Anstey Born And Bred

A Memory of Anstey.

I was born in Hollow Road in 1944. I then lived in Forest Gate and Cropston Road where I lived until I got married in 1966. I have one brother Bill and two half brothers Charles and Keith and two half sisters Susan and Jane. I attended the infant school and my first teacher was Miss Bromwich. The headmistress at the time was Mrs Pollard. I remember every Friday afternoon having cod liver oil and NHS Orange juice which was made with warm water and tasted awful. I have so many memories its difficult to know where to start. The house in Cropston Road was one of a terrace of six. Either side of the terrace were thatched cottages. Alas all have gone now. Along the road towards the nook there was Jack Smith's cycle shop who also sold accumulators for the radio which I fetched for my grain. On the opposite side of the road and next to the Pratt's large house there was some kind of carpenters. Next to the cycle shop there was an off licence. A haberdashery shop came next which sold wool and buttons etc run by a man and his wife followed by Tunes the butchers. Across what is now the zebra crossing was Jack Hart who sold papers and sweets and was a favourite of us kids. He sold the most amazing penny lollies. There was Mrs Lants vegetable shop and another haberdashers on the corner near to where the old ship was. We had a chemist, a hairdressers come barber's run by the Rushins, father and daughter Brenda. We had two garages in the village, one in the nook and one on Stadon Road. Two cinemas. A fruit and vegetable shop run by the Huttons and a laundry and dry cleaners run by the Sheriff family. There was an electrical shop run by the Smiths. We had a Methodist chapel a congregations chapel and St Mary's Church, where the rector at the time was the Rev Roe. We had the most amazing fish and chip shop, unfortunately I can't remember the owners. We had a conservative club a working men's ckub, a hotel and at least three pubs

There was a co-op butchers and a grocery shop, another news agents run by Ab Garner, an ironmonger. We had at least three more off licences and two or three grocery shops. We had a cobbler, another hairdresser. All in all it sounds more like a town than a village.
I remember we had two milk floats drawn by horses, one did one end of the village and one the other one belonged to Mr Gray and the other Mr Pool, one lived on The Green and one on Gynsil Lane. We used to take out a milk jug to be filled covered in muslin with beads to weigh it down and keep out the flies. We had vans deliver bread, vegetables and a lorry bringing stones ginger beer.

We were so lucky when we were young we played all sorts of games on the village green and in the streets with no fear of danger. We made dens when the grass was cut with tunnels and had great fun. We played hopscotch, whip and top, marbles skipping, hop rice tick, hide and seek to name but a few.

Life in general centred round the churches and chapels. I personally attended church, went to Sunday school, sang in the choir went the the girls brigade and attended the youth club.The worst thing we ever did was to go scrumping and we were never in strffe.

We walked for miles through the fields to Bradgate Park, around the Cropston reservoir, up old john. We cycled miles and never thought anything of it. We went train spotting at Rothley Station, rowing at Barrow on Soar.

I have so many memories too many to write at the moment. Whole family lived in Anatey we were the Staniforths


Added 10 September 2016

#340062

Comments & Feedback

Hi interesting memories of Anstey, we were neighbours, Draper's 12 Hollow Rd. I am the youngest Phillip, Terry, Tony and Charmain , remember?
Hi I remember your family. I not sure but I think I was born next door to you. I can’t recall ho moved into it but I know the youngest daughter was killed in an accident. We’ll had such carefree childhood nothing like now thank goodness.

Pat Short (Staniforth)
Sorry I stuck my comment in the wrong hole

Pat Short
Hi Pat
When did you leave Hollow Rd? I was born 1951 , our neighbours were the Gunby family the kids Wendy plus brother name? On the other side was a retired couple Mr Mrs Allsop
Your family lived in Forest Gate opposite our house, Charlie was a mate, Susan I remember happy times.
Hi
I lived in the Gunby House but my mum died. My dad remarried and moved to Forest Gate. I remember Charmaine I think she was about my age. Charlie lives in Leicester, Sue in Syston and Jane in East Goscote. I’m the one who got away I live in Godmanchester about 10 miles from Cambridge.
Thanks for the information sadly Charmaine and Tony have both passed on.Terry lives in Loughborough and yes I escaped having lived in Spain for a number of years. Though I have lived away from Anstey since 1972 my happiest memories are of living,growing up there. I could bore for hours.
Please pass on my kind kind regards to all the family, am I correct in thinking Charles became a policeman?
Yes you were right about Charlie he was a pc. He has retired from the police but was a lorry driver before and has gone back to it part time it was always his first love.

You can bore me all you like about our childhood. I left Anstey in 1966 and left Leicester 49 years’ ago. I had a reunion with Ann Cavers, Mary Billings, Jackie Wain and Sandra Black it was really strange that none of them have ever left Anstey.

Regards Par
Hi Pat
I replied to Jane direct, not shown on your thread? Let me know if want me to forward.
Hi Phil,

I told Jane to reply to you. I also sent Charlie an email which he probably hasn’t read yet if you want to get in touch direct. My email is patshort1@gmail.com. Charlie’s is chasstan@talktalk.net

Regards Pat
Hi Pat
Thanks for the email contact I will mail.
Back to memories you mention the cottage on Cropston Rd long since gone, big sister Char lived there when she married. Remember the loo down the garden not on the mains.....so the s...t wagon came round to empty the large bin....we as kids used to watch hopping the guy would slip......Same at the bottom of your road when they emptied the same from the cottages. I recall Paul Gunby living in the cottage, his Father was front of house at the Regal picture house serving the sweets. When they pulled the cottages down they built the bungalows, one was occupied by Johnny Hutton.
Hi Phil,

My grandma and grandad had one of those toilets. I always used to like going after my grandad as he smoked in there and it masked the pong. At least ours was adjacent to the house and not down the garden. My brother Bill lived on a farm with my other grandad and grandma their loo was almost at the bottom of a field. They had no electricity and you had to pump fresh water from a well. So I thought we were posh.

Kind regards Pat

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