Did you ever live in Parson Cross?

[Unregistered 10]

I remember in 1966, a poor family living near the Wordsworth Tavern got behind with their rent.

 

In the morning the family were evicted and in the afternoon some Council workmen arrived.

 

They removed the whole bedroom window and dumped all the remaining old beds, carpets and old wardrobes in the front garden to be taken away.

 

How publicly humiliating. I'm sure it couldn't happen these days.

[JonnH 10]

My dad lived in Parson Cross and i'm going to hand over to him now.

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I'm Paul, lived on Colley Avenue next door to Ray Hind, Pete Green and next door to them Geoff Green (no relation though).

 

I went to Colley school and left in 1959. My best mates were Jeff Woods, John Naylor, John Nicholas and Trevor Earnshaw.

 

My brother used to be in Dean Marshall & The Deputies playing rhythm guitar, left before they became Jigsaw though.

[Freda 10]

Hi Paul, Iwonder if you knew any of the Butler family who lived on Colley Road at 108? Ray remembers us, he and I are in touch now but sadly can't actually remember him from those days - I left Colley Road to live on Tunwell Avenue when I was 10 or 11.

Freda

[sandy 10]

hello lwas wondering if l could use some of these storys

for when we go into the old peoples home

as you know l belong to parson cross history group

[Freda 10]

Are you having a laugh Sandy??????

But then again, I supose you just might be going into an old people home.......

What sort of stories are you looking for?

[sandy 10]

anything about parson cross in the pass l dont mind what you telll

[Bushbaby 11]

You're welcome to any of mine Sandy...

 

You really started something didn't you?

[sandy 10]

bushbaby

your storys are great

but would like a name to the storys o even a e mail adress

if not we would have to call you bushbaby

[Unregistered 10]

I never saw a Black person on Parson Cross before 1970.

[Bushbaby 11]

A great memory I have of growing up on the cross, is of the wide selection of Youth Clubs I was able to attend.

Living in the epicentre, close to the junction of Wordsworth and Deerlands, I had easy access to Mansell, Meynell and Colley YCs. All fine institutions in their own right,

During my early teens, in the late 60’s and into the early seventies, I could go to a club each weekday evening, and often did, meeting many of the same people at all three.

 

My favourite, and the one at which I felt most at home, was Mansell. Each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, myself, and the crew of guys who were my best mates, would go up for a game of table tennis or darts, and maybe even a go on the pinball.

 

There was a disco, consisting basically of a sqare room with bench seats and tables. The walls were painted black and the fluorescent strip lighting was ultra-violet. It also had (didn’t they all?) a mirror-ball, which spun frenetically in time to the heavy beat of the ultra loud music. You couldn’t hear yourself smoke but boy it was great fun. Occasionally they would play a medley of WW2 singalong songs (“My old man said follow the van” that kind of thing) and we would all sing our hearts out – inserting a few dirty lyrics whenever we could. Then it was back to Creedence or Blood Sweat and Tears.

It was a geat place for boys and girls to mix in comparative safety, and I know of one couple, still living on the cross, who met aged 14 at Mansell YC. They’ve now been married 32 years. (Jeez!)

 

The team who ran the club (Len, Jackie and others) were all in their thirties and were really dedicated people. I know they got paid but it wasn’t a huge amount, and they did often go beyond the call of duty, training the football team and running guys to and from games.

The Saturday Youth Clubs League saw some very passionate football, and the rivalry between even the three clubs I was a member of, was intense. Losing to Colley meant a long walk home along Remington, and when we at Mansell won that league one year, we celebrated in style with a disco party at the club. We even got Pete Howe’s band to come and play a session for us. (see separate threads for info on Pete)

 

Like many people, I despair at the behaviour of teenagers today, and I can’t help but feel that the disappearance of these places is a contributory factor. I think we were just as badly behaved potentially, but thanks to Youth Clubs our aggression was controlled, and we were able to direct our energies elsewhere. I’m also quite sure that reintroducing these academies would go a long way to reversing behavioural trends. Sure, this would have a number of implications, not least of which is cost, but it deserves at least to be considered.

[SCENIC 10]

Hi Sandy,

I lived on Lindsay Avenue from 1939 to 1960. It was great. Had a lot of pals living there at that time. We often used to go on the 'back fields' to play ( just below the old Lindsay Road school). Our 'gang' also went to Longley Park open air swimming pool during the summer.

Apparently its a bit different nowadays with house being wrecked and boarded up because people don't want to live there any more. gREAT PITY.

[msdiane 10]

Originally posted by sandy

hello lwas wondering if l could use some of these storys

for when we go into the old peoples home

as you know l belong to parson cross history group

Just to say how great the history group are, they have been to Deerlands home and the residents (many of who have lived on Parson Cross for lots of years) really enjoyed all the memorabilia on display as well as talking about local history.