I remember when the wicker used to be a really nice place to go for a good night out you had the viaduct and the cow and you could meet some really interesting folks.
If you go now all you find are endless takeaways and the place seems to be full of litter from all the takeaways,the 2 pubs have long since gone and the place seems to be a very run down area right now.

Not to mention all those 'blacks' and 'Asians' Roy!! This country!!:o

Disappointed to see the Old Coach House go down the pan.

Had many a good night there, the last being my 30th birthday which was a great blast with the disco upstairs to dance off all the calories you had just scoffed downstairs.

Great pity that it couldnt have carried on.

All that end of town seemed run down to me...from the markets down to the Wicker. I used to get as far as Bennett's(?) tackle shop and the Space Center and turn around....

I know I'm youngish but I've never remembered it any different in my 18 years here!

Originally posted by noseyrosie
I know I'm youngish but I've never remembered it any different in my 18 years here! Do you mean Yiddish? Don't go near Roy if that's the case!!!:o

Originally posted by miniminch
Do you mean Yiddish? Don't go near Roy if that's the case!!!:o

Haha :D after his 'I'd love to have Hitler for tea and crumpets' post I don't think I'd admit to it if I was!

go to agree with Rosie. It used to be slightly better though I can't remember it every being no Florence type area.....

I can 'just' remember the Wicker being a place that wasn't so bad. It was always known as not the nicest of places but didn't have the reputation it has now.

I have to say, although I used to love the markets and that area I have my wits about me now when down there. Such a shame :(

On that subject, when I went to the market on Monday most of the stalls weren't there and they were putting up fences round it all. What are they up to? Is that the end of the market?

To be fair, Wicker is just a road with an annoying lane layout with traffic jams created by Council anbd zith that pointless bus light coming in...
Now you're telling it used to be a place to go out ?

I work near and hate the Wicker. has anyone been early hours int he morning? If you have you will see it is a totally different world. Its like you not even in england any moor. We went to a curry house other month and there were taxis parked for as far as the eye can see and asians all over the street. We were the only white poeple in the whole area and we were in the curry house they were out side wanting to starting trouble with us. i thought we were gonna get a right kicking but we managed to get in to one of their taxis!!

They say we are racist!:rant:

My first memories of the Wicker go back about 35 years when it was really a collection of slightly sleazy cinemas and roughish boozers. not exactly a dump but not particularly pleasant either.

We opened a business there in 1990 and worked there for 10 years, it never really altered in that time, the Old Coach House was all but closed then, that used to be quite the place to go at one time.

Of course it hasn't really become a dump it's just that the original poster has an aversion to the majority of people running and eating in the various eateries. That's why I enjoy Kebabish so much (the big one where Woodcocks used to be) you won't run into many BNP supporters in there. It's the most fabulous melting pot and the food is usually good too.

Originally posted by metalman
On that subject, when I went to the market on Monday most of the stalls weren't there and they were putting up fences round it all. What are they up to? Is that the end of the market?

If you mean the outside market stalls on Exchange Street, I think that they're just doing maintnance on them.

Joe

It isn't just the Wicker which is run down and grotty; Spital Hill is as bad. The number of cars which park on double yellow lines and in the 25 yard zig-zag areas between the pedestrian crossings are unreal. The police seem to do nothing about it and even when a patrol car comes along they choose to ignore the parking violations. I remember whe I used to go to the Coliseum Cinema and into the whole Burgreave area with impunity. Now I wouldn't go into Andover Street or Nottingham Street if they paid me. The whole place from the Wicker right up to, and including Firvale and Page Hall is a mess and needs sorting out.

Originally posted by Escafeldia
The police seem to do nothing about it and even when a patrol car comes along they choose to ignore the parking violations.Parking violations are of the ressort of the Council not the police ;)

Awful place. Used to be grittey, working class. Now clearley lower class & trash. Used to get the bus from there, now get bus from Arundel Gate, others as well because its so shoddey & honestley disturbing. Honest! It really is a s**t house. Look at some old photos & compare then & now.

