Category Archives: Grumpy Old Men

The Grumpy Old Men were out and about investigating the Nottingham Tram system recently, when they visited the HQ for the Tram at Wilkinson Street.

Head of Operations, Trevor Stocker, and his colleague Connor Hardy outlined the history of trams in Nottingham, explaining that the first new tram when the current network opened in 2004 was numbered 201, as it follows on from the last original Nottingham tram, numbered 200. It is believed that some track still exists on the original routes, although buried under a lot of later road surfacing.

On the day of our visit, the tram named Lord Byron was in the depot for overhaul, and there were a number of very heavy duty wheelsets awaiting attention. The system has some very tight corners and the wheels need regular re-profiling.

We then visited the Control room, where the entire system is operated from. Trams do not operate overnight, but the room is always staffed as the overhead power remains permanently live.

Finally, we found a handy tram stabled outside to pose for our group photo. We were told that this was the first group visit post-lockdown.

After their recent hibernation, our Grumpy Old Men resumed their excursions in March, with a visit to the Museum of Making in Derby, as well as the conveniently sited Wetherspoons in the City Centre.

The museum is located in the Silk Mill, next to the River Derwent, and the building dates from the early 1700s. Since its recent re-opening, it now displays a fascinating number of items which were all made in Derby, ranging from a Rolls Royce jet engine to a section of cast iron aqueduct and evening dresses made from man-made fibres in the 1960s. The museum is free to visit, and many of the exhibits are likely to bring back memories of our working lives.
The photo shows the ‘exploded’ Toyota car, made near Derby, which is suspended over the entrance to the museum.

Our next planned visits are to the Nottingham Tram HQ in April, and the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in May. If you are interested in either of these visits and would like to join our Grumpy Old Men group, just use the contact form below or have a chat with John Tedstone at the April Meeting/AGM.

After the recent enforced period of grumpiness, our Grumpy Old Men group is looking for more members to join them. We take it in turns to organise a day out to a place or activity of interest within reasonable distance of Hucknall, usually once a month. Before lockdown, some of our recent visits had been to the Museum of Timekeeping at Upton (everyone arrived early), Nottingham Council House for a guided tour, and Nottingham Justice Centre (no-one was locked up). Our excursions usually include a meal afterwards as well.

We are about to resume our activities for 2022. At the moment, we have our first 3 visits organised as follows, and space is available for each visit if you would like to join us – just get in touch:

Derby Museum of Making – Tuesday 29th March
Nottingham Tram HQ & Depot – Friday 29th April
National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire – Wednesday 18th May

If you are a sufficiently grumpy old man, or you know somebody who is, you can get in touch by via the form below or have a chat with John Tedstone at the next monthly meeting on Wednesday 13th April.

After the recent enforced period of grumpiness, our Grumpy Old Men group is looking for more members to join them. We take it in turns to organize a day out to a place or activity of interest within reasonable distance of Hucknall, usually once a month.

Before lockdown, some of our recent visits had been to the Museum of Timekeeping at Upton (everyone arrived early), Nottingham Council House for a guided tour, and Nottingham Justice Centre (no-one was locked up).

We hope to resume our activities in early 2022 all being well. If you are sufficiently grumpy, you can get in touch by email via the form below or have a chat with John Tedstone at the next monthly meeting on Wednesday 12th January, 2022.

After the recent enforced period of grumpiness, our Grumpy Old Men group is looking for more members to join them. We take it in turns to organize a day out to a place or activity of interest within reasonable distance of Hucknall, usually once a month. Before lockdown, some of our recent visits had been to the Museum of Timekeeping at Upton (everyone arrived early), Nottingham Council House for a guided tour, and Nottingham Justice Centre (no-one was locked up).

If you are sufficiently grumpy, you can get in touch by using the contact form below, or have a chat with John Tedstone at the next monthly meeting on Wednesday 13th October.