---- The Original Stainforth 2001 Guestbook --- 2001 - 2006 |
Name: L.H. Sent: 29/11 04:51 I certainly agree with all you have stated i.e The Athletics track should be much more used and money spent to improve it. Have you considered going into the local Stainforth and Hatfield schools to promote Athletics and the track? Maybe 2004 would be a good year to do this as it is an Olympic Year. I'm sure local schools would appreciate a taste/course of athletics!! Looking back through History the track was opened in 1971 at a cost of £28,000 and it was estimated then it would cost £2,500/ year to maintain. I am sure that this amount of money has never been spent so Stainforth Council, who own the track, have some explaining to do! Without trying to be pedantic surely it is Doncaster and Stainforth Athletics Club NOT Doncaster Athletics Club with a base in Stainforth as you have stated. We don't want another Stainforth name disappearing. Finally, it was a pity little or no money was spent on the track in 1991 when £150,000 was spent on other welfare facilities. If my memory serves me right the Athletics club at this time wanted to build a new tartan track next to the existing track and decided to go their own way to apply for grants. Obviously nothing came out of it. Good Luck in your efforts to improve the state of Athletics in the local area. Sent: 28/11 15:23 Would anyone like to be involved in regenerating Stainforth, providing somewhere for our children to go that will keep them fit & healthy as well as out of trouble? At the moment Doncaster Athletics Club has a base in Stainforth that could be a huge asset to the people of Stainforth as well as the surrounding area if it was supported by the local community. We rightly complain that there is a lot of crime, yet this could be tackled by a strong Athletics club that involves young people. We complain about obesity yet there are qualified coaches willing to help. We complain about agencies that should be providing help not doing so. But we have to realise that we could be waiting for a long time for other people to put these things right. There is a need for people to take back control of their communities. You can do this by becoming involved in the various initiatives throught the village one of which is the Athletics. Doncaster has no proper track for our children to train on unlike many smaller towns close by. You only have to look at what Rugby has just done to raise the self esteem of the country to realise how many barriers sport can cross. The club needs volunteers to become strong enough to survive and flourish and possibly provide a future Olympic champion. Anyone with an interest should contact the club as soon as possible to realise the potential of Stainforth, its residents, the young people, and the Athletics club. Name: hax4kix Sent: 28/11 10:26 i was a doglad at stainy dog track in my teens , i started at 7 and worked my way up or down to 5 dog ( which ever way you look at it )1 dog being the most senior position . i can remember mrs powells pie and pea's adge , covered with loads of mint sauce YUM YUM !!.. i can also remember being asked by dog owners to stand on another dogs foot , or give its gonads a good squeeze !! for this we got an even bigger tip . we used to line up with the dogs , on the track in front of the big windows of the club . after the anouncments the lights went off and we made our way round the track to the traps , this was when the skullduggery took place LMAO !!.... i hated having to catch the dogs after the race that was the worse part . i will never forget one dog called cassius a big brindle monster it was , it would try biting you through the muzzle and being a lad of 14 and just a dot i could'nt hold it . it used to drag me onto the track , it never stopped in line in front of the clubhouse it just did its own thing ... good memories though... oooh can anyone remember the greenun! i used to sell that too , Name: len goodwin Sent: 27/11 15:20 Adge you need to talk to roy curran, danny dunn, roly or ned conway. i'm sure these lads will have many a fond memory to share about the dog track. i can remember sneaking into the stadium by walking up the sleepers they used to hold the fence up. then we'd have a bowl of mrs powells mushy peas for a tanner. some of the owners would let you hold their dog while they went in the club and slip you a tip when they came out. see ya leng Name: becksta City: dunscroft Sent: 27/11 09:49 Hey up to all my mates in year 11 at hatfield high . Hope you all do well in your Gcse's Luv me XXXX Name: Adge Covell Homepage: http://www.stainforthonline.co.uk City: Stainforth Sent: 26/11 14:14 I wonder if anyone could help me with a project I'm working on? I'm collecting information about Stainforth greyhound stadium and would like to hear from anyone who remembers going there pre 1970s. In particular I would like to find out more about the earliest days of greyhound racing there, about the Lovett family, and about the people who enjoyed going there. For those of you who need their memories refreshing; Benny Lovett, the track's owner in the 1960s was a large round man who always smoked a large fat cigar. One of the funniest things I ever saw was Mr.Lovett being chased up the home straight by an equally large and round irate owner. Then there was Mr.Lovett jr, Norman, who sat in the little office near the gate, wearing his trilby hat and 40s style overcoat. Norman had an uncontollable stutter, which caused him to scatter ash from from his perpetually hanging fag whenever he became excited. Then there was the railway shack cafe, operated by the mother of the man who operated the traps. Even now, I can't smell minted mushy peas without being expressly taken back to that rickety little cafe. So, if anyone has memories or info they'd like to pass on then