissively by his surname only and every avenue to exclude the NCB from any any blame was vigourously explored.

Confimation that Graham Braddock actually lived on Tilbury Rise, but only yards from the Amesbury Circus Junction. He had plodded the streets of Nottingham for many years selling his blinds door-to-door until, eventually, the business thrived at wholesale/retail level.

You may have known the Twigger family who lived, opposite the Braddock's, at the '77' sited at the junction of Tilbury/Amesbury. Their younger daughter Jane would be same age as yourself....she went on to Manning School from Crane, and worked at Nat West Hucknall branch.

Were your relatives at 165 named Palmer?

Cheers

Robt P.

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Rob, as far as I know, Uncle Sid died in the August of 51. You know how you hear bits and pieces as a kid, but don't know what they're talking about really. I caught snippets of his death, and as far as I remember, a load of coal was tipped out of a lorry and he was standing where it was tipped. I should think if that was true, the driver couldn't see him. I don't know.

My dad's cousin at 165 was Sidney and Ivy Crompton. They never had kids, but Ivy's unmarried sister Fannie used to visit. She was a tiny thing, always in a Salvation Army uniform complete with bowler hat. She lived in March, Cambs. She would come round to our house for a cuppa, bring out her knitting which was always those striped, ridged tea cosies, and sing Sally Army songs as she knitted.

I've looked at my list and can see no Palmer's in that area.

I don't remember a Jane Twigger, she may have been my age but she was never in my class at school. There were 4 classes for each year, so quite a few girls I never got to know.

I used to envy folks who lived in a '77' house, they always looked so different. They were usually on a corner, but we had a pair of them across from us, opposite the nursery. Michael and Patrick Roper lived there. Michael may have been your age or thereabouts. Sunshine houses were another that was different to the norm. We had a few of those up from us, the Lyons family lived in the middle of one, they had 7 kids, so I'm guessing they were perhaps 4 bedrooms? 6 girls and only one boy Vic. He may have been about your age too.

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Perhaps I'm confusing your Uncle's accident with the death of another Amesbury Circus collier.

The one I recall occured at the coal face and happened, IIRC, on a Xmas Eve.

Notts coalfield deaths were an almost daily event...

A most gruesome death at Babbington involved a surface railway shunter who, whilst marshalling a train for Newcastle Wharf, managed to get his head between two colliding buffers.

Went to Crane with Vic Lyons....but didn't see him out of school.

Had I have known of his 6 sisters my friendship with him would have been much more cultivated hearteyes

Cheers

Robt P.

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Rob, I'm sure Vic would have gladly passed on a sister or 2 for you. He was definitely outnumbered in that household. How sad about Mr Halford.

Angi, you said your husband was born on Amesbury Circus, what number?

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  • 4 weeks later...

We used to go over the railway line on Melbourne Park, I think we called it Piggies Way, it came out on Nutthall Road, some where near the cycle shop.  Or opposite the Newcastle pub. Long time ago...

A

I had an email from a chiildhood friend/neighbour yesterday.

She has read this thread and reminds me that the Nuthall Road bike shop (previously referred to in here by Ann, Caz and Katyjay) was Harris's.

Their daughter, Marion Harris, became one of her best friends......

She also informs me that this same Marion became Marion Bates, so cruelly murdered in her Arnold jewellery shop, within recent memory.

Cheers

Robt P.

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Long demolished Mill Street/Percy Street flats on the horizon.

I've got some great pictures of the flats during demolition but they are on Cibachrome (slides) so I don't know how to post them.

Looks like I went to William Crane after you lot !tanning!

I was 1963 to 1967, leaving before taking the GCSE's as we needed the money.

I recall the lad on Sherbourne that lived next to the Co-OP but can't for the life of me remember his name.

Went out with a gal on Allendale - Wendy Peach, and others from around the area. Had a few illicit beers in the Offey at the Beacon and the Cocked hat (now flats/houses)

Teachers at the Boys school from memory were:

Henderson - Headmaster

Dryden - Maths

Potter - History

Jackson - Dep Head & English

Johnson - English

I'll have to get my old school report out to see who signed it

The wife's aunt used to live on Melbourne at no.55 (Walter & Edith Jones) kids were Dennis, Nigel, Geoffrey, Alan, Christine & Valerie

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  • 1 month later...

Hey Frank!

Christine Jones is my de facto sister in law!!!! She has just left Australia to visit all her rellies for a month. I have previously posted & asked if anyone knew her, how wonderful! I met her brother Dennis & his wife for the 1st time last year & have met a few of her other rellies Val being one of them. As far as I know the rest are all well & still living in Nottm & surrounding areas. What's your wife's name Frank, I will let Chris know when she returns,she will be rapt.

Guess what we are sort of related ...........LOL

Caz

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  • Cliff Ton changed the title to Did you go to Peveril ?

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