BLOG: 74 years of memories...

How can you capture 74 years of memories?

Living on the edge of The Valley all my life, collecting bonfire wood and taking biscuit tins to collect tadpoles from “froggy meadow”.

Watching my brother play football on Brooke Vale and going over to the tip when it was dark to get mangles from the farmer’s fields to make lanterns for bonfire night.

Going to the piggeries and running past the tanneries and holding our noses as the smell was atrocious.

Riding my bike over Rimrose Valley to Littlewoods every day for 15 years and on lovely days, leaving the house an hour earlier so I could take time to soak up the beauty.

My daughter and I deciding to go home over Rimrose after we had manned the phones for Red Nose Day, past midnight. They had provided wine and sandwiches and I think we fell down every hole there was, as it was pitch black and we lost the path!

My children building dens and riding bikes as long as the weather allowed – it was a giant playground for them.

My grandchildren feeding the ducks and riding their bikes.

Three generations of one family still using The Valley.

Still finding beauty and magic.

I hope the powers that be come to their senses and look at it through the eyes of just one family who have been very lucky to have had it on their doorstep.

Derek and Ethel