Anybody from Hackenthorpe?

[CollyS124QA]

Anyone from Jermyn Avenue, we lived there until 1990 ish, Collins family

[Sylwoodland]

in the late50s and early 60s there were no shops on birley spa lane only a wooden hut where the bus stop is.it was owned by harry ellam and his wife.when the shops were being built we used to play football infront of them untill one evening PCSpears caught us and because i was the tallest(not oldest) he clipped me round the earhole.when the shops were built ellams moved to where the paper shop is now.it was managed by miles cooper.they also opened a butchers shop.Howards cycle shop moved to where the betting shop is now.where the club was there was a farm with pig;s in the field. the other side of well lane there was also a farm where the flats are.on the other side of the road where the the doctors and chemist is there were barns and behind them there was an orchard which we called paradise.next on was the methordist church which was knocked down about 1963 and moved near plover pub.I played football for the meths in the church boys league(under14).names i remember are Daryl Bower/Paul Else/Masters twins/Dave Watson/Paul wilson(who became the village blacksmith)/Bob Kay and Frank Bonnington who played in glasses[/quote I am sister to the late Frank Bonnington,of spa view drive,I have a photograph of the football team with my brother wearing his glasses,the only name I can remember stood next to Frank is Charlie Mills]

[zakes]

Anybody From Hackenthorpe?

 

Hackenthorpe And Zakes. Part 60? A light hearted view.

 

I lived from the age of 6 at Hackenthorpe, and we moved away when I was almost 12. We moved to the Vic Hallam houses on the newly built Newstead Estate, at lower Birley. I was often told by a pupil at my new school, that the Vic Hallam houses weren’t real houses, but pigeon huts. The pupil eventually ceased reminding me of this after he received a present from me, a black eye. He had times many been warned not to overdo the taunting.

 

Anyrooad, during my time on Hackenthorpe in the early 60’s, I had a jolly good time. There were times of pleasure and of pain, plus times of laughter and of tears. I, like any other child, was expected to learn from my mistakes. Mollycoddling certainly wasn’t considered to be helpful in my development. I was an adventurous unyitten lad, and disliked anybody in authority, but was always good to people I liked. Eat, play, learn and sleep was the name of my game. The humility of people is what I remember best. We all seemed to be in the same boat (and some in yachts), and there was no place for envious jealousies.

 

After some of my pals had passed the 11plus exams, they had suddenly become ‘too good’ to play with us other children. It became a sort of ‘us and them’ situation. It didn’t bother me much though, because we thick ‘uns were in the majority, and the aloof soon to go to Thornbridge Grammar School children, were in the minority. Having not passed the 11plus exam, I was relieved to know I would be booked in at the elite Carter Lodge Secondary School. It was so pleasing to know I would soon to be sporting a very smart dark blue blazer. Whilst sitting the 11plus exam, I had been worried I might pass which would have meant I would have had to wear the phlegm-atic gozz-green blazer of Thornbridge. It was a close call. Phew.

 

It was never my intention (and still isn’t) to be disparaging towards the ‘fairies’ who went to Thornbridge Grammar, but they were just not like us. We used to get our clothes mucky, they didn’t. They were like Madels… They couldn’t kick a football, or climb a leafy tree. They couldn’t scale a tall wall, nor could they lasso a treestump, or a passing Red Setter. Theyw ere useless at catapulting, sledging, throwing arrows and conkering. The list is endless. They will tell you otherwise, but don’t you believe ‘em. Hackenthorpe children should attend hackenthorpe schools. They should not attend schools on other estates. Always be loyal to your estate, it’s ever loyal to you!

 

My first Hackenthorpe school was Rainbow Forge Infants. One of my schoolmates was Peter Newton, who lived on Rainbow Avenue, at no. 113. My second Hackenthorpe school was Birley Spa Juniors. One of my school mates was Stephen Coulson, who lived on Carter Lodge Rise, at no. 2. These were two of several ‘friends’ who seemed to quit the scene on passing the 11plus charade, I seldom saw them again. I presumed they must have become housebound. Perhaps they were playing with their Airfix models, their Meccano sets, or maybe with their Compendium of Games. I suspect though, they were busy helping Mummy baking fairy cakes and puff-pastry.

 

It seemed many youngsters hated to wear school uniforms. They later wanted to work in practical jobs… Firemen, bus drivers, air stewardesses and nurses. Yes, that reight… in jobs where uniforms are worn. Lol.

Meck yer blummin’ minds up. Strewth!

[Downsunder]

A lighthearted response

 

Well, I couldn't let this one pass without a reply, me being one of the 'aloof' an' all. My family moved from Mexborough to Hackenthorpe when I was 5 and we lived there for 13 years. I attended the old Village School near Brook Lane, then Rainbow Forge. I think I was a few years ahead of Zakesy and I doubt our paths ever crossed. I never had the 'pleasure' to meet him but I knew his ilk well (not his ink well, I doubt they had them at Birley).

