I lived close to Kelvin Flats as they were being demolished but I was still relatively new to Sheffield at that point and it's all a bit hazy. I am now writing a novel set around the demolition of Kelvin and would be really interested if anyone had any memories of the place or photos/plans/maps. Newspaper clippings of the actual demolition would be ace too (although I knopw that was a long process). Thanks. Please e-mail me at lynmoore@elvis.com.

my husband lived in the Kelvin flats. Not sure if it was around the demolition though.

Moon

There has recently been an evaluation done on the regeneration of the Netherthorpe and Upperthorpe area by the Regeneration team at the council. Contact me if you would like to know the council contact for this.

You ought to contact the local regeneration office for the area, they'll have details.

All I remember about the Kelvin flats was the horrible sense of grimness and misery in it's final years. It used to strike depression into my heart every time I saw it.

according to the old man there was a ebautiful sense of community there.
Something he was really annoyed about was that the council promised the tenants of the Kelvin flats first refusal on any properties built on the land where the flats once stood.

Guess what???

Moon

Aah Yes..........

Kelvin Flats was the name of the drummer for Don Valley and the Rotherhides. They were a rockabilly band from Sheffield; I went to a few of their gigs in the late 80s.

Who else was there? I seem to remember Brocco Bank played banjo! Can't remember the other's names.........they were all something to do with local placenames. At one gig I went to, Kelvin didn't show up; so the band asked for volunteers from the audience. My mate got up on stage to play the drums for one song. When they asked him what his name was, he replied........."Heeley Bottom"!!!!!!!

The song I can remember the most is "Thatcher's Dead"........Quality!!! Do any other viewers remember any of this or did I just dream it?!!!!

Originally posted by Moon Maiden
according to the old man there was a ebautiful sense of community there.
Something he was really annoyed about was that the council promised the tenants of the Kelvin flats first refusal on any properties built on the land where the flats once stood.

Guess what???

Moon


I lived on Kelvin in early eighties,yes there was a great sense of community,but it was still a dump.
Hated every day I lived there,got fed up o avoiding the jumpers as they plumeted to there end for whatever reason they did.
Urine in lifts rubbish on the landings,banging on your door,nappies flying past you window.

If thats community spirit then you can keep it,,,,,,sorry

I remember the flats being built- I was only 4 at the time. This was also at the time the council were wanting to flatten the old houses on langsett road and relocate everyone to the flats when they were finished.
I know they became a bit of an eyesore, but when the people first moved in, they were like little palaces inside. I think it's a bit unfair to tarnish the flats with a bad history. I found a Teddy Bear near the lifts that I still have!!

.......................................

I was one of the last tennants to move off Kelvin and I cried the day I left. I lived there for 8 years and never had one bit of trouble. Regradless of what people say, it *did* have a great sense of community and a lot of people did like living on there. The reports of dead bodies and TV's flying off the landings were much exaggerated, usually by folks who never lived on there.

I for one have very very fond memories of the place. I even have one of the housing departments official souvineir plaques on my mantlepiece!!

Is it true that a total of 17 people over the years jumped from the top end of these flats?

That's very dangerous - you could kill yourself!

Sadly a lot of those who jumped did die, so much for a community spirit.

They must have been desperate, in need of help.

I was only too pleased to see them demolished if only to deter further jumpers.

............................

Originally posted by PopT
Is it true that a total of 17 people over the years jumped from the top end of these flats?

17 may sound like a lot of people but think how long the flats were there for. That's less than 1 a year (which is still too many I know) I am sure many more people commit suicide by jumping off bridges or off Beachey Head.

I only actually knew 1 person who jumped. Yes, she was ill and in a lot of ways the system failed her (but that's another story). People went to Kelvin to jump as it was the highest accessible building around. Most jumpers didn't live on the flats.

I am sure potential jumpers soon found somewhere else to jump off once it was demolished.

My father worked on the Kelvin Flats build and he said that someone jumped off before they were even finished!

I knocked about on there when I was young cause a mate lived there, I remember the graffiti in the play ground facing Langset road, there was also a community club we used to goto.Once seen a woman give a man a good kicking on there too!:o

Wasn't there a couple of pubs within the complex?

