Kirkby Dental Practice
Kirkby Dental Practice is located at 24-26 Station Street. It has not been there long.
Rainydays Play Centre
From at least June 2015 to March 2022, Rainydays Play Centre was here.
Happy Days Play Den
Before that, from at least October 2008 to April 2011, it appears to have been the same or a similar business called Happy Days Play Den.
Fasey’s Fish and Chip Shop
Described by Edith Searson
In her book(let) “I Also Remember“, Edith Searson noted coming from Hodgkinson Road and turning right into Station Street. She says, “we return to Station Street where we have another row of cottages. A few yards later a ‘hut’ shop was erected at the beginning of the row and it was fitted up as a Fish and Chip shop, with Mr and Mrs Frazey conducting the business. It was a busy shop until the demolition of all the row of cottages…” Initially, from this description, I wondered if this shop was not on the corner of Hodgkinson Road and Station Street but a little further along. However, now I wonder if “yards” should be “years“. I think this would make more sense overall. She also recalled the name of the people who ran the fish and chip shop as Frazey.
Struggled to Find Information
Initially, I struggled to find any mention of a fish and chip shop by this name elsewhere although Price Fish and Chips appears on Jacques’ List of Station Street retailers circa 1920-1940 on the corner of Hodgkinson Road and Station Street. In a Facebook discussion, Daphne Cantrill noted that her Aunty Louise had run a chip shop, in this location. with her husband Jim Price. She said she did not remember much about it as she was only around eleven at the time. She did note that “ my sister Anne helped Aunty Louise on Saturdays to rumble the potatoes – they were put into a rough lined machine which when turned took the skin off ! It would be early to mid 1950 .“
Corner of Hodgkinson Road
In a comment on the Kirkby-in-Ashfield People Facebook Group, Royston Nixon recalled that after going on deliveries with his dad, “we often stopped at the end of Hodgkinson Road at the chippy which was run by the Fasey family not sure that is the right spelling but the place was a big corrugated shed-like place, the chips were brill.” From this and other descriptions, it appears that the chip shop was at the corner of Station Street and Hodgkinson Road. For example, Frank Ball commented that Fazey’s chip shop was on the east corner of Hodgkinson Road.
6 Station Street
However, Alwyn Bowskill shared a photo from the seventies which shows Fasey’s Fish Bar at 6 Station Street.
Mark Ashfield
In his book “Christmas Pigs and A Summer Donkey“ (p23), Mark Ashfield notes that “across Hodgkinson Road from the beer-off was a fish and chip shop. The main part of the business was done in a corrugated iron lean-to at the end of the house. Bigger than it seemed from the outside. it was possible to have a sit-down meal there, and customers often did after a night out at one of the three local cinemas”. So, while he does not name the shop, he seems to also locate it at 24 Station Street. He also noted that following this there were then about six terraced, tiny houses with minute gardens at the back. He also noted that those houses, though small, often housed large families.
Ringrose
On Kirkby Living Memory Facebook Group, Kell Gentle posted, “What is Rainy Days on Station Street was a tin hut chip shop that my great grandparents Ringrose owned and they sold it to Harry Fasey then burnt down in the sixties“. This seems to confirm that the chip shop was on the corner of Station Street and Hodgkinson Road and that it was run by Harry Fasey. The post also noted that prior to the shop being operated by the Faseys, it was operated by the Ringroses.
Family Memories
Will Graham Allcock, Joyce Cope and Colleen Moult all commented that the chip shop was owned by their Aunt Wynn and Uncle Harry Fasey. Colleen commented that she “loved a walk round the quarries then calling in at the chippy on Station St.” Will Graham replied that he had loved their home-made fishcakes with gravy.
Tony Fasey commented that James Harry and Winney Fasey were his grandparents and they had run the chip shop. His parents were Harry and Doreen and they referred to the chip shop as “the tin hut“.
Other Memories
Judith Wells recalled that it had a “really high counter. Us little ‘uns just held our money up. Couldn’t see or reach. It all seemed very exciting at the time. Must have been in the late 50s... It was steamy and noisy. Chips were lovely though.” Paul Brown commented that “they would take newspapers from us in exchange for some batter bits or even a bag of chips! “
In the News
In December 1958, miner Ronald Edward Meredith was in court charged with breaking into two shops including Maltby and Griffiths on Station Street. An article noted that “the sound of breaking glass caused Kirkby-in-Ashfield fish frier, James Fasey, to run out of his Station Street shop last Friday night. He saw a man in drainpipe trousers running down the street and found that a display window of a photographer’s shop had been smashed.“
Moving Along Station Street
It appears that there was a fire at the chip shop and, following that, the business moved to 6 Station Street. Kell Gentle noted that, following the fire. Harry Fasey “set it up in his house where Jade’s is now“. However, Tony Fasey, James Harry Fasey’s grandson did not recall his grandparents moving further along Station Street.
