You might wonder where we went at weekends all those years ago – that is, towards to end of the Second World War and the few years afterwards. Petrol was rationed, roads were bereft of cars and one had to travel by infrequent bus services or by bicycle – and it was usually within twenty miles or so of Fulwood. It occurs to me that you, the reader, might like to visit these places, perhaps in your Ferrari or in your 1975 banger!

Perhaps I should mention that in those days, "rights of way" were unknown and one just went nevertheless. We always talked to farmers and land-owners whom we met and laughed at their humourous stories and anecdotes. In any case, everyone ‘knew’ in those days that there were footpaths alongside all streams and rivers. This is where we went:-

By bus to Chipping. From there we would walk over Fairsnape Fell and follow the River Brock to Garstang Road. This must have been an eight-mile walk and was very invigorating. On top of the fells, there would be notices warning of unexploded bombs.

We would cycle to Oakenclough and climb what might have been Stake House Fell, past a hunting lodge to find the remains of an American aeroplane which crashed there in about 1942. Although we were comparatively young, we would always be sorry about the airmen killed. We liked to take home one or two small pieces of metal from the crash.

My brother and myself were once cycling in the country roads near Thistleton. Suddenly a German plane passed ahead of us over the road. Hedge-hopping was the right terminology! Incredibly the pilot waved to us… two small boys on bicycles. With hindsight we wondered if he knew what he was doing or why he was there. Near Thistleton there was a Fleet Air Arm airfield and five or six miles south were American airfields. Rather dangerous for him.

A favourite trip was to Blackpool. We would time it so that the tide was out and just on the turn. We would walk the half mile or so to the sea across the beach and go swimming in the warm water. Wonderful. If you have never done it, you just will not know what you have missed. Of course, if the weather was cold we would go swimming in the Derby Baths. After all this swimming we would then go to the Pleasure Beach and spend hours in the "fun house" which I don’t think is there any longer. If you did happen to go swimming in the Derby Baths, you had to learn not to swallow the salt water there. The first time I went, I got horribly sick!

Another cycle expedition was to Glasson Dock, where there was a coffee shop on board a boat. Very romantic! On V.E. Day in 1945 my whole family cycled there. To our surprise the dock was full of warships which had come in from the Irish Sea. One of these was the destroyer HMS Javelin, made famous by Lord Mountbatten. The sailors on board included one who eventually became my father-in-law!

Another walk was along the south side of the River Ribble, past the Penwortham Power Station. Inevitably we found much drift wood and would make fires to cook sausages and baked beans. In those days the Lancashire Daily Post would contain a short paragraph listing the ships in Preston Dock; we would know that ships leaving would be carrying cloth to India or Engineering products to Norway.

Another trip was to Nicky Nook. Most people know this walk. We would start off behind the Garstang bus station. The path led to where the old railway passed over the River Wyre and where the youth of Garstang would swim in those dangerous waters. Nicky Nook is on the left of the Grizedale Valley. We once found a small lamb baaing pitifully at the side of its dead mother. We walked a couple of miles and told the sheep farmer who came back with us for the lamb. He carried a sack in which he put the lamb and it was pathetic to see the lamb trying to walk inside the sack.

We would often cycle to Freckleton and Warton along the Lytham Road to see the gigantic American bombers. Both villages seemed to be full of American airmen. We were appalled at the noise of the engines being tested and never realised that many of these airmen would not return from raids over Germany. It was interesting that most of the villagers would make friends with these airmen and invite them in for meals and relaxation.

Of course, many boys were in the Army Cadets and we visited my cousin who was on manoeuvres. Conditions were frightful so I joined the Air Training Corps! However the war finished before I could become a pilot and get the D.F.C.

We spent many afternoons in Squire Anderton’s woods and the Hills and Hollows – along with thousands of other Prestonians. Few people know that the "Hills and Hollows" was the scene of fighting as defeated Royalists fled north from Cromwell’s army following the second battle of Preston during the Civil War.

Preston children loved to go to Samlesbury Hall and be shown the Priest’s Hiding Hole by the loquacious guide.

Then there were a dozen or so streams to the north of Fulwood approached from Garstang Road. If you look at the map you will see Blundell Brook, Barton Brook, and the Rivers Brock, Calder, Wyre, Conder and so on. We would sometimes swim in these streams and rivers where the waters were two or three feet deep but one should be warned that there are some dangerous places. Of course, the banks of these streams were just the job for making camp fires and cooking more sausages and baked beans… frequently burnt!

So get out the Ferrari next weekend!

OUR FAMILY

The Hindleys of Fletcher Street (Bolton) may ‘have now gone to glory’ as an article in a recent issue of the magazine says, but the Hindleys associated with Fulwood Methodist Church are certainly going strong.

Over the years they took part in many church activities including the Sunday School, Cubs and Scouts, the Wesley Guild and the Fraternal for indoor games and fellowship.

Their careers have been in accountancy, teaching, engineering, marketing, logistics, management and nursing.

Scattered far and wide, they can be found in County Durham, Somerset, Berkshire and Paris as well as in Lancashire.

Five of the founder members of the Fulwood contingent of Hindleys were present at the laying of the foundation stone of the Church in 1911.

John Hindley

(Darlington)