Welbeck Colliery Village, Now Know as Meden Vale
My Grandparents moved to Welbeck Colliery Village about 1926, when my mother was 10 years old, and stayed in the same house at the bottom of Elkesley Road until they went into care in the 1970s.
My parents did their courting round Carburton Lakes in the 1930s and got married in Warsop Church in June 1945. I was born in January 1947, and my mother was stranded at her parents' house for a few weeks because of the snow with me sleeping in a drawer.
During the 1950s I sometimes went to Welbeck School for a week or two if my mother was ill. Grandma would turn my cold school milk into hot Horlicks, passing it through the railings as their garden adjoined the school playground.
We always spent Christmas at Welbeck, coal fires, side oven, saucepans on the fire, a cold pantry under the stairs with a "meat safe" (they didn't get a fridge until the mid-60s), a freezing cold outside toilet next to the enormous coal shed (they got a ton at a time!), a bath in the bedroom, a tiny and chilly "front room" that was only used for plants after great-grandma died at the age of 100, and sometimes snow on the fields across the road.
My other memories are of going to watch the cricket with my father and granddad, and of going for walks in the woods with my parents. It was a beautiful spot at the foot of the hill there, and my grandparents had a huge (to me as a child) garden.
Both my parents are still alive (92 and 94), and both still have excellent memories. We all listen avidly when there is any news of Welbeck Colliery. My Granddad was boiler foreman there, and my mother's younger brother was pit electrician.
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RE: RE: Welbeck Colliery Village, Now Know as Meden Vale
I am intrigued by Christine Davies's comments. My parents move to Welbeck Colliery village in the early 1930s.They started the Boys Club which started life as the gymnasium. My father gave gymnastic exhibitions at Warsop Carnivals and after the war became parade marshall at remembrance day parades. By the time Christine was born I was away at school where I stayed until 1953. I give these few details in case Christine recognises some peculiar coincidences. We share a surname, my parents' garden shared a boundary with the school playground therefore we also lived at the bottom of Elkesley Road. I also played cricket for a few years for Welbeck Colliery village. Obviously since I was born in 1934 I have many many memories of what I still call Welbeck Colliery village but many memories have faded into oblivion. If Christine could fill in the gaps in my memory by explaining the above coincidences I would be very grateful. Perhaps Christine's memory does not need any help - but mine obviously does.
Comment from Eric Davies on Saturday, 15th October 2011.
RE: RE: Welbeck Colliery Village, Now Know as Meden Vale
I wonder if anyone remembers the ditty which was based on the surnames of the people who lived at the numbers 13 to 31 ELkesley Road in the 1940s and 1950s?: "Mr Chapman (13)wore a Wigg (15) and was a Merriman (17), Mr Davies (19)was very Keene (21) and when it Raines (23) he goes to play Patience (25) at Edwards (27) house with Mr Wallace (29)and Mr Brown (31).
Comment from Eric Davies on Wednesday, 19th October 2011.