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet
Parking violations are of the ressort of the Council not the police ;)

"Ressort"? Do you mean responsibility? Whoever is responsible the fact is they aren't doing their job - are they? :clap: :clap:

Originally posted by royjames
I remember when the wicker used to be a really nice place.......you could meet some really interesting folks.


Especially in the Brown Cow, or the cinema :)

You can tell from the architecture of the Wicker that it was quite grand once upon a time, I think it must have started to go downhill once Victoria station closed.

Does any one of you lot making such outlandish statements leave in or around the wicker or spital hill? Or are you are just cynically opening your loud mouths just to feel good about urselves in your little cosy surburb, thinking you live a in so called better area?

Spital hill is the epitome of multicultural uk, best curry shops, drama and I love it!!!

Hey! Bigsai. You like it? Good for you. The Wybourn is supposed to be bad. I found it ok. But Wiker , Spittal hill & all the rest of those places are awfull. Bizare though like. Without the people that frequent or live in this area it looks really grand. Funnny old world aint it?????

Without all the asian businesses it would be in alot worse state now - rundown, closed buildings, an embarrassment to the town centre.

At least theres a selection of food places after a good night out at the leadmill! I end up in Imrans or Kebabish every time.

Originally posted by nick2
You can tell from the architecture of the Wicker that it was quite grand once upon a time, I think it must have started to go downhill once Victoria station closed. [/B]

I think this is about right, I had quite forgotten that the Victoria Station used to be there. I can just remember it being open though I must have been in single figures age wise.

I sympathise with your reaction bigsai, why do so many people replying to a thread like this do so as though it happened yesterday, and overnight at that.

My previous post said that we had run a business there for 10 years so I do know, in this instance, what I am talking about, and it really isn't that much worse now than it was 10 years ago. We did hope that it would be an up and coming area but it never up and came.

I agree that the place is a bit of a state, but I think you would have to be in your mid forties or older to remember it any different. And as they are just about to demolish the other half of it, I can't see it recovering for 5 years or more. However, there are soon to be hundreds of apartments to be built nearby, and when they are all occupied some more pubs and shops would probably be very successful again.

Originally posted by MarkB
I work near and hate the Wicker. has anyone been early hours int he morning? If you have you will see it is a totally different world. Its like you not even in england any moor. We went to a curry house other month and there were taxis parked for as far as the eye can see and asians all over the street. We were the only white poeple in the whole area and we were in the curry house they were out side wanting to starting trouble with us. i thought we were gonna get a right kicking but we managed to get in to one of their taxis!!

They say we are racist!:rant:

And just who are "they"

Are you saying that its because of "Aisnas all over" that makes it a bad place?

Wicker isnt the best of places I know that, but I go down there quite a lot and its not all bad. Theres some decent takeaways that I frequent and most people are just normal friendly everyday people.

I work near and hate the Wicker. has anyone been early hours int he morning? If you have you will see it is a totally different world. Its like you not even in england any moor. We went to a curry house other month and there were taxis parked for as far as the eye can see and asians all over the street. We were the only white poeple in the whole area and we were in the curry house they were out side wanting to starting trouble with us. i thought we were gonna get a right kicking but we managed to get in to one of their taxis!!

Seems funny to me how some people seem to attract trouble. I live up Burngreave and walk along the wicker at all times of the day and night. I eat at various places on the Wicker and often on Spital Hill and have never had any agro or felt threatened. So people were waiting outside the curry house so they could start on you? but you somehow manged to get past them and into a taxi?

Originally posted by Escafeldia
"Ressort"? Do you mean responsibility? Whoever is responsible the fact is they aren't doing their job - are they? :clap: :clap: They probably aren't, but that for sure isn't. By ressort, i mean ressort ;) It's a perfectly valid word.

Yes, when the ring road link is finished it will have a totally different feel to it. IMO the bridge will end up as a bit of an island as the ringroad scythes through the arches and round the back towards Attercliffe. The traffic should be faster moving too.

The Nat West Bank closing along with the Post Office made it a lot less of a destination for lots of local businesses. The Chemist must be held up as a beacon of optimism for the area, it is such an institution, and have you been in since it moved into the bank next door? Incredible.

The ACE centre never really fulfilled it's promise I felt but at least it's a smart building. The spiders web bridge under the bridge over the river is one of Sheffield's best kept secrets.

