has anyone seen the bullet holes in the front and back of the wicker archers my dad showed me when i was a kid and u can actully see all the shrapnel and bullet holes in the walls as u approach the bridge coming from town towardsthe wicker if u look under the bridge on the left hand side u can see where a failed bomb becme stuck but didnt go off my parents told me this attack was o a large convoy of petrol and oil if this had exploded the whole town and a lot of war proucing arms factorys would have been destroyed

Not really noticed this but i will endevour to look next time.

Somebody told me that there used to be a lift at Wicker Arches, which went up to the old Victoria Station.
Is this true?

Yes there was a lift at the bottom of the steps to Victoria Station,it used to be known as the shortest 1p ride in Sheffield,My Father worked at a Hay and Stray Merchants next to the Wicker Arches(Pears and Frost) and the morning after the Thursday night blitz he found a tram car destiniation indicator in the Hay loft

During the Second World War, the outer arches on both sides, were bricked up to form air raid shelters.

I was told, that on the night of the Sheffield Blitz, when the Wicker was badly damaged, many people were killed in the makeshift shelters, due to suffocation, caused by the air being sucked from the shelters when the bombs exploded.
How true this is, I do not know.

Is the Lift Shaft still there?
I rarely go down there now, but I must have a look next time I'm in the vicinity.

yea everythime we used to go under the wicker archers my dad used to point out where it was bombed in the war it lookes like a big filled in hole as you come from town under the bridge look up and left! its cool

Originally posted by brooksy
has anyone seen the bullet holes in the front and back of the wicker archers

you sure they aint recent holes...? lol

Is Palmer and Harvey tobacconists still under the wicker arches?

there's a strong possibility they might be related to my grandad's murder..

don't know much as it happened afor i was born.. but i was told he was shot at several times and mowed down by a car...

you sure they aint recent holes...? lol
N, he is right. They are wounds from WW2

Is Palmer and Harvey tobacconists still under the wicker arches?
I remember a wholesale tobacconist on the wicker, it was around where the chemist is now, if that was Palmer and harvey they moved to the dale at woodseats in the 70's. However im not sure if they are based in sheffield anymore, they are a big company now.

Does anyone know of any pubs that were in or around the arches during WWII or just after - any pub names would be great.

Does anyone know of any pubs that were in or around the arches during WWII or just after - any pub names would be great.
I seem to remember there was a pub called "hole in the wall" if im wrong some one will correct me.:thumbsup:

I seem to remember there was a pub called "hole in the wall" if im wrong some one will correct me.:thumbsup:

Really? Thanks, any more anyone?

Is the Lift Shaft still there?


Yes. It is. You can see it from the top.

I had a garage in the early 80s in the Arches yard it was right at the top The Sheffield Rustproof Centre/MS Cars Ltd,the doors were painted black,red & yellow.Inside we opened up a few of the old arches inside,we were told that's where the elephants were put & were used when they needed to move heavy objects due to the bombing.The rat's inside were massive a foot long,my nephew Chris ran a mile when he saw it.

has anyone seen the bullet holes in the front and back of the wicker archers my dad showed me when i was a kid and u can actully see all the shrapnel and bullet holes in the walls as u approach the bridge coming from town towardsthe wicker if u look under the bridge on the left hand side u can see where a failed bomb becme stuck but didnt go off my parents told me this attack was o a large convoy of petrol and oil if this had exploded the whole town and a lot of war proucing arms factorys would have been destroyed
I remember the bullet holes or were they shrapnel marks, the old Gaumont also had bullet and shrapnel damage on its facade but sometime in the sixties they were filled in, so much for nostalgia.

I had a garage in the early 80s in the Arches yard it was right at the top The Sheffield Rustproof Centre/MS Cars Ltd,the doors were painted black,red & yellow.Inside we opened up a few of the old arches inside,we were told that's where the elephants were put & were used when they needed to move heavy objects due to the bombing.The rat's inside were massive a foot long,my nephew Chris ran a mile when he saw it.
Tosh,Regards the elephants story that is TOSH

Really? Thanks, any more anyone? The Hole in the wall pub was just past the car show rooms on Savile st.

During the Second World War, the outer arches on both sides, were bricked up to form air raid shelters.

I was told, that on the night of the Sheffield Blitz, when the Wicker was badly damaged, many people were killed in the makeshift shelters, due to suffocation, caused by the air being sucked from the shelters when the bombs exploded.
How true this is, I do not know. The pedestrian arches were bricked with open zig zag entrances ,no chance
of suffocation, there were no doors fitted.

The Hole in the wall pub was just past the car show rooms on Savile st.

So not on the wicker then - there must of been some pubs along there in the 50's/60's?

