The Glebe Project

Seventy years ago in June 1951, my family first moved into number 45 The Glebe. My grandparents, Ellen & Albert Saxby, along with my then 9-year-old mother Margaret, and her older sister Jean.

The Glebe was a fairly new post war development of council owned houses on the edge of Hallcroft in the small market town of Retford, Nottinghamshire. Just a few minutes walk into the centre of town, it is a quiet cul-de-sac of some 48 houses, an additional two houses would be built in the early 2000’s

Uncle Doug (Jean’s husband) was our last long term resident, he passed away aged 92 in May 2020, leaving the house to my sister Lesley and I.

Let's put it perspective, in 1951, King George VI was on the throne, Phil Collins was in nappies, Winston Churchill was having a second run at being Prime Minister, the average price of a car was £615.00, a pint would set you back 5d, Manchester Utd. ended their 41 year wait and finished 4pts ahead of Spurs to win the Football League Division 1 title, and rationing was still in place.

Lesley and I spent many a happy summers day playing in the garden at No. 45. The house has seen its fair share of celebrations and a number of sad moments too.

Julie and I returned to the UK in August 2020 to help take care of Mum during her final few months. Of course we moved into Number 45.

To commemorate the ending of our families connection with The Glebe, I set about capturing the residents who make up this charming cul-de-sac with some door-step portraits. Some residents were a little shy, some were over the moon to help, all had stories of living in The Glebe and the connections with my own family flew thick and fast.

In June 2021 Lesley and I handed the keys to Number 45 over to Craig & Kim and their young daughter. We hope they have as many happy memories as my family have over the last 70 years.

It’s a project that unfortunately I didn’t get chance to finish before returning to New Zealand. But each time I return to my birthplace, I will endeavour to capture a few more images of the residents of The Glebe.

  • Older woman with white hair wearing a blue dress, smiling and standing in a colorful garden with various blooming flowers in front of a brick house with a sign that reads 'The Glebe'.

    Number 1

    Doreen, moved to The Glebe in 1998

  • Three generations of women smiling outside, with a brick wall in the background. The woman on the left has dark hair and is holding a young child with light hair, who looks curious. An older woman with short, curly hair is in the center, smiling.

    Number 3

    Pauline, Rebecca & Alfie, Pauline was born at Number 3 71 years ago. Her parents used to live further down The Glebe but moved to number 3 because her father was in the fire brigade and had to be close to the only telephone cable which ran across the top of the street.

  • A woman smiling while holding a young girl in her arms and a young boy standing next to her, outside a house.

    Number 5

    Rhea, Charlie and Maddie, loves the friendly quiet and safe feeling of The Glebe

  • An elderly woman with purple hair smiling and a middle-aged man with reddish hair laughing outside near a brick wall.

    Number 16

    Anne & Mick, moved in 18 months ago. Mick used to run The Scotsman Arms pub where my Dad and his mates would spin tall fisherman tales after a hard few hours sat on the riverbank feeding lots but not catching many fish.

  • Older woman with white hair and glasses leaning against a brick wall near pink flowers, wearing a sleeveless floral dress and a wristwatch.

    Number 18

    Joan a Retford girl is one of if not the newest member of The Glebe, having moved in 2 months ago

  • Family outside their campervan, including elderly man and woman with four young girls smiling, one girl standing on a hoverboard.

    Number 21

    Bryan & Tania with Isabella, Bella & Georgia. Moved into The Glebe in 2009

  • An elderly woman with light, messy hair leaning on a wooden railing outdoors, smiling and looking to her left. The image is in black and white.

    Number 22

    Pat, been in The Glebe for 62 years on and off. Her daughter’s boyfriend is in the Royal New Zealand Navy, bringing the connection to the bottom of the world.

  • A mature woman with blonde hair wearing a pink T-shirt standing outdoors.

    Number 24

  • A couple standing together in a garden with colorful flowers, with houses and trees in the background on a sunny day.