I think there was yeah, i used to have to pay rent at the rent office within the complex for my dad while living at walkley.

Originally posted by FetishFairy
17 may sound like a lot of people but think how long the flats were there for. That's less than 1 a year (which is still too many I know) I am sure many more people commit suicide by jumping off bridges or off Beachey Head.

I only actually knew 1 person who jumped. Yes, she was ill and in a lot of ways the system failed her (but that's another story). People went to Kelvin to jump as it was the highest accessible building around. Most jumpers didn't live on the flats.

I am sure potential jumpers soon found somewhere else to jump off once it was demolished.

your point about the poor folk who leapt from the flats is bang-on, FF.

It is a fact that the "leapers" were not necessarily folk who were resident on the flats. for the most part, those who leapt had come from other areas, as was true for the other flats complexes (Park Hill Flats -PHF, Hyde Park Flats -HPF as well as the Kelvin Flats -KF), around the city. these people must have been at the end of their tether to even consider taking their own lives.

Also, I think, because of the horror, of the idea of someone jumping, I think that it hits the headlines and is more in the forefront of our minds, and therefore "seems" more frequent a happening than it actually was.

To my knowledge, there was, in Sheffield, only one fatality, from someone hurling items from the flats, and that was on HPF when the little girl died back in what i think was the very early eighties, after the TV was thrown over the flats. Yes stuff was thown, by the idiot minority, and it was an utter pain in the backside, having to dodge bags of rubbish, bottles, cans, whatever, but you can always find a minority of idiots, wherever you go,.

And the community spirit , like on Hyde Park, where I used to live, *does* tend to bloom, in places as disadvantaged as HPF, KF and PHF. often it comes about becasue of a sense of "us against the world"... people *do* tend to unite in adversity.
(Look at the example of "Wartime Spirit" our grandparents reminisce about, when folk pulled together, or the current situation in Asia, where people are rallying round to acquire aid and/or give money to help people on the other side of the world, whom they have never met.)

PT

I lived on edith walk for a few years when I first left home. I have many happy memories of the place and a few sad ones too. I remember the flat that got blown up by the guy who filled his bath with petrol sat in it and lit it. a friend of mine was given this flat a few years later and you could see the scorch marks on the walls inside the cubords.

Originally posted by honeyplanet
I remember the flat that got blown up by the guy who filled his bath with petrol sat in it and lit it.

I lived 2 or 3 flats away from that when it happened!! I remember my neighbours, a lovely old Jamaican couple, knocking furiously at my door to wake me up (been on the pop the night before so slept through it all!!) The wife dragged me out of my flat in my nightie with nothing on my feet and we all ran to the end of Kelvin Walk and onto the grass at the end until the police and fire brigade said it was safe to go back in.

I still miss the old place and have hundreds of photos, including ones of the demolition, that one day I will get round to scanning and putting somewhere.

I'd love to see the piccys F.F let me know if you ever upload them.
do you remember the once yearly blues party that the guy called bo-bo used to have I think most of the occupants could hear it

Originally posted by honeyplanet
I'd love to see the piccys F.F let me know if you ever upload them.

Will make it my one of my NR resolutions to do just that!!

I even have one of the official Kelvin 'Memorial' Plaques!! It's a wooden plinth with a bit of the stone on it and a small brass plaque that says "Kelvin a new beginning"

It was given to me by the Chair of Housing at the time!!

I also have all the signs off the walkways in my cellar!!

How sad am I? lol!!

hi.
it would be great to have access to those pics, the central libarary have a database thet they would love to have a copy of your collection.

a very old photo, (minus the jumpers...:shocked: ) here.......
http://www.pulppeople.plus.com/Sheffield/kelvin_flats.htm

YOUR LINK TO DAVID STAVES SITE DON'T WORK, LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU CORRECTED IT AS I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A NOSEY:hihi:

I have just started uploading and building a (very) basic site. No laughing as I have only just started ok!!

Kelvin Flats (http://www.freewebs.com/kelvinflats)

I have so many pics it's taking a while to find the time to scan them all etc. These are not the best ones.

Neabitts, who would I contact about the acrchives?

Plus, if anyone wnats to contribute any stories etc, feel free to do so ........ PLEASE!!!!!

