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Helloo, My Names Rochelle (Rochiie) & im new to the forum! :D

I live in Gedling, On the arnold lane side & im pretty interested in the history of local areas, Im only 20 but the area's changed so much since i was a child! (How old did that just make me sound!?) Does anyone remember anything about Gedling? Any stories to share? Would love to hear them!

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Who'd of thought that someone for-filled a dream in Gedling! I remember the disused pit, i live just opposite it & as a kid we all used to go up there & 'explore'.. We found a spooky tunnel which im guessing was an old train tunnel, it freaked me out so much i havent been back since! Arent they meant to be building an estate on there now? Iv always wondered how itd possible as the hill is a hollow shell.. But we shall see!

Thank you again for sharing that story :)

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Welcome Rochie.

As it happens I do have a few memories of Gedling even though I was born and bred in Carlton. I remember watching some of the moon landing footage in the CooP at the bottom of Westdale Lane, (in 1969!) all black and white and grainy.

I well remember the Queens Silver Jubilee celebrations as I was on one of the floats ! It finished at a fate and gala in a little park on Willow Lane near where the railway bridge goes across the road, (Just looked on Google Earth and it's still there !) I remember that especially as I won a fiver (Lot of money in those days , god I sound old!) for thowing footballs , basketball style, through car tyres. Three balls, three tyres , then the red ball through the red tyre to win 5 quid !!

Now what do you remember ?

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I lived on Wollaton Avenue up until about 1980, Its changed quite a bit since then.

The shops for instance, there was Bridgetts paper shop, then I think a hair dressers, a hardware shop, then mace supermarket had 2 units and the chip shop on the end next to the bus terminus.

I'm glad to see the Phoenix pub is still there, I used to knock about with the landlords son when I was a lad, there were a few of us who had Mamod steam engines and we used to play with them in the skittle alley.

I dont miss the view from my bedroom window though, I looked out on Gedling School and the pit and slag heap.

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That's a sad loss, we used to have lunch in there when I was on day release with the NCB much to the displeasure of the lecturers at Arnold and Carlton College... Meant they had to put their lessons on hold all afternoon while we sinners went to the bogs. LOL

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Never had the opportunity of visiting Gedling, AKA The United Nations... Worked at Clifton and finished my apprenticeship at Cotgrave. I went down Bestwood on a visit during my U/G training and did my U/G training at Hucknall number one.

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I went down Gedling Colliery a number of times in the 1960's when I worked at the area laboratory, I remember riding the cable belt there. There was a face called APD's that ran for years must have reached Skegness! It was a difficult pit to get out of mid shift as it wound coal on both shafts in minecars.

I remember being in the managers office with my boss when suddenly his attention was lost, he picked up the phone "why the f****** h** has the b****** wheels stopped", there was a hitch in the coal winding.

The winders were steam in those days with a huge bank of Lancashire boilers to supply the steam. The pit was working the Top Hard and High Hazles seams winding them and preparing them separately, then the Top Hard finished and they concentrated on the High Hazles. It was a good pit.

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  • 1 month later...

Spent some happy days as an apprentice electrician wiring houses on Phoenix Farm estate early 60s.

Was a member of the Sherwood Cycling Club that used to meet next door to the Chesterfield Arms. (very convenient)

Married at dear old Gedling church in 1965. Moved to Basford and eventually to Canada.

Last time I was back there 1997 Arnold lane seemed so much smaller and more congested than I remembered it.

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I remember them.

Didn they used to have races or time trials down through burton joyce/epperstone bypass and mapperly top

with GG as a finishing line?

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Summat like that. It used to be common practice 'mongst us "locals" to treat the 30 limit in the area with a bit of respect cos the "power rangers" used to get up to so much stuff (wheelies, burn-outs etc) that you couldn't fart for traffic cops. Like most things a few plonkers manage to spoil it for the rest, it got so that many of us more "sedate" types gave up.

No different to the 60's if you think about it but I suspect the plod are a darn sight less tolerant these days.

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I used to go regularly on a Monday night, as you say Scriv "Happy Memories" (Although I used to park my Honda 50 in the carpark of the super market over the road ..LOL)

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Certainly did time trials along the Epperstone bypass, Mick. Usually during one evening each week starting and ending just north of the Lowdham roundabout. Club runs on Sundays. Places like Kinoulton, Newark etc.

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I used to go regularly on a Monday night, as you say Scriv "Happy Memories" (Although I used to park my Honda 50 in the carpark of the super market over the road ..LOL)

Ha! Going a bit further back, to 1976 in fact, the bikers used to go to Gedling Miners' Welfare, IIRC on a Sunday night. I used to ride from Thurgarton on my old Garelli Rekord,OK going there up the main A612 but on the way back used to go through Woodborough/Epperstone/Goverton 'cos the lights were so bad I was scared of getting pulled by the plod!

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At the Gedling Miners Welfare back in around 1978/9 do you remember a fight (One of the many) and a lad getting killed after being knocked down by a lad on something like a Garelli or a Gillera

I know the lad responsible very well as I went to junior and senior school with him (Not going to mention his name as he did his penance and that should be that)

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It's http://www.gilera.com/ - Gilera - small Italian motorcycles and scooters - they do very well racing in the small displacement classes!

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'Rolls-Royce' of motorbikes:

The assembled parts once formed the body of a Brough Superior Black Alpine 680, the 'Rolls-Royce of motorbikes' which were the epitome of luxury, elegance and style.

And although these rusting cogs and other parts may not look like much now, their previous history means the collection has been valued at £35,000.

Read more: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1agAgtMVz

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