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Thornton Hough
Thornton Hough photos
Displaying the first of 4 old photos of Thornton Hough. View all Thornton Hough photos
Thornton Hough maps
Historic maps of Thornton Hough and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Thornton Hough maps
Thornton Hough area books
Displaying 1 of 5 books about Thornton Hough and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Thornton Hough
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Thornton Hough.
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Rocklands
I was born at Rocklands December 1954. It was sold shortly after and later demolished for a new build home.
Merseyside memories
Mere Memories
My memory is not so much of the Wheatsheaf although I did visit a few times during my youth, a nice place to take a new girlfriend for a drive.
But nearby is the mere, a huge lake in the middle of an agricultural area.When I was a kid there were rowing boats that could be hired for a trip up the river. I can remember there was a small penny arcade near an old garage with flip ball machines and even a "what the butler saw" for a penny. The area was always clean and the air smelled of freshly cut hay except maybe when one of the local farmers was "muck spreading", the process of enriching the soil by spreading pig or cow manure across the paddock by tractor and machine.
Swing Boats
I spent a few summer holidays with my auntie who lived in Bromborough. I used to go to Raby Mere with my cousins, Gerrard and Chris. I remember some swing boats there, we used to love going on them.
Bike Rides From Ellesmere Port
I remember bike rides first with my dad and then with my brothers Glyn and Paul and cousins David and Neil to Raby Mere. The lake was so calm and peacfull and we hired the lovely clinker built skiffs for a row. My dad taught us to row there without 'catching crabs'! I remember the penny machines well and ice cream from the garage shop.
The mere seems so small now compared to our Lake Taupo in New Zealand but the memories are so sweet, another age! Small was certainly beautiful then.
P.S. The year was probably 1950-1955.
Learning to Row A Boat
A Sunday day out from New Brighton with my family, playing French cricket on the field above the mere, I watched the rowing boats. In 1958 I went a ride there on my bike one day. I wanted a row on the boat. The gentleman in charge said it was a shilling (5p), I could not afford that. He told me to come back on a Saturday morning and I could row all I wanted to for sixpence (2 1/2p), so I did. The kind man showed me the basics of rowing and off I went. I dropped many an oar and caught many a crab but after a few weeks I got the hang of it. Needless to say the water took over my life and I joined the Royal Navy. Couldn't row their boats though - too big!
Tree Cottage
This building is still known as Tree Cottage, Old Lane, but the postal address has been changed to Barnston Road which causes a lot of confusion. I have lived here since 2002 and traced the previous owners back to 1851, but apparently the cottage is much older.
Darts And A Pint
The Fox and Hounds was a great place to meet friends and have a game of darts and a pint or two. I can remember a warm fire on a winters night and a friendly publican. The place had a typical English country pub feel and my mates and I were always made welcome. I worked on the place as a painter in the 60`s, and was always given a free pint with lunch.
Pete