Hi.
If you go into the central library through the main doors and on your right there is a reception desk through some doors.
They will be able to take copies from disc I think, to put on their picture archive.
If you have the negatives then you could have them put on disc to view on your pc or DVD player.
This could be done from the prints themselves but would take time and cost to have it done at a photo place.
If you need any help I have some software that should do it.
neabitts

FetishFairy

Regarding the archives:

Before copying your photos to disc, I suggest you contact the archives, as they prefer photos on disc to be in certain formats, TIFF or bitmap and not compressed if possible. They also require details for each photo.

Details are below.

Sheffield Local Studies Library
Central Library, Surrey Street, Sheffield S1 1XZ
Tel +44 (0) 114 273 4753
Fax +44 (0) 114 273 5009
E-mail local.studies@dial.pipex.com

Originally posted by FetishFairy
I have just started uploading and building a (very) basic site. No laughing as I have only just started ok!!

Kelvin Flats (http://www.freewebs.com/kelvinflats)

I have so many pics it's taking a while to find the time to scan them all etc. These are not the best ones.

Neabitts, who would I contact about the acrchives?

Plus, if anyone wnats to contribute any stories etc, feel free to do so ........ PLEASE!!!!! nice begginig to your site mate, can you tell "k" that james wants his bike back now he knows who nicked it, id tell a few stories on your page but you made us all sign that piece of paper,remember? just joking" s "hope it gets going soon and ill be checking it regularly

Kelvin Yes a great place. It was the early eighties that things started to go wrong. I was on the committee for quite a while just before they decided to demolish them. The tenants were given very little choice about demolition. There were not 17 deaths on Kelvin. There were over the years 7 official suicides 4 accidental deaths by falling from the top or near to the top. Millions were spent at that time to renovate the flats. Block B became security monitored with cameras attached to entry systems in the flats. Cameras on the landings, Cameras on the outside of the flats. But, They very rarely worked. Knocking the flats down has caused a knock on effect with the area and businesses in the area. The area has gone down hill. It was a big mistake knocking those flats down. I was in trouble with the council because I produced papers that were never to be shown to the public. I picked them up off of a desk in the town hall. It would be easy to write a book about Kelvin. It would be a good one. I do have several photo's somewhere of the first Kelvin Carnaval. I will try and find them and try to get them to you if possible. I have met many people over the last ten years that lived and worked on Kelvin, Still meet many now, Mohammed the Indian that worked in the rent office still calls to see me. and, In fact just this minute rang me. It would be great to have a Kelvin re-union. WOWEEEE what a time we would have. Though many ex Kelvinites are now dead sorry to say. One of the many frieds I had if any one recalls her " Fat Pam Foster ". She got around a lot. She died last year. Well Running out of time and space. Glad someone started a thread. There is still much that we can all say about Kelvin. Had a few good pints Al. very rarely did we go home sober

what did these papers say then? my curiosity has gotten the better of me, or arnt you allowed to say

Well after so many years who will bother. There was a meeting in the Town Hall ( Several in fact ). Whilst the renovations of the flats was going on. The future of the flats was being discussed and how much could be made out of the demolition of the flats. The tenants were to be given " Hobsons Choice " as they put it. But not till after lots of money mostly from Euro Funding had been spent. It was decided that the flats would be demolished. Millions spent on revovations mostly cow boy work was being wasted. Many contractors were thrown off of the job, However. After the renovations came to a halt. Before anyone on the flats had any knowledge. Council officials were advised to evict as many as possible from Kelvin, A purge was made in 1990 and 92, If those that lived on Kelvin remember, Rent , Abandoned flats used for Giro collections. etc. Flats were left empty. Neglected areas around the flats. All those that had put int for transfers were starting to be offered homes where they wanted to go. This was done to cut down on compensation for having to move. All this was planne before the Estate meeting. Then came the meeting. One councillor was told that at this meeting she was to stress compensation payments and expense payments. She was told that , at a meeting. Offer them pounds and pence they have no sense. This was a disgusting thing to say. However at the meeting they made offers that were hard to refuse. A vote was taken that the flats would be demolished. Many people regret this. The Council broke promises to the people of Kelvin. As a result the area is now suffering. But, The Council Propoganda team got to work as usual. Kelvin was purposely run down by a " Corrupt Council ". I will say this now and stand by this comment. I would love them to challenge me on this. We have the same problem in other areas where the Council want to demolish. They make promises , They are wasting regeneration money. Many mistakes are being made. All this to pacify the people and Council Tenants whilst houses are demolished and the private sector take over. Like Kelvin, Whole communities are being systematically destroyed. This Council are throwing money about like confetti to keep local committees happy. Whilst at the same time they cannot afford to do alterations for the disabled, or urgent repairs to homes. They underspend on the elderly, Education. and most everything else. They destroyed Kelvin

