AKADOK

Yeah, she was my auntie. She's dead now. She lived on Chelmsford Street after she got married, across the road from the little chapel. I will ask my mum if she remembers you. I remember those heads Retep mentions, viking or whatever they were. There is a building near the Staffordshire Arms, off Carlisle Street, which still has them. I was scared of them as a kid, although not as scared as I was of Sam Birley and his wife. There were loads of shops down there, considering it was such a small area. Anyone remember Bellamy's at the top of Cottingham St, Clare's Cafe, Bob Gaydon's Butchers, and 2 chip shops, Harrys and Becketts? All long gone of course.

Hi Whiteley Sorry for the delayed reply, I've not been on for a bit. She was called Bailey, and lived at 154, next to the Mackenders, and 2 doors from the Smiths. Our family moved there in the 1930s and left in 1981. There's a great picture of Cottingham Street in Jack Wrigley's book East End Camera. If you can still get a copy that is.

Mike The whole area is now unrecognisable. I have some pictures which might interest you, old and new. My auntie lived on Chelmsford Street, my grandama on Cottingham Street and we lived on Westbury Street. It was that sort of place. PM me and I will send you some stuff. When did you live there by the way? We might know some of the same people, you never know.

Footy Freak is right about the location of Westbury Street and also correct in her assertion that nothing exciting ever happened there. I know cos I lived there at the time. If I said to Footie Freak that the prowler lived on Cottingham Street she would probably know who I mean. Can't name names, as he is alive and well to this day. He didn't jump buildings but he did bang on windows and had a fondness for knocking policemen's helmets off. How this turned into Spring Heeled Jack, God only knows. The Spring Heeled Jack legend supposedly started as a prank by the then Marquis or Waterford, a sort of aristocratic Oliver Reed. From there a load of nonsense spang up, such as him jumping around Attercliffe in the seventies I also know who the bloke who sat up looking for UFOs over Westbury Street was, and he was crackers as well.

There is a picture of Bastock Road from 1981 in Jack Wrigley's book 'An Owlerton Camera', if you can still get a copy. Threads is available on DVD, I've got it and it's still really scary. The pub in question was actually called the Sportsman's Group, which I always found a bit odd, but there you go. Not related to Sandra Bastock off Woddbourne Road are you? She was in my class at Woodbourne school. Think her mum was one of the dinner ladies there.

I was on Meadow Street last week. Sadly the Meadow pub has just been demolished. Most of Malinda Street is fenced off and waiting to be pulled down as well.

I didn't think they looked like back-to-backs either. There were some slightly later (but still old), terraces at the bottom end which were occupied as recently as 1998, but they were demolished to make way for the new extension to the factory. What's sad is that the remaining properties have visibly deteriorated in the last few months, judging by your pictures. I don't think Well Meadow Street will be with us much longer.

I went to one in (I think) 1985. Performers included Criminal Sex (skinhead punks from Chesterfield), Hole In The Wll (also known as Spoon and one one occasion Five Go Rhino Hunting), Flexible Penguins (featuring Captain Lard, now of the Rex Pistols), and Henry Normal as compere. The bands outnumbered the audience by about 2 to one, as it was a cold miserable Saturday. I don't have any pictures but somebody made a film of it. I've never seen it but I was the scruffy looking one in the denim jacket at the front of the stage. No change there then.

Hey Woof I know who you are! I reckon the clue's in the name. Maxpower, where on Westbury St did you live? I lived on there from '68 to '81.

Just to confirm Plain Talker is correct (she usually is, hi PT). Her first pic is of Zion church. If you walk round the back of the block where the Omega massage parlour is, you'll find the spot where the chuch stood. It suffered fire damage in about 1987/88 and was demolished shortly afterwards. The small graveyard behind remained, but was fenced off and became part of a van hire establishment. As far as I know the graves are still back there somewhere.

I remember the various 'Dolebusters' festivals in Weston Park in the eighties. Saw such luminaries as Criminal Sex, Flexible Penguins, Hole In The Wall, Spoon, and Henry Normal (now a succesful comedy writer or something). At least one compliation came out of it featuring the likes of Pulp (remember them?), The Wealthy Texans, The Masons and loads of other long forgotten acts. I seem to remember the audiences consisted of bands and their mates and that was about it.

Was down there the other day. It's now an office, called 'Monkey Works'.

I've got some from 1969. One from above and one from inside the control tower. PM me if still interested. The Dok

Hi Jdodie. Sorry this has been a long time coming. I can confirm that there are no travel agents on Carver Street. A trendy retro boutique and a seventies themed club, but no travel agents. The Dok

Thanks Melthebell, I'll have a look at that. The Tea Stains rings a bell, but don't remember Dagger. I think I would quite enjoy a low budget ELP. Don't get much of that stuff these days. Possibly not a bad thing though.