Totley in the 50s and 60s

[Dreb48 35]

Hi sedith. Was Susan related to Clive who is the only Bellamy I can remember from the 60s ? He lived in the prefabs on Aldam and his dad was park keeper in Green Oak Rec.

[sedith 19]

Hi sedith. Was Susan related to Clive who is the only Bellamy I can remember from the 60s ? He lived in the prefabs on Aldam and his dad was park keeper in Green Oak Rec.

No, I don't remember anyone named Clive Bellamy. Susan went to Abbeydale Grange and David went to Silverdale. Mum and Dad were Mavis and Don. Don worked for Crabtree Nichol and Mavis was a teacher at King Edwards School at Manor Top.

[ptrA 10]

The criteria to be awarded a council house in Totley these days appears to be:-

 

A member of an ethnic minority.

A minging family with chav kids.

Whichever of the above, being on benefits would be an advantage.

The skills required to smoke a hubble bubble pipe in your front garden.

The ability to terrorise normal kids who wish to play in Green Oak Park.

Being stupid enough to attempt to scare Jamie Reeves in the co-op (the worlds strongest man 1989), now that was funny.

 

I guess it's changed a bit.

 

It's who you know

Edited May 11, 2015 by esme
quote tags

[kwilt 10]

She went out with 'Puddle' for a long time - real name Malcolm Lake - who was guitarist with The Sinners (previously The Saint and The Sinners). He was really keen on Blues music - you know the really basic raw stuff. Didn't Cookie live in one of the prefabs that faced onto Baslow Road near the Main Avenue bus stop - or am I thinking of someone else? As you say, memory is fallible and gets worse by the day. But I can remember some of this better than I remember yesterday!

 

I heard from Puddle a few weeks ago, quite out of the blue after a gap of about 48 years. He has been living in Northern Ireland for over 40 years, working as a Town Planner, married, 3 daughters but now retired. As well as playing guitar he was very good on the blues harmonica. There was a Brenda Cook who was in my year at Cowsheds who, I believe, lived in the prefabs just past the bus stop at the top of Main Avenue.

 

---------- Post added 14-05-2015 at 15:44 ----------

 

Sorry Crookesy it may be their Ken I'm thinking of. Dennis Drury, who lives near me now was a stalwart of those times

 

Well remember Dennis and his brother Charlie (Raymond). Back in the 60's Dennis had a truck, I guess that he must be in his early 70's now. Last time I saw Charlie he had a flower shop down on Eccleshall Road, that must have been 25+ years ago. Any idea what he's doing now? He (Charlie) used to knock around with John Parkin, who I understand may still be around Totley. John's mum used to be the postie up in the village and possibly down into New Totley.

Edited May 14, 2015 by kwilt
correcting grammar

[oldrowley 10]

Hi everybody. In January 1952, there was a severe shortage of capacity at Ecclesall C of E Primary School and my class of J3 (all aged about 10) was bussed to the Totley Primary School for the term ending July 1952. I can't recall the exact name of the Totley school but it was down Main Avenue and to the right. It was a very enjoyable spell but my memories are limited to a Mrs Gascoigne who I think was deputy head and I was quite keen on a pupil, Patricia Spencer, who lived on Main Avenue. In later life, I worked with Geoff Maynard whose parents had an ironmongery shop down the main road. He was quite keen on Eileen Pitchfork. I also knew John Emsley, nice lad, don't know if he's still around.

[Dreb48 35]

Hi oldrowley. 1952 is the year before I started there. In those days it was called Totley County School.

I remember Mrs Gascoyne. I'm surprised you've not mentioned Miss Clarebrugh who was headmistress. Not a person to mess with.

I also can recall Maynards Hardware shop opposite the top of Mickley Lane.

Sorry can't place any of the other names.

 

In reply to kwilt I can confirm that Dennis is still going strong and hasn't changed a bit. He lives in Woodseats.

I remember his truck and also the van he had. Dennis was and still is a huge blues fan and he took a group of us to the Richmond Jazz & Blues Festival in the back of his van in 1965.

[ping 11]

As far as I remember, Mrs Gascoigne was the (very surly) dinner lady. The school meals were atrocious - lumpy mashed potatoes, carrots and turnips (everything was mashed), and who could forget semolina and 'frogspawn'.

 

She would only let us leave one item on our plates so it became a work of art to hide one lump of mashed garbage under another.

[Dreb48 35]

Hi ping. I think your recollection of Mrs Gascoigne is the same as mine as we mentioned earlier in this thread. Don't think Miss Clarebrugh would have needed or tolerated a deputy head.

If you remember the school badge had TCS ( Totley County School ) on it and we used to say it stood for turnips, carrots and spuds as a tribute to the fine school meals that were dished up.

Can you recollect any of the teachers? I think we started at the same time so I think it was Miss Grandage, Mrs White, Miss Willoughby, Mrs Redmayne , Miss Richards and Pop Roberts though I could be wrong and I could have missed somebody

[ping 11]

HI Paul,

TCS - Totley cow sheds?

I can't add any more teacher's names except to say that I think MIss Willoughby became Mrs Poyser at some stage.

[Dreb48 35]

Yeah, Cowsheds. Someone mentioned that earlier and I'd forgotten it.

Miss Willoughby did become Mrs Poyser, you're right of course.

Just can't think of any more teachers at all. Must have been a small staff room.

I was chatting with my OH about morning assemblies that we all had back in the day.

I was saying there was always somebody either being sick or wetting themselves or so it seemed. She didn't remember that happening at her primary school or so she says.

Do you remember having to stand on the mat in the foyer outside the Hall if you misbehaved? I seem to remember seeing our old chum Mr Warburton stood there a couple of times.

[ping 11]

Another teacher springs to mind - fuzzy Forsdyke.

There were less teachers because the classes were larger than these days. We averaged around 45 per class in the late 50s.

I also stood on 'the mat' a couple of times (can't remember why).

[Dreb48 35]

Nope can't remember a Forsdyke at all.

Yes the classes were big. I think even when we went to secondary they were around 40.

Can't believe you were ever on the mat. You were squeaky clean like me.

I even had a blazer when I started not realising that the real school uniform was the mum hand knitted jumper. Designer wear in those days was a Ladybird sweater.