:loopy:

Please can someone help me?

I am studying for a degree in socoilogy and community studies at Hull University
and would like any information, personal or otherwise about the start of the steel industry, to it's gradual dimise and how it affected indivuals/families. Perhaps there may be someone who started as a boy, following in fathers' footsteps and has a wealth of information that may be usefull.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Cheers

edited to spell Sheffield correctly - max

Take a trip to Kelham Island Museum nand you will find everything you need

Sorry I was late to reply. Can't get to musium as I live in Hull. Do they have web address please?

Cheers

John

Google is your friend :thumbsup:

Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust (http://www.simt.co.uk/)

If you contact the "Sheffield Shop" on Surrey St, Sheffield they have mountains of books on the Steel industry.

Dont know if this posting is too late.
My great grandfather was killed in the Steel Works in a freak accident. It was reported in the local paper May 1920 when an 8 tonne piece of metal fell on him after a chain came loose, literally crushing him to death. He was still alive when they rushed him to the local infirmary but later died from his wounds.
My grandfather and his brother had to leave school early to take up jobs to help support my great grandmother and the rest of the family as they were the too early. My grandfather took an apprenticeship and went on to become a glass blower.
I have more details of the newspaper article etc if it would help.

Hi, have a look on these links and you'll probably find some useful info:-

www.ourselvesourplace.org.uk

www.picturesheffield.com

www.thenortheast.fsnet.co.uk

I can also tell you that the Parson Cross estate in Sheffield 5 some two-bed houses were built for the steel workers. They would walk to Attercliffe where the factories were and later on their daughters/wives would take their lunches to them. Today many of those houses are awaiting demolition as the council is to sell the land to developers who will build three-bed houses.

Hope these links go some way to helping you out.

http://www.uksteel.org.uk/keydates.htm

In Reply to John Edward

I worked in the steel industry for theirty years as did my father, uncles and grandfather. I do have some knowledge. If you wish to contact me with any specific questions I will do my best to help you.

Pop T

My dad worked at Jonas and Colvers from the early 40's until he died in 1963. We lived at Wadsley Bridge, and he used to walk down to the tram stop on Halifax Road, then get another tram to the Attercliife area from Fitzalan Square. He got up at four oclock, and one of my memories was of him bringing me a pint pot of tea, if I was awake. Still the best tea I have ever tasted!! He was a 'swing grinder' for many years, but changed to being an overhead crane operator in late 1956. He died of a disease called pneumoconiosis, so the doctor said, an autopsy was done, and my mother was told that he had cancer, no trace of a lung disease, so, and I quote, "you are not eligible for a pension,"

I worked there from 69 until the old place closed in 79... in the rolling mills... overhead crane driving... I remember in the end it was sad... all the mill apart from ours number 4 had been shut and striped for scrap... we worked like that for over a year before we too lost our jobs... lots of jobs have gone in Sheffield between then and now

I worked in Firth Browns Melting Department from 1938 until 1984 when they closed down 20 years ago (May 1984) after they merged with E.S.C. and became Sheffield Forgemasters

Kingfisher, you may have known my grandpa, he worked at firth Browns, for donkeys years, and was there at the time you mention.

His name was Arthur Monks. He lived in Carbrook.

My father was a steelworker (at shardlows I think), my Grandpa (my mother's father) was a steelworker @ FB's, my uncle was alao in steel, as a scientist (he was a metallurgist)

and as a matter of interest, my ex hubby's father(who is sadly now passed on) worked at Dunford-Hadfields in the admin/offices side), and my current partner's father was also a steelman at forgemasters(IIrc) before he was killed there, in an industrial accident.

So, as a Sheffielder, born, bread and buttered, steel runs through my veins.

PT

Hi johnedward
perhaps I might be able to help as I have worked in the steel Industry all my life and gone through the turmoils of the steel strike ( remember Hadfields ) I will give you e mail address and Perhaps I could help
sharkyw@aol.com

I was a swing grinder at Jonas & Colver around 1976, it was an awfull place. Swing grinders used to move around a lot in those days [following the money we used to call it] but nobody stayed at Colvers for long. Nearly every grinder I knew had worked at Colvers at some time, but left at the first opportunity. The work was a killer, the dust was awfull and Colvers had never moved with the times- everything was done the old fashioned hard way. The only good thing about the demise of the steel industry is that jobs like this are gone forever and wont kill anyone else. The sad part is that good firms who cared about their workers fell by the wayside as well.
I had around 20 years in the steel industry and ironfoundries and enjoyed most of them.
No Regrets.

Sorry to be a spoilsport but, the original question was posed in October 2003, so it's highly unlikely that he will still be around.

I would like you to keep the thread going though, it's good to hear about how bad/good the old steel works were.

Thankfully our kids will be a lot safer than us and our parents were at work.

Somewhere around 1945'46 I used to go and collect the Union subscriptions for my father, who was Union Secretary at Jessops, right at the bottom of Brightside Lane. I would go and collect them from a man called George Woodcock, who lived at the end of Petre St, Grimesthorpe. George Woodcock was involved in an accident one day while at work as a furnaceman. There was some kind of explosion in the furnace he was charging up. He suffered 75% burns, 45% was considered fatal. He lived for a further 2 days. He left a Wife, I suppose his kids were married, if he had any. He'd be in his mid 50's.

my father worked at jonas colvers i was about 10 years old when he used to come home when he finished the afternoon shift'
you could stand a half crown piece in the cracks in his hands.

I am trying (No comments) to keep our history alive for the young un's to look into.

See Vikings site (http://www.members.aol.com/syp99/index.html)

I started as an apprentice at ESC and you used to do the first year in the apprentice training shop learning to use all the different machines, (lathes millers planers and various basic engineering skills ) after which you were asked what you would like to become. You were then sent out into the works and would initially work with an experienced old hand who would teach you the tricks of your chosen trade so to speak.
I remember years later working at a firm and someone coming to work there as a turner. Are you trained I asked him to which he replied oh yes I have done 6months at remploy.
How can anyone learn a trade in 6months that it took 6 or 7 years to learn. I spent half my time teaching him how to do the job properly.

