Memories of Park-life....

Spent most of my time in the fields and forest behind Crompton Way (Astley Bridge end) that connected to Hall 'i 'th Wood so I didn't do the parks a great deal. I do remember good times in Moss Bank Park though because thats where we played a lot of football. Like WGO I used to play tennis in Egerton Park after we had moved up to Egerton.

Sluffy wrote:Great thread Chris.

My local park was Mere Hall but back in those days we played mostly on the streets and 'spare ground'.

Going 'to' the park such as Moss Bank was sort of a family day trip out, we either walked over to Queens Park with bread to feed the ducks, or catch the local bus (The No 1) to Moss Bank and visit the boating lake (but I can never remember actually going on it although I may have done).

For some reason I used to love running around the rock gardens at Moss bank and eating our 'butties' on the benches there.

My father also used to love a walk on a good day and sometimes used to walk me and my brother through Queens Park to Spa Road, then up through Middlebrook as far as Haslam Park and out on to Wigan Road, then head up Deane Church Lane and go visit my uncle.  

We caught the bus back though!

Happy days.

Remember Mere Hall Suffy used to go to a nursery school there.

Moss Bank and especially Barrow Bridge with the boating lake and arcade being there, also we spent a lot of time messing about on The Jolly Brows and Seven Acres, all of which have left me with a love 
for fresh air and the great outdoors

I grew up living on Ashford Walk right in front of the ABC Park which was a tiny park on a big field that had hardly anything on it and later got developed into a much bigger and better park with a mini football pitch on it. I remember the people from the council who were planning it came and spoke to all of us kids hanging around the estate and asked us what we would like to have on this park they were planning. 

As Mere Hall was the next closest park I also spent a fair bit of time on there. I went to Susan Issacs nursery on that estate and remember the Skagen Court flats and Mossfield Mill still being there both of which are no longer there.

It is a small world sometimes!

I lived in a house on one of the streets that were demolished to make way for the Ashford Walk estate and the ABC park. We were moved to Grantham Close, which is just off Brownlow Way and my parents lived there until my father died, and my mother moved into one of the warden controlled flats across the road until she passed away.

There is even a fair chance that I may have even seen you from a distance running about as a kid on the park as when I visited my parents when living down south, I would stay there and sleep in my old bedroom and more often than not walk it into town (or home from town) so I could have a beer and not worry about driving.

A bit random I know but you don't happen to know of a bloke called Mark who also lived at Ashford Walk around the time you were growing up, who was South African and a teacher (maths I think) who was a friend of my older brother?

Reebok Trotter wrote:As a kid I spent most of my time in Bobby Heywoods park. Happy days.

Bobby Heywood's was a good park, spent many hours there as a kid. The guy who used to be in charge in the big hut,  can't remember his name, had mats for wrestling and a Pakistani kid (I think) wrestler who used to beat all the kids at wrestling in the area. He was his champion and nobody could win against him, that was of course until yours truly came along.
As always and especially in this case, resistance is (was) futile.   . Come on you whites

Too many new subsections on the site.

Only been gone a week and already it's looking like a poor man's version of Burnden Aces.

What's next - A new section on "Shops In Bolton What You've Been In Once Or Twice" or "The Best Dentist In The Halliwell / Astley Bridge Area"?

We're better than that.

And not quite as desperate.

My local park was Moss Bank. Used to go there to collect Conkers from the big trees on the Barrow Bridge road side of the park. In reality we spent more time on Captains Clough playing fields. Right side playing footie, and left side Cricket and general messing around. Our school sports day was held at Leverhulme Park. Always will remember at the last one before leaving school when you used to sign everyone's shirts, drawing round my hand on a shirt belonging to a girl called Phillipa. I got the left tit. My mate Gilly got the right one. Funny how you don't forget things like that even after 30 odd years. When a bit younger we used to play in "the tip" which ran from Ivy Rd across to the back of the Doffcocker with a couple of tunnels to go through under Captains Clough and Moorside Avenue. Great times to be a youth !

Sluffy wrote:

A bit random I know but you don't happen to know of a bloke called Mark who also lived at Ashford Walk around the time you were growing up, who was South African and a teacher (maths I think) who was a friend of my older brother?

I knew quite a few people living on the estate but a South African teacher called Mark isn't one of them, doesn't ring a bell anyway.

Breadman wrote:Too many new subsections on the site.

Only been gone a week and already it's looking like a poor man's version of Burnden Aces.

What's next - A new section on "Shops In Bolton What You've Been In Once Or Twice" or "The Best Dentist In The Halliwell / Astley Bridge Area"?

We're better than that.

And not quite as desperate.

Hi, what's your favourite cheese Bredders.

Cajunboy wrote:

Breadman wrote:Too many new subsections on the site.

Only been gone a week and already it's looking like a poor man's version of Burnden Aces.

What's next - A new section on "Shops In Bolton What You've Been In Once Or Twice" or "The Best Dentist In The Halliwell / Astley Bridge Area"?

We're better than that.

And not quite as desperate.

Hi, what's your favourite cheese Bredders.

Interesting question because I was going to start a thread on Bolton Market and there is a particularly impressive cheese stall in there with a plethora of cheese options including both creamy and crumbly Lancashire.

Breadman wrote:Too many new subsections on the site.

Only been gone a week and already it's looking like a poor man's version of Burnden Aces.

What's next - A new section on "Shops In Bolton What You've Been In Once Or Twice" or "The Best Dentist In The Halliwell / Astley Bridge Area"?

We're better than that.

And not quite as desperate.

You've always got summat to say haven't you

Yeah, it's a forum - that's the point.

(And I was obviously joking anyway.)

I've got a great idea for a thread.

boltonbonce wrote:I've got a great idea for a thread.

Noooooooooooo! 

karlypants wrote:

boltonbonce wrote:I've got a great idea for a thread.

Noooooooooooo! 

I'm quite looking forward to a historic sightings of Bruce Forsythe in Bolton thread. I myself have never seen him here but await with baited breath people's encounters in PrimarK, Cash Converters and Wetherspoons

finlaymcdanger wrote:Spent most of my time in the fields and forest behind Crompton Way (Astley Bridge end) that connected to Hall 'i 'th Wood

I still go down Yew Tree Lane that connects to Hall 'I 'th Wood for a mooch.

karlypants wrote:

finlaymcdanger wrote:Spent most of my time in the fields and forest behind Crompton Way (Astley Bridge end) that connected to Hall 'i 'th Wood

I still go down Yew Tree Lane that connects to Hall 'I 'th Wood for a mooch.

Pervert 

whatsgoingon wrote:

Cajunboy wrote:

Breadman wrote:Too many new subsections on the site.

Only been gone a week and already it's looking like a poor man's version of Burnden Aces.

What's next - A new section on "Shops In Bolton What You've Been In Once Or Twice" or "The Best Dentist In The Halliwell / Astley Bridge Area"?

We're better than that.

And not quite as desperate.

Hi, what's your favourite cheese Bredders.

Interesting question because I was going to start a thread on Bolton Market and there is a particularly impressive cheese stall in there with a plethora of cheese options including both creamy and crumbly Lancashire.

I prefer tasty Lancashire with that deceptive sour taste.

whatsgoingon wrote:

karlypants wrote:

boltonbonce wrote:I've got a great idea for a thread.

Noooooooooooo! 

I'm quite looking forward to a historic sightings of Bruce Forsythe in Bolton thread. I myself have never seen him here but await with baited breath people's encounters in PrimarK, Cash Converters and Wetherspoons

Nice to see you, to see you****