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Summer Sunday Nights at the 'Cocked Hat'

Let's not give the 'Cocked Hat' too bad a name.

Memories of the fifties: summer nights dressed in their Sunday best, mum, dad, grandma, grandad, aunts, uncles, cousins meeting up in the massive back yard of the 'Cocked hat'.

I recall playing 'chasing' and running along the little, brick walls surrounding the rose garden, a bottle of Stones ginger beer and a packet of Smith's crisps - little blue packet of salt within - bought from the kiosk out in the back there.

The back yard was packed with families congregating for a Sunday night special before 'back to the grind' Monday morning: for adults work, for we kids school.

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The PDSA van at the 'Cocked Hat'

During the fifties the 'Cocked Hat' allowed the PDSA van to park on its forecourt - I'm sure it was Tuesday afternoons.

People from roundabouts could take their sick animals to be looked at and cared for at no cost; although there was a PDSA box on view for those wishing to make a contribution.

I recall my mum walking up with Tibby the family cat safely cradled in her arms, so that she could be cared for.

Later, the news that the PDSA van would no longer be parking there was met with much sadness.

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often used to go up to the cockedhat in the summers in the fifties my dads friends bill and violet tatersall lived up there and we would often go for a drink with themand there chilldren in that gardenthey had about 7 or 8 chldren two of whoom were deaf and i was always fasinated by the way they all sighned to each other the kids even sighned to each other when they did not want anybody to know what they were saying

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I'm glad the above comments paint a better picture of the Cocked Hat as it was in the 1950's.

The PDSA van did indeed visit on Tuesday's, us kids would often wait for it to show up in anticipation of seeing all manner of treasured pets treated for ‘free' - can't imagine that nowadays!

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Looks some of you are talking about my former home. My dad was landlord from 1957-1971. I have lots of happy memories there most of them good.Yes we did have the occasional fight(cabaret) including one on my 18th when the club room upstairs was gatecrashed by the Beacon lot!!. Thursday nights were also eventful. Dad had a run with Alvin Lee of the Jaybirds (who later became famous with Ten Years After) who wouldn't stop playing when time was called so dad cut the electric to his guitar. After the groups we had the Thursday night disco with DJ Kevin Hopcroft.

Remember all those names that's been mentioned especially the Renolds and Miller Newman.

Couldn't all be bad as I met my husband there!!.

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I never had a drink there, only have childhood memories of the place. It was a lovely looking pub as I've said before with a nice garden out back for families. The estate I lived on joined on to the Broxtowe Estate, and we always reckoned they were a tougher lot on there, I think mainly because a lot of the slum clearance folks were moved to Broxtowe. I'm not saying the slum areas were bad folks, but when you have been uprooted from a life you've always known and everyone knows every, to be put in a strange place all of a sudden, not knowing anyone, you have to find your feet and maybe some of the youngsters were a bit rough and ready, laying down boundries. That said, I never heard of troubles at the Cocked Hat while I lived at home.

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I agree Kath it didn't really do us any harm growing up on the estate.

I'm sorry I didn't make the meet up when you were over I had the bug that was doing the rounds so will have to try again next time.

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