Longford (inc. The Red Hills)

Hi NormK. That pond is still there but has been largely extended and is now open to anglers. As for being haunted, I know of several anglers who have night fished that pool and never said anything to me about it being haunted. As for ghosts one believes what one wants to believe. I used to get down to the Norfolk Broads quite a lot and there is a story of a haunting by the black dog of Barton Broad. I have spent many nights fishing at Barton but the black dog would not appear for me. Perhaps I should have taken a bone for him.

Thanks for that Norman. Rumours were rife about it when I was young, we lived a bit further on, and if we had to walk past it after dark we always ran instead. I know the guy that owns the fishery, he dug them himself and took years to complete it. I have fished some of the pools but never did much good and I don't know what it's like now.

Hi. I have never fished there so cannot comment. I enjoy my sailing and as my legs don't always do what I want from them I only fish from a boat now. Don't know what you think Norm but I don't really like these man made fisheries. When I was a bit nimbler on my feet I went and fished a man made pool out the other side of Berkswell. After about eight hours I jacked it in as a waste of time. That probably reflects on my skill as an angler but I don't recall anyone else catching anything. Probably not the best day to fish as it was hot and my bald patch got sunburnt.

NormK, hi, my backyard as the say, 1930's. On the right as you passed the Crown lived an aunt, behind those cottages was a very deep pit shaft, up the incline was a farm, believe it belonged to my dad's uncle, dad used to do paper chases over there and round Barnacle. On the left was the Lawsons, Lapworths and the Liggins then a pathway over to Bedworth or Sutton Stop, at the bottom of the hill was Hawkesbury Hall, my aunt went to live there when she was bombed out at where Melkef now lives. From the top of the slope on the left was a small wood, the pond was right at the corner, and yes we knew it as the 'white lady', between the pond and the next farm on the right I found the baby, took it to that farm. It was quite strange really, one day sitting in a tent in Palestine a few of us was talking Coventry, when one of the lads said he lived in a farm at Parrotts Grove, thinking no one new the area, turned out it was the farm on the right that had belonged to my relatives at one time. The last I heard of around there was that Les Allen my school chum had bought some land just past the pond, and had built a bungalow. What does surprise me no one seems to remember the little church that stood inside Lentons Lane.

Hi Derrickarthur, You and Norman Conquest mention knowing the Hackett family who lived in Astley Avenue. I really only knew Jean Hackett as she was in my class at school. I think that Keith was a friend of my elder brother Bill. Barrie Whetstone was a big friend of my other brother Ray, I think they used to get into a lot of trouble in their younger years, I had heard that Barrie had died, sad. I hadn't seen Jean Hackett since I left school in around 1960, but last year I found her on the "Friends Reunited" site and have had communication with her. Jean married a John Barnes of Windmill Road and now live in a village near Hinckley. Eileen apparently lives in Bedworth but I don't think I knew her. You are right, John Hackett has the Ducati dealership shop up at Keresley. Having lived up Astley Avenue and Arbury Avenue for so long can you remember the Johnsons who lived in Evelyn Avenue. Reg and his brother Lol lived next door to each other. Lol died many years ago, he was quite young. One last mention, you say you knew a Ronnie Field, was he the same one who used to drive the bakers horse and cart, the bakers I believe were at St Lawrences Street.

Kaga We lived in that bungalow, it would have been about 1957/8 time, no water so we had to get it from the farm on the left in Lentons Lane direction.

Hi wizard 76 I met Rons sister Eileen about two months ago, she confirmed that Ron was still about and lives in Aldermans Green. Alan H