Fascinating stuff !!

Viking the link won't work:( and I really wanted a look

Jan2002:)

Originally posted by kingfisher
I worked in Firth Browns Melting Department from 1938 until they closed down 20 years ago (May 1984) after they merged with E.S.C. and became Sheffield Forgemasters

Hello kingfisher. You might have known my dad, Bernard Ward, he worked as an overhead crane driver at Firth Brown 'til about 1972 i think. In the melting shop, 'til he got put in the stores due to ill health (i wonder why!)

Was there a steel works on Claywheels Lane,
because I think my Dad worked there when he had a bad steel works accident.
I'm talking 1946 .
hazel

Remember the weekly pay packets were all cash, wonder if some places still do that, we got a little envelope with a bill or two and loose change along with a slip saying what you paid into.

Yes there was a small steelworks in Claywheels Lane. I used to pass it on the way to play in Beeley Woods. There was a row of cottages situated just a bit firther down the road, where we stopped to ask for a drink of water. This was around 1950.

Remember the weekly pay packets were all cash, wonder if some places still do that, we got a little envelope with a bill or two and loose change along with a slip saying what you paid into.
Yep my dad was a wages clerk at Jonas and Colver, Attercliffe, there was another site at Lane Top too.

I remember him taking me to the works as a small child and it was terrifying. Thank god for health and safety laws. My son will never have to work under those conditions.

But all this is very much part of the cultural history of Sheffield and will always be sad at the closure and decimation of the economic viability of our communities when Thatcher came for us.

Was there a steel works on Claywheels Lane,
because I think my Dad worked there when he had a bad steel works accident.
I'm talking 1946 .
hazel


yes it was called Dunford & Elliots & it had 4 hot rolling mills ranging from a
9 inch mill to a 16 inch mill.I worked there in the 70s & 80s,really hard sweaty
work but well paid.Had plenty of good working mates that worked together &
socialised together.At the end of the shift most of us would go down to the local pubs & get our beer on the tick till the end of the week.We were provided with sweat tablets,what does that tell you?,I miss those days,I miss those mates,
happy days:)

Hello Texas - my dad, uncle and grandfather all worked at Jessop Savill on Brightside Lane. My grandad had a framed certificate on the wall when I was a little girl to say that he had worked 50 yrs there!! My dad worked there from aroung 1940 until he died in 1966 aged 44 yrs!!.

I would argue about "gradual demise"... number of people employed.. maybe.. tons of steel, tonnes of special steels and alloys still made in this area.. you might need to take a look at the numbers.

I am trying (No comments) to keep our history alive for the young un's to look into.

See Vikings site (http://www.members.aol.com/syp99/index.html)


vikings link seems to work now...very interesting, thanks vike!:thumbsup:

I seem to remember an element of pride in the fact that Sheffield was the place for 'special' steel. I know my father, at times, would speak in depreciating tones about places like South Wales and Scunthorpe only making 'bedstead' steel.

Yep, the lesser stuff is still referred to as "Clog iron" even though it's steel or other such metal. Stainless Steel was indeed special and invented in Attercliffe.

My dad, Albert Gosling worked at William Jessops as an electrician from the mid 1930s to 1952 ,from memory I think he said that they were working on jet steel at one stage, possibly during the war.Does anybody remember a comedian from Sheffield who went by the name of Stainless Stephen.

anybody remember a comedian from Sheffield who went by the name of Stainless Stephen.
A bit off topic but.
I dont remember Stainless Stephen, but I once saw a male stripper called "Throbbin Robin" Strange but true.

I did some geneology about my family.

All the patriarchal lines on both sides were in the the steel industry or plating from the 18th Century onwards. The last of the line of steel workers was my Dad who started with the then English Steel when he came out of national service until the demise of British Steel following the strike actions when I was a kid.

My grandfather was a steelworker, other one was a little mester, granny was a buffer girl, (so no millionaires lurking in my family tree :rolleyes: )

Hey gosling, I'm old enough to remember Stainless Steven. Heard him on the radio many times in days gone by. Supposedly never told any mucky jokes, hence the name 'Stainless'.

granny was a buffer girl, (so no millionaires lurking in my family tree :rolleyes: )

Does anyone know why "Buffer women" as they were known got their reputation for swearing?.

My Mom always used to say "She swears like a buffer woman".:huh:

They got a reputation for swearing because they did.. worse than any men I ever met.. I was lucky(!) maybe not, enough to work some of my holidays from school in 1977/78 at a cutlery place (shall remain nameless) in Sheffield, some of the buffer women were the most frightening people I have ever met.. you didn't EVER want them to know it was your birthday!!!

Hi Texas, thanks for telling me how Stainless Steven got his name, I didn't know that.

When I was 15 I started work for a builder who did a lot of property repairs around the Howard Street area. There was a large cutlery finishing firm on, I think, Eyre Street, who he did work for. We were doing repairs to the roof and chimney and I had to carry all the materials from ground level, thro' the building, to the roof. The only way was through the length of the buffing shop. Terrifying to say the least. I'd only made one trip when they made a grab, but they backed off when I threatened 'em with the bucket I was carrying, full of sand and cement.
Couldn't they sing though? They always used to be singing. You could hear them over the top of the machines, quite a good training ground I should think. I was always of the opinion that some of them were close to being as good as some professionals of the day, for example, Vera Lynn. When I hear her records, it always reminds me of the buffing shops.

In the 1920's my father worked at Parkgate Iron & Steel clearing slag from the furnaces. In those days they came to work and went home in their work clothes. He claimed, when he got on the tram back to Rotherham everyone moved to the other end of the car!

granny was a buffer girl

I remember studying a book with that title for GCSE English.

Hello Texas and Gosling.
Stainless Stephen was my great-uncle. He got the name 'Stainless' because of his Sheffield connections - nothing to do with the calibre of his jokes, clean or otherwise!!

repeat of post on city battallion thread,

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1425638#post1425638

but, meh!


alibongo

did you see the star tonight?

there was a feature about your uncle, Stainless Steven, in there this evening.

