Priestly Clough

[zacdingle]

the chap who owned nelson,s farm was roland nelson, he did live in one of the semis on willows lane, near broadfeild road, the chap who got tied to the gatepost was farmer ernie nelson, he farmed at meadow top farm past gren howarth golf club, he was the milkman around ferngore in the seventies, i used to work on his farm after school.

[john conway]

I and many of my pals, girls and boys, who use to live on and around Higher Antley Street in the 50’s use to play in the clough all the way from Highams Mill up to the Five Arches. We’d build dens and dams, light fires, climb trees, catch minnows, frogs and newts and go nesting in the spring. We’d leave home after breakfast and not come home until tea time. I remember when the Red Barn had a roof and an upper floor; it even had a few windows left to smash. The trains also use to set the embankment on fire and we’d nick coal from the sides of the track to make fires in our dens. We also use to put pennies on the lines and wait for the trains to come passed and flatten them.
It’s about ten years since I walked in the clough and I was recently told they’ve just demolished Highams’s Mill. I’ve looked on an old OS map and I can’t see any rights of way through the clough other than the lane that runs down past Neloson’s farm over the river then the railway bridge up to the playing fields. I think this road/ track is an unclassified county road and if so will be on the list of streets held by the local or county council.
Also as a young lad, I use to walk up through the Clough to get to Howarth Art Gallery when I was supposed to be at Church on a Sunday morning. My dad and mum didn’t go very much but they use to make me. They eventually found out and we had an almighty row, I’d be about 16 then and the clough gave way to the snooker halls and later the pubs.
I still dream about the clough, happy days.

[gdm27]

Does anyone remember the huge air raid shelter that was placed under Rileys Hill. Back in the late 60's bad weather washed away earth covering a corner so of course we managed to break into it!!!! You had to take candles or a tourch and walked in a huge circle to get back to the entrance. As per normal this onley lasted for a short while as the council came and covered it again!!!!!

[mickp]

gdm27
I must know you.Spent many hours in the air raid shelters.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by mickp

gdm27
I must know you.Spent many hours in the air raid shelters.

Hey Up

[gdm27]

Originally Posted by mickp

gdm27
I must know you.Spent many hours in the air raid shelters.

Were you the guy that was always chasing us around to blow out our candles??? Only joking Mick!

[mickp]

joking aside.Iwas the original candle blower outer.From Fountain Street.

[john conway]

Originally Posted by gdm27

Does anyone remember the huge air raid shelter that was placed under Rileys Hill. Back in the late 60's bad weather washed away earth covering a corner so of course we managed to break into it!!!! You had to take candles or a tourch and walked in a huge circle to get back to the entrance. As per normal this onley lasted for a short while as the council came and covered it again!!!!!

Yes I remember playing in the air raid shelter at the bottom of Riley’s Hill, we use to put candles in jam jars. But I remember breaking into them in the 50's, but like you said the council always came and blocked them up again. I lived on Higher Antley St between 1952 to 1972, we used to play a lot on Riley’s Hill, Blue Bell Wood, that ran down from the top end of Riley’s Hill to the start of Priestly Clough, and the Donkey Steps. Do you remember the allotments on either side of the Donkey Steps; we didn't call them allotments just 'pens'.

[gdm27]

We always went to Rileys Hill if we didn't have enough time to go further. I remember in Summer we used to play on the area just next to the tennis courts at the top. We would get lots of grass/hay and place it close to the wall there then take turns to see how far we could jump out over the wall getting higher and higher. The winner would be the one that didn't break any bones!!! You tell kids today that that was how you had fun back then etc etc etc. Fresh air, grass, nothing else????

[mickp]

I thought the donkey steps ran from Perth Street to the Globe Bowling club .Just below Bullough park.

[gdm27]

Originally Posted by mickp

I thought the donkey steps ran from Perth Street to the Globe Bowling club .Just below Bullough park.

Those are the ones that I remember.

[john conway]

Originally Posted by mickp

I thought the donkey steps ran from Perth Street to the Globe Bowling club .Just below Bullough park.

I think we are talking about the same Donkey Steps.

To get to Bullough Park from where I lived on Higher Antley St., I walked up Major St. onto Perth St. turning left then up between the end of some terraced houses and I think a row of bungalows. Here you got onto the Donkey Steps (very long steps probably 2 metres with a hand rail running up the middle, very good for swinging on and hanging upside down) On either side of the Donkey Steps where pens (allotments) and on Sundays you could buy cut flowers, eggs and some fresh veg. At the top of the Donkey Steps you came to a very high red brick wall, with the Globe private bowling green on the other side. If you turn left and followed the high red brick wall, which took you across the top of Riley’s Hill, it lead you to the lower part of the wall that gdm27 talked about. If you continued straight on from the top of the Donkey Steps, now a cinder track with the high red brick wall on your left and wooden garages on your right you came to the track/road from Willows Lane that was the main entrance to Bullough Park and the play ground where as kids we were generally heading.

[gdm27]

Originally Posted by john conway

I think we are talking about the same Donkey Steps.

To get to Bullough Park from where I lived on Higher Antley St., I walked up Major St. onto Perth St. turning left then up between the end of some terraced houses and I think a row of bungalows. Here you got onto the Donkey Steps (very long steps probably 2 metres with a hand rail running up the middle, very good for swinging on and hanging upside down) On either side of the Donkey Steps where pens (allotments) and on Sundays you could buy cut flowers, eggs and some fresh veg. At the top of the Donkey Steps you came to a very high red brick wall, with the Globe private bowling green on the other side. If you turn left and followed the high red brick wall, which took you across the top of Riley’s Hill, it lead you to the lower part of the wall that gdm27 talked about. If you continued straight on from the top of the Donkey Steps, now a cinder track with the high red brick wall on your left and wooden garages on your right you came to the track/road from Willows Lane that was the main entrance to Bullough Park and the play ground where as kids we were generally heading.

Yep those are they! Do you remember when the play area was in no way PC. When I was a kid they had swings that you could do the bumps on. A ride shaped like a Christmas tree that went round and round and from side to side. Hands up how many people lent on the sitting area forgetting that their legs where under it only to remember when the whole thing came crashing down on your knees!!!! Happy days OUCH!

[john conway]

Originally Posted by gdm27

Yep those are they! Do you remember when the play area was in no way PC. When I was a kid they had swings that you could do the bumps on. A ride shaped like a Christmas tree that went round and round and from side to side. Hands up how many people lent on the sitting area forgetting that their legs where under it only to remember when the whole thing came crashing down on your knees!!!! Happy days OUCH!

Yes, the ride shaped like a Christmas tree was called the umbrella. There was also a big bench swing with handles that could seat maybe eight kids. One kid would stand at each end holding the bench support struts and get the bench swinging really high. I remember there was also a big rocking horse that could hold perhaps six kids, a normal roundabout, and the big slide (“helter skelter”, sorry if the spelling is wrong but that’s how we said it as kids) that you could make really slippy by rubbing candle wax on it, kids use to shoot right off the end. In those days, there were several park keepers and in the summer, you had to book the public tennis courts they were that popular. When I worked at Howard & Bulloughs I was in the works Tennis club so I could use the private tennis courts with the changing rooms/pavilion. Although I’m not sure if it was also used by the general public as well. When I come to think about it I seem to remember playing on these courts with our school PE teacher, there were only a few of us kids at St Oswald’s school who could play tennis.

[mickp]

John do you have a sister around your age ?Also I was the first person in the world,to balance on the handrail .Down the donkey steps, from top to bottom.Thank you.