Memories of the Marshes
Do you remember Broad Marsh and Narrow Marsh? Why not contact us with your memories and see them published on this page.
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Born in 1950, I vividly remember, as a child, travelling from my home in Sherwood, with my parents, to visit my Grandparents, who had recently moved to the newly built 'Clifton Estate'. I remember the old Broad Marsh open bus station, where we used to catch the blue bus to Clifton. I also remember walking up the quaint Drury Hill with my Dad near to Christmas-time. We visited a toyshop on the hill, where he purchased tiny rolls of special doll-house wallpaper plus a chimney, a door, and windows (made from pressed steel). My father was making a large wooden dolls-house for my younger sister, for Christmas. He used to make most of our main Christmas presents in those days. He had to; times were hard.
Twisthand
The city fathers did later say they had made a mistake in pulling down Drury Lane. This much missed and lamented thoroughfare used to be part of my regular journey for me as I worked at Chambers Bros in St Mary's Gate in the Lace market and my Clifton bus stopped at the terminus just below it. I well remember there being an old book shop (and what I wouldn't give to go and rifle it now!) and I particularly recall there being a watch and clock repair shop on the left hand side going up this steep little street towards Weekday cross . I once took there an anniversary clock to be repaired. As I recall it only needed a new glass dome and the man was trying to get me one. Week after week, month after month I went in only to be told he'd not managed to source one. Do you think it will be ready yet?
The next road, just a few feet along, is worthy of note. I would sometimes use this steep narrow lane by way of change. It had a high blue brick wall on one side and a row of tiny 2 up 2 down cottages the other. En route home, I would pass the time of day with the odd resident who had bought out a chair and was basking in the glow of the afternoon sun. The wall separated the houses from the railway line that ran a mere few feet away. When a steam train chugged in, that row was shrouded in fog like steam which, even on a hot sunny day, made it look alternately spooky and romantic. Wearing my hair in the latest Beehive fashion, I'd begin to walk up its steep incline. Then came the unmistakable hiss of a steam train but it was too late to escape. One was too far up to race back down and not near enough to the top to race forward to safety. Many's the time, I have emerged from that white steam with my beehive dropped onto my shoulders! I believe a version of Son's and Lovers used that location for part of the film.
The next one along if my memory serves me right was Gardeners Steps? (At my age I lose my keys by the hour and yet I can recall vividly things that happened 65 years ago as seen and told in my book 'Yo'd Mek a Parson Swear' by Joy James.) Now gone, dashed away yet again by our city fathers, in order to create a 21st century museum of sorts I believe, there was once a nasty accident happened on those steps. There had been a hanging on the Shire Hall gibbet. Crowds had massed to witness the event and only when the last twitch of the unfortunate's legs signified his undignified death did the crowd break and make for home via those steps that led to the horse drawn trams in Broad Marsh. In the melee, someone lost their footing and fell bringing down several other people and I believe there were about 15 killed.
On the opposite side of the road a hundred yards or so higher up from those now defunct steps was a pub called The Angel I believe. To the right was a yard wherein passing horse drawn traps could park whilst their owners took refreshment. It became known as Angels Yard. The story I was told many years ago was that the prisoners, who were hung on the steps opposite, would 'see' an angel walk across the yard. She had come to take them 'home'.
Joy Jackson