PT

Hi Alibongo, I always thought that was how he got the name of Stainless.

Stainless Steven got his name because he wore a waistcoat made of stainless steel(Stainless steel is basically 18% chrome @ 8% nickel) He was quite popular on the radio before the war along with Reginald Dixon (who played the organ in Blackpool tower) another Sheffield lad

Hi alibongo. I had always been led to believe my statement about the cleanliness of his material to be true. I stand corrected.
When I heard him on the radio, as a kid, I wouldn't have known the difference anyhow.

I worked in Firth Browns Melting Department from 1938 until 1984 when they closed down 20 years ago (May 1984) after they merged with E.S.C. and became Sheffield Forgemasters

Does anyone here (Kingfisher?) have any Memories of Firth-Browns? My Grandfather Ernest Darley worked there. He was in a smelting accident that left him with serious burns & forced him to leave. My Great Grandfather Edgar Dawtry was I think Manager of the Melting Department.

English Steel, Samuel Osbourne (forge), Spartan Steel's ( rolling mill )Sheffield Steel products ( Stamp Shop ) Edgar allen Foundry ( Melting Shop ) Catton and Co ltd ( melting shop ) Firth Vickers ( Melting Shop ) I know it sounds like a c/v but if anyone was in those places between 1967 and 1999 then I would love to hear from you. Also Johnedward, if you want know know owt about the steelworks in that period ( strikes and all ) then please get in touch and I will tell you all I know ( shouldn't take long ) lol. Looking above ,it seems I was good at making bracket's lol

Does anyone here (Kingfisher?) have any Memories of Firth-Browns? My Grandfather Ernest Darley worked there. He was in a smelting accident that left him with serious burns & forced him to leave. My Great Grandfather Edgar Dawtry was I think Manager of the Melting Department.
Hi dandyman,
i knew your grandfather very well,he was the son in law of Edgar Dawtry who was manager of both the Electric melting and the Siemen,s melting depts.Ernest Darley was a smallish man who always looked smartly dressed,i remember people saying that if he wore an old sack he would look smart.His job was to make the melting programme for the furnaces which was not as easy as it would seem.Edgar had the unenviable job of keeping the furnaces going all through the war. I was his office boy in the early 1940,s I worked in the Melting Dept from 1938 until its closure in 1984

Hi dandyman,
i knew your grandfather very well,he was the son in law of Edgar Dawtry who was manager of both the Electric melting and the Siemen,s melting depts.Ernest Darley was a smallish man who always looked smartly dressed,i remember people saying that if he wore an old sack he would look smart.His job was to make the melting programme for the furnaces which was not as easy as it would seem.Edgar had the unenviable job of keeping the furnaces going all through the war. I was his office boy in the early 1940,s I worked in the Melting Dept from 1938 until its closure in 1984
Amazing Kingfisher. I have childhood memories of my Grandfather as an old man, working late into his retirement, crafting furniture from wood, smoking his evil smelling pipe, pouring coke onto a fire in the parlour and tending his perfectly ordered garden. But I know next to nothing of his past, apart from that he worked at Firth Browns, and that he may have met his wife Edgar's daughter Beatrice (Bee or May) through working with Edgar.

The kinds of job Edgar and Ernest did, would they have started from the bottom, as apprentices? Or would they have needed some kind of qualification? Edgar was one of ten children, born to teachers. What path would have lead from there to Manager in a Steelworks?

My Mum sent me off on a quest into our family tree with fantasies of finding 'gentry' somewhere. But mostly I've found folk who got where they did from hard work. Working class or lower middle class if you will - teachers, shopkeepers, cheesemongers, sadlers, steel workers. For myself I find it far more interesting.

Steelmaking must have been a huge business in Sheffield at the time. I have childhood memories before it was all torn down of mile after mile of old smelting sheds, a canyon of corrugated iron. There is so little left to connect to the kind of past they lived through. Ernest fought Germany at the end of the first world war. He lived through the general strike, the great depression, the second world war. These are events in a history book. Tracing my ancestors makes me want to know more than the books tell you.

Anything you can tell me would be fascinating.

Andy

I worked in Firth Browns Melting Department from 1938 until 1984 when they closed down 20 years ago (May 1984) after they merged with E.S.C. and became Sheffield Forgemasters

hello kingfisher,
i was wondering whether you could help me with some research into my family history. I am trying to find out information about my grandfather Alfred Thornton, who i believe worked at Firth Steel around the same time as yourself. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Yours Jules

When I graduated from university back in the late 60s, I couldn't find a job that fitted my qualifications in the UK. So, for a few months, to keep body and soul together, I worked in a machine shop just off the bottom of the Moor. The layout was that of a yard, surrounded by walls in which the various processes took place. My job was to dip the threaded ends of bolts one by one into a bucket of liquid plastic then set them out to dry. I wish I could remember the name of that firm. Opposite it was a shop that sold dripping cakes and egg and bacon sandwiches. Anyone any idea what firm it may have been? I'd probably recognize the name.

Hi plain talker - your grandpa arthur monks was a security guard for over 20 years at edgar allens before he retired, before that he was an electrician for english electric, never remember him working for firth browns. your uncle frank was a metallurgist (FIM) at firth vickers, your great grandpa Frank was an electrician at English Steel Corp. and your great uncle Tom a crane driver for English Steel, you had an aunt who worked for firth browns

I worked in a buffing shop for a few years, those women had hearts of gold, but they had bloody rough hands, I found that out on my 17th birthday.
Many women worked in the steel industry too, because a lot of blokes were fighting in the war, many also carried on working after the war, I remember our neighbour [Female] working as a crane driver in 1955.
A lot of people in industry came home on the bus in all their muck, it wasn't uncommon, but to think we went out in our suits on a weekend and sat on them mucky seats ?
It was only the people that didn't want to work in the 50's & 60's that were out of work, because there were plenty of jobs around at that time, I worked in a rolling mill and went on strike, as I was saving to emigrate, I packed my job in and got another one the same day at Firth Brown's.
Most of the rolling mills in Oz were built in Sheffield [Davy United] and the rolls came from other companies like F/Brown's etc.
Sheffield is still well known around the world for it's cutlery and steel, unfortunately, although the cutlery we get is stamped with sheffield names on it, it comes from China, Taiwan etc.

