On klackers

I recall klackers. Lethal balls on the end of string that people would swing around and throw at people. There were plenty rapped around the phone wires (or telegraphy wires as we used to call them). Also you would occasion see a bycyle tyre that had been thrown over a lamppost so it was wrapped around it on the floor! Must have taken hours to do that. Shane

Those klacker things there was one that had been thrown on the telephone wires in South Radford street which seemed to be there for years from late 70's to mid eighties. Simon Egan.

On The Park

I remember the small park on the flats next to the shops. At the time they were a source of great fun and adventure. Messing around on the swings and attempting to get the swing seat over the top of the swing, and jumping off in mid flight. The see saw which always seemed dangerous. There was also that slide with the less than smooth metal shute! Thinking back the hard concrete floor with the liberal sprinkling of glass was probably not the best design for a park. But as a kid on the flats it was a great way to spend time. Shane

The park when me and my sister were little, we used to play for hours, I would be about 9 or 10, as my mam wouldn't let us play downstairs until after we were 7. Julie Munro

The park which used to be near the flats,spent most of my younger life playing there. Anne Mcdermott

 I can remember playing in the park and going to the shops. Ann Maloney

I always used to fall off the top of the slide next to the paper shop. Later when it was built I remember Dancin to 'come on Eileen' in the community centre! Sonia Townley

On Brickie

Playing 'bricky' in front of the shops with Sambo, Redshaw's, etc and were watched by Faithful the dog. Mark Stapley

Yes we had a designated brickie area in front of the benches with a chalk pitch marked out. We often had to fit the girls for this spot because they used it for group skipping sessions. Shane

On Rounders

Remember the games of rounders with rolled up jumpers as bases that always ended up in a fight, and the endless games of two ball, and hop scotch with a piece of slate! Irene Shenton

On Football

We often played football matches against the kids from the other block!s happy days. John Pavitt

Then there was the football from dawn to dusk or until your mam came and dragged you away kicking and screaming. Paul Collins

Fab in the 1960's playing footie in the middle of the flats until Joe Baker ( superintendant) turfed us off. Kevin Smyth

On Making Bogies

bogie's if you saw someone make a bogie that was it the mission was to build a better one although I don't remember any races I remember hurtling down oaklands road and cutting infront of a car and eventualy came to a stop in a collapsed heap of pram wheels and broken wood in somones privits. Simon. Egan

On Drinkwater Park

Walks to drinkwater park and fishing with a net for tadpoles! Julie Munro

Ahh yes one of the great adventures of the school summer holidays. The large walk to catch the tadpoles and if you were brave a swim. Shane

On Bag Slides

sliding down the hill on oaklands road on huge sheets of plastic or carrier bags I remember once there was about 20 of us on a big sheet of polythene a few injurys there. Simon Egan.

On Murder Ball

Did you ever play murder ball? At the bottom of Johnson there was a second set of garages opposite the flat. So there was an enclosed area between those and the flat. You had to run from one end to the other whilst people threw tennis balls at you as hard as they could! Shane

I remember murder ball mainly be cause it was painful but you got some satisfaction when it was your turn Irene Shenton

On St. Aidan's Church

There used to be a very old church on the site of the new-ish St.Aidans Church. It was a large old Victorian Building, with a tall spire.  It was filthy dirty, 'black' as most buildings were when I was little. It had a huge deep cellar, where they used to hold girl guide/brownie meetings - can't remember if i was a brownie or girl guide - so long ago now. Lorraine Smallwood

I remember St Aidans church. We often went on a Sunday. For no other reason than they had a Sunday club (with table tennis, pool table and free drink and crisps) which you could only attend if you went to Church! A fine way for the Anglican church to blackmail young children. Shane

On Grass Fights

Grass fights on Littleton Road playing fields when the grass had been cut, teams of kids would first make igloo type bases then attack stuffing grass up and down clothing itchy fun. Simon Egan.

I remember the grass fights on the fields. Graham Green

I remember playing war games and making dens on the fields. John Pavitt

On Football and Alan Bromwich

The intersection between Bradley Avenue and Littleton Road. The grass area seems small now but I played football there as a child with Alan Bromwich. Shane

You mention playing football with Alan Bromwich on the green at the start of Bradley Avenue. Well I hung about with him and Andy Mills for years. I remember cutting his head open with a swing in our back garden by sheer accident (I still feel bad about that). Jimmy Greg

I remember Alan Bromwich well! My mum and dad were close to his for years and we often sat and ate sugar butties,  with their  dog Rusty. Once  we were all playing on that green and he made a big mud pie and flopped it in my face. I was about six at the time so he would have been twelveish. I was so upset I ran home to eat some spinnich so I could beat him up only to find we didn't have such luxuries. Simon. Egan

On Midges

Kersal had too many privit  hedges always used to get a gob full of midges when riding your bike there were always massive swarms of them. Simon Egan.

On Homemade Fair Rides

Terry Birchall used to live in Monsal Avenue and he used to create his own garden fairground rides.  All good fun! Billy Williams

On Fun

there was an awfull lot you could do in kersal as a kid blackberry picking, apple scrumping, conkers, football fields, making dens and tarzies and walks through the lanny. Simon E.

I loved living on the flats, there was always somebody to "knock on for" and I can't remember ever being lonely.  I can recall playing tennis on the car park at the bottom of the flats in blazing sunshine - happy days!!  Carol Mackintosh

So many happy treasured memories if I had a pound for all my memories I'd be a millionaire twice over. We never had computers, playstations or any other electronic game, We had dirty hands from the mud, cut knees from the gravel and one hell of a time. God Bless Lower Kersal Flats. Alan Birchall

Fun like kick ball hide that lasted for days on end during the school holidays. Martin Turner.

On Throwing Arrows

Does anyone else remember throwing arrows? A length of green tomato cane, sharpened at one end, two cards for flights in the other end, thrown by wrapping one end of a shoe lace around the arrow and the other end around your index finger. A long run and a throwing action resulted in an arrow that flew for a fair old distance. My brother Mark got one stuck in his head! A lethal weapon that could be thrown in excess of 100 feet with ease. Shane

We had t hrowing arrows competitions. From the front of Chaucer, the big green behind the clinic to the end of the flats near the shops. We cleared the distance in two throws. We made our own arrows. Russell Jones

Do you remember when we used to make throwing arrows with tomato cane, cards and string and throw them over the flats to see who could throw the furthest. I'll never forget Billy Cotgrave throwing his onto the clinic roof and him climbing up to retieve it. The cartaker phoned the police and when they arrived Billy was threatening to jump off the roof. The crowd which had gathered below started to sing "Billy don't be a hero" by Paper Lace. Happy days! Gail Redshaw