Nash Court

A Memory of Nash.

I too was a member of St Matthew's church choir in Stretford, Manchester. I remember going to Nash yearly for some years in the 1960s. Some of the choir men also went but I think the organiser was the choirmaster Mr Ronald Frost, who was later the chorusmaster of the Halle Choir and is now a semi retired professor at the Royal Norhtern College of Music.
I remember the tuck shop where everybody liked to buy snowballs (a lot bigger then) and a fizzy apple drink called Applejack - we pretended it was cider.
I also remember the small unheated outdoor swimming pool with a fountain. There was also a 'commando course' in the 'woods' next to the drive leading up to Nash.
Then there was the hut close by to the house where you could play snooker and the men would drink cans of beer. When I was a little bit older (although still under age) they would allow me a can. Under age drinking was not confined to Nash though - some of us (the older looking ones) would walk to Tenbury Wells where we had found a pub that would serve us.
I don't remember any planned trips, the whole of the holiday was spent at Nash and we were free to wander - so wander we did - my friends and I were keen walkers then and we walked miles in the surrounding countryside.
At the time of year we went, it usually coincided with Manchester Boys Grammar School camping in a field nearby, although we never socialised - I assume they were not allowed in the nash grounds. However I do remember playing a game of basketball against an established team of basketball players - maybe they were from the Grammar School. Surprisingly we beat them, but I was injured with a very sprained ankle.
Unfortunately I do not have any photographs of the time I was there, as my family could not afford things like cameras then.
Nash provided me with holidays that I would never have had otherwise, as my family only ever went on the occasional day out - money was tight.
As an adult I have been to Tenbury Wells once (I didn't find the pub) and drove past Nash - it seems to have been turned into a boarding school for girls. I wonder if they have as much fun there as the choir certainly did over 40 years ago!
I have collected quite a few Francis Frith books - keep up the good work!