My Dad, Alan Barker, worked all his life in the steel industry. Can't remember where he started but he worked most of his years at Osborns at Ecclesfield before it relocated and eventually closed. He then worked many years at William Oxleys in Parkgate.

Hi plain talker - your grandpa arthur monks was a security guard for over 20 years at edgar allens before he retired, before that he was an electrician for english electric, never remember him working for firth browns. your uncle frank was a metallurgist (FIM) at firth vickers, your great grandpa Frank was an electrician at English Steel Corp. and your great uncle Tom a crane driver for English Steel, you had an aunt who worked for firth browns

Thanks for that clearer information, whissie. That's a big help. (You know what it's like when information comes down piecemeal, from family members, and it ends up coming through like Chinese Whispers!!)

Hi Texas, my dad worked at William Jessops at this time, he was an electrician

hiya
my father worked in the steel works in sheffield from the early 40s to the early 70s the earliest i remember was when i was under five,the boss was jim ellshaw sadly he died in the early 40s, it was a three man shop at the back of the little sisters of the poor building at the end of olive grove rd,dad worked at edgar allens, osborns,sanderson newbould, wheens,firth vickers, the last one was thos andrews roydes works, he started work for a while at brown bailys when i said a while i think it was for twenty minutes, his brother worked in another department as a pickler when he was asked if dad was a relative, my uncle asked what was the new starters name," bill" he was told., uncle said dad wouldn't stay in the workshop (he was a swing grinder) when dad arrived for his 2to10 shift,he asked where he could hang his coat " just put it anywhere in that corner",he was told, that was the first minus, the second was when he walked in the grinding shop he said "where is the sweeper up" as he was ankle deep in grinding dust ,"we havn't got one" he was told,then dad said " heres another grinder you havn't got,i'm off bye-bye" i remember in 1950 as a swing grinder he was offered a job in a partnership with another grinder, he said "i cant afford to buy into something like that"no trouble said his intended partner i have two machines rented and a shop, and plenty of orders, we will split all two ways, so he started and was earning £120 per month, £9 per week was about average wage in 1950(footballers were on £20 per week max ) i always knew when he was grinding stainless steel, was the distinctive smell that would cling to him when he got home.one thing i do remember the times dad came home with a steel spark in his eye he always asked mum to try and remove the dust particle with a sharpened matchstick.,later she was to use a small horseshoe magnet.
i left school in 1953 and started work at robsons on mary st, near shorham st, it was an old sheffield firm making,stock and dies,tap wrenches,taps,wrenches and die nuts, all made with nineteen century machinery, believe me believe me not, the only electic powered machine was a small pillar drill all the others were driven from a gas turbine engine there were belts everywhere and when the main belt broke the whole machines stopped (if it was working today they could be set up as a museum)i looked it up in a 1895 directory it was there then .it was a 7.30am start finish at 5.15pm my wage was £2.7s 4d . ps sorry, another m/c was a small bench grinder.

Hi,

I am carrying out a project about the past steel industry of Sheffield and the regeneration of the city. I would love to hear from people who worked in the steel works or was somehow related to them. If you want to contribute please send me an email.

harpo4@gmail.com

Thanks!

johnedward,uni and can,t spell,Oh dear!!!

Hi as a young lass I worked in a cutlery works - I think they were called Cuthbert and Sons - just off Arundel Gate. I used to put plastic handles onto cheap knives. The blades were fixed onto a flat circular surface which rotated and the end of the blades - the tang - was then heated until it was red hot by being passed over gas jets - when the blades came out of the flame we had to slide the plastic handle on so that it melted and 'glued' itself to the metal. Health and Safety would have a fit if they could travel back in time and see the conditions people, even kids of 15 like me, were expected to work in. We also worked piece time so you only got paid for what you produced and the checkers were swines for finding fault with your work so you were always disappointed when pay day came round.

Hi,
My grandfather worked at Vickers Gun Works, Sheffield. I have a photo of him in 1928 standing next to what appears to be a barrell.
Any more info out there regarding Vickers.

Hi,

I am carrying out a project about the past steel industry of Sheffield and the regeneration of the city. I would love to hear from people who worked in the steel works or was somehow related to them. If you want to contribute please send me an email.

harpo4@gmail.com

Thanks!

In the libraries they have a book called "Hell,but i`d go back tomorrow" they may also have the C.D. that is with it.If not I think I have one.

English Steel, Samuel Osbourne (forge), Spartan Steel's ( rolling mill )Sheffield Steel products ( Stamp Shop ) Edgar allen Foundry ( Melting Shop ) Catton and Co ltd ( melting shop ) Firth Vickers ( Melting Shop ) I know it sounds like a c/v but if anyone was in those places between 1967 and 1999 then I would love to hear from you. Also Johnedward, if you want know know owt about the steelworks in that period ( strikes and all ) then please get in touch and I will tell you all I know ( shouldn't take long ) lol. Looking above ,it seems I was good at making bracket's lol

Who is this person Atlex48?
I was Ray Wrigleys deputy in the Edgars Melting shop.
I started in the Chemi' lab in 1965 and left there in 1979.Great days and lots of great characters.
Still making steel after all this time.

Did anyone here work at Osbournes in Ecclesfield?

