Happy Days 1950s And 60s
A Memory of Weaverham.
I was born and brought up in Weaverham until I left to move to Altrincham with my new wife (and job). Over that 20 year period I have so many happy memories; too many to record in 1000 words. Lived in Lime Avenue all that time with brother, John, and sister, Liz until I married Sandra Doran (from Farm Road) in 1968.
Best friends during my childhood were my brother John, then David Rattray, Paul Beech, Michael Vaughan, John Egerton, Michael Crisp, Brian Atkinson and many others who I knew from the village and the schools I went to. Cycling, running, football and generally hanging out around the village, the woods or if cold weather anyones house whose parents were daft enough to let us stay inside (latterly to play music via Radio Caroline on a dansette radio).
I had a paper round at John Bills newsagents for several years and would often be seen leaping hedges and gates as I delivered the MEN and LE in my record time of 7.5 minutes around Lime Ave and Russett Rd area: many is the time a gang of us would do laps around the island in front of Lime Avenue shops (traffic was much quieter then!); all this proved good grounding for my later cross-country days (winning Cheshire Schools senior Championships at Lyme Park in 1964). Also in fact, you could always tell when Wimbledon had been on by the chalked out tennis court we drew on Lime Avenue outside our house....and the Test Matches, well they would help us to oil our bats ready for our own "test matches" on the green opposite the shops.
We would think nothing of cycling to Overton Hills past Hatchmere lake and similar. On one occasion John and I cycled to Rhyl for our caravan holiday, then on trips out as far as Bangor. During one ride out with Sandra we both crashed going down Soot Hill, near ICI (our first trip to hospital together!)
As younger kids we thought nothing of going down to Beech Wood or Owley wood for some adventure (e.g. racing our "boats" downstream or searching for bullet cases in the old practice ranges near the river). We would often be seen sledging down the limebeds sides, trying to avoid the sheep as we went.
We could go scrumping for apples and pears out towards Acton Bridge, though the farmer's wife at Moretons farm would always see us right with a few apples as we went home from Forest Street school.
Look.....theres loads more stuff I can remember; I'll call this part one...watch out soon for part two ;-)
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Comments & Feedback
I also grew up in Lime Avenue, until I was about twenty(late 60s). I dont remember any of the names of your friends though. But I have got a terrible memory!
Names I remember are, Dennis Hornby, Eddie O'Rouke, JohnRobinson.
Did you live at the top end of Lime Ave, near the shops?
Regards
Peter
By the way, if you married a local girl can you let me know her maiden name in case ny wife can recall her? Great to hear from you, Peter. Regards, George
Great to hear from you.
We used to cycle up to Sandiway quite a lot.
I had my first covid vaccination a few weeks ago and get my second on Friday.
I have just had a refund for a holiday we should have gone to in May, we like our holidays in the sun
Regards
Peter
We too would love cycling and would often go to Sandiway (remember the sand quarry towards Whitegate?), Hatchmere lake, Acton Bridge and Cotebrook (scrumping) and Overton hills (picknicking by the caves there). If we had to stay close to home my brother and I would spend hours on our bikes, weaving in and out of the posts at Lime Avenue shops - the challenge was who could go the SLOWEST without losing balance!
Well, good luck with your second jab today, I'm sure it will give you some peace of mind; not expecting our second ones until next month.
Regards
George
I do remember a Polish man who lived in Rowan Road - I delivered papers there and he was very kind and generous too, always gave me the biggest of all my Xmas tips!!!
Happy days.
Yes, I did go to the White school, just for a short time, if I remember correctly.
Now you have mentioned ‘bully boy’ I think I remember??? The other names – not so sure – apart from Yeni Zelem. Before facebook there was a site called something like ‘friends revisited’, about where you went to school. I joined for a laugh and someone told me that Yeni Zelem was something like a film producer???
Some sad news though; you might recall a name from my very first blog notes, one Michael Vaughan. Last weekend I had a message out of the blue from one of his sons, Ben Vaughan, to tell me he had sadly passed away earlier this month (and his funeral took place today at 3 pm). Ben sent me a copy of Michael's eulogy which was very interesting to read especially since I had lost touch with him over 60 years ago!
Peter, I think you might be referring to "FRIENDS REUNITED" which, as you say, was very much focussed on post-school catchups. In my early teens I joined the Boys Brigade after giving the Boy Scouts a try. Did you join any groups like that?
It could be the same Roger Gibbs; I can remember every time he said his name to someone new, he would spell it out G R Z Y B.
He lived in Larch Close, and his mum worked in Hornby’s stores. His dad’s name was Wojtek – I think, and he had had polio when he was younger.
Roger joined the fire service, and after retiring from that set up his own company as advisers for fire safety. I only know this because I did have him as a friend on face book. But deleted him after a short time because he never replied to any of my messages.
I have to say Michael Vaughan doesn’t ring a bell – but you are right maybe we will get every one’s name soon.
It was friends reunited, I was a friend with Sylvia Bennet, who I remember from school, although a year or two older than me. She sent me pictures taken at school and nudged my memory a bit. But sadly she died a couple of years ago.
I was in the sea scouts for a while. When I first joined, they thought I was older than I was, and put me in the senior scouts! Which may have had privileges – but I don’t remember….
I remember a camping trip to Abergele, and now pass the site regularly when I go to my sons.
Hope you are keeping well…
Is your recollection the same as ours, when we recall that when we were growing up the summers seemed so much sunnier (and also more thundery at times) whilst the winters seemed more cold and snowy?
Of course, life doesn't seem so free and easy when I have a bedroom to decorate before cleaning the carpets before putting together a daybed before fitting matching soft furnishings! When I was a kid there were times when we would walk across wooden floorboards to jump into bed making sure any overcoats we had were placed on top of a flimsy quilt, only to wake up in the mornings with glazed windows covered in frost!! We coped and became the stronger for it; but made the mistake of becoming too liberal with our own kids (who applied even greater freedom to THEIR own kids!!)
Ah well, enjoy you day and have a great Easter with your family/friends.
I also remember once getting caught out in a thunderstorm one summer and we were in Owley woods, and rushing to get out of the woods, and then splashing in all of the puddles on our way home.
But it is always said that the seasons were much truer in those days!
However, as I write this it’s the beginning of April, and sun is streaming through the window.
Do you still live in Altringham?
Enjoy your Easter…
You mentioned Altrincham, Peter; we moved there when we had married in 1967 but have since lived in Shavington (Crewe), Hazel Grove (Stockport), Ormskirk, then 7 years in Spain until 2013 when we moved to Southport where we live currently. We would like to move house again, but it will be hard to find a place as good as the one we live in at the moment. Are you still living in Cheshire?
I also remember that someone in the village was selling a black Ford car for £60 which I was so desperate to buy - I was around 18 or 19 then. Gutted when I couldn't buy it!!!
On another point, I cant believe that I would not have met you at the time we were both in Weaverham. If you like, you could always PM me with an old photo of yourself in your teens - I will try to do the same (you can email me on Gud60@hotmail.co.uk ) once i've delved into my archives!!