Portrait Gallery: meeting people from the past.

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and Good health in 2012.

Here are a few of the past residents of  Selby Road with a little information about each of them. We know of two more Grammar school teachers from the pre-war era but have no photographs yet. 

 We are still looking for information, please help us if you can.

Meet the Neighbours

Denise Blunt  No.39 Selby Road  1960s

Published Poet in 'The Lady' Magazine

The Powell Family     3 Selby Road  1957 -1973

Mr Jim Powell was the East Midlands Establishment Officer for the

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food.

Mrs Sylvia Powell was a dinner-lady at Jesse Gray Primary School.

 Mr William Norman Bradshaw          
Head of Maths & Senior Master, West Bridgford Grammar School
First owner of 107 Selby Road       1935-1966

The Bradshaw Family: William ,daughter Elaine, wife Sarah [Sissy]

During WWI Sissy and a friend formed the Advance Club in Nottingham 'to get girls off the street' [out of prostitution] Sissy taught the making of lingerie. The Advance Club later became Clarendon College.

Elaine became a teacher of Domestic Science.

Miss Forbes       

Head of English & Senior Mistress at West Bridgford Grammar School.

'She was a formal rather prim person with a sense of humour. She came from Aberdeen and returned there after her retirement. She lived at Number 4 Selby Road with Miss 'Becky' Bake.

 Ernest Frederick Gisborne

Number 19 Selby Road 1914/15-1920s

Warehouse Man [In charge of warehouse] for Trivet's Lace Makers, Trivet Square, Nottingham

The Lace Trade went down in the1920s and Ernest was made redundant.

Edith May Gisborne [nee Sissons]

Number 19 Selby Road, 1914/5 -1931

When Ernest Fredrick was made redundant in the 1920s he went south to find work. He was never heard of again. Edith May and her two young sons, Walter & Gerald took in paying guests to help make ends meet.

Winters on Selby Road

Were you "Dreaming of a White Christmas" or dreading it? 

Selby Road gardens and embankment.2010

Photo. Gill Tanner

Here a few reminders of what happens to Selby Road in winter.

Selby Road under  ice 1983

Photo: Tony Waltham

Nos. 107 & 109 Selby Road

Winter 1947

Photo.  Elaine Bradshaw

If you have any photographs of Selby Road, at any season, that you would like to share, please contact me. 

Revisiting the Past

In November 2011 four past residents have been invited to revisit their childhood homes on Selby Road.

The Gibbs family left  "Kirmanshah", No. 116 Selby Road in 1964.
After 37 years Helena was interested to see that the porch tiles, that she had scrubbed to earn her pocket money, were still looking good. She also showed us the corner of the kitchen where her mother had raised day old chicks with a wrapped stone hot water bottle to be their mother.
She visited her old bedroom and heard about the children who had last used them.
Her thank you note says "It was so nice to visit "Kirmanshah" and know that the house is looked after and loved by the present owners."


The Foster family left  No.83 in 1980.
No. 83 was greatly extended by Clive Rice, Nottinghamshire Cricket Captain 1979-1987
and Richard had been curious as to how the house had changed inside. 31 years later he found out.
He enjoyed the visit as he felt very welcome and could answer questions about the house and garden. His old bedroom had the bed in the same place but his fitted wardrobe had gone.
He felt "It has not been spoilt at all, and was extended for comfort not to add value." He is now drawing plans of the furniture layout in the old house.

The Gisborne family left No.19 in 1931.
Gerald visited his old home after 80 years. His son came with him and saw the house for the first time.
The old tennis court now has a house built on it and the railway embankment is overgrown, but parts of the house were familiar. He talked about the paying guests that had lived in the house with his family. Visiting his old bedroom he told how an earth tremor had caused his door to open in the middle of the night, and frightened him.
 He said, "You have no idea what an impression this has made on me, being transported back over 90 years. It has been lovely to relive this little corner of my life."

The Teasdale family left No. 9 in 1973.
Visiting No.9 for the first time in 38 years Robert found much the same but it all felt smaller. However the house had been run as two households, his own family's and his grandparent's. Two kitchens, two back doors. These had been altered for a single family.  "We all got on pretty well, don't remember any rows."