Heeley Memories

[Applegrim]

A friend took me down to see Kent Road just before Christmas,we went down past Dr Thompsons which was a beautiful old house in it's time with gardens and an orchard, it is unbelievable whats heppened there, how can anyone make such a mess as this?

Also at the back of what was the sweet shop on Albert Road, it seems as though Mr Treebus in the Life of Grime program has come back, there's one thing fore sure his was definatly no worse than what is now down at the bottom of Kent Road. If you haven't seen it Davided you should, because you'll get the shock of your life. The detached house opposite was boarded up as well, I'm only glad I don't live near there because no one would buy those houses down there now.

[davided]

Dont know whether i should go or not,it might be better remembering it as it was.Rhonda says that the corner shop on Rushdale is closed as well, my mother worked there when Ronnie Robinson owned it. Like Duffems says time changes everything and dont we... all know it. I might go and have a look though out of idle curiosity

[DUFFEMS]

I remember Robbo moving in to the shop but, I can't remember who had the shop before. We went to school with the son of the lad of the greengrocer whose shop was opposite corner to Robbo's, the shop was named Shaw's Greengrocers, the son was called John Shaw. They had a grey Hillman Huskey, the one with the back opening, it was the first time we'd ever seen anyone with a brand new car! There weren't many cars on any of the roads around Meersbrook/Heeley which is why we were able to play rounders in the street especially at the top of our road Upper Valley until the ball went over into Upper Albert Road then we all had to leg round to try to find the ball before it disappeared down Upper Albert! Some of us used to scramble over the wall at the top of Upper Valley into the Doctors (can't remember his name) garden, didn't do it very often as we "got done" by him then our mothers!

I still can't believe that when we played a game of "hide & seek" which went under a different name (which also eludes me, I hate getting towards 60!) we would venture as far afield as Meersbrook Park which, from Upper Valley Road was a fair diistance. The funny thing was that we all forgot what we were supposed to be doing, got distracted in the park then proceeded to start another game. It was only when we come home yonks later that some of the kids were still in the street looking for us, it was usually almost dark, then we'd ask our mums, "Can we stop out a bit longer, it's not coming in time yet!" The mums would then carry on a conversation witht the other mums so we would take advantage of that fact and run off with our mates again, no fear of dark, pervies (weren't heard of anyway), muggers etc. We always came home tired out, mucky, happy and glad to be alive, never heard the word "bored", didn't have time to be bored!

Oh, happy days, Meersbrook/Heeley was a wonderful place in a wonderful era, full of hope.

 

Sorry for the ramble, put it down to New Year!

 

Duffems.

[davided]

The fruit shop on the corner used to be called Hartley's before Shaws took over, it had a wooden trestle at the front under the window. I lived in the seventh house up from shows on the same side. I remember playing out when it started to thunder and lighten and heavens opened. When i got back home Mom asked me where id been during the storm because i was hardly wet .Where had i been sat under the trestle on shaw's front

watching the storm. You could see right to the top of Kent hill then from under that trestle, i was really snug. It amuses me today why certain kids vandalise cars etc and the dogooders say well they have nothing to do and nowhere to go. When we were kids we had even less to do bit didnt vandalise property etc. Respect has gone through the window these days, and so has punishment. a clip round the earhole didnt do me any harm and ive had a few.

DAVIDED

[Rhonda]

Davidad do you remember Miss Rowlinson the piano teacher. She never married and lived with her parents and taught the piano in the front room. And Miss Carr who taught in the Sunday School at Heeley St Peters which was up Gleadless Road. I lived next door to Miss Carr and she used to terrify me.I had two little boys and if she could hear them she used to knock on my door.Across the road lived Dobson's.This would be around 1954 onwards.

[davided]

Hi Rhonda, yes i do remember both of them.You must have lived close to Carol Roberts and Irene Vaughan then . I think Carol was adopted. Did David Fairbanks live across as well.Maralin Brewin lived near Lol i think and her dad was Manager of the Heeley Palace.

Rhonda its DAVIDED with a e and not a a not that it matters Ive been called worse

DAVIDED.

[Rhonda]

Hi Davided, Yes Carol Roberts lived behind us. David Fairbanks lived opposite next to the passage his Mother was a bit strange I think. Wasn't he a friend of yours and Lols. Maralyn Brewin's Father was the manager of the "Star Cinema"She lived in the yard below Lol the other side of the passage.Do you remember the old lady opposite where Lol lived who was always sweeping the front and always angry? Sorry about your name first a Russian and even now spelling it wrong.!! Rhonda

[davided]

Hi Rhonda,I`m afraid you have me on this one, can`t remember the old lady. Dave Fairbanks was a very good friend of mine he was bus driving the last time i saw him. Lives up Handsworth. Yes his Mother was a lot strange so was his brother Graham. Howard Blackwell was Lol`s best friend i wonder what happened to him. Then there was Neil Broadbent, he was living near to me at one time here on Marsh Lane in a Caravan type thing on a lovely sight.One of his neighbours was Glen Dale of the Fortunes remember them. I`ve sung with Glen a few times lovely man.

[Rhonda]

Duffems, if you lived up Upper Valley Road do you remember the Fereday's Stephen and Carl? The Dr's name McCullem. He was another fearsome creature.His practice was down Richards Road. He used to stomp about in wellington boots.

[DUFFEMS]

Neither myself nor hubby remember the Feredays, I lived right at the top and hubbie down almost opposite Cyprus Road, we remember Hazel Walsh, all born about 1948, maybe you are older, not being disrespectful at all, apologies in advance if you're not!

 

You're right about the doctors' name, it was McCullem, I never saw him in any footwear other than wellies or wellows as we used to call them.

 

Duffems.