    Number 27

    Pauline & Les, so many connections to my family. Pauline worked in the hospice and helped take care of Dad during his final days.

  • Smiling elderly woman with white hair peeking out from a door frame, wearing a black top with a gold pattern and earrings.

    Number 36

    Pat has been in The Glebe on and off for 73 years and was one of the first to move into the street.

  • An elderly man with gray hair, mustache, and sunglasses standing beside a brick wall, wearing a short-sleeved, checkered shirt.

    Number 37

    Cedric, has been living in The Glebe for 35 years, used to work with my Uncle Geoff at Jenkins,

  • A black and white photo of a woman and a man with medical equipment, holding a dog, both appearing emotional.

    Number 38

    Michelle & Phil. moved in The Glebe in 1993. Michelle was 7 months pregnant when they moved in and now her daughter lives just a couple of doors up with her own family

  • Two elderly women sitting on a beige patterned sofa in a living room, smiling at the camera. One woman is wearing glasses and a white top with floral embroidery, the other is wearing glasses and a blue and white striped top. There is a globe on a side table and a floor lamp with a fringed lampshade behind them.

    Number 40

    Cheryle & Janice. Cheryle moved into The Glebe in 1953.

    The sister’s remember watching the Queen’s coronation on a neighbours TV a few doors up. It was the only TV in The Glebe and the house was packed.

  • A man kneels on the ground next to a dog in an outdoor setting. The man is smiling and wearing a black T-shirt with a logo. The dog is a mixed breed with a sturdy build, standing next to him.

    Number 41

    Johnny & Roxy, have been in The Glebe since 2003. Loves the fact that his home like Number 45 backs onto the woods. As for Roxy, she just loves a good snuggle.

  • A woman and a man stand outside near a black metal gate, smiling. The woman is wearing a light gray jacket and a T-shirt, while the man has tattoos on his arms and is wearing a sleeveless shirt and a watch. They are in a backyard with a brick house, potted plants, and garden shed in the background.

    Number 43

    Carol & Peter

  • A smiling man and woman standing outdoors near a brick house, embracing each other, with sunglasses on the man's head and her holding a pair of glasses.

    Number 45

    Julie and I moved into number 45 in September 2020. Crazy to think that my little office in the house used to be my Mum’s bedroom when she was just a teenager. So many memories

  • A happy couple smiling and standing outdoors in front of a brick house. The man is wearing a blue t-shirt and sunglasses on his head, and the woman is wearing a black sleeveless top and glasses. They have their arms around each other.

    Number 45 - Time to say goodbye

    For Lesley and I a bittersweet moment as we said our final farewells to a house that held so many special memories

  • Family of three, father, mother, and daughter, standing outside near a brick house, smiling and looking at the camera.

    Number 45 - The New Owners

    New owners Kim & Craig. These guys wasted no time in updating a house that hadn’t seen much change since it was first built in 1945. Within 90 minutes of getting the keys, they sent through photos of the kitchen completely ripped out

  • An older man with gray hair, wearing glasses, a light blue short-sleeved shirt, and jeans, stands in front of a silver car with crossed arms, smiling.

    Number 47

    Gerry, our lovely next-door neighbour. Most of the houses are semi-detached so Gerry and we were joined. Hopefully, our musical choices didn’t drive Gerry crazy. Gerry moved in in 2019, and loves the friendly vibe of The Glebe

  • A man holding a young girl in front of a house, with another girl standing beside him. The man is smiling, wearing a black t-shirt and gray shorts. The girl he is holding has long blonde hair, wearing a white shirt and checkered shorts. The girl standing has long hair, wearing a pink t-shirt with a yellow fruit graphic, and black pants, holding a snack bag.

    Number 51

    Phil & Karen, have been in The Glebe since 2011. Unfortunately, we missed Karen as she was working. Phil loves the fact that kids like his grandaughter Kara can play safely outside.