I worked at English Steel Corporation from Sept 1960 until late 1967 when I went to work at BISRA Hoyle Street. At ESC I was Research Trainee for 3 years and worked in all the depts and the Drop Forge & Heavy Forge Met Depts. I was a Works Guide taking parties ( mostly school) round the works.
I remember going up to the Stevenson Road works to do sulphur prints; also doing them in the big machine shop. The drop Forge was horrendously noisy; no noise protection then !
The Bar Mill was a really dangerous place with it being known for a hot bar to snake wrongly and go through the operators leg! Thankfully, before I left that had been closed when it was replaced by the new automated mill at Shepcote Lane. To see the difference between the two was quite amazing. At Shepcote Lane there was hardly anyone to be seen on the shopfloor; all operators were above fllor level in control rooms.
It was an interesting time as, when I started the Open Hearth Furnaces were in operation, but it wasn't long before the large Electric Arc Furnace plant was built ( 90 ton furnace with a degassing tank) & the Open Hearth's were redundant.
I also remember small Induction furnaces which were just a hole in the ground!
I finished up in the Welding lab . We had some plant at Grimesthorpe Foundry which I thought was a wonderfully exciting place making tank turrets, bogies for railways and much more but I wouldn't have wanted to work there!
The Directors tended to look after the workforce in a benevolent way. I was in the First Aid class and we had annual competitions with good prizes which were presented at an Annual First Aid dinner in the staff dining room. Beer and lager were in jugs on on the tables and were kept full. As a first aider I also went on the Annual Pensioners trip to various places, Bridlington etc. I recall about 30 coaches going , one of which carried wheelchair bound people. It was a good day out.
I also remember that we were not allowed to walk along the Directors corridor; to get from R&D to Accounts ( which were either side of the Directors corridor) you had to walk down to the ground floor below the Directors and then back up at the far end. The main office area on Brightside Lane was wonderful - oak panelling on walls, ornate chandeliers and a cannon in a marble reception. I think all that ( except the cannon!) is still there.
Memorable days !!
John

There's an amazing photographic record of Thomas Firth and Sons available on-line. It's a 17MB PDF file...

http://ia311535.us.archive.org/3/items/thosfirthsonslim00firtrich/thosfirthsonslim00firtrich.pdf

Save the file to disk, you'll need acrobat reader or similar to view it.

kingfisher, you may have known my grandpa, he worked at firth browns, for donkeys years, and was there at the time you mention.

His name was arthur monks. He lived in carbrook.

My father was a steelworker (at shardlows i think), my grandpa (my mother's father) was a steelworker @ fb's, my uncle was alao in steel, as a scientist (he was a metallurgist)

and as a matter of interest, my ex hubby's father(who is sadly now passed on) worked at dunford-hadfields in the admin/offices side), and my current partner's father was also a steelman at forgemasters(iirc) before he was killed there, in an industrial accident.

So, as a sheffielder, born, bread and buttered, steel runs through my veins.

Pt

my father knew arthur monks he too worked at firth browns jack ingram

Sorry, I know this has probably been asked before, but, how many steelworks are actually left in Sheffield?:confused:

I worked at English Steel Corporation from Sept 1960 until late 1967 when I went to work at BISRA Hoyle Street. At ESC I was Research Trainee for 3 years and worked in all the depts and the Drop Forge & Heavy Forge Met Depts. I was a Works Guide taking parties ( mostly school) round the works.
I remember going up to the Stevenson Road works to do sulphur prints; also doing them in the big machine shop. The drop Forge was horrendously noisy; no noise protection then !
The Bar Mill was a really dangerous place with it being known for a hot bar to snake wrongly and go through the operators leg! Thankfully, before I left that had been closed when it was replaced by the new automated mill at Shepcote Lane. To see the difference between the two was quite amazing. At Shepcote Lane there was hardly anyone to be seen on the shopfloor; all operators were above fllor level in control rooms.
It was an interesting time as, when I started the Open Hearth Furnaces were in operation, but it wasn't long before the large Electric Arc Furnace plant was built ( 90 ton furnace with a degassing tank) & the Open Hearth's were redundant.
I also remember small Induction furnaces which were just a hole in the ground!
I finished up in the Welding lab . We had some plant at Grimesthorpe Foundry which I thought was a wonderfully exciting place making tank turrets, bogies for railways and much more but I wouldn't have wanted to work there!
The Directors tended to look after the workforce in a benevolent way. I was in the First Aid class and we had annual competitions with good prizes which were presented at an Annual First Aid dinner in the staff dining room. Beer and lager were in jugs on on the tables and were kept full. As a first aider I also went on the Annual Pensioners trip to various places, Bridlington etc. I recall about 30 coaches going , one of which carried wheelchair bound people. It was a good day out.
I also remember that we were not allowed to walk along the Directors corridor; to get from R&D to Accounts ( which were either side of the Directors corridor) you had to walk down to the ground floor below the Directors and then back up at the far end. The main office area on Brightside Lane was wonderful - oak panelling on walls, ornate chandeliers and a cannon in a marble reception. I think all that ( except the cannon!) is still there.
Memorable days !!
John

I was at ESC at the time you mention, mainly as a teemer/ladleman in the Electric Melting Shop Milford Street. But I have also worked in some of the shops you have mentioned Acid Open Hearths at Brightside/Grimesthorpe and Basic Open Hearths at Stevenson Road, Bar Mill Hawke Street and the High Frequency shop Milford Street. I wonder if you remember a certain Mr Stratford I believe he was the managing director, if not he was well up in the hierarchy. It was I believe 1961 I was fifteen and I was working with a teemer and ladleman on what we called the 80 tonner (what you call the 90 tonner) what at a push could hold 100 tons. Well we had finished our work for the time being and we were all sat on a giant toolbox along with our cranedriver having a cuppa, suddenly the teemer jumps off the box and scoots up a ladder that was leaning against a ladle, and tries to look busy, the ladleman then holds the ladder as if the teemers life depended on it and the cranedriver dashes to the stairs leading to his overhead crane and starts climbing. Green as grass me carries on supping my tea, wondering what's up wi them, then I'm approached by a member of the senior management I vaguely recognised, he was head of research I think then but his name escapes me, he told me Mr Stratford want's a word with you, so I followed him, asking whose this Mr Stratford? getting the reply managing director or whatever his title was, so I came upon this Mr Stratford. He was a small man dressed in a raincoat and bowler, he was accompanied by another half a dozen directors and half a dozen managers hovered in the background. He asked me my name and job then proceeded to give me the biggest bollikin of my life, ending with your not paid for drinking tea get a brush and get that ladle area swept. Well I got a brush out of the toolbox and started sweeping up, and after a couple of minutes Mr Stratford and his entourage moved off into what we called the Old Shop, when they were out of sight I downed my brush and went back to my tea. Mr Stratford want's a word with you, s**t! I hadn't been sat down a minute, so again I followed the head of research and got the self same bollikin from Mr Stratford, two bollikins from the managing director in less than ten minutes must have been a record and the news went round the shop like wildfire. I was to learn that everybody from senior management to lowest labourer were frightened to death of Mr Stratford and that those I was working with had spotted him and took evasive action, leaving me to my fate. So it became a standing joke with the sample passers/foreman that every time the ladle area got too loppy they would shout down from the furnace stage Sweaty! Stratford's on his way oer, and I'd be dashing about like a scalded cat "wiz mi brush". Mr Stratford died a year or two later and a couple of days after the announcement of his death one of the sample passers came up to Ted Turton one of the old teemers who I was working with casting a big ingot and jokingly said "Ted management are hoping for a guard of honour of teemers at Stratford's cremation" Well owd Ted started coughin' and splutterin' before getting out "bring im oer eer, stick im in one err dem moulds an I'll cremate the old b******. Happy Days.