I use to work in a very small place in the Wicker, run by some Jewish brothers, I think it was a textile firm, i just answered the phones, apart from that I don't really recall many place, pubs or shops being there, it was like a dead part of Sheffield, there were other factories there but they were all past the Wicker, not right near the archers.

Hi,

Wicker Pubs

The pub nearest to the Wicker Arches is the Station Hotel (corner of Walker Street). This used to be a commercial hotel as well but it was quite badly damaged in the blitz and like a lot of other businesses at the time, it was only really patched up, as distinct from being repaired. They never restarted the hotel part of the business, that is up to 1960 when I left the area, but later licensees/managers may have had a go.

Coming towards town, there is The Viaduct pub, then New Inn and the Big Gun. On the other side was the Brown Cow.

The Hole in the Wall pub was not in the Wicker but on Saville Steet, next to Henry Matthews saw mill. Bentley's showroom was closer to the Arches. On the other side of the pub was a small brewery type business that made vinegar.

Bombing of the Wicker Arches(?)

During the blitz (12 December raid) I was in a shelter with my parents under Viner's cutlery works on Andrews Street. When Viners moved out , this building was kept and made part of Snow & Co. I have been told that has recently been pulled down.

While in the shelter, I remember a big explosion and all the doors blew open with the blast. I was told that a bomb had gone through Wicker Arches and blown up on the road below. If it didn't actually go through the arch, it certainly was close. The top of the arch had a masonry parapet made up of very big blocks of sand stone. I think some of these were dislodge with the bomb and the rest were removed later for safety. All these stone blocks were just dumped on various vacant sites in the Wicker Area and were there until the sites were redeveloped, starting in the late 50s.


Regards

Hi,

Wicker Pubs

The pub nearest to the Wicker Arches is the Station Hotel (corner of Walker Street). This used to be a commercial hotel as well but it was quite badly damaged in the blitz and like a lot of other businesses at the time, it was only really patched up, as distinct from being repaired. They never restarted the hotel part of the business, that is up to 1960 when I left the area, but later licensees/managers may have had a go.

Coming towards town, there is The Viaduct pub, then New Inn and the Big Gun. On the other side was the Brown Cow.

The Hole in the Wall pub was not in the Wicker but on Saville Steet, next to Henry Matthews saw mill. Bentley's showroom was closer to the Arches. On the other side of the pub was a small brewery type business that made vinegar.

Bombing of the Wicker Arches(?)

During the blitz (12 December raid) I was in a shelter with my parents under Viner's cutlery works on Andrews Street. When Viners moved out , this building was kept and made part of Snow & Co. I have been told that has recently been pulled down.

While in the shelter, I remember a big explosion and all the doors blew open with the blast. I was told that a bomb had gone through Wicker Arches and blown up on the road below. If it didn't actually go through the arch, it certainly was close. The top of the arch had a masonry parapet made up of very big blocks of sand stone. I think some of these were dislodge with the bomb and the rest were removed later for safety. All these stone blocks were just dumped on various vacant sites in the Wicker Area and were there until the sites were redeveloped, starting in the late 50s.


Regards


Very interesting - thanks!

I don't know if this true but I was told, as a child, that Grandads horses were stabled under the Wicker Arches- my Grandad was an ostler in the army and always worked with horses after wards so this could have been a true tale.

The repair of the hole in the roof was a temporary one after the bomb failed to explode...... the workmen did such a good job in such a short time with the temp repair that it was left.

Tosh,Regards the elephants story that is TOSH
It's only what I was told ,did not know if it was true,the arches in our garage were big enough though.

Hi,

Wicker Pubs

The pub nearest to the Wicker Arches is the Station Hotel (corner of Walker Street). This used to be a commercial hotel as well but it was quite badly damaged in the blitz and like a lot of other businesses at the time, it was only really patched up, as distinct from being repaired. They never restarted the hotel part of the business, that is up to 1960 when I left the area, but later licensees/managers may have had a go.

Coming towards town, there is The Viaduct pub, then New Inn and the Big Gun. On the other side was the Brown Cow.




Regardswasnt the new inn you mentioned known as the little white lion ? and the bull and oak was accross the road next to the brown cow, the licencee of the brown cow once told me that the pub had the second oldest licence in sheffield

wasnt the new inn you mentioned known as the little white lion ? and the bull and oak was accross the road next to the brown cow, the licencee of the brown cow once told me that the pub had the second oldest licence in sheffield

Yes, the pub next to Schweiters (not sure if I have the spelling right) was the White Lion, now that I think about it.

I remembered that there was another pub on the other side of the Wicker (in addition to the Brown Cow) but had totally forgotten the name: Bull and Oak sounds about right. Wasn't this a small place with two bay windows and the entrance in between? Didn't Balfour's canteen used to be between the pubs?
The Bull and Oak and the Canteen used to be set back from the rest of the buildings around there.

