Home made carts!

[Hill Walker]

Today I had a big surprise. I was expecting a delivery and therefore keeping an eye on the road outside when to my surprise I observed three children were playing in the road. This is not something I normally see, it's so rare I was momentarily tempted to check that the phone (internet) and television were working. However what really caught my attention was the fact that they were playing with what could be loosely described as a 'home made cart'.

Ok it wasn't quite what we used to make in the 50's and 60's with a box, a long plank for the chassis and a short plank for the front axle. It was more like a big home made sit on skate board, small wire spoked pram wheels (with suspension springs) and a long broad plank to sit on. Steering was not done with the feet but by leaning, there appeared to be some sort of rubber straps connecting the front and rear axles. Clearly this steering system needed more development as the results appeared to be subject to random chance as much as intention.

The most surprising thing was that this was home-made, I genuinely cannot remember the last time I saw a child playing with anything home-made.

(OFF TOPIC) does anyone know why delivery men insist on knocking on double glazed doors (which cannot be heard) instead or ringing bells (which can be heard)?

[accypete]

steal one bin hole cover from the Well's (neighbours)
steal wood planks from Riley's (Dale st) along with a few snooker balls
find "abandoned" pram, remove wheel by bashing the hell out of it
find rusty bent nails on the back staighten em with brick
bash nails into bin cover and plank with half brick
burn hole in planks with poker attach small plank
fix wheels on rear and small plank by bending nails over wheel axle
fix string to front wheels
ride halfway down cobbled Porter st /Leyland St/Percival st or similar
pick up pieces and reasemble with more rusty nails

[Turtle]

We called them bogeys in Gt. Harwood. I know because in 1957 my older cousin was carrying 3 year old me on his back for a 'horsey ride'. He tripped over his bogey and landed right on top of my ankle! An ambulance came to take me to hospital (still remember the scratchy red blankets) for an X-ray. It was a small fracture, so no cast but my Grandma wrapped my ankle up with 'Knit bone' leaves (comfrey). Thanks for the memories, and I enjoyed reading your blog from 2008 Margaret

[westendlass]

We called them trolleys and there was always some kid in the area with one. Many happy memories flying down the street on one, pram wheels for a base, wooden slats for a seat and a rope to steer it! ��

[choirboy]

I lived on Within Grove in Huncoat from 1958 until I married in 1976. I was born in 1952 so in the early sixties I too got into building home made 'Trolleys'. I remember when they widened the bottom of Bolton Avenue into an access road for the Industrial Estate down there. My friends and I used to call it 'The New Road' and as no industry arrived for a few years it provided us with a super downhill track for racing our 'Trolleys'.
In the long summer holidays we used to have daily 'Grand Prix' events with quite strict rules about starting etc...chalk lines marked across the road for a 'pushing off' area....finishing line marked between two grates at the bottom and points awarded for finishing positions in every race and points totted up for overall winners! I suppose we were using 'Spread Sheets' of our own making long before they got that name!
There was one big problem however, which was that about four yards beyond the finish line we were required to undertake a right angle turn either to the left or right onto Whinney Hill Road and it was 50 / 50 if you got round the corner ....
a) without rolling over and skinning your hips and elbows or...
b) without buckling a couple of wheels!
We spent endless hours down there and I can remember ruining many pairs of "Tuff Shoes for Boys" as the toes were used for braking in order to get round the corners! A pair would usually last me about a fortnight!
The fastest trolley that I ever made was built up around the top of an old 'Ironing Board' and had sturdy pram wheels about 6 inches in diameter. I used to roll over sideways regularly but never buckled the wheels.
Long, sunny, happy days!