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So what do they do, open up the totally naff plastic 'World of Robin Hood' under some crap modern tower block, nice one, I bet that got everyone going, I've never wanted to insult my kids by taking them there.

Sorry Firbeck but if you aint been in there , then surely you aint qualified to slag it off !! (Sorry if I'm misunderstanding your statement)

I took SWMBO in there a couple of years ago and even she (Who is not the biggest participator in the world ) joined in , it took a bit of persuasion mind , but we managed to get her dressed in period armour having a mock battle with Sir whatever in charge of the armourments section. It turned out to be very informative.

Yes the volume in the cars could have done with being louder and clearer, and one or two staff could loose that chip on their shoulders, but on the whole it passed an exceedingly wet boring afternoon in Nott'm

There was a (Pi** poor) attempt to open a Robin Hood themed restaurant ,near the Castle, in the late 80's . I tried it once, and now that was Naff !!!

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Nearly, you walked past Dunn & Co and turned left into Board Marsh. where we met in the cafe every morning for the worst cup of stewed tea in the world before walking up Drury hill steps to Weekda

The Towers pub was on the way into Broad Marsh. Now that was rough! A place for picking up ladies of ill repute I believe.

Sorry Firbeck but if you aint been in there , then surely you aint qualified to slag it off !! (Sorry if I'm misunderstanding your statement)

I took SWMBO in there a couple of years ago and even she (Who is not the biggest participator in the world ) joined in , it took a bit of persuasion mind , but we managed to get her dressed in period armour having a mock battle with Sir whatever in charge of the armourments section. It turned out to be very informative.

Yes the volume in the cars could have done with being louder and clearer, and one or two staff could loose that chip on their shoulders, but on the whole it passed an exceedingly wet boring afternoon in Nott'm

There was a (Pi** poor) attempt to open a Robin Hood themed restaurant ,near the Castle, in the late 80's . I tried it once, and now that was Naff !!!

What a wierd reply, I've read some of your comments before, I fail to see what you are talking about, again.

OK, I haven't been there, so what, how encouraging is it to want to enter some modern fronted monstrosity, it's a bloody joke.

Like it or not, Notty is all about Robin Hood, a legend, but true in peoples eyes and the city has more real history than that, I happen to know that if the powers that be pulled their so called strapped fingers out of their backsides, they could excavate key areas of Nottingham Castle and turn it into a medieaval paradise, it has REAL history in the form of the history of this country, lets talk about Mortimer and the Wars of the Roses, Cromwell and Fairfax and their destruction of the castle, what an opportunity, but they won't put any money into it, it's pathetic, a completely wasted money making opportunity, but they know best, I don't live up there anymore, I have enough to cope with what the local authorities make a joke of situations in good old Essex, it's the same old story, wherever you live, our historic past is sacrificied on the table of funding one legged lesbian pregnant Sudanese illegal immigrants who want to kill us, it's very sad for old gits like us to have to cope with this at the expense of funding our unique history that somehow, the powers that be don't think that those people claiming benefits are interested in.

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I for one found it very ineresting in there, and I suppose most of the tourists who visit it find the same. Lets leave it at that.

You have to remember that we grew up with the legend of Robin Hood drilled into us from an early age, tourists only have some of Notts history in them and therefore are really only interested in the bits they know of . Thats how the tourist industry works , unfortunately,

And yes I do agree with you that more should be done to promote and exploit the "Civil War " / Mortimer/ Wars of the Roses, etc, connections ; but, as you have stated yourself, Notty is all about Robin Hood ,so why would any tourist from outside the city be interested in any of that??

The powers that be did start some excavation work at the Castle some years ago (I have no idea how far on it went and even if it got finished , because unfortunately I haven't had chance to get up there for a good few years.) We did decide if we were to get over for Goose fair this year that we would visit the Castle this time . We did Sherwood forest last proper visit , and even that could do with more work on the tourist side, they tried for a big lottery grant but it fell through

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When I was a kid I visited a model village ...can't remember where...but it was brilliant.

If they rebuilt the castle as it was..and I think we know about 80% what it looked like... it would still be a modern copy, and cost millions.