Although I lived in the Wicker area until I was almost 24, I only ever went into the Station Hotel (a relative was the licensee at the time) and even then they wouldn't serve me anything but soft drinks.

not sure if i am doing this right just signed up
i didnt know wicker exsisted until i got gtgrandfathers marriage certificate
he was living at7 wicker lane wicker is it still standing
and would anybody know were icould look up who were living at that address in october 1896

not sure if i am doing this right just signed up
i didnt know wicker exsisted until i got gtgrandfathers marriage certificate
he was living at7 wicker lane wicker is it still standing
and would anybody know were icould look up who were living at that address in october 1896


Wicker Lane is still there. It's parallel with the Wicker and runs from Nursery Street throught to Walker Street. Most housing on the lane was located at the Walker Street end, and this was demolished before WW2. My grandparents ran a green grocery shop on the lane from c1910 to c1930.

Curious about the house number (7) you quoted. Assuming the numbering on the lane is conventonal - that is starting at the city end with odd numbers on the left - this would place your great grandfathers house approximately where the City Mortuary was, or maybe still is, located. The mortuary has been there a long time but just how long, I don't know. Its quite possible that the site had housing, in say 1896, before the mortuary was built.

Regards

I remember a wholesale tobacconist on the wicker, it was around where the chemist is now, if that was Palmer and harvey they moved to the dale at woodseats in the 70's. However im not sure if they are based in sheffield anymore, they are a big company now.
I think the Palmer and Harvey business oldtimer means was on the left hand side of the main arch, facing toward Spital Hill/Saville St.

Yes, the pub next to Schweiters (not sure if I have the spelling right) was the White Lion, now that I think about it.

I remembered that there was another pub on the other side of the Wicker (in addition to the Brown Cow) but had totally forgotten the name: Bull and Oak sounds about right. Wasn't this a small place with two bay windows and the entrance in between? Didn't Balfour's canteen used to be between the pubs?
The Bull and Oak and the Canteen used to be set back from the rest of the buildings around there.

Although I lived in the Wicker area until I was almost 24, I only ever went into the Station Hotel (a relative was the licensee at the time) and even then they wouldn't serve me anything but soft drinks.
I think it was Schweitzers. There was a travel agents on there too, on a corner. A shop that sold magazines next to it. And at one time the magazine shop was altered into an American style(?) soft drinks, ice cream soda type place. The guy that owned it was called Flavell. I quite liked the Big Gun pub, old fashioned cubicles and big mirrors at the back of the bar, a proper Victorian 'boozer'.

thanks falls
that makes interesting reading

I think it was Schweitzers. There was a travel agents on there too, on a corner. A shop that sold magazines next to it. And at one time the magazine shop was altered into an American style(?) soft drinks, ice cream soda type place. The guy that owned it was called Flavell. I quite liked the Big Gun pub, old fashioned cubicles and big mirrors at the back of the bar, a proper Victorian 'boozer'.

The travel agents was Woodcock Travel. There was also one of Sheffield's first Chinese Restaurants. A pet shop, Jimmy James Newsagents, The Wilberforce Hotel (later acquired by the Midland Bank and now the Wicker Pharmacy). Two Betting Shops, Williams & Glynns Bank (on Ladys Bridge).

Associated Chemists (Wicker) Ltd bought 61 Wicker in 1951 and opened in 1952 (we have been open every day since). In 1966 we acquired the betting office next door and the wholesale tobacconist - later we took over what was Bentleys showroom 67-71 Wicker - to house the mobiliy shop.

69 & 71 Wicker has recently been demolished for the new inner relief road.

When undertaking this recent work we found some old machinery in the roof space of 67 Wicker - so someone worked up there at one time.

The back of the property is on Wicker Lane and includes Crucible Works which has some old beams in the roof complete with weird writing known as Baltic markings - quite rare I understand.

I've worked on the Wicker since 1973 but remember it from the 50s onwards.

Martin

There was also one of Sheffield's first Chinese Restaurants. A pet shop, Jimmy James Newsagents, The Wilberforce Hotel (later acquired by the Midland Bank and now the Wicker Pharmacy). Two Betting Shops, Williams & Glynns Bank (on Ladys Bridge).

Associated Chemists (Wicker) Ltd bought 61 Wicker in 1951 and opened in 1952 (we have been open every day since). In 1966 we acquired the betting office next door and the wholesale tobacconist - later we took over what was Bentleys showroom 67-71 Wicker - to house the mobiliy shop.
Martin

Hi,

The Chinese restaurant was the Peacock I think. Did 61 Wicker used to be a drink shop called Elliot's, before Assoc. Chemists bought it?

The Wilberforce was a well know eating place. Very popular with local workers, even after some companies started their own canteens Also busy on Saturday afteroons in the football season with out-of-town fans. This would be in the years after the war - say up to 1951-52.

