Thatch cottage park road

[emily]

Hi everyone very happy to have discovered this site.
I am wondering if anyone has any info about the thatch cottage on Park road as there seems to be info on other houses on park roak but not that one. I often see photographers taking photo's of it and have seen it appear in a magazine with a small write up.
Any info/pictures would be much appreciated

[malchall1]

It's still there by the gates of West Park School also one at other end by Church S.T. and Park R.D.

[emily]

Yes i know it's still there i see it most days...
I was after information about its history if anyone knows anything about it?
Thanks.

[malchall1]

Sorry Emily try page 9 on this site by steve the person who came up with Spondon on line it in here somewhere posted yonks ago in the early days...

[emily]

thank you, could you send me the link to page 9 i can't seem 2 find it

[currybda]

I know this cottage well having spent all of my formative years in Merchant Avenue which is just a short alley away from Park Road. I passed this cottage every school day of my life on my way to either St. Werburgh's, Springfield or Spondon Park Grammar Schools. It was close to the entrance to what we called "Devasses" an overgrown estate which was our personal jungle and perennial playground. We named all the significant areas and large trees and it was a wonderful, natural playground.

Next to the cottage I remember there lived an unfortunate individual we kids knew as "Claudie, Claudie Clockwork". I now realize that he must have been a"special" person and I regret the way we used to taunt him unmercifully. To us he was a figure of fear and we often had to dodge the half-bricks he would fling at us as we taunted him.

Years later I had occassion to actually visit the thatched cottage in question. Through my participation at Spondon Cricket Club (second eleven captained by Harry Caughey), I came to know the couple who actually occupied the cotage. I don't recall their names but I do remember that they invited my then fiance and I to dinner. This was an unheard of practice in my "working class" world and a new experience for me. To this day I remember what I regarded as the "gourmet" meal they served. The menu was ....

Baked Ham (A tin of "Old Oak" ham)
New Potatoes
Garden peas

served with a white parsley sauce

A veritable feast ... i was so impressed ... and we even had a bottle of Asti Spumante to wash it down with ... Boy that was living !!!

So, am I the only member here who has been in this cottage?

Let's hear your stories!!

Regards

Dave Carruthers
[e-mail]

[malchall1]

Try this link Emi www.multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?cl....&height=500&db= once you got it enter post code

[emily]

Thanks for the link Malc.
And Dave, thank you for your story it's amazing to think that you classed it as a privlidge to go to this house for dinner. Do you remember what it looked like inside?
From what little information i know about this house i hear its roughly 300+ years old and should be a listed building, however the extension on the back was done later on during it's life therefore it couldn't be listed.
Anyone else know or heard anything different?