Longford (inc. The Red Hills)

Longford lad Why did I assume you lived on the right hand side of the road? The bungalow was built 43/44 time, as a kid did not bother to much with names just knew my way around, now Wilsons Lane that rings a large bell, pretty girls in Wilsons Lane. Longford bridge to me was always the canal bridge, the Sowe ran under the road not as a bridge but as a culvert into the park just below Foxford football pitch. That's how I remember it.

Well, if you meant by "the right hand side of the road" the view of Bedworth Road from the Longford Bridge to the Bedworth side of thing in the general direction of Bedworth, then, no - I lived on the left hand side of the road, the vicarage side. Given that pubs serve so well as georgraphic reminders, I perhaps should say that I lived opposite the Engine Inn, not on the same side of such. I agree with you entirely about the River Sowe and its general place in the scheme of things we know as Longford. Dr Webster, by the way, when I was but a lad, lived on Longford Road (opposite the Coach and Horses, but a little to the north of that fine pub). The good doctor had a sister who was given to sporting a rather "mannish" look, save that she did wear a skirt not slacks. Also, she had a companion who shared her "digs" at her brother's house. All of this was something of a mystery to the Longford folks of old. Today, I suspect, such an arrangement would be deemed by Longfordians as rather progressive, rather chic. LongfordLad in Toronto, overlooking the rather foggy Lake Ontario

I have been researching my friends family tree and according to the 1911 census they lived in Canal Lane, Longford. Does anyone know where this was (is it now Hollybush Lane between the Engine pub & Hackett's undertakers?)

Derrickarthur - look back at Post 78 and you will see someone else asking the same question. In Post 81 you will see an answer from 'Dutchman' - Canal Lane became Lady Lane.

Wasn't there a caravan site in Lady-lane at the back of the church. I can remember a friend of mine living there, but that must be 45 years ago. I guess thing have changed since then. My friends name was Brendan St John, well that's what he called himself, actually he was a pretty good guitarist who went around the pubs and clubs.

The caravan site is still there. Could your friend actually be called Barry? There's an incredibly good musician by that name lives on the site. I reckon he'd be over 70 now though. He played with Pete Waterman in his younger years.

Hi Bohica, I don't think it's the same person, Brendan was a little Irish fella about 5'4", yes he would be between 70-72 now. Had an awful habit of taking a sweet smelling snuff which left a brown stain around his nose, a very funny guy. I did hear he went to live in Blackpool, and was doing the hotels. He's probably retired now with a million in the bank.

Any one remember the hot water pipes that came out of the gas-works in to the canal at Longford Bridge, back of the New Inn. It was there I learnt to swim or should say dog paddle at the ripe old age of 5yrs, the same year I started Windmill Road school. Or the frog pound in Carrol's fields "opposite the school" where we used to go and catch frogs and sticklebacks. It used to be corn-field and hay-ricks then, its now a housing estate. Of course its just fading memories now. I still miss my old mates but most of them have gone, but not forgotten. This was in early 40s. we were just young kids.

Hello Wizard. I do recall the hot water at the gas works and at the power station. We couldn't get swimming trunks then, unless you were very posh so if anyone came past we had to stay in the water. You could be sure that someone would be walking on the tow path and stop and watch so would have to tread water until they walked on. It was at the gas works that I was often sent to get coke with a trolley on Saturday morning. I didn't know that that field was called Carrols field, do you know why? The pond was a magnet for us children, catching the sticklebacks and red breasts with a bent pin and a bit of cotton thread and crossed matchsticks to act as a float. Perhaps we fished there together. That was the only place that I have ever seen glow worms. Going down the field on the right hand side there was another shallow pond where the newts lived and the allotment gardeners would get water. Beyond that was the black pad and the kissing gates. I was born in 1932 so may have gone to Windmill Rd school at the same time as you. Do you remember Daddy Ansell, Quinney and Tom Carey. I was totally in love with Miss Griffiths and was devastated when she moved over to the girls school. Very cruel to a besotted ten year old. In spite of the war and rationing those were happy days for me.

