Hardly surprisingly, not only are minor stylistic and
atmospheric similarities detectable between West Bridgford and other suburban
areas throughout the UK, and indeed across the world, but they are very evident
in other parts of Nottingham. Several districts of the city, including Beeston,
Wollaton, Sherwood and Arnold, include
specimens of domestic vernacular design, shopping parades, street furniture,
and subjectively perceived atmosphere, which are strongly reminiscent of West
Bridgford. Most of the west side of Nottingham is not at all like this, however,
being composed mainly of interwar council estates which sprawl from Bilborough
to Strelley, Aspley, Bells Lane and Broxtowe and have very different, and strong,
design characteristics of their own.
So what is
surprising is that, in the middle of this sprawl is a curious enclave of
detached housing centred on Aspley Park Drive, a short distance from one of the
main distributor roads, Aspley Lane. Long ago, a schoolfriend of mine lived in
Aspley Park Drive, and I remember nothing of his house except that it was
large, detached, well appointed, and that his maternal grandmother, who lived
with the family and liked to smoke in bed, had set fire to her bedroom
Little damage was done except to an already frosty relationship between
the grandmother and my friend’s dad.
Be that as it may, the photograph shows an easterly view down Aspley Park Drive, which to my mind shows a strong resemblance to the upper reaches of Musters Road, that immensely long and dead straight thoroughfare which bisects West Bridgford from top to bottom, from the Trent Bridge cricket ground to the hint of countryside at Boundary Road. So, it’s “not Musters Road” – with its schools, medical practices, and retirement homes - but Aspley Park Drive.
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