Hi Sweatshopboy, It's great to hear your memories.
When I was there the Managing Director was Mr W.D.Pugh who had been given a CBE in 1965 for services to the Steel Industry in Sheffield. The Research Superintendant ( who I remember quite well) was Jim Russell.
There will have been many others at high levels though too inc your Mr Stratford.
John

It must be the same MR STRATFORD that called me a bad apple in a good case.I told him to get stuffed and give me my cards.I had had enough of people like him after just coming out of the army.Everyone was terrified of him.This was in the seimens department in 1958.

Hi Sweatshopboy, It's great to hear your memories.
When I was there the Managing Director was Mr W.D.Pugh who had been given a CBE in 1965 for services to the Steel Industry in Sheffield. The Research Superintendant ( who I remember quite well) was Jim Russell.
There will have been many others at high levels though too inc your Mr Stratford.
John

Hiya johnpm, have remembered the name of the man I thought was the research manager, his name was Gormondsway, if the spelling is correct. Two other names have come to mind of people I thought were involved with research, Waddinton don't remember his Christian name but I believe he was the brother of the then Stoke City manager Tony Waddington, and a Dr Wardby again not certain of the spelling. These three people were always around the Vacuum Degassing Plant when it was in it's infancy, and when we were casting ingots up to 200 tons in the vacuum tank. So maybe it was just the Vacuum Degassing Plant that was their speciality and they were not research.

It must be the same MR STRATFORD that called me a bad apple in a good case.I told him to get stuffed and give me my cards.I had had enough of people like him after just coming out of the army.Everyone was terrified of him.This was in the seimens department in 1958.

Well done Kidorry, first time I've heard of anybody standing up to this bully.

Hiya johnpm, have remembered the name of the man I thought was the research manager, his name was Gormondsway, if the spelling is correct. Two other names have come to mind of people I thought were involved with research, Waddinton don't remember his Christian name but I believe he was the brother of the then Stoke City manager Tony Waddington, and a Dr Wardby again not certain of the spelling. These three people were always around the Vacuum Degassing Plant when it was in it's infancy, and when we were casting ingots up to 200 tons in the vacuum tank. So maybe it was just the Vacuum Degassing Plant that was their speciality and they were not research.
Hi Sweatshopboy, Dr Wardby certainly rings a bell.
Other people I remember are Graham Gillott ( he was a member of the Gillott bread family I think); he was in the Drop Forge Metallurgical Office; Geoff Allen & Turgo Onac ( Transformation Lab); Roy Gunstone, Stan Peate & Brian Hemsworth ( Welding Lab) ; Mr Slag & Mr Slack (Met lab I think); Ken King, Paul Haynes, Dr Ken Ridall ( who went on to become Head of Research); Doug Walker & Alick Priest ( Mech props Lab); Chas Leaverland ( Heat Treatment lab).

My Dad worked for Bramalls on Petre Street till at least the late 70s I'd say. I remember he got burnt when a furnace blew. I can remember the skin on his ear just dripping continuously, yuck. Fortunately he had the sense to put his hands up and saved his face. His hands took a long time to get back to normal.

just come across this thread - posted a reply to plaintalker earlier - arthur monks was a security guard at edgar allens for over 20 years, mostly at the one that used to be on shepcote lane - your father must know him from somewhere else, sadly arthur died in 1971, aged 71 -

I worked in Firth Browns Melting Department from 1938 until 1984 when they closed down 20 years ago (May 1984) after they merged with E.S.C. and became Sheffield Forgemasters

Hi!
Did you know my grandad? He was called George Giles and worked at Thomas Firth from about 1911 until he retired. He was a Siemans furnaceman, then a ladleman and teamer, then a labourer. Two notable things he did there -he got a patent for improving nozzles with P Fawcett in 1915, and he was injured in an accident in 1930, for which he was compensated £125. Thats was reduced him to a labourer. I would love to know more about him and his life - he died in the 1960s.
Karen:help:

There's an amazing photographic record of Thomas Firth and Sons available on-line. It's a 17MB PDF file...

Save the file to disk, you'll need acrobat reader or similar to view it.

Thanks for this. :confused:I have tried to view the pictures but just got a PDF with lots of BLANK pages! Do you think it has been cleared by someone?

Another character from the sixties I remember was Johnnie Lincoln, he must have been the role model for Albert Steptoe, he was a sharp featured wizened old man always as I remember dressed in a black overcoat, battered trilby, with a red and white bandana tied round his neck and he always looked perished. He drove a horse and cart delivering small loads to the different departments at ESC, his horse delivering large loads of horse muck in the process (much prized by the gardeners at ESC) that leads me to this tale. Dave a scrap bank worker at the Electric Melting Shop had filled his duffle bag with this horse muck, and after finishing his shift was going through the gates when the guard, McB a notorious stickler spotted his rather plump duffle bag and invited him into his office and asked "what's in bag?" "S**t!" replied Dave, McB was not amused "empty that bag out now!" Dave duly obliged, emptying the horse muck over McB's desk. A flustered McB fumed "get that outah here" Dave replied "tha wanted it thee have it" as he left the office.