I note, Kaga, that you corrected Wizard76 as to the name he applied to the crossing long ago of a bridge when he went with a pram to buy coke from the Gasworks when he was a lad. Given that I, too, am a member of that mainly forgotten group who travelled with a pram in pursuit of a Saturday morning supply of coke, I am greatly pleased that you simply pointed out his error - no one-up-manship for Kaga. Of course I lived at that time on the other side of the real Longford Bridge, and I know what Wizard76 means when he writes of the closeness to his home near New Inn Bridge. I write as one who - for a time before my older sister's immediate need of the family pram was passed, making the pram available for other chores - took a wheelbarrow each Saturday morning from my home opposite the Engine, up over Longford Bridge, down into the village, past the Coach and the Saracen's Head, past the Capitol billiard hall and then the Griffin, and that long walk across what would trouble the most noble of travellers (let alone one - aged 10 or so - with a wheelbarrow), until - across the River Sowe - civilization was reached once more in the shape of decent (1930s?) housing on both sides of Longford Road, and up past the Rivoli (formerly the Dovedale) and up past the New Inn, over the bridge that then bore that same name, and on to the gates of the Gasworks, to find my place at the end of the coke queue. There I could rest awhile, rest for a considerable while, until the wheelbarrow - later the much easier to handle Pedigree pram - was full of coke, and then the trek in reverse.

Longford Lad. Hi. Sometimes you really lose me with words, but I still like to read your posts. You certainly had a better education than I did at Foxford, but then you must have been a long time after me, I would say a good ten years or more, if so I would have no idea about the Gasworks then, I was long gone from there for a time. Don't know about oneupmanship, I merely post what I remember while I can. Once again I was pleased to find you verified what I thought I remembered (Dovedale), at my age, yes, I'm worried about losing my memory and the more people tell me I'm right the better I feel. You know you're the only person on here that has mentioned going to Foxford, I presume that was the old school, so now I feel there really was a Foxford, and I feel better for that. Thank you. Regards, Kaga.

I have vague recollection that some time during the war a coalman from Exhall or Blackhorse Road was had up for something or other, he pleaded he could not read or write, the judge said you are a successful business man and you can't read or write, my god, what could you have achieved if you had had education. I think at the time I knew the man but my memory has gone on this one.

The coal haggler in Blackhorse Rd was Tommy Bray.

As posts have now been made regarding Foxford schools, a separate thread has been created

There was a young lady in Longford who courted one of the 'yanks' from Blackhorse Road. She invited him home to meet her family, a few hours later and he asked her if her father would mind if he took photo's of their toilet, apparently he had never seen a tank and chain before. Neither could he understand her strict father who made them sit at the table and say grace, and when the 'yank' put the fork in his right hand the father glowered at him until he changed it. They split up.

Hi Kaga and all forumites When I was a nipper I attended first aid lessons at St Johns Ambulance in Longford. Was that in Lentons Lane or Jackers Rd? Wherever it was I think there was a church nearby. It was a good thing for me as I went to many sports events with St Johns. Did the Antelope hold motorcycle scrambles in Blackhorse Rd? I think they did as I recall attending meetings there and attending to those who thought they were better than they really were. Those lessons and first aid I learnt with the NCB shaped the rest of my life. As for holding a fork with the right hand I have always done that although I am normal in other things. Perhaps my wife would argue about that. To be able to use both hands equally must be useful. I would give my right arm to be ambidextrous.

St John Ambulance gave first aid lessons at the church hall on St Thomas the Apostle. The hall was at the top of Hurst Road, and is there still. I have no intelligence on its relations with St John Ambulance. Yes, the Antelope organized scrambles, and your recollection was close but no cigar. The fields and slag-heaps (the latter from Exhall Colliery) that comprised the track were off Baton Road. Your observation about what you learned of first aid in the two-storey building on Hurst Road, what you learned of first aid at the NCB, prompts me to ask if you ever came across my uncle, Fred Warwick. Uncle Fred started I believe as an NCB employee, though I cannot picture him as a miner, and he pursued first aid in whatever position he held at the NCB. In time, however, he became a senior officer in the St John Ambulance. The last time I recall seeing him, he had just been honoured by the Queen for his St John work - an O.B.E., I believe he was awarded. My St John instructor was Philip Farley, a young man to my child, who felt obliged to expel my from the voluntary work because I became embroiled with two kids my own age and I answered there pummeling with a little of my own. I never told Uncle Fred about this, but I continue to believe that Phil treated me shabbily for all that he otherwise was numero uno in my books. Phil lived with his mum and dad and his siblings on Bedworth Road (same side as the Engine pub, just a hundred yards of so from the Iron Bridge).