Originally posted by Rodgers
Well after so many years who will bother. There was a meeting in the Town Hall ( Several in fact ). Whilst the renovations of the flats was going on. The future of the flats was being discussed and how much could be made out of the demolition of the flats. The tenants were to be given " Hobsons Choice " as they put it. But not till after lots of money mostly from Euro Funding had been spent. It was decided that the flats would be demolished. Millions spent on revovations mostly cow boy work was being wasted. Many contractors were thrown off of the job, However. After the renovations came to a halt. Before anyone on the flats had any knowledge. Council officials were advised to evict as many as possible from Kelvin, A purge was made in 1990 and 92, If those that lived on Kelvin remember, Rent , Abandoned flats used for Giro collections. etc. Flats were left empty. Neglected areas around the flats. All those that had put int for transfers were starting to be offered homes where they wanted to go. This was done to cut down on compensation for having to move. All this was planne before the Estate meeting. Then came the meeting. One councillor was told that at this meeting she was to stress compensation payments and expense payments. She was told that , at a meeting. Offer them pounds and pence they have no sense. This was a disgusting thing to say. However at the meeting they made offers that were hard to refuse. A vote was taken that the flats would be demolished. Many people regret this. The Council broke promises to the people of Kelvin. As a result the area is now suffering. But, The Council Propoganda team got to work as usual. Kelvin was purposely run down by a " Corrupt Council ". I will say this now and stand by this comment. I would love them to challenge me on this. We have the same problem in other areas where the Council want to demolish. They make promises , They are wasting regeneration money. Many mistakes are being made. All this to pacify the people and Council Tenants whilst houses are demolished and the private sector take over. Like Kelvin, Whole communities are being systematically destroyed. This Council are throwing money about like confetti to keep local committees happy. Whilst at the same time they cannot afford to do alterations for the disabled, or urgent repairs to homes. They underspend on the elderly, Education. and most everything else. They destroyed Kelvin

I have to say, I often suspected this about the Hole in the Road. It seemed very convenient that it began to look neglected, graffitti not being cleaned etc, becoming a real no-go area at night etc, JUST prior to plans for Supertram going over the top of it became public.

I feel sure they ran that down too.

This does not only happen here in Sheffield. It is common place now. There is so much corruption that it is taken for granted. I was once warned by a Councillor to keep my " Big Mouth " shut or else. I did not. I was made to suffer for it. But, some day the people of Sheffield will realize that Sheffield is being run by a minority of bullies and idiots within the Town Hall. The majority are decent Councillors, But I tend to think that they are afraid to open their mouths. Look into the past few years.It happened during the Kelvin Scandal and it still happens. Off hand I do not know the exact number, But, How many councillors have packed in, How many after opening their mouths have found themselves set up and in some cases even prosecuted. Well it is time that people started opening their mouths. I am not afraid to do so . They have tried to destroy me. As many that use this forum know. Many things best left in the past though. But, I will never trust another Sheffield Councillor. Still I am sorry, I have monopolized the forum and taken us into another subject. My apologies. Back to Kelvin.

my grandma and also my uncle and aunt lived on the flats,both on kelvin walk,used to stay with my nan while mum was at work during the day,had some good fun on there playing kick the can and riding my chopper bike had much more freedom that i did at home.Some names i remembeer from around the early 70s are,maria and brendan moon,blagdens,a family with a lad called ian who had a false leg think it was self or walker.

hi there i lived near kelvin flats when i was younger and i'm looking for a couple of old friends toni kelly and mary watkiss they lived on portland walk i think all three of used to hang around all times of day n nite. i lost touch when i moved to somerset 13years ago i was 14 then they was the same age i'd love to find then if anyone can help.......................................:help:

We are trying to trace a guy called Ummy who used to hang around with Andrew Daswell and co. Anyone know him? He lived on Kelvin Flats during the 70s/ early 80s.

