I grew up on a small estate with a pub The Flying Lady (named after the Rolls Royce mascot), and my local infant/junior school, Hungerford in Crewe. On this huge site, there was 2 school buildings,a nursery, a football field and a tarmac path widing the whole length of the site going through a tunnel half way. The rest was hills and fields.
In the late 70's Hungerford school decided they needed something for us todo in the school holidays, so 2 people were employed to run holiday activitys, using the nursey has a base. They were given some money for wood and tools, and the adventure playpark or the Venney has it was known was born. This play played a big part in my growing up in the late 70's, 80's and early 90's. It was brilliant, the holidays came and i would be up and out for 8am waiting for who was ever on that day, to help out and build stuff. I wasnt the only 1 either, there was at least 20 regulars, and we built eveything.
We built a fort on the highest hill, we had a 40ft slide down the other side. A huge metal rocket and a mono-rail put in by Rolls Royce due to all the kids parents worked there.
Our imaginations run wild, we built a wood shed, something we called the Haunted House and were even given an old railway carrige from British Rail.
We just didnt build stuff, we went on orginised trips on coaches and played games like 'capture the flag', 'british bulldog' and lots of sports all over the site. It was ace, when my brother was old enough i took him with me, and that was it Bignank and Littlenank were born. Every waking hour was spent there, helping out and messing around, parents didnt need to care then, they knew we would be back for tea.
We also had Bonfire night ! the week before we would make a guy and go 'penny for a guy' at the local shops, and we got good money too. All the money we made went to but the refreshments for Bonfire night party. We went around the estate collecting all the old wood and cardboard, and buy the time we finished we had enough for a big bonfire. It was organised ever year £2 a ticket and the whole estate came. The fire was lit at 6.30 pm, and the nursery opened to sell hot drinks, burgers etc. The Fireworks we set off at 7.30pm, and every year they bought 1 firework that we it exploded, it sent a dude in a parachute gliding of across the houses, and ever year there was a hoard of 20+ kids running after it to get it.
These years were probably the best years in my young life, and i will never forget it. I had my first drink there, i had my first ciggy there, it was OUR place we had built it.
But sadly, it was knocked down in 1998 and replaced with 40+houses for yuppies. I was gutted, we all were, there were a lot of tears in Crewe that day.
So that was it, the Venney was gone, but im still there in my head and that will never change.
Thanks for reading
Offski
In the late 70's Hungerford school decided they needed something for us todo in the school holidays, so 2 people were employed to run holiday activitys, using the nursey has a base. They were given some money for wood and tools, and the adventure playpark or the Venney has it was known was born. This play played a big part in my growing up in the late 70's, 80's and early 90's. It was brilliant, the holidays came and i would be up and out for 8am waiting for who was ever on that day, to help out and build stuff. I wasnt the only 1 either, there was at least 20 regulars, and we built eveything.
We built a fort on the highest hill, we had a 40ft slide down the other side. A huge metal rocket and a mono-rail put in by Rolls Royce due to all the kids parents worked there.
Our imaginations run wild, we built a wood shed, something we called the Haunted House and were even given an old railway carrige from British Rail.
We just didnt build stuff, we went on orginised trips on coaches and played games like 'capture the flag', 'british bulldog' and lots of sports all over the site. It was ace, when my brother was old enough i took him with me, and that was it Bignank and Littlenank were born. Every waking hour was spent there, helping out and messing around, parents didnt need to care then, they knew we would be back for tea.
We also had Bonfire night ! the week before we would make a guy and go 'penny for a guy' at the local shops, and we got good money too. All the money we made went to but the refreshments for Bonfire night party. We went around the estate collecting all the old wood and cardboard, and buy the time we finished we had enough for a big bonfire. It was organised ever year £2 a ticket and the whole estate came. The fire was lit at 6.30 pm, and the nursery opened to sell hot drinks, burgers etc. The Fireworks we set off at 7.30pm, and every year they bought 1 firework that we it exploded, it sent a dude in a parachute gliding of across the houses, and ever year there was a hoard of 20+ kids running after it to get it.
These years were probably the best years in my young life, and i will never forget it. I had my first drink there, i had my first ciggy there, it was OUR place we had built it.
But sadly, it was knocked down in 1998 and replaced with 40+houses for yuppies. I was gutted, we all were, there were a lot of tears in Crewe that day.
So that was it, the Venney was gone, but im still there in my head and that will never change.
Thanks for reading
Offski
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