Do you remember Waterfalls, the wholesale and retail grocer, next to the old Bentley showrooms.

I remember in 1947 or 48 standing in a crowd outside Bentley's showroom on the corner of Andrews Street, gazing at Vauxhall's new post war design, the Wyvern. The crowd's concensus was that it looked too American.

Somewhere between Woodcock's office and Schweitzer's there used to be an ironmongers called Norman Crapper. It was typical ironmonger - sold everything, smelt of paraffin, creeky wooden floor, etc. Do you remember it?

Regards

Hello,

Slightly off-topic but in reply #24, I mentioned Henry Matthews' saw mill on Saville Street. The business operated on both sides of the Don. The offices and mill were on Saville Street but the wood yard, with its Scotch Derrick crane was on the opposite side. You reached the yard from Furnival Road by driving along an unmade road that went between the arches holding up Victoria Station and the drop forge of George Turton Platts.

Sometime in the long distant past, Matthews had built a bridge over the river. It was made of wood, sagged in the middle and was only strong enough to take a hand cart. This was a big problem to Matthews, for when they needed to bring logs from the yard to the mill with their, mechanical horse and trailer, it had to go round by Norfolk Bridge or Blonk Street and the Wicker.

That's how things were when I first started using the bridge as a short cut to where my grandfather worked. Soon after the war, Matthews decided to replace the bridge and bought a second hand Bailey Bridge from the Army.

One Sunday morning, the local Royal Engineers TA Unit came along and removed the old bridge. During the following week, Matthews had new abutments made for the replacement bridge and on the second Sunday the RE's came back and installed the new bridge. Does any body know if this bridge is still there?

There used to be plaque on the wall at the Saville Street end giving the date of installation, etc.

Regards

Lynnk! Try the 1891 or 1901 census. They may help you.

anyone remember the butchers shop near the Wicker that did fantastic black pudding, sure he was Polish or something?

not sure if i am doing this right just signed up
i didnt know wicker exsisted until i got gtgrandfathers marriage certificate
he was living at7 wicker lane wicker is it still standing
and would anybody know were icould look up who were living at that address in october 1896

In White's 1901 directory (on-line at www.historicaldirectories.org (http://www.historicaldirectories.org)) Mrs Harriett HEZZILL shopkeeper is listed at no. 7. The Public Mortuary was elsewhere (Plum Lane, Corporation Street, built 1884).

In the 1891 census there was a Benjamin LOCKWOOD living there (unmarried, 40, wire drawer) plus boarders called COLLINGHAM, RODGERS and TOWERS.

You can get closer to 1896 by looking in other directories and also the electoral registers in the Local Studies Library.

Hugh

I had a garage in the early 80s in the Arches yard it was right at the top The Sheffield Rustproof Centre/MS Cars Ltd,the doors were painted black,red & yellow.Inside we opened up a few of the old arches inside,we were told that's where the elephants were put & were used when they needed to move heavy objects due to the bombing.The rat's inside were massive a foot long,my nephew Chris ran a mile when he saw it.

Were these the elephants who were used by Thos W Wards on Saville St, which were quite a famous sight at the time. I heard these were kept within the arches.

Hi,

The most famous butchers in the Wicker was Friedricks, at the corner of Willis Street. They were pork butchers but made other things as well.

Regards

Thats the place, thanks Falls.

Hi,

The Chinese restaurant was the Peacock I think.

Yes that's right I seem to remember the final owners did a midnight runner after a late night card school went against them.

Did 61 Wicker used to be a drink shop called Elliot's, before Assoc. Chemists bought it?

I don't know the name but I understand it was one of the old sasparella / ice cream soda places that you could go in and have a herbal drink. They seemed to disappear in the early 60s.

The Wilberforce was a well know eating place. Very popular with local workers, even after some companies started their own canteens Also busy on Saturday afteroons in the football season with out-of-town fans. This would be in the years after the war - say up to 1951-52.

I have a picture of it in my office - the building was bought by the Midland Bank and demolished in the mid-60s - the Bank had moved to avoid the new road - which is only now being built and which misses the property that they moved from!!

Do you remember Waterfalls, the wholesale and retail grocer, next to the old Bentley showrooms.

No - but that must have been 65 or 67 - Bentleys was 69-71. That's probably the building that we found the pulley in the roofspace.
Somewhere between Woodcock's office and Schweitzer's there used to be an ironmongers called Norman Crapper. It was typical ironmonger - sold everything, smelt of paraffin, creeky wooden floor, etc. Do you remember it?

Probably before my time (b 1947)

Martin

Hi

I think that the holes in The Wicker Arches must've been made by shrapnel from a bomb blast rather than machine gun bullets.

