Hambleton, the river from Shard House c1955

Shovels Inn - 1952 to 1971

My grandparents, John & Betty Whiteside, were Landlord & Landlady of The Shovels Inn 1952-1971. I was born in 1955 and clearly remeber the pub as it was then, before they tore down walls! The old men of the village taught me how to play dominoes in one of the little rooms that used to be off the main bar. As you walked through the door there used to be an open fire on the right with the dartboard above it. On the photograph, on the extreme right, just outlined against the white building, you can see the petrol pump which was used to fill the charabancs that used to call at the pub on day trips to the Over Wyre area.

Walking to Skippool

When I was young we lived a short distance from here. A Sunday afternoon walk usually involved "going top see the boats"

Meadows Avenue (just round the corner)

Well actually it is any dates up to & beyond 1960.  Born in 1951, I recognise the view of how the avenue looked before all the bungalows were built on the west side.  We used to walk to Cleveleys through the 'paddy fields', full of buttercups & mayflowers.  When we reached Rowlands Farm (Rowlands Lane now) we'd risk our lives cimbing in the tumbledown farmhouse & make dens. Great days.

Knott End in the 1950s and the 1960s by Norma Smith

We, that is my father Norman, mother Ethel and my Auntie Peg, moved to Knott End in 1948 and lived at 15 The Esplanade. As well as being a boarding house (as it was called in those days) it doubled up as the doctors' surgery. For those with a good memory you might remember Old Dr Taylor Young, Dr Taylor and Dr Allen Pilling from one practice and Dr Stewart, a GP on his own. I went to Pilling Lane School where the headmaster was the formidable George Hobson. Two other teachers were his sister Miss Hobson and a Miss Hull. On a good day in the summer we were taken up the field and at the end was the seashore, where we were allowed to play. After passing my scholarship I used to travel everyday on the 85 bus to go to school in Blackpool. In the early 1960s our free time was spent between the Juke Box at the ferry end of the village and the Verona Cafe which was the local cinema. We also had a great time walking between the two venues with our transistor radios listening to Radio Caroline. My peers at the time must always remain grateful for what Mr and Mrs Stringfellow (they owned the Juke Box) did for us, organising coach trips to Blackburn St Georges Hall to see the likes of Brenda Lee, Buddy Holly and lots of other greats of that time. The Beatles then were the supporting groups!!! I left Knott End for Liverpool in 1971 but my formative years seem to have been idyllic.