Mansfield's Changing High Street

 

 

These are all images taken from the Museum’s Archive and they show the changing face of our High Street.

 

Comments about this page

  • I am trying to get in touch with Alan Jones, who posted on this thread on 29 April 2016. I believe his father in law Andre’ Russell was my wife’s great uncle – I am helping her research her family history.
    If Alan or anyone connected to him sees this post, please contact me via the website editors who will be able to pass on my email address. Thanks

    By Geoff Rampton (21/03/2021)
  • I remember the Bentinck Restaurant (it had a black wire coat rack with the yellow red and blue ball ends) which later changed to the Silver Leaf Chinese. My parents would go to the Swan for saturday lunch and leave my sister and I in the Silver Leaf to enjoy our lunch and be well looked after – this was after the Saturday kids club at the Art College – all in the early 1960s – I went back this year to see if I could find the restaurant – the buildings are still there but I couldn’t work out which one it was.any one remember the number?

    By Gwynn (01/09/2016)
  • Paul Robinson-you without doubt where a Northern Soulie then? I had similar trousers made, both at Nottingham, and Sutton in Ashfield,22″ bottoms.

    By John (01/05/2016)
  • With reference to my posting above, dated 07/05/2014, it’s with considerable sadness that I have to report that my father-in-law, Andre’ Russell, passed away on Wednesday 27th April 2016 at the age of 99. Although he was originally from Poland and came to the UK during WW2 he eventually became naturalised and was extremely proud to be British. 

    By Alan Jones (29/04/2016)
  •  I worked at Woolworths in 1973 selling electrical appliances and small items watching with sadness workmen demolishing the wonderful GRANADA CINEMA. Mansfield lost so much of its charm and character during the next few years what a pity!  Frank Smith .

     

    By Frank Smith (21/03/2016)
  • Geoff,  yes mate you are correct George Keys yep thats the one , I delivered papers every day then I sold Football Post Saturday evening. Geoff  back in 1968 I worked for Peggs transport , I think they where located on Pelhem St . Are they still around? or been long gone, they used Bedford trucks painted orange delivering parcels up to Yorkshire, Derbysire , London and also was distributors for Duckhams Oils, Redex, Johnson and Johnsons . I believe the company was run by the son Anthony Pegg, he was  driving an E type jag in them days. Does anyone have any knowledge on this company.  Gary

    By Gary Noble (14/05/2015)
  • Anyone for Northern Soul clothing? I was like Colin, this was my taylor of choice around 73-76. I recall going to the Palis along with Colin.Then as we got to a certain age of to the Sherwood Rooms at the back of the Swan.But always in oxford bags from this shop.

    By Geoff Revill (16/04/2015)
  • My father worked as a signalman at Mansfield railway station early 1950’s- As a result we lived in the old station masters house , my brothers and I could on many occasions be seen walking on the top of the high walls around it.The big double gates at the front of the house led onto a large front yard and as at the rear of the house accessed through the side wall we he’d to climb a lot of steps to get to the doors of the house.The house I remember had a wide stone staircase to second floor with a lovely wide bannister rail that we three boys loved to straddle and slide down to the bottom, what fond memories they were.Just to put the record straight we never encountered any ghosts, it is fondly remembered as a wonderful warm home.e

    By Frank smith (23/02/2015)
  • The shop on right of picture before Syd Booth used to be called Hardy & Co furniture store where I worked early in 1970’s. Happy memories of going to Jacks Cafè used by bus staff for their cups of tea etc.

    By Frank smith (11/02/2015)
  • I may be wrong but I think the Football Post place was on the corner of White Hart St. and Albert St. I think it is now an estate agents.

    By Pete Higgins (26/06/2014)
  • Gary, The newsagent at the bottom of Church Street was George Key. He had another shop on Stockwell Gate, set back from the road and more or less opposite The Swan public house – this shop along with 2 or 3 others was demolished to enable the Tesco store to be built. The manager at this newsagents was a Mr. Hughes – Ted I think – he had a disability with his left hand which meant he seemed to lean with his forearm across the handlebars whenever he was out on his newsagents bike.

    By Geoff Barrows (26/06/2014)
  • Yes it is so good to see pictures of Mansfield, (now can anyone remind me High Street runs from Nottingham  Road  down to the markets yeah,)  also there was a newspaper  printing   press  establishment  corner of High Street and Notts Road  where the football post  was printed, is that correct and is it still running? maybe not ,  Now  I remember when I delivered newspapers  for  a newsagent at the bottom of Church Street  am sure it was George Bells  would any one  know does  it ring a bell ? 

    Gary Noble 

     

    By Gary Noble (25/06/2014)
  • Yes Enid, Thornton’s was in the Market Place. I remember having Easter eggs from there with my name on them, thought it was so cool to have one with my name on.