Hi Norman, I have to smile thinking about jumping in the cut in our "birthday suits" at that age we were free from vanity, can you imagine mothers today letting there kids do it. I was born in 1938 I lived at the beginning of Longford Road next to the co-op for 22 yrs. Yes, I only had to go over Longford bridge to the gas works to get a bag of coke, and I always remember the queues and how cold it was. I used to get six pence for it. I think Carrols field got its name from Carrols the butchers on the corner. Can you remember the caravan site that the council put there that stretched down to the black pad, I went out with a girl from there a Shirley Vaune but the council moved them to Birmingham never seen her again, I cant imagine what she would look like now. Daddy Ansell left when I went up to the juniors, Quinney Edwards I think he was the music teacher, Tom Carey not sure. Miss Griffiths yes, and a Mr Griffiths. And It was the best days of our lives, we've seen it all happen.

Wizard 76, you confuse me. The gas works stood next to New Inn bridge. Longford bridge was in Longford. Next to New Inn Bridge on the towpath stood a house, Dovedale Ave side, was Canal House, my parents lived there from the late fifties. Miss Griffiths was headmistress in the fifties and was no relation to Mr Griffiths. Shortly I hope to put on here a picture of the 'Cut' on the 'Canals' topic, might interest you. Regards

Yes Wizard,I am a little older than you and I was at school when Daddy left. The head that followed him would bring his two dogs to school every day, his name has long left my head. Quinney (Edwards) did teach music and he gave me a lifelong passion for classical music. There was also a Miss Bunn in the infants who had a serious BO problem. Tom Carey had been hit at the side of his head with some debris from a bomb explosion that left its mark. The school was strictly segregated and so the boys and girls rarely mixed. Miss Griffiths was a teacher on the boys side but I know that she was promoted to head of the girls school while the guy with the dogs was head of the boys school.. As for Carrols field I hadn't made the connection with the butchers shop on the corner and the field. The caravans. yes I do have some vague memories of some travellers that tried to settle there without success. I avoided contact with them but you must have been bolder than me to strike up a romantic relationship with one of the girls. I well remember that field and the sky larks that lived there in the summer months. Although we knew the location of those nests we would never disturb them. I wonder what todays children would have done to those nests.... Norman.

You are correct as usual Kaga, the bridge they talk about is the New Inn bridge. Longford bridge is the one in Longford which crosses the canal there. there is a bridge across the Longford road for the river Sowe probably about midway between the New Inn bridge and Longford bridge. The river Sowe ran under the gasworks and the canal, and came out into what, in my days was "the Tip" it then went through Longford park to a mill pond then up along the Aldermans green/ Bell green road. I also went to windmill road school, starting in about 1949.. Miss Oughton was the head mistress in the infants and juniors, Miss Griffiths was headmistress in the seniors. Mr Griffiths [no relation] was deputy head. I also remember the corn field before they built the housing estate. We use to go fishing for tiddlers in the river Sowe where it went through the tip, there was another small bridge across the river. we fished for stickbacks with cotton for line and matchsticks for floats, but never needed bent pins as the fish would swallow the worm whole.

Hi Kaga, that house you mentioned that your parents lived in, does the name "Dave Tibet" ring a bell, I'm sure he lived there when we were kids, he used to meet up with all the lads at night down Dovedale Ave, but I think he had a heart condition. And what about Cyril's sweet shop on the corner. I remember his daughter who some times worked in the shop, but the poor girl had polio and had to wear irons on her legs, but it didn't seem to bother her. Makes you think how blessed we are. Did you ever go to the Gas club, or the Foleshill Social club.

Hi Norman, I remember a Miss Scholes and a Miss Sidley who was the science teacher, and I can remember her science lessons alright, I didn't understand a blinking thing she said. I guess that's why I became a bricklayer for the past 45 years. And I don't think a lot of people knew about that part of Carrols Field at the bottom right, I remember the reeds were massive and the water so clean, and the water cress was hot when eaten. And for some reason the dragonflies were on the big size that a couple of professional photographers have been seen down there. And now it's all been concreted over for houses, what a crime that no one will ever see a little bit of nature at its best.