Originally posted by neeeeeeeeeek
I eat at various places on the Wicker and often on Spital Hill and have never had any agro or felt threatened.

We too eat at various places on the Wicker and Spital Hill and even though the first time we went Hubby said "don't take your handbag, it's just asking for trouble". We have never had any trouble or felt intimidated by anyone, and yes I do take my hand bag.

One of the places we go to is the Turkish/Persian place on Spital Hill and very often we are the only white people there but we have no bother at all.

I have felt less safe coming out of resturants in the town centre.

On the whole, The Wicker is a dump but it does have character. I think Imrans do the best potato wedges in Sheffield and The Arches used to be my favourite club. The Mangala is also a very nice restaraunt (food wise). I cant remember what the Wicker was like before though.

I was once in Imrans late at night and this guy came in and was absolutley hammered, he came staggering over and had a chat. It was unusual behaviour but i didnt feel threatened and I cant say that i have felt uncomfortable around there before.

I do believe that things like that are down to luck though and who is about at the time, but that is like alot of places. But to answer the original question, yes it is run down.

Originally posted by MarkB
I work near and hate the Wicker. has anyone been early hours int he morning? If you have you will see it is a totally different world. Its like you not even in england any moor. We went to a curry house other month and there were taxis parked for as far as the eye can see and asians all over the street. We were the only white poeple in the whole area and we were in the curry house they were out side wanting to starting trouble with us. i thought we were gonna get a right kicking but we managed to get in to one of their taxis!!

They say we are racist!:rant:

What?! No wonder "they" say you're racist, I'd say you're racist too with comments like that! I often go to the curry places up there and am frequently the only white person in the area, and it doesn't bother me. I've never had, or seen, any trouble, or felt intimidated. It might be a bit run down compared to some places, but at least it's got a bit of life, thanks to the "asians all over the street" who live and work around there.

I live in Crookes, full of white middle class, so it's great to go different places in Sheffield and see different communities. If you think it's "not like england any more" try visiting Birmingham or Leicester. Are they not English just because they have large Asian populations?

:?

Talking about the wicker does anyone remember the picture house,I think it was called studio 567,I used to go there as a young man to watch the latest porn films with the lads,it was the only place we could get into at the time.;)
I really hope the council will try to do something to get the wicker to be a nice place to visit again.:thumbsup:

It was a good place to buy dodgy fireworks when I was a lad in the early 80s. Whistling moonrockets - great fun. And it was a good place to get Beetle parts up Spital Hill. Never the smartest of parts of town, though.

Have to say I have never found the wicker to be a place I particularly wanted to visit.

The road layout I find really dangerous on a cycle infact it is one of the few places where I have very nearly been knocked down.

I really dont get this asians looking for trouble thing in my experience you are much more likely to get trouble with drunk white youths.

Originally posted by Lestat
Without all the asian businesses it would be in alot worse state now - rundown, closed buildings, an embarrassment to the town centre.

At least theres a selection of food places after a good night out at the leadmill! I end up in Imrans or Kebabish every time.

I think Lestat has it spot on. The Wicker is slightly run dwonb but so is the rest of the City Centre up to the bottom of Fargate. People say they are intimidated on the Wicker but have you been round the market areas lately?

The Wicker looks smarter only beacuse of the asian food places down there and i keep telling myself i have to try the Kebabish. One of the take-aways ewas reviewd in the Star last night (cant remember the name)

The reason the police dont enforce the parking on Spital Hill is down to 'race relations'. Stick a ticket on a car outside Donkeymans on a weekend evening and you will soon be surrounded by 30 angry young men of any ethnic background. Deal with reality, it will save your life.

Originally posted by Delta
The reason the police dont enforce the parking on Spital Hill is down to 'race relations'. Stick a ticket on a car outside Donkeymans on a weekend evening and you will soon be surrounded by 30 angry young men of any ethnic background. Deal with reality, it will save your life.

Your chatting crap there son to be fair.

Ive seen tickets given in this area.

As for Donkeymans, wardens hardly ever patrol anywhere during clubbing hours let alone outside donkeymans.