Gedling Magazine

This is available from church and several local outlets at 50p.

Postal subscriptions are also available at £11.00 per year.

Any articles for and information about the magazine, please contact the editor Rick Wilson.

Contact Rick

Sample articles from the magazine

People, Places and Memorabilia
              - Memories from an old Gedlian

Reading the September issue of The Gedling Magazine, the People, Places and Memorabilia article brought back memories and I thought, as an old Gedling lad, I would have a wander up the Main Road of my early childhood and see how much it has changed.

On leaving the front gates of where I now live, at the bottom of Wood Lane and looking left down Shearing Hill the first shop to be seen would have been Station Avenue Stores, a small grocery shop (now a house) right opposite the former Railway Station (now Gedling Youth Club).     
Crossing over the road and heading up towards the church, Horace Reed’s Newsagents would have been the next shop I came to (where the recently closed newsagents stands) right next door to the the Gedling Wine Stores run by Arthur Garrat (he used to run an all year savings club so that  you could buy your drinks from him at Christmas) and  is now a hairdressers.  

On the opposite corner of Waverley Avenue (now The Little Carpet Shop) stood Robinson’s Grocery and Greengrocery shop (which became Mr and Mrs McKees). Heading on, the Forge stood where the war memorial is now situated and round the Memorial Hall corner was the Gedling Old Boys which still exists. Crossing over Carnarvon Grove, on the corner was Hustwaytes Builders Yard (this is now houses). Right next door to this was another grocery business, (I cannot remember who owned it) Mrs Palethorpe who lived in the cottages on the Main Road worked there. Past the large entrance stood Starbucks (not the coffee shop but a butchers (now the flower shop) and next to that was Mrs Stangers Haberdashery Shop (now returned back into a house).

The second butchers shop was Straws, situated right on the bend and this was owned and run by Albert Straw and his wife Vera (later became the Piano Shop and now a house). Adjacent to this was the Chesterfield Arms which recently became The Gedling Inn. Travelling on to the corner of Tennyson Avenue I found Mr Craven’s the chemist (later to become Irving’s), we used to buy 3d worth of Sulphate of Potash, place it in small heaps on stone doorsteps and hit it with a hammer to make an explosion. I don’t think it would be allowed now for Health and Safety reasons!!!   
   
Walking on I come across a piece of land used by Mr Cheney of Arnold Lane who used it for his building business (this now accommodates a house). Just along from there, where the Card Shop stands was Horsepools, although primarily a greengrocery business, wet fish was sold in the back and at certain times of the year rabbits were hanging outside at the front. Next door was Skello’s Barbers shop, now Carlisle’s Gents Hairdressers (in those days only ladies had hairdressers, men had barbers. I bet Roy could tell a few stories about his life in the shop). 

The Miners' Memorial and bench

Looking up Shearing Hill to Main Road Gedling with The Forge on the left.

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Across the other corner of Duncroft Avenue, where Mainline Travel stands was Leafe’s the Butchers, the third butcher’s shop in about 200 yards and now we have none (I spent many years cycling around the district on my big black bike with the large square cane basket full to the brim with meat, eggs, sausages, etc., I must have looked like Granville out of ‘Open all Hours’).  

Where Hairven is now and before that Noon’s Decorators, was a small green grocery business run by Mrs Withnall and her son from down Duncroft Avenue. On to Ranmoor Road and on the far corner there was Marsden’s, this was a large grocery shop supplying quality produce managed by Mr Beeson who was a Churchwarden for many years (this is now part of the Car Sales and Car Parking Area). Finally, next door was Mr Knights Garage and Filling Station, (now also part of the Car Sales Area) Mrs Knight was one of my teachers at All Hallows School. Crossing over the road was Co-op corner, but I’ll leave the return journey until another time!


P.S. If anyone can remember the name of the lady who owned the shop where Mrs. Palethorpe worked, please let me know. Thanks

Barrie Searle
 

The fountain today in need of some repair - it can be seen in the background of the old photo above. Plans are underway to renovate this historic part of Gedling.

Gedling Miners’ Memorial 

The establishment of the miner’s lamp in the centre of Gedling Village was set up to commemorate those miners who lost their lives working in Gedling Colliery. Their names can be found on a brass plaque on the memorial.  The Gedling Miners’ Record Book is being held in All Hallows Church and new names are regularly being added to mark those who worked at the colliery.  For further details of membership or Record Book entries please contact Rick Wilson