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| Ancestor Gateway Forum - STAMFORD MEMORIES GATEWAY (Lincolnshire England) used as PRIDE and PREJUDICE FILM SET | New Topic | Search |
| Thread Topic: YMCA STAMFORD 1951 - 1957 - Were You There? Other Years Wanted Too Topic Originator: Phil Rudkin Post Date May 6, 2006 @ 10:43 AM |
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| Phil Rudkin |
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© Photo copyright Stamfordtown.com Phil Rudkin has suggested we get a list going of people who attended Stamford YMCA during the 50s - sounds like a great idea. Did you attend Stamford YMCA - do you have memories of those great evenings or the footie, table tennis, the training runs etc? Write in and let us know. Were you someone who helped with the organisation, teas etc or did a relative play a part? Everyone likes to hear those familiar names - perhaps they are names we have forgotten but the memories will return if we revive the names. Message from Phil Hello Kate, I left St. Augustine's School, in Broad Street, Stamford in June 1951. I joined the Stamford YMCA that same year, and stayed with the club until it closed in 1957. They were the best teenage years that we could have had. The YMCA was in the building that is now the Language School, in St. Peter's Street. Geoffry Peters was the boss, and he lived just near in St.Peter's Street. Geoff was a wonderful leader, and would do anything for the youths to improve the activities. These included: Soccer teams (Peterboro League), Camera Club. Basketball team, and a thriving Table Tennis team. Record recitals. The upstairs large hall, was used for soccer training, basketball, and dances. There was a balcony overlooking the hall, where members could sit and watch the action. Mothers formed a roster, and manned the refreshment hatch each week. Showers and toilets were downstairs, and another room downstairs was where the record club was held. Everyone met at the YMCA before going up to Broad Street to the Cinema or Picturedrome. The soccer teams trained Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and finished by having a run to Tinwell, or up Foundry Road, and down Empingham Road. I would like to get some of the members of the YMCA during this period to write in and fill in some of the names of those that were there. I know a few myself, but let us get this going. Although it was titled YMCA, there were girls there also, and some of those met and married. Some great memories of that period. Best wishes, Philip John Rudkin. Kate: Thanks for that Phil. Sounds like a great idea.If we get it going and it develops I could transfer the data and we could have it as a separate Forum for STAMFORD YMCA to accommodate all the info. See how we go. |
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| john freear |
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As Phil joined the YMCA my ties with it were beginning to loosen as I began to court a young lady from a neighbouring village. I had been a member of the YM since it had previously been Stamford Youth Club, the club leader if my memory is correct was a Mr Smith who lived in All Saints St, near the Albion public house. The next leader I remember was "Skipper" Davenport who had been "Boss" of a Motor Torpedo Boat during the second world war. He lived in one of the red brick houses behind St Georges church (East Side). The story true or not was that he had had his boat blown out of the water underneath him at some time during the war. In the summer of 1947 he organised a holiday for us at Snettisham, Norfolk, camping in tented lines left behind by an American artillery regiment when they went home after the war. Two gloriously sunny weeks, fantastic holiday for us. We travelled in one of a local hauliers wagons (Musgroves, who operated out of Bath Row and lived in Castle Dyke) We were all "Stood up" in the back of the open lorry, would not be allowed today for safety reasons. Geoff Peters came after Mr Davenport, he was a Quaker by church and as Christian in my book as it was possible to be. Kate: Thanks John, for all those gems linking together the names of the leaders, the activities etc. I particularly like to think of you all enjoying those two sunny weeks at Snettisham in those "tented lines".Was that following the bad winter or before? Anyone else out there remember the YMCA and the great times they had? |
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| Kate |
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Leaders Mr Smith, All Saints' Street "Skipper" Davenport Geoffrey Peters STAMFORD YMCA MEMBERS FREEAR John 1947 - 1951 RUDKIN Phil 1951 - 1957 A T GOODCHILD 1949 WALDEN Clem 1949 - 1953 STAN SMITH SYD BOWERS VIV ROLLINSON MICK KETTLEBOROUGH |
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| Clem Walden |
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I was a member of the YMCA from 1949 to 1953 I was also in All Saints choir at the time & most of the choir boys were also members, I remember Phil Rudkin & John Freear but they are a little older than I Kate: Thanks for that Clem. I will add your name to the list of members. |
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| a t goodchild |
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I was a member of the YMCA the same time as you were and remember the Skippers well. I did make an apointment to visit Geoff Peters at YMCA HQ in London back in Oct 56 but due to the Suez crisiswe were detained in barracks ready for the big take off, which never materialised,so I never did meet up with Geoff after all. I remember a few of the members of long ago such as , Stan Smith, my cousin, Viv Rollinson Mick Kettleborough Good times back then. |
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| syd |
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I remember all of those names although younger than those mentioned, belonging to the YM was a special and unique time, perhaps not appreciated until a few years later. I, like Phil, stayed 'til the end, just reading this post brings back happy memories of times and friendships made there. If you remember, the older lads had their own room immediately to the right when you went in and us juniors weren't allowed in, In the winter they used to have an open fire on the go in there, and again if you remember there was a small stairway to the roof where we went up, made snow balls and dropped them down the smoking chimney then tore down to the second floor before the seniors came tearing up the stairs to give retribution with a clip on the ear or a boot up the seat of your pants. Just like to point out there was more to do than irritating the seniors! There was a Big Big gap when the YM closed and times never to be shared again. Happy Days! |
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