For a few years now, I've been puzzled by an old building on Page Hall Road.

At the junction of Hinde House Lane is a building that is now a washeteria. On the wall above the shop is carved "Firth Park Coliseum".

Can anyone remember it when it was the Coliseum and what date are we talking about.

I was told that the word Coliseum is 'marketplace' in Roman, so the carving may be a reference to that, rather than any exotic bloodsports that took place in the area ;)

There is a sign further along the shops on Page Hall; this one says 'Page Hall Markets 1905'.

The whole area dates from around the beginning of the last century.

The Firth Park Coliseum was a theatre/ cinema, originally, if i have my history correct.

PT

I'll not so sure, PT.

I was speaking to a guide from the Victorian Society yesterday as we passed through the area, and although he was aware of the Roxy on Idsworth Road was once a cinema, he didn't think the washeteria was ever a cinema...

It's too small for starters :D

The Coliseum. The Coliseum was on Spital Hill,
but we did have the Victory palace and the Regent Theatre on Upwell St. plus the Sunbeam Firvale and the Roxy plus the Paragon Sicey Ave,:thumbsup:

I may stand corrected, then, Abdul...

I thought the building that was being referred to, was the old cinema building, that is now a carpet showroom, or something, on the left, up the hill on the side road, as you head towards the old earl marshall school, with your back towards Herries Road's junction with Barnsley Road.

PT

Originally posted by Plain Talker
I thought the building that was being referred to, was the old cinema building, that is now a carpet showroom, or something, on the left, up the hill on the side road, as you head towards the old earl marshall school, with your back towards Herries Road's junction with Barnsley Road.

That one is /was the Roxy, on Idsworth Road. Over the past couple of decades, it's been a bingo hall, a snooker club, a dance hall and is now a furniture store.

Yes, it is the one were the external shots of the Shiregreen WMC were taken for the film The Full Monty ;)

The building before the second w/w was a small cinema and changed after the hostilities finished

I remember the Coliseum being on Spital hill in the 50's and 60's it was a picture house, I can't remember when it was demolished.

Originally posted by Abdul
I was told that the word Coliseum is 'marketplace' in Roman, so the carving may be a reference to that, rather than any exotic bloodsports that took place in the area ;)

There is a sign further along the shops on Page Hall; this one says 'Page Hall Markets 1905'.

The whole area dates from around the beginning of the last century.

I did some research on that building a few years ago now, and from what I remember, it started life, newly built, as either a furniture or drapery store on several floors. I often wondered if the owner meant the name to be 'Emporium' and perhaps the mason got it wrong :D

Originally posted by Greybeard
I did some research on that building a few years ago now, and from what I remember, it started life, newly built, as either a furniture or drapery store on several floors. I often wondered if the owner meant the name to be 'Emporium' and perhaps the mason got it wrong :D

Are we talking about the same building? I'm sure it's only two floors high.

Or were the premises larger, because tt's only a small washeria at the moment.

Originally posted by Greybeard
I did some research on that building a few years ago now, and from what I remember, it started life, newly built, as either a furniture or drapery store on several floors. I often wondered if the owner meant the name to be 'Emporium' and perhaps the mason got it wrong :D

Greybeard, you may be talking about the Halal supermarket opposite to the washeteria. It's called Khawaja's supermarket.

It used to be a DIY store with 3 floors called 'Popes' - I remember going in there as a boy to buy some dowling and can still remember the smell of the freshly cut wood and sawdust.

This is the building that Abdul and I mean.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/wharncliffe/Flower009.jpg

I'm still no clearer on what its original purpose was.

Originally posted by Lestat
Greybeard, you may be talking about the Halal supermarket opposite to the washeteria. It's called Khawaja's supermarket.

It used to be a DIY store with 3 floors called 'Popes' - I remember going in there as a boy to buy some dowling and can still remember the smell of the freshly cut wood and sawdust.

Nope....I'm talking about the building on the corner of Page Hall Road and Hinde House Lane which has 'Firth Park Coliseum' in carved stone on the front of it :D

I did quite a bit of research into the Page Hall/Fir Vale area....ten years ago now, but lost many of my notes when we last moved.

The 'Coliseum' building went up in about 1903/04. You can trace it's ownership and use from the Kelly's/White's directories in the Local Studies Library. It never was a place of entertainment.

The building opposite occupied by Pope's DIY I remember as Patnick's Junkerama, - at that time Pope's had the shop on the corner of Bagley Street...at little further down.

The two cinemas in that area were the Page Hall Cinema [later the Roxy] and the Sunbeam, both opened in the early 1920s I think.

Pietro

I'm in the library tomorrow, - if I get time I'll check for you.

Originally posted by Abdul
Are we talking about the same building? I'm sure it's only two floors high.

Or were the premises larger, because tt's only a small washeria at the moment.

Abdul - I thought it was three floors;- isn't there an entrance at the back [off Hinde House Lane] directly into the first floor ? Haven't been back for while, but I must pay a visit when all the 'alterations' get under way ;)

Edit: from Pietro's photo you can see it's four floors !

Originally posted by pietro
This is the building that Abdul and I mean.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/wharncliffe/Flower009.jpg

I'm still no clearer on what its original purpose was.

Pietro

I managed a quick scan of the directories and the earliest entry I could find for 25 Page Hall Road was in the name of Samuel Alonzo Peel - 'Outfitter' in 1907. There is no entry for the address in 1905 and no directory for 1906.

In the A-Z for 1907 he is listed as...
Peel, Samuel Alonzo, Clothier, - with premises at 2a Meadowhall Road and the Coliseum, 25 Page Hall Road. House address was at 79 Firth Park Road.

In 1931 the building is listed to the 'Executors of Samuel Alonzo Peel' and then in 1934 to William Grafton, - 'House furnisher'.

Given that coliseum can mean just 'a large building', the name isn't all that inappropriate.

Have Samuel Alonzo Peel as a gun turner in 1901 and a steam engine maker in 1891 at 85 Tipton st, born Halifax 1862,
seems a big career change to an outfitter.

Perhaps he or his wife came into some money ?, - a shop that size would have needed a fair bit of capital. I've come across the Alonzo name before in Sheffield...but can't remember the connection.

Interesting that the first two buildings to be completed and occupied on the north side of Page Hall Road were the Firth Park Hotel and the beer-off on the corner of Barretta Street :D

[Did know why Barretta Street was called that...but it's gone now :( ]

Did know why Barretta Street was called that...but it's gone now
Could it be after Andrew Barretta corner shop keeper 1881.

Originally posted by retep
Could it be after Andrew Barretta corner shop keeper 1881.

Of course :D ...but it's an unusual honour. Unless of course he was related to the developer or perhaps gave the brickies et al a discount on their beer ;)

I don't believe any properties fronted onto Barretta Street so it would never be anyone's postal address.

Originally posted by Greybeard
Of course :D ...but it's an unusual honour. Unless of course he was related to the developer or perhaps gave the brickies et al a discount on their beer ;)

I don't believe any properties fronted onto Barretta Street so it would never be anyone's postal address.

There are 20 addresses in Barretta Street in the 1901 census. Andrew BARRETTA was gone by then though and he'd gone up in the world. He was a silversmith (1901 White's Dir) or an electroplate manufacturer (1901 census) living in Walkley.

I am interested in this family because Andrew's son Lawrence and members of his family are buried in Walkley Cemetery (I am a member of the Cemetery Friends).

Anybody know anything more about the BARRETTAs ?

Hugh in Walkley

Barretta's are in sheffield at least back to c1845,
Andrew's father is Peter born c 1820 Italy
his mother Ann born c1810 Shiregreen