When coal was scarse we had a roller who took a big lump wrapped up in an old rag stuffed under his arm.One day a new guard started and to show his authority(which was nil)he shouted to this bloke,"hey,whats tha got under thi arm" to which he replied "hairs,Whats tha got under thine" He never asked again.

Hiya johnpm, have remembered the name of the man I thought was the research manager, his name was Gormondsway, if the spelling is correct. Two other names have come to mind of people I thought were involved with research, Waddinton don't remember his Christian name but I believe he was the brother of the then Stoke City manager Tony Waddington, and a Dr Wardby again not certain of the spelling. These three people were always around the Vacuum Degassing Plant when it was in it's infancy, and when we were casting ingots up to 200 tons in the vacuum tank. So maybe it was just the Vacuum Degassing Plant that was their speciality and they were not research.
Hi Sweaty here is one of your photographs showing the casting of a 200 ton ingot in the Vacuum Degassing Tank, ( http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/144/mybucket.jpg) Electric Melting Shop, E.S.C.

Have just been watching Nora the piano playing cat, and it brings to mind Loppylugs the domino playing moggy at ESC. Loppylugs was a one eared works cat that frequented the Ladle Bay and Plates/Heads Bay at the Electric Melting Shop, Milford Street. Kelly was the plateman on our shift and Loppylugs was his constant companion when he was working. Kelly and his crane driver Little Mac had made for themselves a little niche in the plate bay, small table, two seater bench and chair, where they had their snap. One night I was passing them and seeing them playing four corners I decided to watch them for five minutes while I had a fag. Little Mac dropped a double and Kelly who had Loppylugs on his knee picked up his dominos and holding them in front of the cat said "what shall we play Loppylugs?" Loppylugs raised a paw and touched a domino and Kelly immediately played it, Little Mac must have seen the amazement on my face and chuckled knowingly as he played his next domino. Again Kelly held his dominos in front of the cat and asked "what shall we play Loppylugs?" Once more a paw was raised and a domino touched, and again Kelly played it. I must by now have been completely opened mouthed and Little Mac was chuckling furiously as he played his next domino, "what shall we play now Loppylugs?" said Kelly as the cat peered at the dominos, once more the paw touched a domino, but this time the domino wouldn't go, "no I think we'll play this one" said Kelly playing a domino that would go. I walked away smiling, knowing I'd been had, nice one Jimmy tha really got me goin'. Kelly kept on with his trick and people who saw the cat indicating playable dominos were amazed, those who saw the cat pick a wrong un, well everybody knows cats can't play dominos.

Johnpm

I think Waddington's christian name was Tom. His wife helped to run an orphanage in Manchester, I remember donating a load of socks for the kids at the time.

Happy Days!

Hello Texas - my dad, uncle and grandfather all worked at Jessop Savill on Brightside Lane. My grandad had a framed certificate on the wall when I was a little girl to say that he had worked 50 yrs there!! My dad worked there from aroung 1940 until he died in 1966 aged 44 yrs!!.

Hi Lindy,
I think the steel industry had a lot to answer for in terms of early death. My dad worked at the saw manufacturers Sanderson Brothers and Newbould on Newhall Rd. from leaving school until his death aged 52 in 1958. My uncle was at Firth Vickers I think and died at 47. Both lung cancer.
My mum worked in the etching shop for a while and they used to collect me from the children's nursery and take me in to the works where some of the other women would paint my nails purple with the etching fluid. Surprisingly I'm still around - goodness knows what was in it. I've been in Aus for 39 years but am still proud of being a Sheffielder. Mostly great people with great hearts who worked hard.
Dors.

Hi there, did anyone know Ivor Stanley Morley, I think he worked at BSC or what is now Forgemasters.... he married Cissy Monks and they eventually lived in Darnall.

I see a few pages back a mention of a Monks... could we be related?

on

Big Jack was a hothand brickie at the Electric Melting Shop at ESC and a celebrated boozer. When on afternoons we could get an half hour pass out and go to the Wentworth the pub just outside the main gate. When Jack was on a pass out he'd enter the pub, put his money on the counter and order three pints, the first pulled he'd down in one, the second he would take to a table and sit down, the third was for his labourer. Jack would usually down about four pints on his pass out. I can't remember how it came about, but I found out that The Poacher a five and a half foot carrot top who worked on the pitside could down a pint in one, very fast, it was like chuckin' it dahn sink. One night in the Wentworth, Judd one of the brickies labourers was praising Big Jacks drinking prowess and he mentioned that nobody could down a pint as fast as Jack. "we've got somebody that can lick im" I said "whose that?" asked Judd "Poacher" I replied "Poacher Hah!" Judd and the other brickies and labourers roared with laughter. Well to cut a long story short a match was arranged for Thursday night (pay day) and I was involved in some heavy betting with the brickies and their labourers, who all wanted to back Big Jack. Thursday night came and I was going to be skint if Poacher didn't deliver, the pints were pulled and Big Jack and The Poacher towed the line. "Go!" The referee shouted; it was close very close but it was Poacher by a whisker, "He's spilt aif er is" one of the brickies shouted, pointing at Poacher's chin, which had some beer running down it, but so had Big Jacks so it was decided that the result stood. I had started collecting my winnings when Judd ran into the room shouting "all bets off! all bets off!" "what's up nah?" I asked Judd "Poachers spewin' his ring up ahtside! all bets void" came the reply. "Whoa!" I shouted "nowt wer said abaht spewin'." Bloody brickies, try owt to ger ahta payin' up. Cheers Poacher.

Hi there,

I am a student currently studying my masters in architecture at The University of Sheffield. My project for this year is looking at the old steel industry in Sheffield, specifically the Kelham Island area (Inc. Globe works, Lion works, Green Lane works, Mowbury works, Cornish works and Wharncliffe Works). I hope to address the emptiness of the area at present and provide ways to decontaminate the land through natural methods. I am wondering if anyone has any data that shows the downturn of the steel industry. The stories in this feed are really useful and extremely interesting. Hopefully ill keep adding to this thread.

