Sledging down the mile run in Colwick Woods 1955-1962


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Who, during this period and who attended Greenwood secondary or Sneinton boulyvard and of course the ladies school at Sneinton Dale did not go up to the top of the woods during the brief times when snow fell. Sledges in those days where made from old pram frames and other recycled items(thanks to Trickets scrap yard). What about health and safety, we had a wonderful time

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Hi PJR

My husband attended Greenwoo School and Sneinton Boulevard,he had one year in the new Greenwood School and left in 1957,the only thign he remembers Colwick Woods for is the cross country runs he had to do with the then PE teacher a Mr Williams.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 3 months later...

Remember Mr Williams well although he was the PE and games master the best spots coaches were Mike Graham and Phil Barwick who coached the rugby both played for Notts RFC in the 50s/60s Joe Morley coached the swimming

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  • 2 weeks later...

i went to st.bernadettes rc primary school on sneinton dale and lived on barnston rd - my sledging run was through the 'palings' at top of the road which took us onto the 'banks'.

colwick woods was also my playground in them days!

1956 - 59

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  • 1 month later...

I was a 'Boulevard' lad and also remember sledging in the Top field , removing the palings to extend the run down to the railway embankment. A school pal name of Geof Young got the end wrong, hit a tree and was killed, about 1943!

Very nice sister name of Dora, Happy Days

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  • 5 years later...
On August 31, 2011 at 9:00 AM, PJR said:

Who, during this period and who attended Greenwood secondary or Sneinton boulyvard and of course the ladies school at Sneinton Dale did not go up to the top of the woods during the brief times when snow fell. Sledges in those days where made from old pram frames and other recycled items(thanks to Trickets scrap yard). What about health and safety, we had a wonderful time

Albeit a few years past this period, I went to Greenwood and grew up in Colwick and once a group of us in the early 80's decided to go sledging down that run. Brave of me because my Dad would've strangled me if knew I was crossing the train tracks.

We waxed the runners on the sledge with old red candles left over from Christmas and made our way to the top of the run. All 5 of us wouldn't fit on the seat part so one boy stood on the back of the runners and down we went. Well, the weight of us all took us down like a rocket until we hit something, it just looked like a frozen-over mole hill but it was enough to make the sledge stop dead in it's tracks and throw us all airborne. As we all lay winded for a couple of minutes and called out to see if anyone was indeed "broken" we eventually picked ourselves up and went back over the other side of the train tracks, defeated by the hill, never to return!

My Dad still doesn't know about this, maybe I'll tell him now, I'm past the age of being walloped!

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I lived in Colwick 1955-64. Mile Run in Colwick Woods had the reputation of being the next best thing to the Cresta Run! When it snowed in the winter of 62-3, I took a sledge onto Mile Run, and found it utterly tame - sigh!

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  • 3 years later...

We went to Saint Augustines school on Carlton hill, but lived down off Burton Rd. So a long hike to Colwick. We did go once, but slogged to the base of the mile run and time ran out in us.

My go to in the glorious winter 62-63 was a run in Gedling woods. Very fast and icy and lasted 6 weeks. Ctowded on Sundays but sledding went on as the moon rose. 
The old metal or wood with metal runner bases really zipped down.

Does the mile run even exist now?

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Welcome Tony C & Long John  looking forward to your post. Its funny how most boys remember the mile run Colwick looking at the year 62/63 you are talking about I can remember Highfields lake froze over and I took my skates and went down there. My other half lived on Cardale rd and he used to tell me about the Mile Run. He's a few years older than myself so he would have been at work in 62/63. I will try and find out if mile run is still there, mind you another member will probably get back to you before i do.

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