The raids on Sheffield were made by Heinkel 111's, Junkers 88's or possibly Dornier 17's. None of these aircraft were designed for low-level staffing of roads or buildings etc. They would've been flying at around 15,000 ft in order to fly along radio beams in order to get to and from targets in the Midlands. If they had been flying any lower, they would've lost the beam signals and got lost.

The job of machine-gunning roads etc was left to the fighters of which the only one at that time that the German airforce used over Britain was the Me 109 - and that aircraft just didn't have the range to fly from bases in northern France to Sheffield and back. It only had enough fuel to spend 10 minutes combat time over the south coast before it had to turn back for home.

However, if the holes are definately made by bullets, could they have been made during the Sheffield Gang "wars"

Patrick
(Bournemouth, Dorset)

I seem to remember there was a pub called "hole in the wall" if im wrong some one will correct me.:thumbsup:


That was just through the arches leaving Wicker - Saville Street. It is still there but has been boarded up many a year. Looks like it is ready for demolition.

Hi

I think that the holes in The Wicker Arches must've been made by shrapnel from a bomb blast rather than machine gun bullets.

The raids on Sheffield were made by Heinkel 111's, Junkers 88's or possibly Dornier 17's. None of these aircraft were designed for low-level staffing of roads or buildings etc. They would've been flying at around 15,000 ft in order to fly along radio beams in order to get to and from targets in the Midlands. If they had been flying any lower, they would've lost the beam signals and got lost.

The job of machine-gunning roads etc was left to the fighters of which the only one at that time that the German airforce used over Britain was the Me 109 - and that aircraft just didn't have the range to fly from bases in northern France to Sheffield and back. It only had enough fuel to spend 10 minutes combat time over the south coast before it had to turn back for home.

However, if the holes are definately made by bullets, could they have been made during the Sheffield Gang "wars"

Patrick
(Bournemouth, Dorset)

Hi,

At the time of the blitz, there was supposed to be a type of light anticraft gun in use in the city. I never saw one but was told that they could be quickly set up and that some did move from street to street during the raids.

I was also told that they couldn't fire high enough to hit the bombers, created a lot of fall out (shell fragments, etc), excited crews sometimes started firing before a target had been identified and may therefore, have been responsible for some property damage. Eventually they were considered to be more trouble than they were worth and withdrawn.

After local people over came their initial shock resulting from the raids and their sense of humour began to return, there was a joke going around that the erratic performance of this particular type of gun and its crews, may have caused almost as much damage as the Luftwaffe.

Could shell fragments from the regular anti-aircraft gun batteries or one of these guns be responsible for some of the damage to the brickwork we have been talking about?

Regards

Don't want to be a bore but- Please does anyone know if there was stables at some time in/ under the Wicker Arches Thanks.

Hi,

Wicker Pubs

The pub nearest to the Wicker Arches is the Station Hotel (corner of Walker Street). This used to be a commercial hotel as well but it was quite badly damaged in the blitz and like a lot of other businesses at the time, it was only really patched up, as distinct from being repaired. They never restarted the hotel part of the business, that is up to 1960 when I left the area, but later licensees/managers may have had a go.

Coming towards town, there is The Viaduct pub, then New Inn and the Big Gun. On the other side was the Brown Cow.

Regards

The Station Hotel closed in the mid-late 90s I think, it's now some kind of sheltered housing or Asylum seeker accomodation IIRC.
The Viaduct is now an appliance or furniture shop.
Don't recall the New Inn, probably before my time? There was a big pub called the Coach House or similar between the Viaduct and Big Gun, this has since became a couple of fast food outlets.
The Big Gun is still open as a pub.
The Brown Cow was demolished to make way for the bypass to the Parkway.
The pub next to the Brown Cow is a Southern Fried Chicken place now.

The Station Hotel closed in the mid-late 90s I think, it's now some kind of sheltered housing or Asylum seeker accomodation IIRC.
The Viaduct is now an appliance or furniture shop.
Don't recall the New Inn, probably before my time? There was a big pub called the Coach House or similar between the Viaduct and Big Gun, this has since became a couple of fast food outlets.
The Big Gun is still open as a pub.
The Brown Cow was demolished to make way for the bypass to the Parkway.
The pub next to the Brown Cow is a Southern Fried Chicken place now.


Thanks for the update. Things have certainly changed around the Wicker and about time. It couldn't get any worse. It became a shadow of what it used to be when I lived there. I'm in Sheffield on a regular basis but have usually avoided that part of town because of the buses only roads,what seems to be perpetual road works and the crazy one way systems they imposed on my old neighbourhood.

I hope to be back this autumn with more time to see all the things that have changed. If I feel energetic enough, I might even tackle the Five Weirs Walk - but only one way.

Regards

Don't want to be a bore but- Please does anyone know if there was stables at some time in/ under the Wicker Arches Thanks.


