‘Grandparents owned the off licence’
Sketches made by AT Warbis for the Echo intriguing readers
THE last batch of old sketches from 1968 by celebrated local artist, Alfred Thomas Warbis, have had people contacting Looking Back with their thoughts.
Firstly quite a few people have identified the town scene as that of Moor Lane and its junction with Russell Street.
Wendy Hallam wrote in saying: “The top one is looking down Moor Lane. My grandparents owned the off licence pictured in the centre. Mr and Mrs Thurman.
My dad and uncle grew up there, went off to war from there and got married from there.
They retired in 1959. Opposite on the other side of Russell Street was Sid Kemp’s newsagents.
Mike Jones also e-mailed with another old photograph of the view saying “It is looking down Moor Lane towards the Off Licence on the corner of Russell Street, probably run by the Naik family at that time.
“Round the bend to the right, was Rutland Street, followed by the Holy Trinity Church then, on Trinity Street, the towering Mansfield Hosiery Mills Factory, formerly the Nottingham Manufacturing Company.
Mike said his a photograph of the same view, was taken during demolition in the late 1960s: “Note the Mansfield Clock tower to the top right peering over the houses and the church.”
And John Westall added: “I believe the photo is Moor Lane Loughborough. Kemp’s paper shop on the corner of Russell Street.
“There used to be a butchers on the opposite side of the road a bit nearer to the A6.”
Another sketch featured that same week, was spotted by Elizabeth Blyth who correctly identified an old Barrow pub, now the Blacksmith Arms: “I have been looking at the sketches in the Echo this week and I wonder if the bottom one could be the old Hammer and Pincers Pub in Barrow-upon-Soar.”
Three other pictures have not been identified so we thought we’d put readers out of any possible misery.
The long single storey building featured in the issue dated May 23 was from Mounstorrel, but where exactly Looking Back doesn’t know.
On a similar vague vein, we are not entirely sure the exact whereabouts of the two stone cottages from May 16.
We know it was in Copt Oak and we think they might have been on the corner of Whitwick Road, almost opposite the pub.
Looking Back has a vague recollection (probably wrong!) that they were at least partly demolished and replaced by another similar building. Perhaps readers could help us out?
Lastly, the third mystery building with an outside lamp and gated wall was the lodge building to the Zachary Merton Recovery Home in Wood- house Eaves.
If you can add anything to these memories and information please call Andy Rush at Looking Back on 01509 635802.
E-mail andy.rush@reachplc.com