But I've always thought on one of those castle lawns, a sizeable model of the original castle could be built. I personally think it could be a great attraction.

Paul.

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I for one found it very ineresting in there, and I suppose most of the tourists who visit it find the same. Lets leave it at that.

You have to remember that we grew up with the legend of Robin Hood drilled into us from an early age, tourists only have some of Notts history in them and therefore are really only interested in the bits they know of . Thats how the tourist industry works , unfortunately,

And yes I do agree with you that more should be done to promote and exploit the "Civil War " / Mortimer/ Wars of the Roses, etc, connections ; but, as you have stated yourself, Notty is all about Robin Hood ,so why would any tourist from outside the city be interested in any of that??

The powers that be did start some excavation work at the Castle some years ago (I have no idea how far on it went and even if it got finished , because unfortunately I haven't had chance to get up there for a good few years.) We did decide if we were to get over for Goose fair this year that we would visit the Castle this time . We did Sherwood forest last proper visit , and even that could do with more work on the tourist side, they tried for a big lottery grant but it fell through

The National Lottery grant proposal suggested a massive artificial tree towering over the remnants of the forest, what a joke, imagine what that would have looked like, thank God someone had a bit of sense not to throw money at such a ridiculous scheme.

I used to play in there when I was a kid in the 50's, it was a magical place, can it not be left as that and not be tweaked to suit the bloody tourists, I'm sure anyway, that they would prefer to wander down those lovely shady glades without having Disney rubbish thrown in their faces, why can't things be left as they are. Ok a bit more information, we have lovely woodlands down here administered by the RSPB, apart from a non eventful wooden hut and a bit of relevant info, everyone is left with their own devices to take it all in, it works a treat, thats how it should be, Sherwood Forest or otherwise.

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I agree...I'd forgotten about that stupid tree idea....for Gods sake.

There's a large wood not far from me that was out of bounds for years because it was Government land with warning notices everywhere.

I used to sneak in and it was like going back 50 years..totally left to nature.Foxes,badgers,woodpeckers galore.Bluebells and wild lilies in spring,and not a walkers crisp wrapper or coke tin in sight.They have now deregulated the wood and opened it to the public...car park...seats...gravel paths etc. It's now full of dog muck and rubbish....Pity.

Paul.

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Just a word in praise of Sherwood Forest. I actually love the place.

I took a walk up there yesterday n the afternoon with a pal as I do occasionally and enjoyed it as much as ever. Perhaps our's wasn't the typical visitor's afternoon as upon reaching the car park we went nowhere near the Visitor Centre or facilities but set off to the outskirts of the forest.

Curiously maybe, we didn't even visit the Major Oak but not by plan necessarily. I always enjoy a marvel at the grand old Oak. My point is that there is much to see in Sherwood Forest without having to bother with the slightly ordinary facilities there. Out in the forest there were dozens of different funghi shooting up and a close study of the old oaks is also quite a wonder. As we walked, squirrels were dropping acorns down on the bed of the forest like gunshot!

Perhaps it's not the very best place for birdlife and other wildlife due to the visitors but it's still a wonderful place, particularly in the secluded areas away from the Major Oak and Visitor Centre.

A walk past the attractive cricket pitch and a couple of pints in Edwinstowe too. What a nice (and inexpensive afternoon for any Nottinghamian.

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I agree...I'd forgotten about that stupid tree idea....for Gods sake.

There's a large wood not far from me that was out of bounds for years because it was Government land with warning notices everywhere.

I used to sneak in and it was like going back 50 years..totally left to nature.Foxes,badgers,woodpeckers galore.Bluebells and wild lilies in spring,and not a walkers crisp wrapper or coke tin in sight.They have now deregulated the wood and opened it to the public...car park...seats...gravel paths etc. It's now full of dog muck and rubbish....Pity.

Paul.

I think I know which place you are talking about, would it be Bramcote Hills.

In the 60's the mansion was still there, the top floor was converted to flats for the park workers, the northern wing was abandoned and derelict.

We used to walk up the lane from Balloon Woods to Moor Farm, go along the footpath towards the Hemlock Stone and run through the field into the wood.