Don't know of any stables under the Wicker Arches or any of the arches along Walker's Street. The arches under Royal Victoria Station Hotel and Victoria Station didn't have stables either. There could have been some stables at these location in the early days but not after 1940.

The horses that worked from the LMS Wicker Goods Yard were stabled in a yard part way up Spital Hill, on the left just above where Demsey's warehouse used to be. I don't know if the yard is still there- forgot to look when I went up there at the beginning of June.

The horses working in the LNER Bridgehouses Goods Yard were stabled in the arches under the end of the yard. The entrance to the stables was on Spitalfields. Spitalfields runs, or used to run, from the end of Stanley Street to Nursery Street.

Regards

The travel agents was Woodcock Travel. There was also one of Sheffield's first Chinese Restaurants. A pet shop, Jimmy James Newsagents, The Wilberforce Hotel (later acquired by the Midland Bank and now the Wicker Pharmacy). Two Betting Shops, Williams & Glynns Bank (on Ladys Bridge).

Associated Chemists (Wicker) Ltd bought 61 Wicker in 1951 and opened in 1952 (we have been open every day since). In 1966 we acquired the betting office next door and the wholesale tobacconist - later we took over what was Bentleys showroom 67-71 Wicker - to house the mobiliy shop.

69 & 71 Wicker has recently been demolished for the new inner relief road.

When undertaking this recent work we found some old machinery in the roof space of 67 Wicker - so someone worked up there at one time.

The back of the property is on Wicker Lane and includes Crucible Works which has some old beams in the roof complete with weird writing known as Baltic markings - quite rare I understand.

I've worked on the Wicker since 1973 but remember it from the 50s onwards.

Martin
I wonder if you remember the ex Army equipment shop opposite the end of Blonk Street. Is it still there?

I wonder if you remember the ex Army equipment shop opposite the end of Blonk Street. Is it still there?

Hello

It was next to Langton's shoe shop and as far as I remember, it was just called the Army and Navy Store.

Some time in the 50/60s, a number of these types of shops around town used to trade under the name "Mortimer". I don't know if the one in the Wicker was taken over by Mortimer's or remained independent.

Regards

I think the army store was a Mortimers at one point, and Famous Army Stores as well perhaps? I remember the paintings of a delighted looking man at one side of the building front, and an equally delighted looking woman at the other side. As the years went on they peeled more and more until they were just silhouettes. :)

Texas, the shop is long gone. The building still stands but it's now part of the B+B/Hotel on the corner.

I worked for Harrisons Cutlery in 1960, the back door came out onto I think Wicker lane, the mortuary was next door & it freaked me out when they put the bodies outside waiting for someone to open the gates rather than leave them in the dark blue ambulance, we went passed the front gates every Friday lunchtime on our way to the Hare & Hounds on Nursery St.
It was the Peacock Chinese resturaunt, there was a great cafe also next to the picture theatre & Friedricks pork pies and sandwiches were delicious, it was my job to get the lunches in those days.
Stanley St club was a great place to go for entertainment in the 60's, I was in the Viaduct pub when I made a decision to come to Oz, I was on my way to work to start afternoon shift, it was teeming with rain, I called in for a pint and was reading the paper when I came across a coloured picture of a beach with palm trees etc, I went back home, got my wife and we went to the travel agents in the wicker and the rest is history, what a great move, but I have very fond memories of the old Sheffield.

I worked for Harrisons Cutlery in 1960, the back door came out onto I think Wicker lane, the mortuary was next door & it freaked me out when they put the bodies outside waiting for someone to open the gates rather than leave them in the dark blue ambulance, we went passed the front gates every Friday lunchtime on our way to the Hare & Hounds on Nursery St.


Growing up on the next street, I have one or two rcollections about the mortuary on wicker Lane.

During the blitz, a bomb dropped in the yard, damaged part of the building, blew out part of the front wall, and a gate post. The gate posts used to have large stone balls on top and when the post fell down, the ball landed in the lane. The ball was quite large when you got up close and heavy, but that didn't stop the local kids from rolling it around. In the days after the blitz, the ball seemed to get further and further away from where it was supposed to be. When the workmen finally turned up to repair the wall and gate post, the ball was eventually found quite a distance away. Can't remember if the brought it back by truck or rolled it.

Yes some, but not all, of the crews that made "deliveries there were too casual and left doors and gates open when they shouldn't, etc.

In my time in the Wicker area, "Jack" Westney (not sure about the spelling) ran the mortuary operations in a very professional manner. It takes a special kind of person to do something like that. I believe the Westney's lived in a house over the top of the Coronor's Court, next door on Nursery Street. This obviously made it one of the most difficult 24/7 jobs around.

