Learnt all my football skills on this patch of common between two pits. Martin's cricket stumps for goals.
Forge Orchards where I lived from age 4 to 13 after moving from Norwich. Built in 1971 - we moved in when the house (No. 7) was first built in August. I seem to remember hearing original prices were around £3.5k.
Mulbarton Infant and Middle school. Built in the early 70s -my timing was perfect: the school hall and extensions were always built ready for me to move in. I was the very first child to play on the new middle-school playground (I ran like hell at the bell on it's opening day).
The Butcher's. Only mentioned because it also had a sweet counter where you could get 4 aniseed balls for a penny!
The main village shop. Purveyor of all sweets known to a 7 year old.
Village pond. Good only for feeding the ducks.
The third and least salubrious village shop. Only used if the post office and butcher's were closed (though I think the only one open on a Sunday). Dubious hygeine - sold meat and fishing bait from the same counter (or is that now an urban myth?). My friends and I certainly bought maggots there!
I can remember when this was all fields! Used to be a cornfield suitable for 10-year olds to experiment with girls away from prying eyes. Now the dull Lark Rise estate.
The one and only village conker tree. Still there.
Mulbarton United's football pitch in the 70s and 80s. Common land, but that didn't stop the caretaker, Brian Tungate, kicking us off if he caught us playing on his pitch. We thought he was an old curmudgeon but in hindsight he was fighting an uphill battle to keep any semblance of grass on it.
The old school (moved to new site in about 1972). Then became the village hall (scene of a few birthday discos in the early 80s).
Mulberry Gardens, built around 1976. I lived here for 9 months while our house in Bracon Ash was being built. Shit dry-air central heating that gave me asthma.
Old folks housing - I remember us school children went to see it opened by Princess Alexandra.
Rectory Lane - the way to Swainsthorpe - odd natives that stand around and stare at the adventurous travellers from far away.
Birchfield Gardens. Had the only really smooth pavements in the village that were suitable for skateboarding the first time around!
Moved here to Bracon Ash in 1980.
The World's End pub. Bit of a dive but I remember the sign in the early 70s - a car driving off a cliff on one side and something different on the other. All right - I remember *one* side of the sign...
Strawberry picking - pocket money for school children in the summer: 50p for each tray (that's slave labour!) but as many strawberries as you can eat. Don't think the last bit was official, mind...
Rosary Lane (Road?). Used to bike along here to get to Shottsham (sp?) ford for a dip in the summer.
Used to cycle everywhere in those days!
This is the largest pit on the common. Good for biking down the slopes and playing hide and seek. Remember someone making a massive igloo-style snow den one winter.
I was an original member of the M.C.C, - The
Mulbarton Common Committee. It was formed
initially to register Mulbarton Common as
common land in 1963 following an Act of
Parliament requring Common Land to be
registered or else!! The Committee duly
registered the land and set about raising
money to make it a useful piece of land for
the community. At that time I lived at 5,
Southern Reach a pleasant enough chalet
bungalow but dreadful to live in during wet
weather when the cesspits would fill up
overnight. Two mf our children were baptised
at the Anglican Church next the common.
I am glad you can remember, (map remarks)
the work done to try and keep the football
pitch usable on the common. It was an uphill
struggle indeed. Now the "new
pitch" is in the control of the Parish
Council, and again an uphill struggle but it
is being won in spite of the behaviour of
some of the "local" kids. Stones
thrown on it cause damage to the cutters and
is not conducive to getting help from anyone
when things need doing. The pitch is used by
local kids nowadays and not by "paid
mercenaries" as the last lot were, just
show some respect for the efforts being made,
they are done for your benefit after all
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Comments and faves
beki70 (68 months ago | reply)
i remember the opening of the old folks home too, i was in the middle school then
norfolkdumpling1 (42 months ago | reply)
I was an original member of the M.C.C, - The Mulbarton Common Committee. It was formed initially to register Mulbarton Common as common land in 1963 following an Act of Parliament requring Common Land to be registered or else!! The Committee duly registered the land and set about raising money to make it a useful piece of land for the community. At that time I lived at 5, Southern Reach a pleasant enough chalet bungalow but dreadful to live in during wet weather when the cesspits would fill up overnight. Two mf our children were baptised at the Anglican Church next the common.
beki70 added this photo to her favorites. (42 months ago)
tungate2009 (32 months ago | reply)
I am glad you can remember, (map remarks) the work done to try and keep the football pitch usable on the common. It was an uphill struggle indeed. Now the "new pitch" is in the control of the Parish Council, and again an uphill struggle but it is being won in spite of the behaviour of some of the "local" kids. Stones thrown on it cause damage to the cutters and is not conducive to getting help from anyone when things need doing. The pitch is used by local kids nowadays and not by "paid mercenaries" as the last lot were, just show some respect for the efforts being made, they are done for your benefit after all