Anne Barber's Riding Stables ?

[madpoet 10]

Hi does anyone remember the stables at Eccleshall .I started learning to ride there in 1957 -- we were fortunate if we were given a free ride up to Long Line in Dore where some ponies were put out to rest for a couple of weeks after hard work .They had a full size carved wooden horse in the covered part of the yard which if I remember right Anne said her Dad used to use for teaching purposes.

Popular rides were up the old quiarry lane - unmetalled in those days so wecould canter all the way from bottom to top. It never seemed to rain in those days !

[scousemouse 10]

Wow that takes me back!! Mr Barber and Molly used to bring the 'muck' cart up Bannerdale Road when I was a kid, to dump the manure (this was before the fields were turned into houses by Gleesons) we then got a lift back down in the cart, bet out mums were pleased. I went Ann Barbers to learn to ride when the stables were at Silverdale Road.( then Dore) I remember Mr and Mrs Barber, plus Robin and Margaret very well. Some of the horses too!! Punch was a favourite, he was a big lad and it was like sitting on a mountain albeit in an armchair!! There was girl called Sally King I remember well, sadly she died many years ago. Sadly Ann died just a few months ago aged 83. She had cancer, but the funeral was really good turn out, complete with coach and horses as the hearse, very befitting for a lady who was so well known in the world of riding.

[JimLane 10]

I learnt to ride at far nova in Dore. We used to ride the manure trailer to be the heap and hang on as it was tipped. I bought a pony from Anne called Solomon and he was a great character. Anne only died a few months ago but I think she gave alot of people a fun start in life

[madpoet 10]

Hi Scousemouse and Jim Lane ,yes you were right Silverdale road was where stables were situated . Do you remember that Anne called many of the ponies after months of the year. I rode some and mucked out most of them ! I remember January ( was he a dark grey ),Feb was ? black with white points , March ? April was a young dappled grey I think , May ? bay, June was brown and rather stubborn nature- I think , July was a young grey with a mane that stuck out at all angles - August Sept and October & the rest well, perhaps you can put me straight on the details ?

When I went there - (every Saturday & as much of school holidays as I could do) I used to help out whenever possible - no job refused . I saved my pocket money up as I could only afford one lesson every 2 weeks - was it 2 or 4 shillings an hour? I used to walk there and back from Glen Rd in NetherEdge.

[scousemouse 10]

I don't recall the months of the year as names but it is well over 50 years ago!! I seem to recall apying six shillings! I stopped going when I discovered the farm out at Dungworth, (?) you could go out on your own. The horses knew the way, and couldn't be turned to go any other route!! I can't remember how much I paid there though. I finally stopped riding aged about 20.

[madpoet 10]

I thought Dungworth was the name of the riding school owners , whereabouts was it ? I probably went once but for some reason not regularly (possibly too far out )

I remember meeting a young girl on an excitable ex racehorse one day on the road to Foxhouse (I was walking with my mum & brother).She could not control the horse and was getting very frightened ,I was only about 9yrs old and the horse was swinging about all over the place obviously wanting to gallop off. My mum stopped a car and asked the driver to call at Anne Barbers stables for help as we could stay with this girl & horse but they needed to get home safely.Anne turned up soon after and sorted horse & rider out .

Girl dismounted and led horse home on tarmac road ! I learnt a big lesson that day ,Thanks Anne !

[JimLane 10]

I only went to the one on in Dore after she had moved from silverdale. The horses i remembee there were Bantum, Tarmegan, and Filly who were Anne and Robin's horses. In thw riding school i remember Paddy and Merlin. We used to ride over the top of Blackamoor and you're right it nevere rained

[netta 10]

wow this brings back wonderful memories for me I learnt to ride at Ann's 52 years ago when she was based at silverdale I was lead out on a lead rein next to Ann along ecclesall road with her white riding mac flapping I remember the horses being named after the months of the year I also remember the suffolk punch with the docked tail that she had We would ride up to long line on sunday and turn the ponies out to graze and get a well earned rest after a full weekends rides and lessons They would gallop off after we had untacked them kicking their heels up then we would get a lift back down to the stables. She was my inspiration and im pleased to say that 52 years on i havent lost the riding bug Im priveledged to own a horse and still ride 3 or 4 times a week wonderful

[supercar64 10]

Hi everyone

i remember anne barbers stables at silverdale

i remember the horses names charming / challeng /charity /minty /polly/bony/salty/pepper/patch/rody/

challeng was robins favourite horse a big and beautiful creature i also remember the field they were in on abbydale road we used to ride them bear back down from silverdale road to the field at the end of the day

enyone ells remember the year was around 1950ish

[marth 10]

I well remember Anne Barber and have a lovely photo of her at Hathersage Show and me aged 11. I remember a pony called Biscuit, and a girl called Heather Dewsnap. Anyone go to Denise Cox's riding school? I went there all through the war, on Ringinglow Road. She had to feed the horses on all sorts of scraps during the war, and managed to get rations for them too. The stables at Hathersage were owned by Mr Dungworth and I went there too, as you could go out alone-- big treat! It was quite expensive though with the bus fare. Horses became a great part of my life, and I still go for a gentle trot on the moor on a VERY quiet horse. I'm 78 now.

[mirelle17 10]

I just moved from Ann's yard, unfortunately she passed away June of this year, she had a good send off tho, black friesian horse drawn carriage and 10 of us from the yard escorted it through the village on our own horses, it was in the star paper I think,

[hank 10]

At Siverdale in mid 1950s - Roddy ( a bit frisky - liked to have a canter that changed to a gallop) and Ginny - a sedate old lady which always was the last horse in the group.