Jack always said "hello" if you met him in the street. My father and Jack would pass the time-of-day together if they met. The people who lived in the area and the oldtimers who worked around there always had a good word for him.

Regards

Hi,

I haven't seen the marks you speak of. However, on Effingham Road (at the Wicker end) there is a large plaque on a factory wall. This is to commemorate the first bomd that landed in Sheffield killing a number of workers. I just wondered if the marks were shrapnel rather than bullets.

Ranger.

I use to work in a very small place in the Wicker, run by some Jewish brothers, I think it was a textile firm, i just answered the phones, apart from that I don't really recall many place, pubs or shops being there, it was like a dead part of Sheffield, there were other factories there but they were all past the Wicker, not right near the archers.Was that Switzers Poppins

Was that Switzers Poppins

Arthur, can't really remember the name, it was real small place on the left hand side comming from the town end, very close to the Arches, not many people would have known it was there.

So not on the wicker then - there must of been some pubs along there in the 50's/60's?
viaduct, mail coach, white lion ,yellow lion big gun , brown cow, willberforce ,station,I think allthese pubs were in the Wickerbefore the blitz, Cheers Arthur

Hello,

Slightly off-topic but in reply #24, I mentioned Henry Matthews' saw mill on Saville Street. The business operated on both sides of the Don. The offices and mill were on Saville Street but the wood yard, with its Scotch Derrick crane was on the opposite side. You reached the yard from Furnival Road by driving along an unmade road that went between the arches holding up Victoria Station and the drop forge of George Turton Platts.

Sometime in the long distant past, Matthews had built a bridge over the river. It was made of wood, sagged in the middle and was only strong enough to take a hand cart. This was a big problem to Matthews, for when they needed to bring logs from the yard to the mill with their, mechanical horse and trailer, it had to go round by Norfolk Bridge or Blonk Street and the Wicker.

That's how things were when I first started using the bridge as a short cut to where my grandfather worked. Soon after the war, Matthews decided to replace the bridge and bought a second hand Bailey Bridge from the Army.

One Sunday morning, the local Royal Engineers TA Unit came along and removed the old bridge. During the following week, Matthews had new abutments made for the replacement bridge and on the second Sunday the RE's came back and installed the new bridge. Does any body know if this bridge is still there?

There used to be plaque on the wall at the Saville Street end giving the date of installation, etc.

RegardsHi Falls, remember all this, I had an acc; with Matthews from 1948 to 1970 it was the best timber in Sheffield in my opinion, mr Matthews was a real gent, as was mr Bourne who ran it till it closed after MATT ; retired, Cheers Arthur.ps did you ever see the old bike that was dredged from the Don, wooden wheels, pedals on front wheel , think it went to a museum, very interesting.

The travel agents was Woodcock Travel. There was also one of Sheffield's first Chinese Restaurants. A pet shop, Jimmy James Newsagents, The Wilberforce Hotel (later acquired by the Midland Bank and now the Wicker Pharmacy). Two Betting Shops, Williams & Glynns Bank (on Ladys Bridge).

Associated Chemists (Wicker) Ltd bought 61 Wicker in 1951 and opened in 1952 (we have been open every day since). In 1966 we acquired the betting office next door and the wholesale tobacconist - later we took over what was Bentleys showroom 67-71 Wicker - to house the mobiliy shop.

69 & 71 Wicker has recently been demolished for the new inner relief road.

When undertaking this recent work we found some old machinery in the roof space of 67 Wicker - so someone worked up there at one time.

The back of the property is on Wicker Lane and includes Crucible Works which has some old beams in the roof complete with weird writing known as Baltic markings - quite rare I understand.

I've worked on the Wicker since 1973 but remember it from the 50s onwards.

Martin
Hi Martin Did'nt the Peacock take over the Wilberforce Arthur

I've posted this link before but it won't do any harm to do it again. You can't search by area, and it's a little old, but goes into detail about quite a few pubs which don't exist.

Welcome to Sheffield Pubs (http://www.sheffieldpubs.fsnet.co.uk/)

Hope this helps, and makes a few people thirsty!

anyone remember the butchers shop near the Wicker that did fantastic black pudding, sure he was Polish or something?
Yes, was it Friedricks ? Dont know wether they were German or Polish.Made lovely sausages,seasoned, tomato or plain.Hanging in long links in the window.Me & my sister came down on the 97 bus every morning.She worked in the Midland Bank at the side of the Wicker arches and I worked at T.W.Wards on Saville St.

Hi,

I haven't seen the marks you speak of. However, on Effingham Road (at the Wicker end) there is a large plaque on a factory wall. This is to commemorate the first bomd that landed in Sheffield killing a number of workers. I just wondered if the marks were shrapnel rather than bullets.