Cresswell’s
Edith Searson
In her book(let) “I Also Remember“, Edith Searson noted that where the row of cottages. that had been demolished, had stood “now is D R Cresswell’s Store, opened in 1967“.
Date of Opening
However, in a comment on Facebook, Bet-Bet Phillips noted that Cresswell’s did not open in 1967, saying, “I worked there from it opening it was maybe 69 or early 70 not quite sure it’s a long time ago reason I know I went to live up Coxmoor in 68 and was after that“. Steve Banham confirmed that it was 1969 saying “I was an apprentice working for my dad & we did the decorating as Coleman’s builders built it.“
These memories are confirmed by a post on Kirkby-in-Ashfield People Facebook Group which features photos from the Free Press of 11 July 1969 celebrating the opening of “Kirkby’s latest superstore“. The article explains that this was Cresswell’s eleventh store. The store was described as being “in completely new premises, with modern lighting, the latest fittings and a background of soft music“. There was said to be a staff of fifteen managed by Mr P A Richardson, aged 23.
How Large Was Cresswell’s?
I am not sure if Cresswell’s occupied all of this building or part of it. In order to try to determine this, I looked for entries in telephone directories and found one in the 1972 directory. However, this did not specify the number and also referred to the location as Station Road.
I am grateful to Sharon Millan for pointing out that Cresswell’s occupied the place on the corner of Hodgkinson Road and that other businesses, Taylor’s and Carnaby Girl occupied other shops.
Memories of Cresswell’s
Shopping at Cresswell’s
Kevin Appleby was among several contributors on Facebook who recalled shopping at Cresswell’s. Kathryn Chapman remembered shopping there with her mother. Elaine Jenks recalled going with her mother and father, noting “for some reason I can remember a huge pile of bags of sugar near the entrance.” Kathryn Chapman recalled them too commenting that she thought they were on pallets. Margaret Murray noted that her father loved Cresswell’s. Margaret Hollingsworth recalled doing her shopping there, “a weeks shop cost me around £3. No meat to buy as hubby was butcher“. Megan Finney noted doing most of the shopping there in the late sixties and early seventies. Others, including Paul Reeson, noted that Cresswell’s was there into the eighties.
However, not all memories were positive. Clare Howlett commented, “I hated that shop and I always played up in there. My mum used to get our bread from there. It was called Giant and it was in waxed paper, bit like Warburton bread is now“. Rachel Cameron responded, “I hated going in there too… did some of our shop there, then up to Lipton’s, if I was good, she’d let me have a little something from Piggymalones”.
Bread
Kath Williams remembered going in there with her mother when still at home in the late sixties. When they came out, her mother was moaning about bread going up a penny. Kath commented that “before you know where you are it will be 2 shillings a loaf” to which her mother replied, “don’t be so bloody silly!!” Arthur Bend recalled going there for “jumbo bread“. Andy Hallam recalled that jumbo bread had an elephant on the side. Shaun Ashford recalled jumbo loaves as the “very best“.
First Supermarket in Kirkby?
Margaret Hollingsworth thought Cresswell’s had been the first supermarket in Kirkby. However, Chris Kidger thought this was Vernon’s. She had started work there in 1963. some six years before Cresswell’s opened.
Cars
Paul Brown noted, “I distinctly remember the cars they had in the car park at the back. There was a Lincoln continental, Rolls Royce convertible, Lamborghini Countach and others!” Kerry Beadle noted that, “I went out with Rob for a while used to make the curtains twitch when he used to pick me up from home in a Rolls Royce!“
Working at Cresswell’s
Nick Grabowski commented that his first job was stacking shelves at Cresswell’s. He noted that he earned 20p per hour but, “the boss was pleased with me and raised it to 25p“. He also remarked that his mother had worked there for many years. Chris Spencer recalled that Keith Coleman’s mother worked there. Kerry Beadle recalled that both her mother and Auntie Jude worked there. Tracy Burton and Beverley Orme both recalled their mothers working there. Olive Ward recalled fond memories of her mother, Doreen Pickford, working there, usually on the fruit and veg. Jekyll Lynne noted working there. Bet-Bet Phillips noted working there from when it opened.
