St Anns in the 60s


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Can't recall exact year (early 1960's) or which St Ann's Well Rd Cinema it was (if in fact it was still a cinema?) but me and a mate went to see a wrestling bill there, only bout I remember was top of the bill Farmer Johnny Allen v some big blond "german", Hans or Heinz something or other,bearing in mind this was only 16 or so years after end of WW2 (like 1997/8 now) and St Ann's had suffered in our one night of the blitz with quite a few killed the fact he entered the ring wearing a peaked hat and swastika armband didn't go down well at all with the locals! Nor did his hitler salutes and shouts in "german", A near riot ensued, women trying to hit hit with umbrellas, things thrown into the ring etc, Of course after having 7 bells knocked out of him Farmer John came good in the end and beat the dastardly hun! lol

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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

Thanks Michael, nice to be on here.

I remember so much about the St Ann's area where we lived. My first school was Sycamore on Sycamore Road, not called that anymore, just an extension of Hungerhill Road. I then went to Board School on St Ann's Well Road. That school had two entrances, one for the girls and one for the boys. I finished up at Manvers Secondary on Carlton Road. In the mid 50s that was a brand new school. I used to walk down Robin Hood Chase, catch a number 40 or 47 trolley bus to the bottom of Bath Street, then catch either a 38 or 39 up Carlton Road. If I remember the 39 trolley had the double axle at the back. I reckon the fare was one penny to Bath Street and tuppence to Carlton Road. As I have previously mentioned my local cinema was the Cavendish (still standing but as a cash and carry). Further down St Ann's Well Road was the Empress and the bottom on Bath Street, but for some reason I didn't like that much.

The next street up from us (we lived in Peas Hill Rise) was Edgar Rise. At the top was Gimson and Slater Cabinet Makers and they had warehouse doors that was just about the same width as goalposts so me and my mates were out every night with the football. My mates then were Malcolm Gomez (his dad was the local doctor) and Robert Shaw. On the corner of Edgar Rise was the King Edgar pub (every street had a pub on the corner). There was only two small rooms to this pub and if we spoke with a deep voice and made out we were older we might get half a pint.

My grandma lived in Broadoak Terrace, which was off Broadoak Street. You walked through the terrace and ended up on Dame Agnes Street. As we grew older our favourite pub was the Cathcart pub on Cathcart Street, which was just past St Ann's Church. The shops I remember at the bottom of the Chase were a chip shop on the corner of Pym Street, Hopewells furniture shop and a Dewhurst butchers. There was a block of flats just at the bottom of the Chase but they have recently been pulled down.

I don't think I realised at the time just what a great time it was.

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Do I know you Benjamin1945?

I played football in the Thursday League. I played for Baker and Plumb and Wollaton Thursday. We played against City Police at Carrington, County Police at Edwinstowe, Army Pay Office at Bestwood, Fire Brigade at Wilford Lane, City Transport at Carrington, the Prison on Perry Road (they had a good team but were always moaning because "our star forward is going out next week!) and Forest Colts. When we played the Colts we used the Forest dressing rooms and went to the pitch in the Forest bus and used their baths after the match. They all had superb grounds. We played our home games on the Embankment, the pitch that was nearest to the dressing rooms. I played in goal, in fact its the only position I ever played in. I didn't fancy all that running about.

When I played for Baker and Plumb some of the names were: J. Smith, R. Hawley, G. Brown, B. Riley, D. Cawthorn, R. Lacey, J. Smith, L. Dick, T. Walker, D. Miller, K. Jackson, R. Hardy and G. Merrin.

I know there is a special thread for Thursday League football but I didn't know if anybody still read it now. Sorry for the confusion.

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QUITE possible Den,i played against all them teams you mentioned including Forest colts,i played for Notts Corinthians on the Embankment,left Padstow school in 1960 so i guess we the same age,also must have played you at Manvers.

