Totley in the 50s and 60s

[Dreb48]

Just imagine 10, 000 people on Totley Rise . I bet Springs ran out of gobstoppers !!

 

[Jonp123]

Hi all! I live on the Green Oak estate in present day and it's been fascinating reading peoples accounts from the 'pre-fab' days.

 

I'm currently doing a project concentrating on the rivers which run through Totley and would be grateful to hear anyones stories/anecdotes from Gillifield Wood (Totley Brook), Old Haybrook and the tributaries on Totley moor. I've read accounts on the Totley History Group already about fishing in Totley Brook for brown trout and also about the infamous Totley swimming pool!

 

Cheers,

 

Jon.

[Dreb48]

14 minutes ago, Jonp123 said:

Hi all! I live on the Green Oak estate in present day and it's been fascinating reading peoples accounts from the 'pre-fab' days.

 

I'm currently doing a project concentrating on the rivers which run through Totley and would be grateful to hear anyones stories/anecdotes from Gillifield Wood (Totley Brook), Old Haybrook and the tributaries on Totley moor. I've read accounts on the Totley History Group already about fishing in Totley Brook for brown trout and also about the infamous Totley swimming pool!

 

Cheers,

 

Jon.

Hi Jon

I think you may be able to give us information that most of us don’t know .

 

As a child there in the 50/60s, I assumed there were 2 streams .

 

I personally played in the one that runs behind the estate on Aldam Rd which came from the direction of Gilleyfield Woods and then flowed down through Lady’s Spring Woods after it  joined with the other stream that ran from Old Hay over the aqueduct opposite Totley Brook Rd  and continued down to Beauchief .

I didn’t know their names . Maybe others did .

There were trout in the stream behind the prefabs and  we often built huge dams to control the flow and trap them in the deeper water. 
There were older children who would fish with rods but I personally never got past catching a few sticklebacks in a net and keeping them in a jam jar.

I only heard stories of the swimming pool long after I left . It certainly wasn’t being used in our days .

[Dreb48]

Hi Jon 

I’ve pm’d a response to your enquiry 

I’m not sure whether it’s sent.

If it doesn’t come though just post again on  here and I’ll send you my email address 

[Dreb48]

Hi Jon 

Im not sure the system allows you to carry on a conversation on my profile pages .

The answer to your question is I don’t know .

i think we were one of the first families on the estate but I’m not sure 

I’m guessing 1947 but maybe someone else on here will know 

 

What year were the prefabs erected?

[Meltman]

I'm going to guess that the prefabs were erected just after the war, so 1946 onwards 

They were only supposed to be temporary but survived longer than expected. We moved out in early 1972. The 'plan " was for us (me and mum) to move to a council property at Broadway whilst they pulled the prefabs down and built new houses, and then move back! We argued that my mum, who was getting on a bit, couldn't stand 2 moves, also there was a good chance that the council would change their mind, and she wanted to stay in Totley as she had friends. They had just completed the single person flats on Green Oak Rd so she moved from the prefabs into a flat and I went to stay with my sister and brother in law at Coal  Aston for a few months until I got married. 

 

[Brian Hardy]

HI,

          I didn't grow up in Totley but had a few mates from the area, Johnny Cowperthwaite, Len  Singleton, Roy Letch, Ted Handley all of us car mad.  Does anyone remember the old garage at the chemical yard where we took our cars for the MOT  I don't remember one ever failing. Happy days.

               Kind Regards,

                                            Bri.

 

[Dreb48]

2 hours ago, Brian Hardy said:

HI,

          I didn't grow up in Totley but had a few mates from the area, Johnny Cowperthwaite, Len  Singleton, Roy Letch, Ted Handley all of us car mad.  Does anyone remember the old garage at the chemical yard where we took our cars for the MOT  I don't remember one ever failing. Happy days.

               Kind Regards,

                                            Bri.

 

Hi Brian 

I remember the chemical yard very well .

I knew there was a garage down there but I was never sure what else .

Had a school friend who lived in a cottage down there, the end of which got swept away in the great flood of the 60s

He relocated to the prefabs 

[Dreb48]

2 hours ago, Meltman said:

I'm going to guess that the prefabs were erected just after the war, so 1946 onwards 

They were only supposed to be temporary but survived longer than expected. We moved out in early 1972. The 'plan " was for us (me and mum) to move to a council property at Broadway whilst they pulled the prefabs down and built new houses, and then move back! We argued that my mum, who was getting on a bit, couldn't stand 2 moves, also there was a good chance that the council would change their mind, and she wanted to stay in Totley as she had friends. They had just completed the single person flats on Green Oak Rd so she moved from the prefabs into a flat and I went to stay with my sister and brother in law at Coal  Aston for a few months until I got married. 

 

Hi Meltman 

We moved out in 66 when we took the shop on Abbey Lane.

This solved the problem of where to go when the prefabs were pulled down as we really didn’t want to move until the retail opportunity presented itself unexpectedly 

I think Batemoor was looking likely and I’m sure Jordanthorpe figured too.

Our close neighbours moved to Fraser Estate 

[Dreb48]

I had a little cruise round the old stomping ground yesterday.

I know I’ve mentioned this earlier but it really is incredible how many places have been built on .

I started on Totley Hall Lane and drove  down to the gate to Gilleyfield Woods which is surprisingly still the same .

There’s housing behind the Hall and the farm ( that now  appears not to be )

its all around the back and behind the Fleur

Where the college was on the other side is another private development of houses plus various others that were once cottages 

It’s a Tesla wonderland .

i then went down Laverdene Ave and seriously is it possible to cram any more housing in there ?

The old Chemical Yard appears to be now just one cottage, though the footbridge still remains across the river 

I think I noticed, strangely,  that the gate at the bottom of Laverdene ,that seperated it from the old Back Lane ,is still there .

I guess it all goes to prove that things change in 60 years 

Who’d have thought it ?