I spent many years in and around Kelvin. I assisted with many committee's. I enjoyed myself. But, Alas what I predicted came true despite those that were against my points of view. I see many that lived there at the time, They all say the same. " You were right ". I was. I am also right in saying that " It is the people that make the community ". that is why the Council began moving scum onto the flats. They had intended to make people want to move. There are far much larger flats than these in other places and other countries. Flats much larger. In Dublin for instance and Belgium, There are flats that have 4,000 units. The outsides are spotless, the tenants are vetted, They are happy, they have security. can you imagine this here. Kelvin was great. There are far too many untrue stories such as the soil in the flat to have a garden. Even the flat that was burnt out was exaggerated. people will kill themselves, They will always find a way. The Hyde Park flats were the worse. Even the Railways had 31 suicides in 6 years. I loved Kelvin and the true Kelvinites. The one's that made Kelvin a place to live, To work, And to be Happy

Wasn't there a couple of pubs within the complex?

Yup, the Gatefield (Wards), and another which escapes me just now .......

Yup, the Gatefield (Wards), and another which escapes me just now ....... If my memory serves me correctly, I think it was The Halfpenny. I worked next door in the Rent Office from 1972 to 1978 and Kelvin was a nice place at that time with some "characters" but most Tenants were fine. Happy Memories.

Hi sweet cheeks, Remember me Tony Rodgers. yes Half Penny, Gatefield, the George. The Office where most of the staff had lunch, Remember Mohamed, I see a lot of him.......

yes rodgers

i was the security guard that wrapped you in a towel and kept you alive until para's arrived when you were stabbed several times in the hallway of your flat :) .

is that the great kelvin you remember ?

and you never did say thankyou :hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

:thumbsup:

re; i was the security guard that wrapped you in a towel and kept you alive until para's arrived when you were stabbed several times in the hallway of your flat

i guess your probly the reason that he got stabed in the first place then!!
i to was there in the same room when he was stabbed in front of his grandson!! why or how did you allow this to hapen afterall, you are asking him to say thankyou.
there was in fact at least 3-4 people that was there but i cant remember no security gaurd there, so please do refresh my memory becouse i am sure that if rodgers owed you an apoligy he will give it to you.

I've replied on another thread about the so-called "wartime spirit" much of which was fictitious propaganda, but as for the jumpers, yes it is likely they were people from elsewhere. The Arts Tower at the University has had its quota of jumpers over the years too (though one at least was a student).

I lived near the KF when I was on Springvale Road and wasn't sad when the flats were demolished, they had been a blight on the area for ages. Somewhereon a tape I may have a recording of thenews report on the demolition but I can't lay my hands on it immediately.

It was so unfortunate that Kelvin had so much security that did not work. Yes i recall when i was stabbed. the guy next door to me wrapped me up in towels. There were several people helping. But there was no answer from the security phone because no-one in the lobby knew how to work it. Also all the cameras were offset and malfunctioned.. Whilst I was bleeding to death I was shouting down the Security phone. No answer. Then the culprits left the flats via the front doors without a word being said by the young man that was working alone. I still maintain that these flats were good. They had been run down on purpose as part of the plan to demolish them. this plan had been on the table for four years. I feel for the young security man being left in that predicament. He did not know what to do. i would like to know how they managed to enter the front of the flats in the first place. Maybe the landings they could have done. the security of the flats ( Not the Security men ) was a joke. I admit that the security men had a difficult task. again this was part of the plan to run down the flats. They were to quote the housing Unpoliceable. This council ran down the flats. this Council rang the death knoll for the flats. this Council that so many love and worship are the real criminals. No-One can recover from such a bizzare and criminal attack I have not. But I am satisfied that revenge is and has been sweet. This was and is a corrupt Council, they used anything and anyone they could to obtain what they wanted. Woe anyone that rocked the boat