Flat Above the Shop
Lynne Payne commented that the flat above the shop was their first home in 1970. Janice Woodward commented that the flat was huge. Chris Spencer recalled that Paul Draycott lived above the shop. Paul Draycott confirmed that he used to live above the shop and noted that the railway was just down the road. He also noted that he got to know the family really well. He commented, “I used to go out with Rob and Steve the sons. After a drunken night we would open the shop up help ourselves to an evening fry up… We would all get a telling off the next day for throwing bread around off Kath Colman the manageress.“
Stories from Cresswell’s
Wendy Radford noted, “I can remember going in with my parents and a lady that worked on the meat counter got her hand caught in the meat cutter, my dad got it out for her. Another time, the ladies on the meat counter were screaming as a mouse ran along the counter. ” Wendy thought the woman who got her arm caught was Nick Grabowski’s mother. However, he also remembered the incident and thought it was someone else, perhaps Sharon Dudley.
Tony Wilson noted that he had misunderstood the sign which read “D R Cresswell” thinking “it seemed a funny business for a doctor!” Apparently, he was not the only one. Linda Catchpole’s mother used to refer to it as Doctor Cresswells!
Breakers
Breakers appears to have been a club and live music venue at this location. In a Facebook post, Lynne Orrell described it as a snooker club.
Music at Breakers
In comments on Facebook, Paul Zawadski recalled playing a few gigs at Breakers in the nineties with his duo Brandysnap. David Simpson commented that he had forgotten about Breakers and that he had “had a few nights in there under age“. Julie Vardy noted that she loved Breakers. Steph Barks noted that she had had some good laughs in there. Mark Staples commented, “I definitely lost a few months in there” and Russell Males noted that he had been with him. Tel Thelma Males added, “Had some good times in here… some brilliant laughs… Also where me & Russ got together.” Kerry Roper recalled Breakers and she noted that her mum often spoke about Cresswells. She recalled Breakers as a “bar and snooker place. I worked… across the road in the late 80s/early 90s…“
The Cresswells Converted the Shop to a Snooker Club
I came across an article in the Mansfield and Sutton Recorder in August 1985 concerning an appeal by Cresswell Brothers against refusal of planning permission to convert their shop into a snooker hall. The appeal was successful.
New Breakers
It appears that Breakers opened in 1988 as a snooker and social club. However, by the nineties, it may have just been a night club under the name The New Breakers. I am grateful to Lorraine Foster for letting me know that she and her husband had run Breakers. She noted that, “it was called The New Breakers when Chris & Carl took it over from Les“.
Right -advert for bands at the New Breakers in June 1996 obtained through paid subscription to Find My Past
Was There an Arcade Here?
In a Facebook discussion, Allen Pettigrew asked if anyone remembered an arcade here. In a different discussion, Chris Spencer recalled that, when these shops first opened, there was one called Las Vegas that was full of pinball machines. Chris identified this as being at 34 Station Street.
In a Facebook comment, Jenny Guest also recalled an amusement arcade in this row of shops. She noted that, “the one I’m thinking of wasn’t 24-26. It could have been where Lucky Star is but I didn’t think it was that far up. It was full of pinball machines and the kiosk (for change etc) was on the right hand side of the shop.“
An Earlier Row of Terraced Houses
The current building housing 24-36 Station Street was constructed in the sixties. Prior to that, there had been a row of terraced houses/cottages. These were noted both by Edith Searson in her book(let) “I Also Remember” and by Mark Ashfield in his book “Christmas Pigs and a Summer Donkey“.
Residents of 24-26 Station Street
The Hemstocks
In 1939, William and Gladys M Hemstock were living at 26 Station Street with their two daughters, Margery D (b1919) and Doreen M (b1926). There was another closed record. William was a colliery banksman and Margery was an interlock overlocker (transcribed as overlooker). In 1921, William and Gladys May Hemstock were boarding at 26 Station Street with the Moores. At this stage, William was a coal miner loader at the Butterley Colliery Company.
The Walls
In 1939, Joseph H and Mary E Wall were living at 24 Station Street. Joseph was a general labourer ordnance.
The Moores
In 1921, George and Mary Moore were living at 26 Station Street. The Hemstocks were boarding with them. George was a retired coal miner hewer having worked at Annesley Colliery. The Moores were living at 26 Station Street in both 1901 and 1911. In 1901, George was described as a stone ripper.
In 1901, Thomas and Martha Moore were living at 24 Station Street with their six children, William (b1890), Tom (b1891), George (b1893), Ben (b1895), John (b1898) and Mary (b1901). Thomas was a coal miner (loader).
The Wightmans
In 1921. John and Emily Jane Wightman were living at 24 Station Street with their son John (b1903). Both Johns worked at Newstead Colliery. John Snr loaded wagons with coal above ground and John Jnr was a coal sorter above ground. The Wightmans were living at 24 Station Street in 1911. Their daughter Mary Ann (b1898) was also with them. John Snr was working as a hewer at this time.
Leave a Reply