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den i used to stay on broad oak st a lot when i was young my auntie lived at no 3 or 4 my other aunt lived just down the rd on hungerhill rd next door to the bearoff my grama lived on west minster terrace so i spentquite a lot of time in st anns although we lived in netherfield at the time.

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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, in the future! I know how big computers were in those days, unthinkable to ever have your own.

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I was brought up in St Anns in the 60s. I lived on Alfred st South, my dad had a shop there W Hodson selling furniture & televisions. Opposite was margarets wool shop, mrs Pitts bread shop & Perrins chemist as well as the old Post Office.

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Weren`t the Locarno and the Empress separate buildings, fernilee567?

Yes - the Locarno was a dance hall just around the corner from the bus station. The New Empress was a cinema and was further along St Ann's Well Road. There have been other threads on here about both places.

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Piggy and Babs. I bet we passed each other on Broadoak Street on more than one occasion. I agree with Katyjay. Who'd have thought we would be talking about things we saw and streets we walked up 60 years later on our computers. As regards the Empress at the bottom of Bath street it was opened in 1928, seated 1,500 people and closed in 1960. It was later demolished in about 1988 to make way for a mosque

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QUITE POSSIBLE MY AUNT GLADYS POUNALL LIVED ABOUT THE 4TH HOUSE UP HAD SIX DAUGHTERS THE YOUNGEST WAS BOURN WHEN ALL HER ELDER SISTERS WERE IN THERE TEENS AND TWENTIES JANET WAS ABOUT 3 YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME BUT I OFTEN WENT TO STAY AND KEEP HER COMPANY AND PLAY WITH HER SHE WAS NOT ALLOWWED OUT ON THE ST TO PLAY WITH OTHER KIDS .

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Weren`t the Locarno and the Empress separate buildings, fernilee567?

They were indeed Stan, my late Mum worked as an usherette in the Empress Cinema as she did in the Cavendish, I have no idea why she chopped and changed from the two though..

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We only lived on Alfred Street South for about a year fernilee, and that was in the Lady Bay Dry cleaners shop, where Mum was the Manageress. We must have been next door neighbours as the shop was dead opposite Agars..

Date would have been around 1959/1960ish.

I can't recall Mr Agars first name, but he used to be an electrician at Wollaton Colliery, then when that closed he was transferred to Cotgrave, I know that as he was there when I was transferred to cotgrave after Clifton closed.

I recall his Daughter Jennifer though, I had a crush on her.......

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I LIVED IN ST ANNS IN THE 50/60S- LIVED ON ALFRED ST SOUTH AT A TELEVISION & FURNITURE SHOP.WENT TO VICTORIA PRIMARY SCHOOL- LATER TO PIERREPONT- PLAYED ON VICTORIA PARK & SWAM AT VICTORIA BATHS- SANG WITH THE SALVATION ARMY ON THE OTHER PARK-

DANCED AT HANFORD & RICHARDS THE LOCARNO & PALAIS- WENT TO THE EMPRESS & CAVENDISH ( PICTURES ) LOVED SNEINTON & CENTRAL MARKET- WE HAD ALL OUR CLOTHES FROM '-FORDS' WHEN WE WERE OUT OF 'HAND ME DOWNS' -ALFRED ST WAS COBBLED & HAD TRAFFIC LIGHTS OUTSIDE OUR FRONT DOOR!

THE GOOD OLD DAYS OR WERE THEY?

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Hello Fernilee. I lived on Spalding Rd also went to Pierrepont school when Miss Norman was head Mr Milner geography , Miss Sterland English? Miss Tenyson music Mrs Roe sewing, was that your era? I also went dancing at Hanfords& Richards Palais Jepsons &Colmans. Went swimming at Vic Baths & shopping with mum to Sneinton market. What a lovely shop Fords was,like alladins cave,full ofeverthing. As Michael says good old days never to return. What would the younger generation have to say? I wonder.

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My ex went to Pierrepont.

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