    By Angela Roche (18/06/2014)
  • This Munks butchers in the photo was on the corner of West Gate and Clumber street. There was a K.L. Munks who had the sub post office on Wood street in the 70’s. The chip shop on Wood street turned into a Chinese take away. I think the butchers shop on the corner of Wood street and Rosemary street was ?Bulls  

    By Angela Roche (18/06/2014)
  • I bet Syd Booth made a fortune out of us in the 60’s and 70’s! I bought lots of vinyl there, a lot of it got broken! And the Swiss Chalet was a very popular café, often you would have to stand in the doorway waiting for a seat.

    By Angela Roche (18/06/2014)
  • This view is very familiar to me, I remember my Mum buying me a pair of white shoes in that shoe shop for my first communion at St Philips, the further up the road to Nora Shaws to get my beautiful white dress. I left England in 79 but so many fond memories of Mansfield and growing up there.

    By Enid (17/06/2014)
  • John Collier John Collier the window to watch!!!!

    By Enid (17/06/2014)
  • Many times I have walked this road. I remember up Westgate their used to be 2 telephone boxes and a sweet shop on the corner of Wood Street and a great little café where me and my Mum used to go get a drink of frothy coffee in glass cups !!! wonderful memories

    By Enid (17/06/2014)
  • I loved eating at the Sliver Leaf!! Wasn’t their a Thorntons sweet shop around here to?

     

    By Enid (17/06/2014)
  • Wasn’t that a little sweet shop next to the milk bar? I think I remember getting Tuffeys there before going to the Grand.

     

    By Enid (17/06/2014)
  •  I remember Munks, it was on Wood Street near the Post Office and Freds off license, a hair dressers and a chip shop. Also a little grocers shop. All on Wood Street

    By Enid (17/06/2014)
  • Remember Syd Booths, buying many records there in the seventies. I also remember their was an indoor market not far from Syd Booths. and a place called the Swiss Chalet Café. Used to go there with my wonderful Mum. Mansfield was a lovely place back then.

    By Enid (17/06/2014)
  • The premises where the Chinese Restaurant was located was formerly the Bentinck Restaurant!! There were steps leading down to the Restuarant and you were met by the Manageress who showed you to your table!! It was 3/6d for a 3 course meal. good quality food and nice surroundings!! If you went to the Granada Restaurant it was 3/9d. I went on a training course in London and the Restaurants charged 10/- for soup. I couldn’t believe the price difference, this was early 1960s. The building has had a lot of different uses and I remember in the 70s didn’t someone open a space warrior? or some other thing, Space Invaders??

    By Tom Shead (16/05/2014)
  • I think this was next to the steps on Lurchhills on Clumber St in late 60’s or early 70’s

    By Paul Robinson (15/05/2014)
  • That’s correct, Lurchills was to the left of S.G.Fox. I also remember this being the Flamingo bar in the 60’s and then the Bali discotheque. To the right was Wyatt’s delicatessen.  

    By Angela Roche (15/05/2014)
  • Anthony, in the deep recess’s of my unreliable memory l think the Chinese restaurant was called the Silver Leaf but could be wrong!

    By Paul Robinson (15/05/2014)
  • You can just make out the ” Pop in ” cafe after the bus stop

    By Paul Robinson (15/05/2014)
  • Either l read it or someone told me a German aircraft dropped a bomb in the station masters garden during the war but it didn’t explode, dont know if this was true or just a school boy story

    By Paul Robinson (15/05/2014)
  • Tom & Alan, if you go to Picture the Past website, you will find a photo of the Station Master’s House, taken in 1972. Ref NCCWOO2057. Hope this helps.

    By Angela Roche (14/05/2014)
  • I am a bit confused about the Station Master’s House location!! The large detached house opposite Hyde Barker Travel was the offices of Robert Barber, Solicitor in the late 70s was this the Station Master’s House??

    By Tom Shead (12/05/2014)
  • Hello Tom.  I am going back to the 40’s and 50’s. Coming down Station Hill from the Station towards the Market. On the right you have the beginning of the Railway Viaduct. Heymier  and Copelands had their storerooms under the two arches near to the top of Market street. On the left of Station Hill, was a high stone built wall, used for the advertising Hoardings. I recall that in the stone wall was a large door that once entered,  lead up some steps to the garden of the Station Masters House, a large stone built house. There was also at the top of Queen Street, a pair of large double gates, that also lead to the house and garden. Maybe at one time used for a coach and horses, and therefore, the house was right on the corner, occupying the large plot on the corner of Station Hill / Road, and Queen Street.

