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Burslem
Burslem maps
Historic maps of Burslem and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Burslem maps
Burslem area books
Displaying 1 of 4 books about Burslem and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Burslem
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memories of Burslem.
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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
Staffordshire memories
St Johns The Scary
As a child I was terrified of the churchyard, we had to walk past it to get to Wilson Way where my Nan Lizzie Grocott lived. It wasn't so bad in the summer but in winter when it got dark early we would get off the bus opposite the Church and it would loom up like a big dark monster as we crossed the road towards it. My sister and me would grip onto Mum's hand so tight we would get told off. The Church yard backed on to my Auntie Frances' and if we were told to go across and visit her we would only go to the front door because we were terrified of what might be hiding just over that fence in the back garden.
One night at about half past six we walked past the church yard up the lane to go and get the bus home to Talke, we heard an owl hoot and fly across the wall above us, we took off up... Read more
Fishing Equipment And Cakes
Every year we would go to Pooles on the High Street to get yellow fishing nets so that we could go and collect tadpoles from ponds around the area. We would deliberate for a good while over what colour nets to get but we always ended up with yellow because our Dad said they showed the tadders up best.
Tiko Bakery was at the top of Elgood Lane (Church Lane) behind the Swan and we used to walk past ever so slowly just so that we could smell the bread and cakes cooking, on warm days we could still smell it as we turned up Wilson Way to my Nan's house.
Happy Days
Goldenhill (Happy days)
My first memories of Goldenhill are visiting my grandparents during the terrible winter of 1947, the snow was said to be five feet thick on Oldcott Drive where it had drifted from across the fields.
I also remember flying a kite my grandad had made, we flew it on starvation banks at the top of Kidsgrove bank, I think these were the waste tips from old coal mines which had been worked out, although there was still a footrill working, I remember it had an old ex US army truck which used its winch to pull tubs to the surface.
My grandad used to take me to the working mans club on a Sunday lunch time, it was on the High street close to Stoniers bus garage, he would treat me to a bottle of pop & a bag of crisps.
There were lots of bus companies in those days, Stoniers & Jeffreys... 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
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
All Uphill
Our Dad used to take us for a walk up to Mow Cop Castle on a sunny Sunday. We would set off from Talke with our bottle of pop and a jam butty and walk along the canal for a while then through the lanes in Scholar Green past the Three Horseshoes then up the steepest hill to the Castle. We would sit inside the round window at the front and try to see our house in Talke on the other side of the valley. We could see so much on a clear day but never really understood what we were looking at - The welsh Mountains were part of the view and we were always trying to spot the beach in Rhyl, North Wales, (obviously impossible) and Jodrell Bank (where we thought the space men lived) was another part of the view. We would have our jam butty and pop on the grass behind the Castle and then moan all the way home because our legs ached.
If... Read more