As you say, it was a wonderful undisturbed place, we loved it, we could sit for hours and just take it all in, no one was about. I gather that a large fire in the 50's destroyed many of the ancient trees and the folly tower at the top of the hill. At the right time of the year we would build huge dens out of bracken, happy in the knowledge that they would remain undisturbed, and they never were.

Remember the ghostly cast iron gate posts on the Rhodedendron track up from the house, is it still there.

One night, when the house had been finally abandoned, we slipped down the bank, got into the derelict section and into the relatively intact part via the old wine cellars. What a place, the grand staircase by torchlight was something to behold, we did no damage, it was a place of wonderment, I recall going into the grand first floor dining room and witnessing the original curtains still flapping in the breeze. Quite frankly, we suspected that the place would be unceremoniously bulldozed and considered sending it to publisised glory with a match, but we couldn't do that sort of thing, the demise of that lovely house was just another event in the glorious history of Nottingham Council, starting with the disgraceful destruction of Nuthall Temple, one of the greatest Italianate mansions ever built in this country. It's interior remains were supposed to have been stored in the vaults of Nottingham Castle, but I reckon it was a typical council tall story, anyone know any more.

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C'mon, c'mon, where was your secret place then.

I have another, we used to walk along the canal from Wollaton, on arriving at Trowell we used to walk along the road to Cossall, cut across a field into a magic wood on the left hand side. I think we spotted it from the opposite bank of the canal.

We think it was used for possibly open cast mining on a small scale, it was full of cuttings and strange crumbly rock faces, full of the most amazing wild flowers and ferns, in the spring the bluebells were awsome, I reckon it's still there.

Kids were kids, we had our gang, we used to appreciate all sorts of stuff, was that unusual, that we were sensitive to nature and appreciative of things in the landscape, whatever it was. I think we were lucky, we lived in an area of former industrialism yet the untouched countryside was all about us, it was an exciting place to grow up in, looking back we were so lucky, fishing for sticklebacks, wandering through bluebell woods, yet dropping bricks down old mineshafts and sliding down slag heaps on bits of corrugated iron. I try and explain all that to people 'daan saaf', and they haven't got a clue what it was like to be a kid in such circumstances, it's a wierd other planet to them.

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Just back on the subject of The Tales of Robin Hood for a moment, I found this article extremely amusing:

The (in)famous Tales of Robin Hood column

I have to say I found many of his observations accurate from my visit a little while ago. On that occasion I was one of two staff taking a party of special needs children on a visit. One of the moments I remember was when we were talking to a falconer at the front doorway and it was clearly beneath him to be there and chat to us and the children bout his hawk. I'll try and be generous, maybe he was having a bad day but it was my abiding memory of the visit.

I'd heard good things about The Tales of Robin Hood and in spite of it's inauspicious exterior was prepared to enjoy the experience. However I found it mediocre and amateurish at times. We just don't seem to do this stuff well at times in this country. I don't think this attraction is anything like adequate enough in representing the legend of Robin Hood in the city.

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It sounds to me that it has gone seriously down hill since we went (About 1998) on the reccomendation of my mum who had been 5 years earlier. We enjoyed it immensly (Although as I have said there was a problem with the sound even then!!)

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  • 1 year later...

Has anyone got any pics of it, i remember the pie shop on there where it would be a treat on a Saturday to go for our pie and mash. The old cobbled pavements with an up hill climb and u were breathless till u reached the top. We got off the bus at the "fountain" near woolworths ours was the number 40 from meadows and we hopped into wollies and got anything for 6pence. Drury Lane was my favourite spot in Nottm they dont get any better than that nostalgic memories

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A good memory there Ashley, I'd forgotten about the post office on the corner. It was always a regular stop over on the old mans weekly and very regimented shopping trip round the city on a saturday. I remember the inside of it being all ornately timber panelled with a green lino floor, immaculately clean and always smelling strongly of polish, no stupid queuing system with the Stephen Hawkin computerised voice telling you where to go, 'Position four please', my arse.