Ranger.
Reguaring the plaque on Effingham Rd., I think you will find it commemorates a bomb dropped on Attercliffe by a Zepplin during WW1.

Yes, was it Friedricks ? Dont know wether they were German or Polish.Made lovely sausages,seasoned, tomato or plain.Hanging in long links in the window.Me & my sister came down on the 97 bus every morning.She worked in the Midland Bank at the side of the Wicker arches and I worked at T.W.Wards on Saville St.


They were of German extraction, as I think the name was spelled FRIEDRICH, but was known by everyone as Fredricks.

Hi,

At the time of the blitz, there was supposed to be a type of light anticraft gun in use in the city. I never saw one but was told that they could be quickly set up and that some did move from street to street during the raids.

I was also told that they couldn't fire high enough to hit the bombers, created a lot of fall out (shell fragments, etc), excited crews sometimes started firing before a target had been identified and may therefore, have been responsible for some property damage. Eventually they were considered to be more trouble than they were worth and withdrawn.

After local people over came their initial shock resulting from the raids and their sense of humour began to return, there was a joke going around that the erratic performance of this particular type of gun and its crews, may have caused almost as much damage as the Luftwaffe.

Could shell fragments from the regular anti-aircraft gun batteries or one of these guns be responsible for some of the damage to the brickwork we have been talking about?

RegardsImpossible, they certainly damaged thousands of slates, renewing thousands I can vouch for that, shrapnel dropped like a stone, I also cut out lots of bricks and replaced those ,these had been damaged by bomb splinter. Repairing in Cobden View rd where a land mine dropped we found a large piece of a body behind a chimmney stack, a very gruesome sight for a 16 yr old lad! Arthur.

Probably before my time (b 1947)

MartinIthink the Peacock was the Wilberforce old building refitted after it closed around 1959, Arthur.

I used to live in the Station Hotel from 1977 until 1981...My Dad was the landlord back then... and we did use the Hotel side of the business....we used to have a lot of workmen staying there.....I remember seeing the damage to the Arches...

FALLS They bailey bridge was taken down refurbished in Rotherham .It is now part of the seven weirs walk and spans the river don behind they Thos W Ward factory

FALLS They bailey bridge was taken down refurbished in Rotherham .It is now part of the seven weirs walk and spans the river don behind they Thos W Ward factory

Seven weirs? we've only got five round here!

Ithink the Peacock was the Wilberforce old building refitted after it closed around 1959, Arthur.

The Peacock was opposite the Wicker post office and the Wilberforce was lower down where the chemist is now.

I used to live in the Station Hotel from 1977 until 1981...My Dad was the landlord back then... and we did use the Hotel side of the business....we used to have a lot of workmen staying there.....I remember seeing the damage to the Arches...


I remember people staying there as hotel guests including a long term resident known as Kojak as a reference to his shaven head which was so unusual in those days.
I played the organ for Tony & Linda and the place was usually full to capacity and attracted lots of singers, some of them very good including a fine old trooper called Ray Coupland, who did a female singer act (Sheffields own Danny La Rue) singing Gracie Fields songs etc.

There was the mother of all Parties for the Silver Jubilee and all the regulars were a great crowd.
Pity there's nothing left like that these days and such a shame that the Station has had such a sad fate.

Does anyone know of any pubs that were in or around the arches during WWII or just after - any pub names would be great.

Just up from Wicker Arches, on the left as you go up Spital Hill, there was a pub called The Lodge, or The Lodge Inn. We called it The Lodge. My Dad's favourite in 40's/50's and possibly later.

FALLS They bailey bridge was taken down refurbished in Rotherham .It is now part of the seven weirs walk and spans the river don behind they Thos W Ward factory

Hi,

Thanks for the info. I did the Five Weirs Walk (Blonk Street to Meadowhall) in Oct. 06 and crossed the Bailey Bridge you metioned. I wondered if was the Matthews Bridge at a new location.

Regards

Just up from Wicker Arches, on the left as you go up Spital Hill, there was a pub called The Lodge, or The Lodge Inn. We called it The Lodge. My Dad's favourite in 40's/50's and possibly later.
I remember it because it was a six day house.

Hi Falls, remember all this, I had an acc; with Matthews from 1948 to 1970 it was the best timber in Sheffield in my opinion, mr Matthews was a real gent, as was mr Bourne who ran it till it closed after MATT ; retired, Cheers Arthur.ps did you ever see the old bike that was dredged from the Don, wooden wheels, pedals on front wheel , think it went to a museum, very interesting.

Hi Arthur,

I remember MATT and seem to recall that he used to drive from the Mill over to the yard in an Ex WD Jeep. This would be about the time you began to do business with Matthews. Do you remember any of this?

You'll recall there were plenty of Ex WD trucks, Jeeps and even motor cycles, floating around Sheffield in those post-war days.


Regards