I just found this about one of my favourite buildings in Sheffield, the Taylor's Eye Witness works on Milton Street behind Pinders and the big electricity substation near the roundabout opposite Waitrose. It's one little bit of old Sheffield that should be preserved, but it appears to be under threat of redevelopment.

I can't believe what they want to do to it.

Does anyone know any more?

http://www.eyewitnessworks.com/

Altered beyond all recognition and replaced with anonymous early 21st century crap. Can we have one little bit of old Sheffield left please? The current Eye Witness and Beehive Works are Grade 2* listed ffs.

The plans are here - http://www.eyewitnessworks.com/planning_pdf/07%2005%2022%20CAG%20Presentation%2006-0281.pdf

Well i never...I work there...in fact im writing this from there now....thats the 1st i know about it, its funny cos the MD is call Alistair..... :suspect:;)

Yes they are grade 2 listed...but look at the yorkshire grey!

Well i never...I work there...in fact im writing this from there now....thats the 1st i know about it, its funny cos the MD is call Alistair..... :suspect:;)


Well it's not me!

One question, are the knives actually made on the premises? I have a Taylor's Eyewitness knife that I bought at Mortons and it's excellent.

Well it's not me!

One question, are the knives actually made on the premises? I have a Taylor's Eyewitness knife that I bought at Mortons and it's excellent.

I know mate, yes they are...our knives are very good quality...In fact im selling a 5 pce knife block (oval shape) with the Revival knives in it if your interested?? :)

http://www.premiercutlery.co.uk/ind_cat/kitchen_knives/rosewood

I know mate, yes they are...our knives are very good quality...In fact im selling a 5 pce knife block (oval shape) with the Revival knives in it if your interested?? :)

http://www.premiercutlery.co.uk/ind_cat/kitchen_knives/rosewood


I don't need them myself as I have enough cookery knives, but anyone who's looking for a great last minute Christmas present snap these up!

I had better get myself down into town in the morning and take some photos of Taylors Eye Witness Works ( ex Needham, Veall & Tyzack ) My Grandfather worked there for 60 years as a Razor Grinder. 60 years, can you imagine that !!
I actually had a visit around the premises with my brother over 25 years ago.
Very little left inside of what would have been there in Grandfathers day. You could see the remains of the gas mantle fittings on the wall of a shop, fittings which would be used to light the premises, also in one corner was the remains of a fireplace / chimney stack from which the room would be heated. Would imagine it wouldn't have produced that much warmth in a sizeable room with single glazed windows which they probably had open to try and expel the dust produced from the grinding wheels.
Grandfather would walk back and forth to work every day of his life. Through the cold and damp of the winter and the warmth of spring and summer. Hard toil over a grinding wheel, with the likelihood of it exploding. No canteen facilities, no sick pay, a weeks holiday per year and he was still working up to his death in 1941 when aged 70. The good old days.
Me think not !!

I worked there in my holidays a long long time ago. A veritable rabbit warren of little mesters and buffer "ladies". Made some very very sharp knives, some of which I still use, used to cut my hands to ribbons, lots of little knicks and cuts. It's prime land so will be very valuable.

Richard

Problem is, as they say, they need to take some value from the building to continue the business. That said, the proposed changes are at best anonymous.

Yes they are grade 2 listed...but look at the yorkshire grey!

The Yorkshire grey was not listed or particularly old. It was a pleasent looking pub, but nothing special.

As lovely as it would be for Taylors Eye Witness Limited to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of a Victorian city centre industrial complex when they actually need a modern factory on an industrial estate...

Actually I'll not bother.

Good luck to them, they have worked hard to develop, manufacture and sell modern products that work for modern people. It's a shame that some of those very same people seem to think that they should persevere in an industrial hovel of yesteryear.

It's a shame that some of those very same people seem to think that they should persevere in an industrial hovel of yesteryear.

I'll go with that one, you wouldn't want to try to get out of there in a hurry, too many little turny corners and narrow passageways.

Richard

As lovely as it would be for Taylors Eye Witness Limited to pay for the upkeep and maintenance of a Victorian city centre industrial complex when they actually need a modern factory on an industrial estate...

Actually I'll not bother.

Good luck to them, they have worked hard to develop, manufacture and sell modern products that work for modern people. It's a shame that some of those very same people seem to think that they should persevere in an industrial hovel of yesteryear.

I don't buy the story that they have to develop the site to pay for new premises. If they wanted new premises then there's plenty of modern industrial units for rent.

What is happening is the company board want to maximise the returns from their old site once they move. That's what company boards like to do, make money. It's what they are expected to do.

That doesn't mean we have to accept the loss of a great old factory. I'm sure it could be sympathetically developed just like Dixons Cornish works and Butchers Wheel were.


I was in a posh cutlery shop in Chipping Camden in the spring and they stocked some Taylors Eyewitness knives. They said they would used to stock a lot more because of the high quality, but they had problems getting supplies from Sheffield on a regular basis and were giving up on them. Taylors Eyewitness would be better off looking at their core business before branching out into property development. Or do they just want to cash in on their prime city centre site??

Is a rented industrial unit likely to be suitable for a specialised manufacturing process? I would have thought it is only specialist and/or highly developed manufacturing industry that has any hope of growing or even surviving in this area now and the premises will be a big part of this, consider Boeing for example, they have developed a specialist facility reflecting the specialist nature of what they do.

Not a good comparison I think, Boeing are assemblers (similar now to the majority of car manufacturers) they don't actually make anything themselves other than bolt the bits together, everything is made by separate sub contract companies.

Richard

Agreed, but their venture in this area is nothing to do with assembly of aircraft. It's purpose primarily is develop production techniques for composite materials and modern alloys, so not assembly at all, indeed, I would posit, really quite similar to Eye Witness.

I don't buy the story that they have to develop the site to pay for new premises. If they wanted new premises then there's plenty of modern industrial units for rent.

What is happening is the company board want to maximise the returns from their old site once they move. That's what company boards like to do, make money. It's what they are expected to do.

That doesn't mean we have to accept the loss of a great old factory. I'm sure it could be sympathetically developed just like Dixons Cornish works and Butchers Wheel were.


I was in a posh cutlery shop in Chipping Camden in the spring and they stocked some Taylors Eyewitness knives. They said they would used to stock a lot more because of the high quality, but they had problems getting supplies from Sheffield on a regular basis and were giving up on them. Taylors Eyewitness would be better off looking at their core business before branching out into property development. Or do they just want to cash in on their prime city centre site??
Its true about the premisis, I heard on Friday that the company is only £30,000 up in the last 3 months.

As for the cutlery shop....Would that be Robert Welch??

Those did a great plop on us a few years ago, made 10 people redundant!! :rant:

Its true about the premisis, I heard on Friday that the company is only £30,000 up in the last 3 months.

As for the cutlery shop....Would that be Robert Welch??

Those did a great plop on us a few years ago, made 10 people redundant!! :rant:

Yes, the cutlery shop was Robert Welch. Obviously there are two sides to this story and so far I've only heard one.

I worked at Taylors Eye Witness 17 years ago as a pen and pocket knife sharpner and really enjoyed my time there,not many people can say that about thier jobs!I found out alot about the place from the olden days and when i left to have my son i was given 6 boxes of 7 place settings and i've still got them all in their plastic covers aswell,never been touched by human hands,had them valued at £300.I've also got the book that was done after channel 4 came and did a docu thing about buffer girls(im in both of those aswell).I am disheartened that they are pulling it down because it is our history after all and all to soon this industry will be forgotton:(:(