If it was full, I would get all twitchy because the next visit on the list was to go down Drury Hill and spend 20 minutes or so watching the trains go in and out of Weekday Cross Tunnel.

Can anyone remember the old boy with a small dog that used to sit outside his little terraced house on an old kitchen chair at the bottom of Drury Hill.

Something I've remembered while replying to this. In a shop window down Drury Hill, there was a bottle containing an odd shaped pickled wooden artifact. It was one of those cases of, how did this thing get into the bottle. From memory it was a strange sort of cork screw device that completely filled the bottle. It was always a source of wonder to us, but somehow, the shape was very sinister, inexplicable, but I think when I was very young, such a thing was made of it that I used to get quite frightened of it. Can anyone else remember this and know what happened to it, was it bulldozed or hoicked off as a planners back hander soon to appear on E-bay as part of their pension scheme.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Bl@@dy hell Pete, I can remember that thing, it looked like a miniature totem pole in some sort of liquid as you say, if you walked up Drury hill the shop was on the left, the bottle was in a side window to the right of the door, must have been an antique shop, funnily enough I have seen it since Drury hill was pulled down but can't for the life of me remember where, it was in another antique shop though that I'm sure of and it was in Nottingham maybe up Derby road in one of those shops on the right as you are going up, funny how things come to the front of your mind by just the smallest of memory jog's

Rog

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A good description Rog, a totem pole. My dad was always sending me newspaper cuttings from the NEP and I remember an article about it, I wouldn't be surprised if it was in his scrapbook, I'll look out for it, surely someone else has a memory of this odd thing.

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  • 3 months later...

There you go, a job for our new admin lady, can you change the title of this thread to Drury HILL.

These are some pics from the book I had for Xmas, I see it as a good advert for Douglas Whitworth, the author, he has other titles about Nottingham and if they're as good as this, we should all buy copies.

First of all, Drury Hill as I remember it, without the strange smell of polish, I reckon the wierd thing in the bottle was in the antique shop visible at the top of the picture:

scan0001-4.jpg

The next picture looks to have been taken when the residents were forced to move out prior to it's destruction for the eyesore called the Broad Marsh Centre, had they any sense of history:

scan0002-3.jpg

Finally the sad and uncalled for demolition, I hope the so called City architects responsible for this can sleep at night, though I'm sure they dont give a toss about what they're responsible for:

scan0003-4.jpg

Looking at the pictures in this book at what has been lost, in recent times as well, it makes you despair about the planning system and the morons who call themselves architects, perhaps I should have taken that job offered to me by the council and stayed up there, or would I have been brainwashed to become one of them, unlikely, my attitude over an opening of one of my designs by Mrs Thatcher didn't make me very popular with the powers that be.

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Nice one Pete, Just as I remember Drury Hill, I see in one of the pictures the much discussed Beecroft toy shop and the doorway to the hosiery manufacturers, (had some goodnight snogs in there I can tell you) I must buy these books as you suggest next time I'm in Nottingham

Rog

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I have 2 books by Douglas Whitworth, Nottingham a Century of Change, and Nottinghamshire Memories, both excellent books. Also have Viewing The Lifeless Body by Bernard Heathcote, about a coroner's inquests held in Notts public houses during the 19th century. Memories of Nottingham, More Memories of Nottingham, and Nottingham At War. All except the inquest book, are pictorial and can be bought at the tourist info shop next to the Council House. I'm sure Nottingham books shops have them also.

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  • 1 month later...

Not so lovely in latter years, but that's Nottingham Council for you, seems they had a "anything old get rid of it" policy, and deliberatly ran places down? there were some right slums in alot of places in Nottm but instead of sorting the blackspots out they seemed to flatten whole area's, and replace them with more slums? Basford and Hyson Green flats are obvious examples, I remember some lovely well maintained, "doorstep polished daily" houses in both area's yet all were destroyed, same with st annes, meadows etc? (apologies to anyone now keeping a nice house in those 2 areas, but you know what I mean) Below is an example, in the distance lovely well kept houses, were the same years after this photo was taken, flattened in the name of progress. 2098455553_6ee21e0052.jpg

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