Summer School Holidays, where did you go, what did you get up to?

gdm27 · 30-01-2010, 12:50

When I was a kid back in the late 50s I remember the school holidays lasted for 18 weeks or something like that and it NEVER rained. Mum and Dad both left the house at 7am ish and we didn't see them again till dinner time when Mum came home with Dad to make us something to eat? We didn't go far in the morning and there wasn't TV on then??? We always left the wondering until afternoon. Down the clough, up the coppice and further on to the quarry or the firing range to look for bullets!!! All of this without a parent in site, or perv. come to think of it. Can you imagine kids today being left to their own devises for most of the day, the social would have a field day!

jelly baby · 30-01-2010, 13:00

We used to up the coppice with a bottle of water and jam butties, we were out from around 10am til teatime. We swam in the lodges up there.
If the weather wasn't too good we'd go to the baths (St James St) and spend all day in there, spent a lot of time in Gatty and Milnshaw parks as well.

gdm27 · 30-01-2010, 13:25

I remember sitting on top of the Coppice looking down Avenue Parade and there was not a single car all the way down to the centre of Accy, mind you, could only just see it for the smoke!!!

cashman · 30-01-2010, 13:44

Dunno were ya get 18 weeks from mate? perhaps a typo?

many days in 50s we used to get a frozen jubby n set off oer coppice to "Gamblers Caves" which held great mystery fer young lads, on growing up i realised daft begger theres sod all there really.

had some great days yon though.

jaysay · 30-01-2010, 15:25

Most of my 6 weeks summer holidays were spent in and around the Plantation (now Foxhill nature reserve) or playing Cricket on the Triangle which was between the Plantation and the Tip. but one week was always of to the Costa Del Roughit (Blackpool)

with Ma, Pa and Grandma, number 10 Moor Street South Shore.

beechy · 30-01-2010, 16:21

always looked forward to chaigley manor, great place, great times

cashman · 30-01-2010, 16:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by beechy

chaigley manor, great place, great times

Apart from 1 particular time.

Margaret Pilkington · 30-01-2010, 19:07

It felt like the school holidays lasted 18 weeks....and you were right about the weather too.
We used to build dens and dams up Priestley clough....we walked up to the Five arches and spent all day playing various games.......cowboys and indians, hide and seek, king of the Castle, Heroes and Villains......I don't recall taking anything to eat, but we played out most of the day.
We also spent time up the 'Rec'...Bullough Park, we played on the streets, with skipping ropes, marbles, whips and tops, hopscotch.
We had a real good time, lots of fun, lots of activity and we didn't bother anybody

katex · 30-01-2010, 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by gdm27

All of this without a parent in site, or perv. come to think of it. Can you imagine kids today being left to their own devises for most of the day, the social would have a field day!

You gotta be jokin' gdm ... lots of pervs then. Was always encountering Flashers as I walked across a back street dangling their pathetic little members. !!

Was never left to my own devices though ... always gran then mum at home to give me great dinners and teas.

Did all the things everyone describes ... just different hunting grounds. Always 2 weeks holiday, mostly Fleetwood, then Coppice, Cock Bridge, Edisford bridge, Highams Playing Fields, etc.

Picture of my friends at Highams during the Summer holidays, I, obviously, took the pictures:

Highams Playing Fields.jpg

Highams Slide.jpg

Don't you just wish there had been the digi camera then instead of the little Brownie to snap more childhood memories. Would love to see some of our members' photo's of their playground haunts and friends. Come on .. dig 'em out.

cashman · 30-01-2010, 23:20

never mentioned me 2 weeks hols, every year went oer to Ireland, to stay at me aunties wi mam n dad n rest of tribe.

BERNADETTE · 30-01-2010, 23:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by beechy

always looked forward to chaigley manor, great place, great times

Yep agree a great place for kids whos parents couldn't afford holidays. Had some great times at Chaigley

gdm27 · 31-01-2010, 01:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

Dunno were ya get 18 weeks from mate? perhaps a typo?

many days in 50s we used to get a frozen jubby n set off oer coppice to "Gamblers Caves" which held great mystery fer young lads, on growing up i realised daft begger theres sod all there really.

had some great days yon though.

Should have said felt like 18 weeks!

Eric · 05-02-2010, 00:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by gdm27

Should have said felt like 18 weeks!

You are right on with this .... used to get to Clevelys when I was young, and then Westcliffe-on-Sea where an uncle of mine had a chippy .... rest of the time, just went out to play .... spent a lot of time in Mercer Park .... they had the crappiest putting game, but as a kid it was great fun ... you had to pick up your putter and ball at the bowling green. Spent a lot of time train spotting ... amazing how far one could get on a twopenny platform ticket

... or one way half fare to Ossy from Accrington which was a halfpenny less

gdm27 · 05-02-2010, 01:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

Yep agree a great place for kids whos parents couldn't afford holidays. Had some great times at Chaigley

I was one of the lucky guys who went quite a few times. I remember early one morning and I was the only one awake. The sun was up and I went to the window which was open, looked towards the river across the field that had a light mist on it with nothing but sheep and rabbits in front of me! A magical view that has stayed with me for the best part of 50 years!!! Fantastic!

jaysay · 05-02-2010, 10:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashman

Apart from 1 particular time.

When you were ther cashy