I have thought long and hard about this 'us and them' situation and whilst you described your post as a 'light hearted view' it nevertheless contained many truisms. Birley School (and probably Carter Lodge) did have a large proportion of thugs, Barnsey, Sharpey, Smalley & Fewkesy to name a few, who proved their manhood by - apart from regularly beating up smaller, defenceless, outnumbered Thornbridge kids - climbing leafy trees, scaling tall walls and lassoing treestumps. They suffer from the Robin Hood Syndrome - the lovable rogue, living in some bloody greenwood wilderness, robbing the rich and believing he's performing a public duty.

On this basis, I can't deny the fact that yes, we are somehow different. Like many families who have one son a bricklayer and another son a brain surgeon. They are different but the same and one is no better than the other.

You went to Carter Lodge and became a literary legend. I went to Thornbridge, emigrated to Australia and took my Meccano set with me.

Cheers Zakesy, keep on entertaining us!!

[yanzui]

Read through this thread a few times. My own links to this thread are that Frank Bonnington was my dad (RIP) . Wouldn't mind seeing that picture of his old football team because i've

Never seen it. SYL please pass a copy on to Joanne when you see her.

 

I'm sure he'd be proud today. His Grandson (13) has just signed schoolboy forms with SWFC. I know we, his parents are.

 

Though it might be a nice contribution to a poignant thread.

 

Even though it is the OWLS. Lol.

[buddysbuddy]

Read through this thread a few times. My own links to this thread are that Frank Bonnington was my dad (RIP) . Wouldn't mind seeing that picture of his old football team because i've

Never seen it. SYL please pass a copy on to Joanne when you see her.

 

I'm sure he'd be proud today. His Grandson (13) has just signed schoolboy forms with SWFC. I know we, his parents are.

 

Though it might be a nice contribution to a poignant thread.

 

Even though it is the OWLS. Lol.

 

hello there, this one got the old memory cells working. did your dad live at 22 spa view drive? I seem to remember a brother derek? and a sister sylvia? I lived across the road in the mid 1950s.

[docmel]

Anyone from Jermyn Avenue, we lived there until 1990 ish, Collins family

 

Sorry Colly- dont know if you will see this as it is so late - Mum and Dad and sisters lived at no 20 for about 35 years upto mum dying in 2009

[yanzui]

Hi Buddy,

 

Yeah he did. SYL who posted above is Sylvia.

[zakes]

Anybody from Hackenthorpe?

 

Hackenthorpe and Zakes Pt. 61.

 

I’ve mentioned Stephen George before in a post. I’d like to elaborate a bit further about him. Belo are 4 anecdotes involving Stephen. A fifth anecdote will follow later.

 

1. Stephen had white blond hair, was left-handed, and was a good sport, who was good at sport. He could also run very fast, because he could run faster then me. Stephen was born on the third day of March 1954, making him some weeks older than me. He lived at 19, Carr Forge Mount. His dad was called Albert, his mum, Lucy (or Lily). His eldest sister was called Linda, his other sister, Georgina. Georgina’s real Christian name was Elaine. Stephen and I were good mates at Birley Spa Junior School. I was told a fistful of years ago, that Stephen had passed away. Bless him. I last saw him when I was almost 12 years old in 1965.

 

2. I recall Stephen and I, with a host of other lads at Birley Spa Juniors, playing football in the school playground each morning before being called in for register and assembly. In the playground was a tall brick-wall that was staggered at the top (step-like, the centre of the wall at the top was the highest point).

 

Chalked on the wall was a depiction of a goal. There were no teams because each lad played for himself. The idea was to score a goal, with the other lads trying to prevent you from scoring, it was a free-for-all. The ‘football’ was at times a tatty tennis ball, sometimes a rubber ball, but often a large coloured glass marble. Football was played at playtime, and at dinner time too. The football playing was the highlight of the day for most of us. Regardless of weather, we played!

 

Some of the ‘footballers’ were:

 

Martin Wragg – Carter Lodge.

Terry Cosgrove – Dyke Vale

Tony Wharram – Carr Forge

Danny Spokes – Dyke Vale

Timothy Conroy – SpringWater

Ian Scandrett – Spa View

Andrew Morton – Occupation Lane

Robert Fowler –

Derek Beeley – Carr Forge?

Robert Evans – Spa View

Alan Fox – Cotleigh

Nigel West – Cotleigh

Martin Precious – Spa View

Gerald Dandy (later emigrated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin) – Carr Forge

Jimmy Sandford – Cotleigh

Chris Sherwood – Birley Spa Lane

Mark Sherwood – Birley Spa Lane

Martin Smith – Carr Forge

Paul Allison –

Stephen Coulson – Carter Lodge

Gary (Gus) Clifford – Carter Lodge

Paul Muscroft – Carter Lodge

 

And a few others. 1961 – 1965. Most of the above have been allowed to be my ‘Pal of the Day’ at one time or another.

