Astley memories
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Memories of Warwickshire
Growing up in Galley Common
Growing up in Galley Common was the best part of my life. Dad was the manager of the bus depot, Bunty Motors I think it was called, at the bottom of Hickman Road, I lived at 66 Hickman Road. In the summer a lot of us kids would go camping down the 'rec as we called it, another name for the recreation park. I made myself ill living on beans. In the winter we always seemed to have heavy snowfalls, gangs of kids, me as well, would wait at the bottom of Hickman Road waiting for the miners in their cars going home, when they tried to get up the hill the back wheels would spin, all the kids would push like mad to get them going and the miners would give us pocket money for our efforts. The mine is now gone, but the memories live on.
Redbricks 1950s
I was born and bred in Tunnel Road, Galley Common in the Pit houses (belonging to Haunchwood Colliery). One of my early memories of which there are many was of the tip which was waste slag from the mine and was always on fire and backed down to the back gardens of the houses. At night you could see fires burning bright red in the tips. As kids one of our games mostly in the winter was to get a empty can, the bigger the better, and put holes in the bottom and slots in the side. We would attach a lengh of wire to the top making a long handle, then fill it with fire from the tip and adding coal to keep it going. Then we would swing it round our heads in a loop or figure of eight (good old health and safety). They used to get red hot that anybody on the road at the bottom of the tip could just see what looked like balls... Read more
Little Jims Cottage
Does anyone have any information about John Guy who lived in Little Jims Cottage in the early 1960's? John was my fathers cousin and I understand that he was a musician.
Nursery School 1943-50
I spent some classic country living in Ansley Common during the later war years. Walking home from nursery school I would often be ducking for cover under hedges as low flying fighter planes would scream overhead. The nursery school was a happy place with then large playing fields reaching down to the pit railway line. The coal mine was the focus for most families in the area. Our family focus turned into a tragic loss of a father in 1951 in a massive pit fall. As a family then moved to London and eventually Australia. Some friends of that period George Parks. Christine Atkinson. Beryl Frost Graham Judge Les Warren Eileen Jones. Now living for past 43 years in Barwon Heads a small fishing town on the south coast of Victoria Australia. Playing piano. Swimming. Beach walking. Grandchildren. Now 69 and having a ball. All the best for your site - Brian Riggs
ABC Minors Club
Seeing the photograph of the old Ritz cinema reminded me of the time when I was a member of the Ritz Minors Club from approx. 1947 until 1952. We all paid 6 old pence to have a morning at the "pictures" watching films like Flash Gordon, Tarzan and many others. As time went on and I reached , what I thought, was a ripe old age the building on the other corner the "Coach and Horses" pub was one of the places where on a Saturday night we would go and spend the evening. If anyone should remember me, Don "Crowie" Baxter, I still live in Nuneaton (aged now 66) at 39 Kingsbridge Road Nuneaton, or if anyone remembers my friend Gordon "Fred" Rowley who played trombone and went to KEGS and has any information on him (I believe he went to live in America as a musician) I would be most grateful if you would get in touch with me to share any memories. email address is donbaxter1@btinternet.com
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Places this week
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- Eastleigh, Hampshire
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- Thetford, Norfolk
- Winchmore Hill, Greater London
- Almondsbury, Avon
- Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire
- Easington Colliery, County Durham
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I Remember When...
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