First Impressions
No. 03 - Part 06 - Nottingham Road
w/e 18 August 2019
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Kodak DX6490
This sixth and final part in the series covering
Nottingham Road has been hanging over my head like the Sword
of Damocles for far too long as it's more than three years since
I uploaded Part 05. Despite the passage of time memories from
my childhood and youth still fill my head as we continue from
my former home to the top of Nottingham Road and White Lion Square.
A similar view to this would greet me as I left home to dash
across the road to catch the Nottingham bus which would take
me to work in the mid 1960s. Back then the bus stop was situated
at the lighting column on the left of the picture but since then,
Dale Street has been blocked off to facilitate the creation of
a bus lay-by.
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The bus stop on the opposite side of the road then, was opposite
Dale Street where a green pole that originally carried overhead
lines for trolley buses stood. Pab's Discount Store has recently
closed for business but a shop has been trading here right where
that bus stop was for many years. Back in my youth however this
was Clarkson's Bike Shop where customers would also get accumulators
to run their wireless radios.
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In the next terrace along there were, and still are for that
matter, two more shops. The first, now Pete's Pergolas, was Argyle's
ladieswear shop and the second, a cafe still selling hot food,
was Ince's Chip Shop. Ince's shop had a large "Craven A"
sign beneath its window which I remember well. In the previous
part I mention a home-made trolley steered by a pyjama cord that
had a tendency to snap causing the trolley to veer to the right.
It happened one day when I was coming down Nottingham Road and
crashed into the metal sign with an almighty bang.
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At the other end of the terrace in the shop that is now a Barbers'
was Mr Hoyes' shop - a favourite with all the children. It was
a sweet shop with a famous "Penny Tray". You could
go in, choose from the tray at a penny per item - sometimes you
could get more than one sweet for your penny - and could easily
leave with a bag full and still have change from a shilling.
(Note for younger readers: There were twelve pennies in a
shilling and twenty shilling in a pound. A shilling equates to
5p in decimal currency.)
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  Next was the Fishing
Tackle shop, Graham Garage, J. W. Shenthall Ltd, a grocery store
which later became Dolly Richards Ladies Hairdressing Salon.
These were all demolished and replaced by modern retail outlets
and a car park (left). On the other side of Nottingham Road,
Dr Skinner's Surgery and a large house have also been demolished
recently to be replaced by the Littlewick Medical Centre (right).
Next to the Medical Centre on the corner of Orchard Street is
a pharmacy. In the last few months this has changed its name
to Peak Pharmacy from Manor Pharmacy but I remember it from years
ago as Taylor's Chemist. And even before that in the days of
my youth, it was Page's Wallpaper Shop. Taylor's and Page's actually
swapped premises with the wallpaper shop moving up to the corner
of of Graham Street, the next street up on this side of Nottingham
Road. Orchard House on the other corner of Orchard Street was
Dr. Laloo's Surgery so the pharmacy was ideally situated between
the two.
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Opposite Orchard Street on the junction of Havelock Street to
the left and Regent Street to the right is Yeomans who have been
trading from here for well over forty years but I still remember
the pseudo-Tudor beams on the facade with the name R. D. Lodge
above the windows. Grandma lived on Orchard Street and although
we did not attend the Catholic Church, all the family would join
neighbours to stand here and watch processions from the Catholic
Church on special occasions like Corpus Christi as they paraded
around the block, all the young girls wearing pretty white dresses.
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The Catholic Church, or to give it its full name the Church of
Our Lady and St. Thomas of Hereford, stands on the corner of
Regent Street with the adjoining Presbytery to the right facing
Nottingham Road. Built between 1921 and the early 1930s the church
is in the Early English Gothic style and is predominantly of
Darley Dale stone. During the Second World War, my Dad, unable
to serve in the Forces due to a disability, acted as an Air Raid
Warden and ushered people into the crypt at the church when the
sirens sounded.
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We're now almost at the top of Nottingham Road and the mixed
residential/business premises now become predominantly business
orientated. On the left most of the shops have changed over the
years. The greengrocer has gone and a dress shop is now an Indian
Restaurant. Briggs' Chip Shop was sold by the Briggs family and
although the name stayed the same the business now operates out
of the last property on this side. The original shop (with others)
was demolished to allow for the construction of Chalons Way and
the island at the end of it on White Lion Square.
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It's a similar story on the right hand side of the road although
the shop that was Birkin's Barbers' Shop years ago still provides
the same service albeit with different owners. In the early part
of my working life, I would often pass through the archway on
the right of the picture to access offices that were part of
EMEB's organisation in a building that now houses Orchard Joinery
Works.These are also accessed from Orchard Street. The Firework
Shop at the left hand side of the picture on the corner of Graham
Street is only open twice a year nowadays - for Bonfire Night
in November and again in the build up to the New Year. This is
the shop however that featured in the Pages/Taylors swap mentioned
earlier.
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On the other corner of Graham Street is a newsagent but I can't
pass this way without recalling when it was Sisson's Newsagents
with Moorley's Book and Bible Shop next door. There was also
George Toplis the butcher in the same row with Spendlove's Grocery,
which was previously Greenaway's, on the corner. The shops are
still there but the shopkeepers and the businesses have all changed.
To complete our sojourn up Nottingham Road, here is a bonus picture
showing the approach to the large island at the end of Chalons
Way. Anyone familiar with this view in years gone by will only
have to close their eyes to see the missing buildings - Mason's
Cobblers Shop, the original Briggs' Chip and Wet Fish Shop, the
gate into the back yard of the White Lion Pub and of course the
pub itself on the corner of White Lion Square. The years roll
on so please excuse me for all this wallowing in nostalgia -
but ah the memories!
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No. 4 - Quarry Hill Rd to follow
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