in reply to gunner.
i agree with most of what you say, the security did have a hard job, but the job was to repell undesirables and secure the area, and you expect that they would do that, after all that was there job, and that is what they was getting paid for, if proven insufficiant for the job, then they should have had reinforcements to help improve security. the council should have employed a security firm that was capable of such a task. i was there when gunner was stabbed and i witnessed the lack of security and cooperation with the victim. the sececurity on there should be thankfull that the victim did not try for a law suit against the security firm. i would have!! they would have found it very difficult to talk there way out of it as there was no way in or out without that security officer pressing that button. there was cameras on the entry doors. i feel that there was other signs of there incompitance since day 1 of the security block. not only did they fail there but they have continued to fail since the fall of the flats. its sad to see a security firm let the public down, an mess up on numerouse occasions and still be in opperation. but of course every firm makes mistakes dont they!!!

17 people never jumped off Kelvin. Rumours still persist up to the present day. More people died as a result of suicides on Hyde Park and park Hill flats. The biggest problem with Kelvin is that it was close to Middlewood. Many pased the flats when going to this Hospital. Some very sad people. But thats life. People die of mind related conditions every day. We as a find that more and more people are facing depression every day. Kelvin was a good community. It was a compact area. with many people living very close to each other. There were as many people living upon Kelvin as there are living in the Shirecliffe area for instance. I never know what is happening at the other end of Shirecliffe, Other than we had three Burglaries, two muggings, 4 car thefts. numerous acts of criminal damage and vandalism All this in one day. This would never happen in 1 week on Kelvin

Yes cfccrash. The Security on Kelvin were as incompetent as the people that employed them. After the stabbing the cameras were somehow put out of action. All the cameras that is. including those that were in the flats. The Council and even the Police made sure that I could not obtain the evidence of neglect needed to take legal action. Images of the attackers were destroyed as a result. They forgot the one's that were in the lifts. But they would not release the photo's in order to obtain ID's. This is a case where I have drawn a line under it. There will be no justice obtained here. It would have meant fighting a Corrupt Police Force and a Corrupt Council. To this day I still fight this corruption that we see every day in our Communities. North Sheffield now has more than it's fair share of Corrupt Police Officers than anywhere within Sheffield. But lets get back to the flats. as I said . They were a good place to live., Many did not like them. But. that is because they would not adapt to flat life, They would not become part of a community. that is their right. But you see these same people every day even when they move to a nice Housing Estate, They will not become part of a Community. Those that did not like Kelvin will probably not like where they live now. Every area has it's own problems. People need to adjust. We will not find perfection. Perfection does not exist. I enjoyed Kelvin, But I also enjoy where I am living now. Kelvin had problems, The Committees were trying to fight Council Corruption. Just as now with this regeneration project, We see corruption on the estates being regenerated. Like myself, Those that fight this corruption often find themselves a target. We rock the boat, But I enjoy fighting this corruption. I am open to a forum on Police Corruption if anyone is interested, Then i will start one.

I worked in the Estate Office, next door to the Halfpenny, from 1972 to 1976.
To be fair, there was not the level of violence and criminality that existed later on. As in all life, there were some "rough" families, but at that time I always felt safe and quite at home there. We had no security officers or cameras then and only 3 or sometimes 4 of us would work in the office. We did have a few suicides while I was there, one of which jumped and fell on the roof of the Halfpenny.:gag:

Spot on plain talker.. KF in many ways used to police itself, As with many flats complex, But it takes a special person to adapt to life on flats. I myslef would dread living in a tower block, But there are those that enjoy it. Life is what we make it. Yes we have idiots that make life very uncomfortable for a lot of us. I tend to ignore them, They just go away... Well ! Sort of.

My dad lived at the back of the flats (near the benafits advise place) he told me a woman jumped and commited suicide right in front of him. Another time while he was away from his flat a lad who came over from Ireland actually hung himself from my dads living room door. I know these are sad stories but my dad actually enjoyed living on kelvin, he only moved to sherde road through ill health. I had some good nights out with him especially in the eversley house.

