SM524 Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Hello Anyone on here used to live on the Norfolk Park around the mid eighties to early 90's? I used to live there in the maisonettes on Park Spring Grove which I've been told have gone now. My daughter used to go to Bluestone school and I used to go to the Women and Children's centre next to the school. Is any of it still there? I left in 1994 and haven't been back since 1999 so it would be nice to know what's changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Bluestones is now gone as is the women and childrens centre. All the high rise flats are now gone also as are the maisonettes! New housing is in place (and currently being built) The shops are almost derelict with just the chemist left/PO. That now runs as a sort of mini mart to cater for the estate until the new shops are built where the Mickley (brown) block of flats used to be All the pubs are no more!! Fellbrigg is a church as is the captive queen. The horse and lions closed down (may be reopened) and the Jervis Lum has been knocked down. Theres a new and lovely school built on Guildford Drive where the flats where, right opposite the park. The park itself (now Norfolk Heritage Park) has all new centre for residents and a great couple of adventure playgrounds Thats a quick recap but I shall add more as and when :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM524 Posted March 9, 2008 Author Share Posted March 9, 2008 Thanks for the update SheffBlade.I had a look on google earth and it showed the tower blocks and the school as still being there, you'd think they'd update it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 No they haven't updated it on Google earth for years and years. It's totally different now! I went to Bluestone in the 80's/90's. Started in the infants when I was about 6 or 7 I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM524 Posted March 10, 2008 Author Share Posted March 10, 2008 You might have gone to school with my daughter Marie SheffBlade.I think it was 1989 when she started in Mrs Butcher's class, lovely lady all the kids loved her. Then she went into Mrs Wright's class, another good teacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Vary vague recollections of a Marie but I certainly remember Mrs Wright. Infact she came back to teach at the new school when it was built but left shortly after when she and another teacher were offered the role they wanted at another school. She had a daughter called Sally who is the same age as me and we were briefly in the same class at Bluestone. I can remember Mr Scott and Mr Warwick (only male teachers while I was there) Mrs Wright Miss Wade Mrs Hunt Mrs Hubbard was the secretary and I still see her almost daily. Lovely woman Mrs Harris (Music teacher) Can't remember many from the infants as I was only there a year before I moved to the juniors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only me Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 I remember my first flat it was the top floor of Guilford view. Because work had to be done to the roof we were moved to St Aidens mount. Some one was murdered there (in the next flat to me) around 1985 and it caused a stirr at the time. The man who commited the murder was called Dell Shannon after the famous singer. I wonder if anyone remembers this murder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 I don't remember the murder but I remember a 'suicide' from the flats by the shops (blue block) though there was quite a few suspicions as it was from a very low floor and the body was quite out of place from where she apparently fell (think they ruled it as an accident though I was very young and can only go on kid rumour at the time) though we all went and viewed the 'blood splat' eeew!! (kids eh?!) I also remember a suicide or two from Park Grange Mount and Kenninghall blocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM524 Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 I don't remember the murder. I did know someone whose 3yr old boy fell over the balcony off the 3rd floor of the high rise flats, can't remember which block. He survived with just a few bruises nothing broken, luckily it was grass below. My grandma lived on the Mandrake block,( green) for many years on the 11th floor. It was lovely when she first moved in.There was even a working intercom then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Oh I think I remember the boy falling. Wow, the things that you forget about eh?! I can remember watching a teenager actually climb from one flat to another, round the outside of the balconies!! Madness. It was about 10 floors up! I remember the intercoms though I think they were all but conked when I 'discovered' the flats. I had a friend who lived in the Blue block by the shops called Joanne. I'd never been in any of the blocks until then. Soon got to know them all over the years though. Some had a worse reputation than others. The best and quietest block being Tower drive by the doctors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM524 Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 I used to know the caretaker of the light blue block- Darryl. He used to live next door to us when we lived in the maisonettes on Park Spring Grove with his wife Margaret and then they split up and he got a flat on his own in the Tower block. I remember hearing about teenagers climbing from the balconys, people didn't used to lock them as they thought no-one would get in, but it didn't take long before someone got robbed. There was a spate of people getting their clothes nicked off the washing line in the flats as well. I used to know a couple of people in the blue block on the 11th floor, Doreen and her neighbour Jill.This was back in 1992\4. There was once a TV documentary about drug dealers on Norfolk Park in the tower blocks by Roger Cook, a couple of years after we had left. It really went downhill, cars being burnt out, the rubbish shutes were being set alight every week and there was more scum moving into the area that's why we left. It was a shame as it's in a lovely spot, we had views of the trees out of the living room and kitchen and we were close enought to be able to walk to town. I hope things have improved now there's all the new houses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 It has really improved. You still get the odd few teens loitering but thats the same anywhere. It's certainly not how it was as it did decline before the flats were demolished. It's now a mixture of private bought houses and housing association who took over from the council. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Oh yes, another thing... Queens tower has now been redeveloped into apartments which I find a bit sad. One part just looks awful. They've kept and main structure but I loved that building and seeing it stood there all grand. Now it looks rather odd! I used to love stories of the ghosts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM524 Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Glad to hear it's better now. Another thing I just remembered was the pirate radio station that was run from the blue block near the shops, you could see the huge aerial on their balcony and hear the music blasting out and the DJ on many an afternoon. Shame about Queens Tower, lovely old building didn't it used to be a sports centre or something years ago? Talking of pubs I was amazed to see on the Arctic Monkey's video of When the sun goes down, the Horse and Lion Pub! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Yes think quite a few pirate radio stations aired from there over the years! Queens Tower was a squash club. It's now all electronic gates and new apartments which is quite odd to see. Looks nice and all that in places (and very sought after) but some of it just looks like concrete blocks and so out of place :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM524 Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 If anyone has any photos of the area I'd love to see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveHB Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 If anyone has any photos of the area I'd love to see them. Hi SM524, a couple of the old Bluestone school site and all that's left is the games area. I have some more photos from the area and will put them on later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM524 Posted March 15, 2008 Author Share Posted March 15, 2008 Thanks for the pics, it looks so different now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 Photography is my hobby. I'll take a walk around and take some pics sometime for you Park Spring area is about the only bit thats stayed the same (Vic hallams are all still there but been done up) but the Maisonettes were demolished Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Heres a view from the bottom of Park Spring. This is about the only area that hasn't really changed bar the maisonettes are gone and the vic hallams have been done up. All new housing is on the hill upwards (apartments/2/3/4 bedroomed houses) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM524 Posted March 21, 2008 Author Share Posted March 21, 2008 Thanks for the photo SheffBlade, I hardly recognised the place.Strange to see it so empty, hard to believe now that there were any maisonettes and tower blocks there. Still it looks so much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SheffBlade Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 No problem. I'll take some more over the coming weeks. Inbetween the mad cold wet windy weather! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM524 Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 Yes I heard it's been snowing over there. Can't say I miss the cold though! If it drops below 20 we're complaning . I look forward to seeing more of your photos. Happy Easter to everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huthwaite Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 The Pubs all gone!! Can't believe it, used to work at The Horse & Lion about 1980, used to go to the Jervis prior to shift for a quick half, a very busy pub and a great crowd :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveHB Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I would say that The Horse And Lions life is limited. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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