Thanks,

Dave

In the 50's I worked on the railway both as a fireman and goods guard, based at Grimesthorpe. There was a line connecting the Wicker Goods Yard and what was known as Engine Shed sidings at Upwell St and across the main line to Grimesthorpe. Occasionaly a job would come up to move an ingot from one side of ESC to the other across the British Rail line, the ESC locos' not being allowed to do so. Some of these were gigantic, just cool enough not to set fire to anything but still very hot. They were usually moved on a low loader wagon. We used to call them 'hot dogs'.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1289035@N25/

Hello to everyone, my name is Calum Rowley and I'm a Masters student in Sheffield. For my dissertation, I am looking into how has Sheffield's heritage been incorporated into regeneration and I am asking for the publics views on this matter. I was hoping that some people with links to the industry would be willing to do a interview about the topic or even have a group discussion where we'd all meet. As I am in only the early stages right now, anything would not happen until easter/May time and your help would be very appreciated. My email addresses are below

mulac_calum@hotmail.com or trp09cgr@sheffield.ac.uk or a PM on here

Thank you

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1289035@N25/

When we were on nights, we usually had our snap around midnight unless we were casting. This particular week every time we entered the ladle cabin we were confronted with what I thought was the pungent smell of cat ****, "whose been lerrin cats in cabin?" I kept asking, no one admitting that they had. Then on Friday night we were just settling down to have our snap when Mal one of the ladlemen said "I know where smells coming from" as he threw a small stinking package onto the table, Georgie D a teemer who always did everything at a hundred miles an hour was already tucking into his sandwiches and was assailed by the putrid stink emanating from the package, gagging Georgie picked up his snap and mashing can and exited the cabin rather smartish, "what the f***s that someone asked, Mal explained it was some kippers his mam had packed him up about a fortnight ago, and they had been festering away in the flat pocket of his ubiquitous gas mask bag, that nearly everybody used in them days, since. Now these kippers were a godsend for two cheeky monkeys like me and Mal, so off we went to the brickies cabin. Two brickies and their labourers were having their snap and being a hot night they had left the cabin door open. Stealthily and unobserved Mal reached the door of the cabin and deftly lobbed the kippers in, then joined me hiding behind a compo bin, after about two minutes the four occupants of the cabin came out shouting what they would do to the dirty b*****d's who'd desecrated their cabin. One brave brickie finally ventured into the cabin and tossed the offending kippers out, and the brickies and labourers returned to the cabin but this time closed the door. The next week we were on mornings and on the Wednesday, Judd the brickies labourer was taking a barrow load of bricks to a furnace repair and passing me said "he want's f****n' that mate ah thine" "why's that Judd" I asked "our cabin still reeks o' mouldy kippers" he said as he toddled off down the shop. And so it should I thought, as by now the aforementioned kippers were firmly nailed to the underside of the table in the bricklayers cabin.

When we were on nights, we usually had our snap around midnight unless we were casting. This particular week every time we entered the ladle cabin we were confronted with what I thought was the pungent smell of cat ****, "whose been lerrin cats in cabin?" I kept asking, no one admitting that they had. Then on Friday night we were just settling down to have our snap when Mal one of the ladlemen said "I know where smells coming from" as he threw a small stinking package onto the table, Georgie D a teemer who always did everything at a hundred miles an hour was already tucking into his sandwiches and was assailed by the putrid stink emanating from the package, gagging Georgie picked up his snap and mashing can and exited the cabin rather smartish, "what the f***s that someone asked, Mal explained it was some kippers his mam had packed him up about a fortnight ago, and they had been festering away in the flat pocket of his ubiquitous gas mask bag, that nearly everybody used in them days, since. Now these kippers were a godsend for two cheeky monkeys like me and Mal, so off we went to the brickies cabin. Two brickies and their labourers were having their snap and being a hot night they had left the cabin door open. Stealthily and unobserved Mal reached the door of the cabin and deftly lobbed the kippers in, then joined me hiding behind a compo bin, after about two minutes the four occupants of the cabin came out shouting what they would do to the dirty b*****d's who'd desecrated their cabin. One brave brickie finally ventured into the cabin and tossed the offending kippers out, and the brickies and labourers returned to the cabin but this time closed the door. The next week we were on mornings and on the Wednesday, Judd the brickies labourer was taking a barrow load of bricks to a furnace repair and passing me said "he want's f****n' that mate ah thine" "why's that Judd" I asked "our cabin still reeks o' mouldy kippers" he said as he toddled off down the shop. And so it should I thought, as by now the aforementioned kippers were firmly nailed to the underside of the table in the bricklayers cabin.
Ha ha, reminds me of three crabs Billy Winder (ex Mayor of Rotherham) brought back from his trip to Grimsby. I worked at Alwarke Finishing Banks on the Cooling beds. It was the last shift before the summer shutdown. Bill put all three crabs in the fridge. They were about 2lb each. Two were collected but the owner of the third one was down the other end of the shop and clocked out down there without taking his crab. Some bright spark decided to defrost the fridge over the holidays and merely pulled the plug out. I was on the first shift back after the shutdown. The Shift Foreman opened the door and the smell nearly blew us across the cooling beds. I had to go right into the far end as well to set the printer working otherwise nobody would know what we were rolling. I can still smell it now if I put my mind to it.....
Another quicky while I'm on a roll....There was a bloke at Parkgate who used to bring a large snap box everyday. Each snap time he'd eat all his bread, biscuits and apples then put an old furnace brick in the snap box and smuggle it past the security men. Many many years later he completed a wall in his garden. Trouble is, it glowed in the dark especially in a full moon. The bricks must have had traces of chrome on them or something.

Hi,
I worked as an archaeologist, specialising in industrial arch in Sheffield. It was for the local arch unit. There is a wealth of information. However, it has closed down due to the recession. But, if you get in touch with Mr. Hawley at the Hawley collection on Mappin street, there is not much that he does not know about this.
Hope this helps.
Best wishes, Hilton