I worked in the Estate Office, next door to the Halfpenny, from 1972 to 1976.
To be fair, there was not the level of violence and criminality that existed later on. As in all life, there were some "rough" families, but at that time I always felt safe and quite at home there. We had no security officers or cameras then and only 3 or sometimes 4 of us would work in the office. We did have a few suicides while I was there, one of which jumped and fell on the roof of the Halfpenny.:gag:
Quite right Sweetcheeks,
It makes me sad to think of all the people that worked hard to improve Kelvin, Then at the end of the day we were conned into giving up our homes and voted for the demolition of kelvin Flats. This was " Hobsons Choice ". I also feel for many of the Housing Staff 9 I still see Mohammed, Many of the Porters now ). They agree with me that the staff themselves were also conned. I saw the first steps to privatization coming. Some threads ago, A subsciber asked what papers I had seen in the Town Hall. Papers that were plans to reduce the Housing Staff by any means, Plans to stop anyone that rocked the boat. Memo's of meetings where it was stated in one memo " Give then a meeting if they want it, But be careful that you do not tell them too much about the grants, Make them think it is their choice ". There were many questions needed to be asked. Many people now regret that they did not ask them. Those of us that rocked the boat by asking too many questions were targetted and dealt with in many awaful ways. This was the same with housing staff. Many were given promises that were never kept. We were dealing with corruption on a wide scale. far troo many people up that ladder were made pretty wealthy. There were investigations into contractors that worked upon this futile regeneration. I can see the same repeating itself over the whole of Sheffield now. We have Forums, Tenants Associations. All of them being led by the nose. Then when we start to complain. We will be told that " You Made the decisions, You voted for what we did ". I fully agree with Martyn Brighton about the scale of corruption that exists. He says that this goes right to the top. A certain Sheffield M.P. Cannot be named for legal reasons has a lot to answer for. The replacement of windows, The alarms fitted to houses, Work done to the Parks and outside walls etc. I could go on, Many of the contractors I have spoken to are disgusted with what is happening. We have a circle of corruption that exists with the Council heirarchy, MP's, Even involving the Police. Anyone that rocks the boat will suffer ...

not sure if i've added this already to this thread, but i have a website dedicated to the memories of kelvin flats, as well as park hill and hyde park, where i lived for 10 years in total:

http://www.freewebs.com/streetsinthesky/

:thumbsup:

ive just seen a name on your guestbook which i recognise,so ive e=mailed him to see if he has the same memories about kelvin flats as i do,thanks for the memories pete

ive just seen a name on your guestbook which i recognise,so ive e=mailed him to see if he has the same memories about kelvin flats as i do,thanks for the memories pete

you are welcome deelightful3

if enough of us ex-tenants get back together then they might just rebuild the place for us!

:thumbsup:

i didnt actually live on kelvin but my dear old nan did,and i would go and stay with her in the school holidays, i was around 10 yrs old when she went to live there,and i loved visiting her because i had so much more freedom to roam about round there with my friends,there was always someone to play with and if there wasnt i could ride my bike around,something i couldnt do at home because mom wasnt keen on the idea because of the traffic,can remember playing kick can with some brilliant places to run and hide,not so good if you were the one seeking though,lol,oh i loved my childhood on there.

[QUOTE=cfccrash;1851065]in reply to gunner.
i agree with most of what you say, the security did have a hard job, but the job was to repell undesirables and secure the area, and you expect that they would do that, after all that was there job, and that is what they was getting paid for, if proven insufficiant for the job, then they should have had reinforcements to help improve security. the council should have employed a security firm that was capable of such a task. i was there when gunner was stabbed and i witnessed the lack of security and cooperation with the victim. the sececurity on there should be thankfull that the victim did not try for a law suit against the security firm. i would have!! they would have found it very difficult to talk there way out of it as there was no way in or out without that security officer pressing that button. QUOTE]sorry to dissagree,but it was possible to go up from the gatefield end of kelvin,then climb round the outside balcony thus skirting the locked doors ,it was very easy to access the secured section,i did it several times

If my memory serves me correctly, I think it was The Halfpenny. I worked next door in the Rent Office from 1972 to 1978 and Kelvin was a nice place at that time with some "characters" but most Tenants were fine. Happy Memories.

