St Anns in the 60s


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I left St. Anns in 1951 when we moved to the`sticks' (Bilborough).(which in those days was really a good place to live.) I started at Blue Bell Hill School with 2 friends (Johnny Hardy and Pete Coffey

Just like to add a few more comments about St Ann's. The council said that the house's were slum's and was unfit for humans but what is a slum when St Ann's was a people's community. Children we

When you think how many of us spent time dancing at the Locarno in the early 60's, we must have seen each other many times and not known we'd be chatting away to each other on a computer, in our homes

Welcome Dean, I'm sure you'll find some interesting stuff here.

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Welcome to The Forum phunt and dean (sounds like a cinema advertising outfit!) , if you've an interest in old and not so old Nottingham, you'll find loads of stuff to interest and entertain, so have a good browse and join in with your memories.

I lived close to Hedderley Street on Comyn street, but a bit before your time, from 1947 until 1955.

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Just like to add a few more comments about St Ann's.

The council said that the house's were slum's and was unfit for humans but what is a slum when St Ann's was a

people's community.

Children were never left on there own even when mum

went shopping/work/ even to the pub all neighbour's would keep an eye on the children, their never seemed to be any

children in trouble. If mum and dad were at work and the child came home from school (latch st kid) every one would check on them. Each Saturday morning you would see all the ladies out sweeping there front and washing there

front door step. Most of the people were in a pub dart's domino or skittles team so it gave a husband or wife chance to get to the seaside for the weekend kid's made do with a day out at the bridges (Wilford bridge Fairum brook or

iron mongers pond)or if you were good pleasure park. We did not mind where we went we were happy because we were a family. When you had your meter emptied by the gas or electric man if you could not be there you could always count on one of your neighbour's being there just to check he did it right.

As for your five a day most people owned a allotment so all of us had a fresh fruit and veg diet, a lot was given

away to neighbour's and to the church harvest festival. You never did see a fat child.

If any one passed away on the street there was always a collection, for flowers. If a neighbour was sick someone

would always be with them. When it was the Queen's Coronation 30 of us went to a neighbour's because they were the only one's who had a tv. (it's hard to believe that now) I could go on and on this is the community that the council

ruined, they say people create slum's but I'm sure a lot of St Ann's could have been saved if only the council had

thought about it.

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All of it could have been saved. They were very good houses. Ray Gosling and the Council had a cosy deal with Wimpey. My Uncle was in local politics in those days. He openly admitted he made his money through corruption. Nowt new under the sun.

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Very true, off topic but in Basford (old and new) loads of perfectly good houses demolished that didn't need to be, same with Noel Street Hyson Green, totally demolished one side of of street's perfectly good houses to replace them with the abortion of hyson green flats, ditto Archer Street

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My grandma lived on Sycamore Rd brought up 7 children on her own (granddad killed in 1st world war ) My mum went to Sycamore school opposite where they lived. I remember toilet at bottom of yard & tin bath hanging on nail outside back door.What a cosy little house she had .Tiny little scullery ,dolly tub & ponch &massive mangle all in scullery. Big black fire range in living room scrubbed wooden table in centre of room &then to the front room only used at Christmas! She had a big wind up record player & every one sang to Bing &Gracie & Vera. What happy memories of 60 yrs past. Certainly not a slum area .anyone else remember Sycamore rd & possibly Susan Terry (my lovely grandma)

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Hi Dat47,

Your description of your Grandma's home sounds just the same as my Gran's, and i'm sure the same as many more people on Nottstalgia will agree. The houses were very tiny, yet so many brought up big families in them. My grandparents had six girls, making a total of eight in the little two up two down houses. I bet it was hard going ,especially on Bath days. My Grandparents put beds in the attic for two of my aunts. The house was always spic and span when I visited.

You had to walk through the front room ( as you say only used for special occasions) to get to the living room, never a cushion out of place or a speck of dust.

I don't know Sycamore Rd, but I'm sure some one on here will.

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Dat47

My gran lived on Corporation st, at the bottom of either Sycomore or Dame Agnes st, Her house sounded identical to the one you mentioned even down to the wind up gramophone !

Many happy memories on my Saturday morning visits, used to catch the 31 bus from Mapperley tops and get off and walk down to her house, have a cuppa then go shopping down St Annes Well road. Loved all the old junk shops and the hustle and bustle.

Fresh crusty bread and best pork dripping for lunch, then dad would pick me up at tea time to go back home.

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I too remember the race riots in the 50's I was working for Corona soft drinks at the time as driver and the depot was right in the middle of it,ok during the day but night time was a different matter.

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Does anyone remember "Jubilee Pickles" on Thorneywood mount" ? they were there in the 60s i used to deliver to them as a Van Lad at Midland Station,and sold them when working for "Marsdens".

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What happy memories .Weused to catch 31 bus outside the old Victoria railway station. & like banjo we used to walk to St Annes well road to do the shopping then back to grans for yes crusty bread & dripping & cup of tea in a cup & saucer no less! Then hugs &kisses a 3d piece to buy sweets on the way home only to do it all again the next week Wonderful!