    By alan curtis (12/05/2014)
  • I remember the big old house, which was the Station Master’s House in it’s day. It was very much derelict when I remember it in the 60’s. People use to tell me it was a haunted house, but I think that was said just to keep kids from going into it! I never went in it, the walls surrounding it were rather high to start with and it did look a bit uninviting!

    By Angela Roche (11/05/2014)
  • The shop on West Gate opposite Masons Supermarket, you were able to walk through the shop and come out further up the street, a great way of viewing the stock! As kids we used to stand against the edge of a window and stick out an arm an leg and it used to look like both arms and legs were off the floor, the manager used to chase us off, but it was harmless fun!

    By Paul Robinson (10/05/2014)
  • Hi John, l remember having to take the list to Masons for my mum in the early 1970’s and they would write down the cost of the items as the list was on a carbon copy. The weekly shop would be under £3, thats why l was amazed on a previous picture of Birds butchers where your mum worked you said the Christmas eve takings were £24,000…amazing

    By Paul Robinson (10/05/2014)
  • Yes l loved that model shop, we bought our Airfix kits from there….or Woolies (Woolworths)

    By Paul Robinson (10/05/2014)
  • Was the other pub the Greyhound?

    By Paul Robinson (10/05/2014)
  • On the left was the Queens Head, many a night spent in the back room having a crafty beer at 16, what a fantastic town Mansfield was, great shops and thriving local business’s no wonder there was so much wealth in the town then, where have the years gone?

    By Paul Robinson (10/05/2014)
  • On a lighter note, my Brother in Law had his wedding suit made by Jeloneks in 1952!! The night before the Wedding the suit was delivered and he tried it on, his Mother said it fits beautifully, but the Brother in Law disagreed,”It’s too big”” There was a knock at the door they had delivered the wrong suit!! This one fitted perfectly!!

    By Tom Shead (10/05/2014)
  • I had a pair of trousers made at jeloneks shop in 1974, they were Oxford bags,with a high waistband, 2 ajustable zips each side of the waistband and about 6 imitation pockets at the back and front, they cost me £18 which was a fortune then, at least my weeks wages. The material was beautiful and the tailoring was the best l have ever seen, or ever had since, my friends were jealous to death and everyone wanted to know where l got them from. I often wonder what happened to them years later and wish l still had them but of course they wouldn’t fit me now, even the adjustable waistband zips couldn’t allow for my expanded waist over the years. Could anyone tell me if the company is still in business?

    By Paul Robinson (10/05/2014)
  • Hi, l just saw the first comment on this page, I think  I went to St Johns school with you Colin in the 1970’s?

    By Paul Robinson (10/05/2014)
  • Top of Queen street, there was about 6 telephone box’s next to indoor market going down into town. The old station masters house was on the right of this picture, but it was derelict when l was a kid!

    By Paul Robinson (10/05/2014)
  • At the age of 5 or 6. My father who’s office was in the Engine Sheds at the top of Bradder Street, took me into the house of the Station Master there… Another connection to the house was from my wife’s side… Her mother’s auntie was married to the Station Master and lived there…. I don’t suppose anyone can remember, but on the waste ground between Quaker Lane and Station Hill, ( Near to the rear of the Midland Hotel, ) At one time there was an Aeroplane left there.. People from all over came to see it ..

    By alan curtis (10/05/2014)
  • I first met Julian Jelonek and his brother Michael in the early 1960’s when my father introduced me to them to have my suit made. As I recall Michael made the trousers and Julian made the jackets, both garments superbly tailored  and fitted. Sadly Michael ( not Julian) died in the mid 1960.s as he alighted from the train at Nottingham station, having suffered a heart attack.

    Julian continued with the business, employing a tailor to make the trousers, whilst he made the jackets and was still in the business in 1971 when I had a new suit tailored from the best Yorkshire worsted.

    Julian phone me to return for a check on the jacket fitting and carried this out whilst I remained seated in the car, to save me transferring to my wheelchair. Once again the suit fitted perfectly and I have not enjoyed such quality tailoring since that time.

    As far as I am aware Julian is still alive and his photo was in the CHAD approx. 2 years ago, along with other colleagues, who had served as aircrew in Bomber Command during the last war. He told me that he had survived one air crash.

    During one of my visits to his shop he told me how he and his brother had escaped from their homeland and walked across Europe to reach England and join the forces to fight in the war. But that is another story.

     

    By Michael Parkin (08/05/2014)
  • My father-in-law worked with Julian Jelonek as a tailor and when Julian died, in the mid 60s, he took over the business and he was the owner until it closed, to make way for Wilkos, 25 years ago. He’s now 97 and lives in Mansfield.

