13/16 Club Photo Album
In the late 1940's there used to be a youth club on the Sherwood estate called the 13/16 Club. (obviously you had to be 13 to join and left at 16) and they used to hold a dance on a Saturday evening at the Seely School on Perry Road. However in the early 50's Woodthorpe House, on Mansfield Road opposite Woodthorpe Park was obtained and became a Community Centre. In the grounds of the house was a spider of Nisson huts, remnants of the war years and these were given to the youth club. With the guidance of two or three adult leaders these were converted into a usable youth club. Most evenings and weekends were spent scrubbing, painting and learning other skills. We then formed a hockey team that played on Saturday afternoons, a photographic club was started and we started going hiking in Derbyshire.
The 'Ramblers Special' train was caught on a Sunday morning at the Midland station and we would disembark at Matlock, or Ambergate or Great Rowsley and spend the day walking the various dales. Then catch the train back on its return journey in the late afternoon.
We all lived in the Sherwood area and many of us had gone to Junior School together then separated as we went through higher education but remained as a group in the youth club. Then slowly split up as we either started to go to work, went to National Service etc.
The photograph below shows us on a hike and the other when a group of us went to Eastbourne for a holiday in 1951.
The 13/16 Club on a ramble through the Derbyshire dales.
Unfortunately, as memory fades its hard to recall all the names. Also the girls will have married and changed names.
As Joan and I were returning to the UK in May 2000 for two months, and as it was the millennium I thought it would be a good idea if we could all meet up in a Derbyshire dale and have lunch together.
A group of us went to Eastbourne for a holiday in 1951
I'll now give a list of the names of the persons recalled: John Bloodworth, Mick Hudson, John Harrison, Trevor and Margaret Briggs, Mick Lockley, Paul Stringfellow, Peter Smith Joan Hardy, Graham Alvey, Janet Dudson, Valerie Cramner, Shirley Walters, Dave Anderson, Ron Wilson, Shirley White.
Mel, Ron Wilson, Kathleen Berresford, enjoying light refreshment Easter Sunday, 13th April 1952
A reunion of many of the club members actually took place on Saturday 20th May 2000 at the Green Dragon Public House at Oxton.
Unfortunately some members couldn't be traced and others were unable to attend, but for those that attended, the afternoon quickly passed as we all caught up with everyone's news. Hopefully another meeting will be arranged in the future. Some people were immediately recognisable others had changed slightly.
Kath Beresford (now Mee) with her husband Doug at Monsal Dale
when we had a delightful day out with them.