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Post by somersetstokie on Jan 20, 2020 13:03:47 GMT
I discovered something vaguely interesting re Meir Aerodrome recently, I've spent a fair bit of time up Parkhall Hills (we always called them the sandhills when we were kids) in my life and always wondered what the odd concrete structures up there were for, there's several dotted about the place. Apparently they were installed as part of some sort of elaborate lighting plan from WW2, the objective was to pretend to the Germans that Parkhall was actually Meir Aerodrome and they should drop their bombs there instead. Very secretive at the time apparently, the area was out of bounds to the public and manned 24/7. While Meir Aerodrome was still active it became a sort of mini business park. I know of at least one pottery company based there, certainly in the 1950's, which was the Paramount Pottery, well known as makers of "Cottage Ware" table stuff. In about 1958 their factory was taken over by Keele St Potteries, formerly of Tunstall, and they seemed to inherit the moulds and patterns of the former Paramount works as they produced much the same stuff going forwards. (Interesting facts about Meir Airfield, number 60.
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Post by CBUFAWKIPWH on Jan 20, 2020 13:10:15 GMT
I used to play on the Meir aerodrome - can still smell the stale piss of the air raid shelter off Jack Ash Lane.
Also remember playing around Cromwell's caves, the quarry at the back of Sandon High school (we had a rope swing that went over the edge), up on Rough Close common, the little park on Sandon Road just below The Saracen's Head (where my granddad's dog used to fetch him out when it shut on a Sunday afternoon) and the even smaller triangle on Sherwood Road.
Also frequented The Gift Shop on Broadway and on special occasions Brookfield's in Longton. If I remember rightly they had a good line in Airfix models.
Used to go to either the Broadway or the Alhambra in Normacot - where blowing out the gas lights was considered a good laugh. I remember the Broadway being shut for years with a poster of Performance starring Mick Jagger on the side until it finally got demolished.
Anyone remember the annual bikers toy run from the Broadway up to the hospital?
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Post by somersetstokie on Jan 20, 2020 13:22:27 GMT
Interesting that so many Stokies remember this as Meir Aerodrome. Aerodrome was a 1920's/1930's descriptive title and by the second half of the 20th century was becoming quite antiquated as a term in common use, as "Airfield" became much more widely acceptable.
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Post by daveandeddy on Jan 20, 2020 14:58:20 GMT
I remember walking from the main road up onto Meir aerodrome with our whippet to take her racing... Many a saterdee afternoon ragging for the dog when it was her time to race....... She was out of the legend Bilko who produced so many top dogs...............
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Post by benjaminbiscuit on Jan 20, 2020 15:01:19 GMT
Early doors drink in the Merry Monk in leek the off to stoke ,The walk from the sea lion to the ground at 2.40 will always be my Abiding pre match memory , and I’ve never seen so many rogues in one place as the sea lion , the spud S the smell and the excitement.
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Post by elystokie on Jan 20, 2020 15:35:33 GMT
Early doors drink in the Merry Monk in leek the off to stoke ,The walk from the sea lion to the ground at 2.40 will always be my Abiding pre match memory , and I’ve never seen so many rogues in one place as the sea lion , the spud S the smell and the excitement. The finest establishment in Stoke on Trent in the 70s and early 80s benji, tray of hot ham hocks from Frankie Fenton the butchers at around half eleven on a Saturday morning was fantastic We may well have been in there at the same time, it was my pre match pub for years, some real characters in there in those days, still see a couple of them knocking around Stoke now and then.
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Post by CBUFAWKIPWH on Jan 20, 2020 17:47:47 GMT
Interesting that so many Stokies remember this as Meir Aerodrome. Aerodrome was a 1920's/1930's descriptive title and by the second half of the 20th century was becoming quite antiquated as a term in common use, as "Airfield" became much more widely acceptable. Good spot.In the time I'm talking about (late sixties, early seventies) everyone I knew referred to it as Meir Aerodrome - can't recall anyone calling it Meir Airfield.
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Post by Caerwrangonpotter on Jan 20, 2020 18:34:31 GMT
I used to play on the Meir aerodrome - can still smell the stale piss of the air raid shelter off Jack Ash Lane. Also remember playing around Cromwell's caves, the quarry at the back of Sandon High school (we had a rope swing that went over the edge), up on Rough Close common, the little park on Sandon Road just below The Saracen's Head (where my granddad's dog used to fetch him out when it shut on a Sunday afternoon) and the even smaller triangle on Sherwood Road. Also frequented The Gift Shop on Broadway and on special occasions Brookfield's in Longton. If I remember rightly they had a good line in Airfix models. Used to go to either the Broadway or the Alhambra in Normacot - where blowing out the gas lights was considered a good laugh. I remember the Broadway being shut for years with a poster of Performance starring Mick Jagger on the side until it finally got demolished. Anyone remember the annual bikers toy run from the Broadway up to the hospital? Brookies (Brookfields) was the only toy shop for me! Airfix a plenty, original Subutteo where the 1970s Stoke City Team is still boxed in the loft & was also the place for anything new by Raleigh Cycles (of Nottingham as it was) I also remember when it was being converted to a George Staples Chemist as part of their in house maintenance team for a short while, clearing out a lot of what seemed like old tat & broken toys that had been left behind. Then of course you have the Working Mens Club just down the road...;-)
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Post by potterinleeds on Jan 20, 2020 20:02:45 GMT
I discovered something vaguely interesting re Meir Aerodrome recently, I've spent a fair bit of time up Parkhall Hills (we always called them the sandhills when we were kids) in my life and always wondered what the odd concrete structures up there were for, there's several dotted about the place. Apparently they were installed as part of some sort of elaborate lighting plan from WW2, the objective was to pretend to the Germans that Parkhall was actually Meir Aerodrome and they should drop their bombs there instead. Very secretive at the time apparently, the area was out of bounds to the public and manned 24/7. It's what was known as a QL decoy, Ely. You've probably seen this link: www.caverswall.org.uk/local-history/the-secret-ql-site-on-park-hall-hills/but if you want chapter and verse on them, read Colin Dobinson's book (2000) Fields of Deception: Britain's Bombing Decoys of World War II. I imagine the main building left will be the control shelter, but there may be earthworks of the other installations controlled from it. A map on p138 of the book suggests the Parkhall one might have been in place by August 1941.
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Post by elystokie on Jan 20, 2020 22:12:16 GMT
I discovered something vaguely interesting re Meir Aerodrome recently, I've spent a fair bit of time up Parkhall Hills (we always called them the sandhills when we were kids) in my life and always wondered what the odd concrete structures up there were for, there's several dotted about the place. Apparently they were installed as part of some sort of elaborate lighting plan from WW2, the objective was to pretend to the Germans that Parkhall was actually Meir Aerodrome and they should drop their bombs there instead. Very secretive at the time apparently, the area was out of bounds to the public and manned 24/7. It's what was known as a QL decoy, Ely. You've probably seen this link: www.caverswall.org.uk/local-history/the-secret-ql-site-on-park-hall-hills/but if you want chapter and verse on them, read Colin Dobinson's book (2000) Fields of Deception: Britain's Bombing Decoys of World War II. I imagine the main building left will be the control shelter, but there may be earthworks of the other installations controlled from it. A map on p138 of the book suggests the Parkhall one might have been in place by August 1941. I can't remember where I read about it mate, don't think it was that site. There's a bit of concrete in a sort of semi circle on a hill on the fields the other side of the road that leads to Hulme, where the Golf Course was, I love to sit on the concrete and admire the view, often with my lad and occasionally with a beer or two It was that that got me wondering, although I'd seen the 'control shelter' bit before many times.
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