Woodbeck, Fleming Drive 1940's

Woodbeck, Fleming Drive taken from the gates looking towards the hospital. The old brick chimney can be seen which was demolished in the 1990's. The white houses further down Fleming Drive on the left were demolished for car park spaces in the 1980's.

"A memory of a former Woodbeck resident - My War Years a Memory of Woodbeck.

I was born in 1931 at Mount Vernon in nearby East Retford. My father was a charge warder at Rampton State Institution. Woodbeck was the exclusive housing estate for staff working at the State Institution. We were allocated a Staff House at number 44 Woodbeck.

I remember particularly the war years 1939-45 and as I found out later, we were on the direct bombing line for the German Bombers attacking the industrial cities of Sheffield and Coventry. I found out later they were directed by "beams" from Europe and flew directly over us at Woodbeck. As a boy I used to stand outside our back door watching the searchlights arc across the sky and hear and feel the blast of the AA guns opening up.

I am 81yrs old now but still remember those years and the blackout & rationing and the wailing of the sirens and crashing, vibration of the Ack - Ack guns."