Brown Edge memories
Here are memories of Brown Edge and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Brown Edge or a Brown Edge photo.
Good Old Days
I was born in High Lane Brown Edge and lived there until 1963. I have lots of memories, everyone knew each other, they didn't need to lock the doors in fear of unwanted intruders, in fact during the war years neighbours became family. I had a fabulous childhood - times were spent in the fields playing ball games in the summer and sledging in the winter. We also had great neighbours in the Steele family, and spent a great deal of time with David and John who both became talented cricketers, it was nothing to have a cricket ball hit through my bedroom window on a Sunday morning, and I myself learned to deliver a 'Good Over', Mr Steele would be there coaching the boys and of course I too had to join in. In 1949 I was elected to be the Church Queen, then in the late 1950s with Edward Selby I started up the 1st Brown Edge Cubs, this was a great time and I remained with the... Read more
Amenities, The Good Old Days, And They Were!
Brown Edge was a brillant place to live, and I have fond memories of the village.
Perhaps in my youth I did not really appreciate what I had, the village store (Keiths), the butchers, Harrisons and Sammy Bratts., cake shop, Mountfords chip shop., the working mens club, the Holy Bush, the Lump of Coal and the Roebuck, what a selection and all thriving businesses, together with Turners buses, and of course the local youth clubs, Sandy Lane and Brown Edge Schools, just great.
As children we had a great time as we would go to the fields and woods to play, never damaging anything, it was safe and we would go for the day on our main school holidays, just enjoying our freedom, playing in the fields. Winter was great too as we would go sledging, all the energy and fun we had. We didn't have much but what we had we really appreciated. My parents lived most of their lives in Brown, and my father still does, however Mum... Read more
Memories of Staffordshire
Postwar Childhood in Knypersley
Born in 1940 at Tunstall Rd, I spent hours of my childhood at the edge of Cowlishaw Walker's pool, reached through our neighbour, Mrs Sargent's garden, which sloped steeply up to the railings round the pool. I only had to put a jam jar among the rocks for a stickleback to swim into it. Pussy willow and hazel catkins hung around the pool and in spring it was a mass of frogspawn. The tiny froglets would find their way down the bank and into our gardens and even into Mrs Sargent's kitchen. I heard that there had been a tragedy in the winter I was born when 2 boys fell through the ice on the pool and one of them drowned. At school we skipped to a rhyme unique to the area: 'North Staffordshire Railway Loopline! I call number 1'. On the word 'Loopline' the rope was held aloft until the next skipper ran in. Another rhyme was 'I am a girl guide dressed in blue,... Read more
Brown Lees Village
I was born in Brook Street, Brown Lees, within the civil parish of Biddulph. The village is situated about half a mile north of the site of the former Biddulph Valley Ironworks and the Brown Lees and Victoria Collieries, where many of the residents would have worked in the past. The Ironworks ceased in the 1920s and coal mining finished in 1982. I went to school in 1938 at Knypersley, walking through the fields by footpaths in local farms. In 1950, I commenced work at Victoria Colliery as a Dust and Air Sampler to monitor ventilation in the pit. Later, I qualified as a mine surveyor and worked at Victoria and Norton Collieries. I recall attending many performances of Handel's Messiah at Brown Lees Chapel which was a few yards from my home. Brown Lees is much enlarged now, and the air is cleaner with the demise of heavy industry, but I remember it well.
Smallthorne as A Child
I was born at 27 Croft Court, Smallthorne, in 1948, my father was born at 8 Back Crof in 1920. From when he left school in around 1934, he went to work in the coal mines. During the war years he went to join the army and was told he could not as he is in a reserved occupation. He worked Norton Mine, I believe it was called Bellerton pit. He also worked at Chaterly Whitfild, and Snyed - he was on stand by on 1st January 1942 with the rescue party. He married my mother at Saint Saviours Church, Smallthorne in May 1944, Bill and Pat Turner. My brother was born in 1946 but sadly only lived two weeks, he is buried in Saint Saviours in a family grave, then in 1948 I was born. We lived with my grandmother and grandfather at 27 Croft Court - my great grandfather lived next door at 29, William McIntyre, my grandmother and grandfather Harry and Annie Turner. We... Read more
School at Burslem Junior Tech
I lived in Blythe Bridge and travelled to school at the Burslem Junior Technical College in Moorland Road, Burslem over a period between 1943 to 1945. The journey by train on the old loop line was a lot of fun. I remember the screeching noise the coaches made when coming into Hanley station as the line had such a tight curve. We used to play football on a pitch in Hamil Road, this was lost when Port Vale took over the land to build their new ground. After a match we were run through Burslem Park back to the school and for a shower we were hosed down by someone who would be excused sports, he would use a stirrup pump and ice cold water. Then there was a mad rush to get the train home. Another memory was going to look for Molly Lea's grave, she was reputed to be The Burslem Witch and was supposed to be buried in a Burslem churchyard, but with the grave facing... Read more
Would You Believe It
The young man on the outside of the pavement is me, the group standing in the distance are family members and the two on my right are demanding to know where I am going, as it happened I was going to see my Gran.
Did not know who the kids were and still don't but if you look at the picture my fists are clenched I was ready for a fight but they backed off, I still walk with clenched fists to this day!
If you took a picture in the same place today it would look very much the same, todays pictures would be in colour but then that is how we saw it anyway.
Best Regards David Bailey.
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