Sherwood Foresters

[PeteC]

I know that Steve and perhaps one other on here is from Nottingham. I never knew the above existed until watching a documentary last night where their role in the invasion of Italy during WWII was highlighted.

Regardless of all the jokes made about Nottingham, you all have a lot to be proud of concerning this group. Pete

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherwood_Foresters

[JimmyGreaves]

Jokes about Nottingham. Never heard any. The most common line about Nottingham is that it has 5 or 6 women for every man. However I never managed to get my fair share if that was the case

[Spitfire]

It's an exaggerated myth about there being so many women in Notts. I'm also from that area and I never saw it to that extent, maybe 1.5-2-1 but that's tops man.

The Sherwood Foresters is an old, active fighting outfit that has a long and distingiuished record but many forget that it is the merger of two regements, the Notts one and the Derby one also. It is now the size of two battalions.

The forest of Sherwood used to be huge, isn't now of course, but covered a lot of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and some other nearby areas etc. Hence, in the time of Robin Hood, it shows how easy it was for said hero in tights to hide from the Sheriff of Notts and live a swash-buckling romantic lifestyle.

It is still covers about 165 square-miles but used to be much bigger.

[STEVE G]

Hi Pete, I just caught your post as I've just started a new contract and I've been a bit busy.
The Sherwood Foresters are indeed an old and proud regiment who have their regimental museum in Nottingham castle. (that's the newer castle which is actually more of a large stately house than the traditional castle of Robin Hood fame.)
One of my cousins served with the regiment for several years in the 1980's including a traumatic tour of Northern Ireland where he lost three colleagues, an experience that affected him deeply.
If I wasn't posting from my mobile phone I would give you some photos I took in Nottingham earlier in the year.

[Big Boy]

Try this link http://www.wfrmuseum.org.uk/sf_museum.htm

[STEVE G]

For many years we also had the museum of the 17/21st Lancers at Belvoir Castle near Nottingham which contains the bugle that the charge of the Light Brigade was sounded on at Balaclava.
I think I read it's to move to Thoresby Hall to be part of the museum of the Queens Royal Lancers.

[Khundon1975]

STEVE G

I lived in West Bridgeford (Fox and Hounds Road by the cricket ground) in 1971 and visited the very interesting Sherwood Forresters exhibition in the castle.

Then down through the caves, for a couple of cool pints in the Trip to Jerusalem pub, below the castle.

[STEVE G]

STEVE G :)

I lived in West Bridgeford (Fox and Hounds Road by the cricket ground) in 1971...

KD, I was down by the cricket ground only two weeks a go at the Larwood and Voce pub which is at the back of the ground, although I'm not sure it was there in 1971.
I was also in the Test Match on Central Avenue that hasn't changed much since the 1920's.

[Khundon1975]

Well done Steve, don't think it was there then, tho the Trip to Jerusalem was, it was built around 1130AD

I have not been back since, keep promising the wife I will make a detour on the way to the Lakes but never get around to it.

The City centre was just being done up then but much of the city outskirts were slums, as far as you could see. St Anns well Rd was just awful.

From the city to the bridge just before West Bridgeford was all closed shops and slums as well. Surprising as WB was very posh and well kept.

I remember the Sherwood Foresters parading (I think it was them) in the new city square, when Princess Anne visited to cut the ribbon on the refurbished square. Damn, those guys looked the business.

The in place to drink then was a pub called The Flying horse, just off the square, full of girls but not the 1-5 ratio mentioned earlier.

I spent almost a year with a girl from Notts Uni I met in that pub and thoroughly enjoyed my year there. Had many a walk and picnic in Nottingham forest.

Halcyon days.

[JimmyGreaves]

Well done Steve,
From the city to the bridge just before West Bridgeford was all closed shops and slums as well. Surprising as WB was very posh and well kept.

Halcyon days.

The area your talking about from the city to the bridge is the meadows and the long road between the two was Arkwright Street named after himself. The time your talking about they were demolishing all the old terraced houses (a crime) and rebuilding modern shit that looks like slums now after only 30 odd years. West Bridgford known as Bread and Lard land as everyone who lived there overspent on house/car/clothes etc and could only afford to eat bread and lard

[STEVE G]

I was actually staying with a friend just over Trent Bridge on the city side who has one of those Victorian three storey houses that are all that are left of the old Meadows. He bought it because it was cheap and that part is OK, but the newer part is a ghetto as you say.
I'm afraid for KD the Flying Horse is gone, but the Bell and some other old pubs are still going in the centre.

[Khundon1975]

The Flying Horse gone I bet it is some trendy wine bar or shop now.

Bread and Lard is a dish I had lots of in my youth, with a dusting of salt. Yummee.

I must go back and see what they have done with the City and visit some old haunts.

[STEVE G]

I was shocked myself when the Flying Horse closed as it was one of my locals when I first started drinking in about 1980. It has been turned into a small shopping mall.
Some of the old pubs are still going, The Bell, Salutation, Trip to Jerusalem, Blue Bell, Angel, Yates Wine Lodge and quite a few others haven't changed much.
The main thing you would notice is the city is quite a bit cleaner than it used to be and also has a tram system.
As for West Bridgeford, that's got much better; the centre is pedestrian now and full of bars and restaurants and it's a good night out for the older crowd to avoid the city centre.
Actually I wish I was there now as I've come down to Yeovil in Somerset to do some work on military helicopters and there is not much happening here on a Saturday night!

[Khundon1975]

Not much to do in Yeovil Steve, the wife and I were in the hospital there a week or so ago, that would seem to be the liveliest place in the town.

Yates wine lodge in Nottingham was a notorious place for a drink in my day, great fun.

[PeteC]

.....Actually I wish I was there now as I've come down to Yeovil in Somerset to do some work on military helicopters and there is not much happening here on a Saturday night!

No more Finnish girls to drink with Steve, must be hell. Pete