How It Used To Be

A Memory of Old Basford.

I too lived in Bell Street, Bell Terrace number 4. I lived next door but one from the Turners. I went to school with Teddy Turnner, and his brother. My mother was great friends with Ellsie. My family name is Walker, there were six of us dad, Bill, Mam, Edith, me, Don, Janet, Beryl and Nigel. One of my mates was John Longstaff, also of Bell Terrace, some other neighbours of ours were Olive Arnold, the Goddards, Brender Chester and family. I went to Collergate Infants school, then to Trent Bridge secondary. The kids in Bell St used to be in the Bell St gang, we played rounders, tin can lerky, cricket, even us lads used play with the girls at skipping. We played all manner of games in total saftey, no cars. On bon-fire night, Bell St gang would raid Orange St bon-fire rubbish and they in turn would raid some other street's rubbish. Such happy times, such glorious days, but, I guess sometimes we didn't realise it at the time. I could go on for ages about the fifties and sixties. I now live in a cottage in the Vale of Belvoir in a village called Muston. Needless to say I can't leave my front and back doors open like we used to do when we went out.

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