Newington Terrace

A Memory of Craven Arms.

When I was young in the 1950s I would spend some weeks of my summer vacation at my grandparents' house at 11 Newington Terrace, Elizabeth and Albert Torr. I remember swimming in the river, we would go to the weir and remove some of the planks and let the water spray over us and cool us down. I would travel each year from Belfast in Northern Ireland by boat to Liverpool and then by train to Craven Arms. My grandfather would meet us at the station. One year when I was 11, I went to the river as soon as I got to my grandparents' house, I ran as fast as I could to the river. I went to the first stil about 20 yards from the bridge and cast in a small pocket line wrapped on a cork, I had carried it all the way from Northern Ireland, at the first cast I pulled in a 3/4 lb Trout.
I was so excited I shoved it up my good jersey and ran back to the house. When I got in and showed it to my grandfather he was delighted. My mother was not impressed, I shoud have changed first!

I remember the market the sheep and cows in the pens. My grandfather would take all around the market, he seemed to know every one. He was a member of the Craven Arms Labour Club. I remember the walks in the early morning across the bridge to Hulford to look for mushrooms, when we got home we would have them for breakfast.

I would love to see a picture of the Terrace. I'm 65 now and living in Canada but I still remember well those days spent in Newington Terrace.