Managed to revisit an area from my childhood wanderings yesterday, some areas being seen for the first time in about 40 years, which proved enlightening as I could directly compare the images in my memory to the reality of today without having seen the inbetween. Regretfully, I rarely get the time or opportunity to take a couple of hours to walk about on foot - but, after yesterday, I must try harder to make that time!
As a former pupil of Holbrooks Infant and Junior School, before the by-pass link road cut through 'our' sports field, I can clearly remember the huge Dunlop factory that is no more - the site now buzzing with house builders, transforming the area all the way back to Beake Avenue.
Further along, climbing the Lockhurst Lane railway bridge, I was disheartened to see so many of the shops now seemingly being used as glorified storage containers - their windows either white-washed or boarded up against from inside, but offering the odd glimpse of 'stuff' being stacked up inside, and their frontages left to go to rack and ruin - a far cry from the row of independent shopkeepers I remembered?
Down the steps to what us kids referred to as 'The Black Pad' - a little-known side road, next the bridge, that diverted off to run alongside the railway tracks towards Radford Aerodrome, then changing into a tarmacadam footpath running all the way to Blackwatch Road. How sad to see that this whole area has been allowed to fall into such neglect. So much rubbish has been dumped over the fence, and into the overgrown vegetation of the railway verge, with little hope of anyone taking responsibility to clean it up? Those familiar with the area may remember the pedestrain footbridge, spanning the railway tracks where the narrow road ended, and the tarmacadam footpath began. A wonderful, impressive metal bridge, with lattice-style panelling. Now, the lattice work has gone, presumably due to health and safety concerns, and the sides are boarded up - only those of a tall stature now able to peer over and take in the view. Not that the view was ever that good, the demolition of the factories, alongside the tracks, leaving just their concrete footprints, just adds to the sense of neglect.
A brick-built clubhouse has appeared near to the footbridge - I don't remember that, but it clearly keeps the aerodrome playing fields actively in use and, I hope, safe from the housebuilders grasp? Unfortunately, the walk along the path to Blackwatch Road is much more depressing. On the left, overgrown vegetation entwines itself through the fencing, whilst on the right, it appears the developers have scraped the adjacent land and allowed the spoil to form a 15-20ft embankment of detritus alongside the path - a mixture of building rubble and more general junk, clearly added to over the years by nearby residents looking to get rid of their bulkier items. Nearing the end of the path, I remembered a small collection of Council-owned lockable garages - the majority of these have been knocked down now, but there doesn't appear to have been any follow up plan and the land has just been left?
Finally, having made my way up Blackwatch Road, I cut through to the 'recreation ground' - a green space that will be familiar to those who have lived locally, framed by Grangemouth Road and Rollason Road, and once known for having a rectangular, tarmacadam 'all-weather' pitch as well as a selection of swings and slides for kids to wear themselves out on! Whilst relieved to see that this green space survives, and remains open for the public use, the all-weather pitch has gone, along with the playground equipment. The whole space is now a rectangle of grass, with two lines of young trees planted along its length. A nearby Council sign encourages the visitor to walk, or jog, around the perimeter of the field to improve their health and well being, but all I witnessed was dog walkers - and, strangely, no dog poo bins?!
"....but, after yesterday, I must try harder to make that time!" - you know, thinking about it now, I probably won't. I think I was happier with the memories I had.