That's right, the Halfpenny. Awful place that got shut down way before the flats came down.

Reading through this thread it appears that Kelvin, like many council estates, deteriorated rapidly during the 1980`s. When I worked there, the decks were freely accessible to all, the areas were clear of litter and the estate generally well maintained by a small but dedicated group of workmen, such as the Garchey operatives and Heating engineer, who were residents themselves. I would not say that everything was perfect at that time, far from it, but the respect for people and property appeared to be a higher priority than it is now. I have no knowledge of the supposed Council`s running down of the estate, in fact I would suggest that more damage was inflicted by the standards of the tenants themselves in the latter days of Kelvin`s life. As on most of the estates that I have worked, once the "bad eggs" get a foothold in that area, the standards begin to slip, the better tenants move away and the whole place deteriorates quite quickly, something that sadly appears to have happened to Kelvin. Happily I never saw this happen and my memories of working there are of a nice bunch of tenants who I was happy to serve.

.... i had so much more freedom to roam about round there with my friends,there was always someone to play with and if there wasnt i could ride my bike around,something i couldnt do at home because mom wasnt keen on the idea because of the traffic........

this is so true!

there's an old cliche that says high rise flats robbed kids of their places to play, but in fact kelvin had traffic-free decks to play on and loads of grass at the back

:)

.... more damage was inflicted by the standards of the tenants themselves in the latter days of Kelvin`s life. As on most of the estates that I have worked, once the "bad eggs" get a foothold in that area, the standards begin to slip, the better tenants move away and the whole place deteriorates quite quickly......

i agree

there was nothing wrong with the building itself. most of the staff were ok, of course not all of them were, but it was the bad eggs that spoilt it.

:)

taz 1 is that really u Tracy? get intouch mazmw@hotmail.co.uk

Wasn't there a couple of pubs within the complex?

One was cold the Half Penny

One was cold the Half Penny

;) and I take it the Gatefield was the warm one, then? ;)

;) and I take it the Gatefield was the warm one, then? ;)

Most of the stuff being sold inside it was hot .........

Most of the stuff being sold inside it was hot .........

that accounts for it then...
*groans* :lol: :lol: :lol:

One was cold the Half Penny

Yep n the other was the Gatefield

i once went into the halfpenny with someone who wasn't from kelvin.

"don't worry," i reassured her, "nothing ever happens in here, it's dead peaceful".

the next second two lasses, who up to now had been as quiet as anything, began hurling fists at each other on the next table.

happy days

:):(:cool:

What a thread! This is a novel in itself, I'm sure it will fly off the shelves.
I never realised there was so much going on in that place...!

if kelvin was re built i would be the first to put my name down for a flat
grew up on there in the 70's 80's mum used to work in halfpenny then upperthorpe hotel
was a great place to grow up and i sure miss it when i think of the old days

mr teabag

you are sure right

i might go and put my name down anyway on the off chance that they might rebuild it

:(

Well I'll be third resident then, if we carry on like this we'll have filled the first landing by tomorrow lol

Seriously tho, I loved it on Kelvin :)

lived on there 1970.....1979
A learning curve of my life would not change my childhood....
rough as ....

i didnt live on there but my nan did so i spent many happy hrs playing on there,which end of the flats did you live on and which kids did you know

Lots of information already here, so threads merged

i didnt live on there but my nan did so i spent many happy hrs playing on there,which end of the flats did you live on and which kids did you know

lived at the boiler end, knew the revills, julie hague, julie hargreaves

I lived 2 or 3 flats away from that when it happened!! I remember my neighbours, a lovely old Jamaican couple, knocking furiously at my door to wake me up (been on the pop the night before so slept through it all!!) The wife dragged me out of my flat in my nightie with nothing on my feet and we all ran to the end of Kelvin Walk and onto the grass at the end until the police and fire brigade said it was safe to go back in.

I still miss the old place and have hundreds of photos, including ones of the demolition, that one day I will get round to scanning and putting somewhere.
i can remember them being empty fo demolition when i first came to sheffield i would like to see what the flats looked like in there hay day i know of there existence but know nothing about them.

just seen some pics some 1 has put up but they seemed to be when it was run down any 1 got any pics from when they where 1st built.