please get in touch. Adge. Name: Bert Cattermole City: Rockingham Western Australia Sent: 26/11 07:37 I have been following the correspondance of Len and Christine with interest.I remember many of the events you mention.I was brought up in Dunscroft but married Mary Bird from Large Square and lived in Stainforth From then.We came to Australia in 1975.I remember the water sports a little because my grandparents lived in one of the cottages by the lock where they repaired the barges.I used to visit every week until my grandmothers death about '47.I remember Harold Cockayne,he used to be a neighbour in Large Square.But I believe there used to be a one legged man used to win all the swimming.I think he was named Speight,But not sure.I sure remember the picture house.Change of films three times a week and at Broadway.You could watch a different film every night.Not forgetting the matinees of course.Who could forget the dances at the catholic club.Every sundaynight and then rush home to listen to the top twenty on radio Luxemburg.And on long weekends midnight till 4 in the morning.I was back in Doncaster this last summer.I did visit some friends in Beech Crescent and also had a night out in the Old club with Patsy Featherstone and friends.I didn't get to see all of stainforth and it has been disappointing to read some of the letters,particular about Kingsway.I used to spend a fair bit of time there in my youth.It used to be a nice place.Christine,you wouldn't be related to the wife of Arthur Yeardly would you.cheers Bert Name: L.H. Sent: 25/11 16:06 The Watersports at Stainforth started in 1894 and then took part off and on until 1956 when because of very few entries and a shortage of Committee helpers it was finally decided to stop them. As a matter of fact, in 1955 because of a lack of skilled oarsmen only 3 events were held where the traditional skill of a waterman was required. In 1978 an It's a knock out Contest was held in the Swimming pool. In 1986 the Stainforth Water Festival started on the canal with various events organised by the Stainforth Community Association but this finished in 1989 because of a lack of support of village teams and the danger caused by parents allowing children to swim in the canal during events. A more detailed article about the Watersports at Stainforth will be published in the December issue of the Doncaster Libraries Yesterday/Today Local History Review. Hopefully, in the April publication there will be a detailed article about our Nobel Prize Winner, George Porter. Name: ade Homepage: http://taken.to/net-security City: Dunscroft but born in stainy Sent: 25/11 13:12 Yeep you can still get dandelion & burdock i can remember sports at the canal i was born in 65 and i was at a guess about 12 when i can remember so that makes it about 1977 ish although i could be remembering something entirely different to you all Name: Christine Hemsworth City: Peterborough Sent: 25/11 12:14 HI Len, I hope that we haven't started a Boring Old Farts Gang. Of course I remember the water sports but only just. HAve a look at the book by Fred Schofield he has a good bit about it including some old photos. I guess that I went to the last one in about 1956, as kids we sat on the bank near the New In with packets of XL crisps (salt packet included,) and a bottle oflemonade or Tizer or my favourite Dandelion and Burdock. (can you still buy that?) Stainforthit seeems has lost more than it has gained hasn't it. Cheers Christine Name: ade Homepage: http://taken.to/net-security City: Dunscroft (but born in stainy) Sent: 24/11 18:57 As always a very enjoyable visit well done adge Name: len goodwin Sent: 24/11 14:29 can anyone out there remember the water sports that they used to held on stainy canal? i remember the greasy pole and harold cockayne climbing it,but i can't remember a lot more about the sports. can anyone out there help jog my memory. yors leng Name: emma Sent: 21/11 09:03 i love the new addition to stainforth- the CODFATEHR chippy! Name: Margaret Curran nee Hedley City: Dunscroft Doncaster Sent: 20/11 14:37 I remember the Little Wonder well, I used to work there when George Plant owned it. Still like Fowlers though especially as I used to live at the Back of it, and Janis their daughter was a friend of mine. I had many a Happy time at Stainforth swimming pool, even took my son. We have nothing like that now have to go to Thorne, Armthorpe or Doncaster. Still I will not have Stainforth frowned upon it is only the few that spoil it. Sent: 20/11 14:35 Name: dave City: eppy Sent: 19/11 05:28 Stainy is cool Name: Christine Hemsworth City: Peterborough Sent: 17/11 15:46 HiRon, Yes I remember all of it but I always prefferred Fowlers To the Little Wonder. We used to cycle to HappyDays but Stainforth Swimming Pool opened when I was at Church Road school and I went there. Those were the days. Cheers Christine Name: Ron Weir City: Paraparaumu New Zealand Sent: 17/11 04:44 Hi! Christine the tom puddings used to be at Ashy Banks in the canal full of coal,I also remember Lani's milk bar I used to go out with my mate Bernard Murry ( he used to work for them driving that small icecream van) selling there icecream & remember the Juke Box, sometimes we used to park outside of Happydays swimming pool to sell icecream but most times the owners used to tell us to push off, I think they sold there own icecream and did not want any competition.Can you remember the Little Wonder fishshop opposite Emmerson Avenue on station road next to the bookies hut,one more thing do you remember Bluebell wood turn first left over the canal bridge then straight down that road at a left hand bend in the road carry straight on through the farmers field it is around that area somewhere. Regards Ron. Number of entries: 457 [ Back to the Stainforth 2001 Homepage ] [ Stainforthonline.co.uk ] |