 

3. I remember, having been called into school, we children would drink our free milk. A group of school mates, plus Stephen and I, would compete to see who could ‘sup up’ first. Even though we used straws, milk was often spilt all ovver t’show. Drinking milk in winter was interesting though, because there was often ice inside the bottles, making it almost impossible to swallow the milk. The milk was so cold, we wore gloves or mittens to hold the bottles. The crates of milk were stacked up outside, and it was the job of Monitors (stool pigeons) to bring the metal cage like crates indoors. The milk bottles were silver topped. The foil was saved to add to the collection for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

 

4. I’ve briefly mentioned this next little anecdote from 1963 – ‘64ish afore. I’ve had a think about it, and this version explains it better.

 

In those days, at week-ends or during school holidays, you could call on your mates. I rarely promised to meet anybody, the next day or whenever. With me, it was a spontaneous thing. I really liked to adventure alone, and would often travel (on foot, bike, trolley or scooter) far, and sometimes wide. If I wanted to play football I knew who I could call upon. If I wanted to swing from the trees shouting Ungawa at Shirebrook River, I knew who to call upon. If I wanted a session of mutual mankin’, I knew which girl(s) to call upon. It was the same with scromping, conker collecting, birds egg collecting, and attention seeking at the shopping parade on Birley Spa Lane, etc.

 

If I wanted somebody who was an all-rounder, someone who didn’t specialize in the above activities, I would generally call upon either, Nigel West, John Fairey or Stephen George. Those three also called on me from time to time. When anybody came a’knockin at the door mi mum would call (yell) to me I had a visitor. You see, one of mi mums many tasks was to answer the door. I would there and then decide if I was going out (it depended on who was calling).

 

Anyrooad, I went to call on Stephen George one particular day. Having left home at Carter Lodge Drive, I hiked up the second part of Carter Lodge Rise. On reaching the top of the Rise, I turned right onto Carter Lodge Avenue. At the end of Carter Lodge Avenue I came out onto Carr Forge Lane. I then turned right, strode a baker’s dozen paces downwards, then crossed across the road, to enter the gennel that led to Carr Forge Mount. Coming to the end of the gennel, I had already passed the Dandy household on the left, and to my right was the Leigh household. A few houses further on, on the right, was the Corporation red doored residence of the George Family.

 

I always preferred to call on Stephen than he on me. The reason for this is because it increased my chances of seeing his lovely looking sisters… they were absolutely G(e)orgeous. Stephen’s mum always gave me a nice glass of cold water. At my house, we drank water from chipped cups, nicked from the Rainbow Room Café, at Blanchards.

 

Oh yeh, back to the short anecdote… On that particular day, I had a gigantic stroke of luck. Having come out of the gennel, and having passed the Leigh household, my attention was caught by something wedged between the flagging stones of the pathway. On crouching down, I astoundingly discovered two half-crowns, side by side, stood on their edges. The coins were just below the height of the flagging stones. It was only a slight glint that had caught my eye.

 

I needed those coins, I needed them badly, and quickly too. I had to get them before anyone came by to claim them as their’s. I was shaking with excitement and with panic. I reached into the right-hand pocket of my khaki coloured shorts and withdrew my penknife (made by George Beatson-Gleadless), then with the long blade (the only blade) I worked the haif-crowns out from their hiding place. I was rich, comics and spice for a fortneet at least!

Finder’s keepers, Losers weepers!

 

Minutes later, I was in the George household. I received my usual glass of cold water from Mrs. George, and Stephen was getting changed to come out to play. I was disappointed to discover his sisters weren’t at home. Drat.

 

I was aching to announce my good fortune with a fanfare of trumpets, but I was worried I might be told to hand the half-crowns over to the Feds.

 

Having come out of the house, I told Stephen about my miraculous stroke of good fortune. He was pleased for me. A moment later, I was pleased for him too, when I saw the look (luck) on his face. He had just become 2/6 richer. I had been brought up to always share. A true story this.

 

Footnote. Well over 50 years later, I am still mystified as to why somebody would push two half-crowns down into a crack between two flagstones on a pathway. It was a lot of money for a chabby like me.

[memari laine]

I wonder if anyone on here can help. On a friend's behalf ( Surprise for them) I am trying to find the whereabouts/ contact details of their old friend, Barry Grayson. I only have an idea that he lived opposite the "Top Shops", a road down to the right as you go up Birley Spa Lane. If anyone can help, it would be amazing to reunite these two old mates from way back when.