    By Alan Jones (05/05/2014)
  • Just bought a beautiful Julian Jelonek suit which I will give to my son, who needs to be smart and sartorially elegant for his job in Mayfair, London. Could you let me know when your father-in-law was working as a high class tailor and where he came from originally. The suit lining is beautiful satin and I’m sure will be a joy to wear. Would love to be able to date it.

    By Panna Bielecka (26/03/2014)
  • What a lovely photo. I married Julian Jelonek’s son and we live in Sutton in Ashfield. We would love to know of any photo’s, stories or coat hangers please.

    By Caroline Jelonek (12/08/2013)
  • This is Church Side, directly opposite the side of St Peter’s Church. Harry Parr & Son were my uncle and cousin. Don’t think it was ever an “indoor bus shelter” as I remember going there from early 1960s onwards. The passage just led into a storage/parking yard and the workshop entrance for the shop. Interesting note: Harry Parr’s first premises were in what is now the No 4 Wood St restaurant!

    By Tom Parr (13/07/2013)
  • Great photo Jodie remember it well from the early ’60s, Hardy Smith pub further Horse n Groom and the old Co-op Cafe think it was run by Mr Bill Bridgewater lovely man then the Co-op Electrical Store by how times have ,old buildings long but not for the better ,think there’s another pub at the side of the Co-op ? .Where have the years gone nice to turn the clock back with such wonderful nostalgia .

    By 'Former Woodus lad' (22/03/2013)
  • My mum used to be the manageress at Birds for many a year until her retirement (Lillian Clay). Christmas Eve used to be the busiest day of the year, one year in the early 70’s the takings on that day were £24,000, an incredible sum.

    By John Clay (08/03/2013)
  • Oh my, Masons. My mum used to do our weekly shopping there. She would drop the list into the shop on Monday ready for delivery on Wednesday afternoon (half day closing). The building still exists as a shop on West Gate.

    By John Clay (08/03/2013)
  • Top end of West Gate in between the bottom of St John Street and Wood Street.

    By John Clay (08/03/2013)
  • I still have a few wooden coat hangers from Julian Jelonek.

    By Gordon Ball (03/02/2013)
  • I recall being a ‘Saturday girl’ at Hiltons in the late 70s. The manager was Mr White. When closed, yellow cellophane blinds were pulled down to prevent fading on the shoes in the window display. Note no security shutters!

    By Linda Spencer (27/01/2013)
  • Top of tootill lane

    By Colin Neita (13/11/2012)
  • Clumber Street, I had a few pair of trousers made at Jelonek

    By Colin Neita (13/11/2012)
  • Milk Bar I think was on Leeming Street used by the public as well as bus drivers and conductors (in those days). The buses used to be at the side of the old Grand Picture Place before leaving to go on the route to Woodus, and Warsup etc; Happy days more pics please and comments !

    By former "woodus lad" (04/12/2011)
  • I am almost certain that in the sixties there was a Chinese resteraunt down the side road. There was a pretty Chinese girl there who was the daughter of the owner and we became friends- and often met up at the Swiss Cottage coffee bar across the square .

    By Anthony Holmes (30/06/2011)
  • Is this not St. Peters Way? I’m sure this used to be where the Bus stops were for Rainworth, Southwell and Nottingham…. And didn’t the Bedding and Upholstery Shop used to be an indoor Bus Shelter with seats around for waiting passengers to use ?? The passage at the bottom right would lead you to the Hippodrome past some cottages.

    By alan curtis (28/06/2011)
  • The “Refuge” was a well known insurance company. Lots of people had a penny a week policy that could be drawn out at death, or when a person achieved the age of 18. A very nice man named Mr. Davey would call at our house on his bike, wearing a trilby, a mack, and bicycle clips every Saturday morning to collect his 4d. He would sit and have a chat and a cup of tea.

    By alan curtis (26/06/2011)
  • Henry Wigfall shop yes, had to take cash payment every Saturday for TV (no colour in them days), furniture,etc family business. When TV broke a chap called ken used to come to home and replace picture valve !!!!happy days

    By g.burton (former wodus lad) (27/02/2011)
  • My grandma used to clean the offices above this shop – it was called the “Refuge”. Does anyone know what the “refuge” was? I can remember playing on the stairs while she cleaned.

    By Caz Harris (20/02/2011)
  • John Manners ltd. The shop was on West Gate where the shops stood back a little where the old market is.It was on the corner of the yard where John Taylors Fruit and Veg. Wholesalers used to be. I believe one could get to Union Street from that yard….John Manners was a first class clothiers giving the kind of first class service seldom experienced today…I remember Fred Haynes having a Fruit and Veg stall outside the shop on the old market.

    By alan curtis (05/02/2011)
  • Where is this or should I say, where was this?

    By D Minett (19/01/2011)

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