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I lived in the St Ann's Well area in the 60s. We lived in Peas Hill Rise, a cul-de-sac (or dead end as we called it then) off of Peas Hill Road, which led up to Robin Hood Chase. At the top of our street was Milfords, manufacturers of printing ink. In 1960 I left Manvers School and got a job as an apprentice at the Evening Post. I used to walk down Cooper Street, passed the alms houses and the Corona bottling plant on the left hand side, cross Alfred Street where there was a bike shop, up Union Road passed the Nottingham Ice Hockey player Chic Zamik's dry cleaning shop at the top, cross over the footbridge over Victoria Railway Station and walk passed the Moulin Rouge cinema, having a quick look at the risque stills of the films they were showing, past the Mechanics Cinema and up past Trinity Church on to Forman Street. The whole walk took only about 15 minutes. They were magical times. I remember Gants the Butcher on Peas Hill Road. He lived on Robin Hood Chase, next to Doctor Gomez, whose surgery was at the to0p of the Chase. Both houses are about the only ones still standing today. I love reading people's memories of this area of Nottingham. I was so sad in 1967 when we had to move out.

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Ay up Dave and welcome hope you enjoy it on here,i only joined in feb.and its got me a bit hooked.

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I remember the race riots in Nottingham too. The story goes that at the bottom of Robin Hood Chase was a pub called the Chase Tavern. It was split in two, one half for the whites and the other for the blacks (remember we are talking 1960 here!). Anyway apparently a drunken white man went into the black part of the pub and started the trouble. Whether this is true or just fantasy don't know. I've never seen so many police in and around St Ann's for the next couple of weeks in all my life.

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Think the real race riots in Nottingham, the ones that made national newspapers were a few years earlier? they started/happened when I was on holiday at Mablethorpe with mam and dad 1956 or earlier as 56 was last year we went there

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On 18/05/2014 at 6:18 PM, Ashley said:

Think the real race riots in Nottingham, the ones that made national newspapers were a few years earlier? they started/happened when I was on holiday at Mablethorpe with mam and dad 1956 or earlier as 56 was last year we went there

I left St. Anns in 1951 when we moved to the`sticks' (Bilborough).(which in those days was really a good place to live.) I started at Blue Bell Hill School with 2 friends (Johnny Hardy and Pete Coffey) (both of whom I heard did time for their part in the 1958 race riots. I was by that time also serving at her Maj`s pleasure only in the RAF). I would certainly have been dragged in except by fortune we were no longer in the area. Pete Coffey was as tough as nails even though small in stature.,as was Johnny H. I believe when Johnny died he had one of the largest funerals Nottingham had seen.

 

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You're right Stan 1958 it was, goes to show I was recalling (wrongly) from memory and not googling it lol, confusion or rather mistake made as my then best mate came with us, had forgotten despite us going to different schools after our 11 plus we remained mates, Can't really say I've noticed this unlimited immigration of eastern europeans, cept for a couple of cracking looking barmaids at my local, an MOT tester and a team of car wash guys, all Poles and and all very nice people, given the choice would sooner have those living next door to me than a great many "English" people I know, so I guess it really is a colour problem for some? That little lad sat on my bike is now 44 as english as anyone and I'm proud he, and my beautiful half sikh grandaughters carry my surname

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Speaking of Sikhs ,Ashley, I visited the Golden Temple for the 1st time last year. Truly amazing! They serve 100,000 meals a day to the poor and destitute.I was asked to stay for a meal,-I must have looked pretty poor to be invited. I have a picture somewhere of me in my compulsory orange turban. A really funny thing happened whilst we were waiting to be admitted to the t

Temple proper this huge Sikh came up and started jabbering to me,I could not understand him---he had the broadest Glasgow accent you ever heard.!

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Come on folks, help me out here.

Round about 1957/58 there was a personal appearance of The Lone Ranger at the Cavendish Cinema between Peas Hill Road and Alfred Street. This was to celebrate the film called "The Lone Ranger and the Lost city of Gold."

Me and my mate Jimmy Redmund went to see him and it was packed. There was no advance booking, you just rolled up. Whether it was the real Lone Ranger or not I'l never know, but I have never heard of anyone who was there that afternoon. Surely someone in Nottingham can recall this.

Because I worked on Saturdays I had a day off in mid week. Because all my mates were at work I used to go to the cinema just about every week. Nottingham was blessed with so many superb picture houses in the 50s and 60s. I loved the Odeon, the ABC and the Elite. Now and again I ventured to the Scala but the "Cavvo" was my local place to go.

Anyone remember the Lone Ranger in Nottingham or have I dreamt it!!

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I would think they got to the bottom of "Donkey Hill" saw the race riots going on" and Tonto said to the "lone ranger" hey Kimusabi lets get outa hear pardner"

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Apparently Clayton Moore did tour England in 1958, so it's possible it really was the Lone Ranger himself:

http://www.oocities.org/televisioncity/7286/interview.html

When we lived on Blue Bell Hill Road our 'town centre' cinema - I should say picture house - was the Mechanics - didn't you go there? How about the New Empress further along St Ann's Well Road?

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