Growing up in Gleadless Valley

[Andy1867]

I seem to have found this forum a little late...I spent about 10 years on "The Valley" My dad was Landlord at the Horse and groom for a year or so...1968 ish...We then moved to spring close mount at the top of fleury..I remember the "farm" mentioned in a previous post...our maisonettes looked down on it...(In a geographical sense not a moral one)..It was great on the valley in those days....any road upwards..to get to the point....does anyone remember the "Chip" van that used to come round?...Ive mentioned this to a few younger folk..and they cannot believe health and safety would let a van full of red hot fat...plough up and down a housing estate... and I was wondering if i imagined it...I think it was static on Leighton rd at times...but i'm sure i can recall it doing the rounds

[lazarus]

I seem to have found this forum a little late...I spent about 10 years on "The Valley" My dad was Landlord at the Horse and groom for a year or so...1968 ish...We then moved to spring close mount at the top of fleury..I remember the "farm" mentioned in a previous post...our maisonettes looked down on it...(In a geographical sense not a moral one)..It was great on the valley in those days....any road upwards..to get to the point....does anyone remember the "Chip" van that used to come round?...Ive mentioned this to a few younger folk..and they cannot believe health and safety would let a van full of red hot fat...plough up and down a housing estate... and I was wondering if i imagined it...I think it was static on Leighton rd at times...but i'm sure i can recall it doing the rounds

 

It use to park across from the Wyvern, it was quite handy seeing as Newfield Fisheries didnt open much at night.

[miami now]

I used to work at the Fish and Chip shop on Newfield Green shops, i lived right across the road from them, and Keith the owner and his mom and dad and sister lived by me to. I think Keith still runs it with his wife, he was such a great man. I remember the Horse and Groom, used to meet a boy named Steve Story there, my goodness thats a long time ago, maybe 1964 lol oh well, some good memories.

[Cookingfat]

hi all you valley lads and lasses my name is steve belk me and my family, dad charie mother kath, there was me my sister susan, brothers michael qnd david.up to a month ago most of them still live on the valley all us kids went to GV school i used to love the valley after living in the old pitsmoor which was very dirty always foggy untill the clean air law came into force. what i remember most when we came to live on valley, the clean air, the woods around overend we lived on blackstock it was like living on another planet i am 61 now and still remember it all in fact i am writing a book about living there my mum is still there in one of the 3 sisters at hemsworth, unfortunatly my dad died a few years ao, my mums still there our susan now lives in southall after spending 50 yrs up there, our michael lived ther till a few yrs ago then went to live in darnell, and david has for a come back to live there, our michael is now a grandpa susan as two daughters and 3 grand kids, my best mate was jimmy birchall, after leaving the navy he went to live in portsmouth whch he still does and we keep in touch with each other. when we got to 16 or 17 we would sneak in the wyvern and hqve apint i'm sure horace the landlord thensure he knew we were underage cause i knew his lad stanley, over the last few i have seen alot of my old friends have past away, paul littlewood,phil mason, thats just 2 of them i suppose we are all getting to that age when friends are starting to shake the trees and some falling off so good health to you all who are still with us and RIP to those wh have passed on

[wiggum]

the teacher that picked you up by the sideboards was called mr broadhead

[*Wallace*]

Hey Cookingfat i remember Mick Belk well,grandad is he ? Jeez time just flies.

[*Wallace*]

Just remembered i have a small black and white photo somewhere of me your Mick and Mick Hardy somewhere if i can dig it out i will put it on here.

[bankwood]

Heyup Cooking Fat, Have you seen the photo I posted on Friends Reunited. You're on it at the back. We were in Mrs Barrett's class at what was called Rollestone, now Bankwood. Peter Reaney's on there too who I think died at the age of forty eight. Do you remember Joan Beaumont from GVSS, she died at forty. Do you remember Dave Fehley? I still keep in touch with him. Didn't I read once that you'd had some health issues? But, like me, you're still batting on.

[Brian Hanson]

I learnt something very interesting a few weeks ago while taking part in an environmental training day for rangers. Lots of times in the past I have been told that Meers Brook, which flows through Gleadless Valley, used to be the border of the ancient Kingdoms of Northumberland and Mercia.

 

In fact Meers Brook has never been the border of Northumberland and Mercia. The actual border of these two ancient Kingdoms was the RIVER HUMBER. Anywhere above the river (North) was the Kingdom of North Humberland, Anywhere below the river (south) was the Kingdom of Mercia. As years went by the Kingdom of Mercia moved and

settled in what we now call Lancashire and the main river became known has "The Mercia" (Now called River Mersey).

 

So next time anyone says to you Meers Brook used to be the ancient border of..... you'll be right in replying; "No it wasn't".