May 8th 1936 : Born in Sheffield City General Hospital. Weight 28 pounds. (My mother was so shocked that my twin sister Marion was not born until 15 months later). Came home to Andover Street, two doors below Pye Bank.

December 1940 : Despite Hitler's best attempts, I survived the Sheffield blitz.

Summer 1941 : Started at Pye Bank. Became a brilliant pupil, star athlete and all-round good egg.

Spent time in Children's Hospital (concussion) and 16 weeks in Lodge Moor with diphtheria (nearly popped my little clogs).

Summer 1947 : Despite offers from both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, joined City Grammar School. Became brilliant pupil (et cetera, as above). Chose this school because it was the only co-educational one in Sheffield.

Summer 1948 : Had my appendix removed in 17-hour operation at Sheffield's Royal Hospital. ("Bravest young patient ever" according to the Lancet magazine.)

Summer 1952 : Left City Grammar with an Honorary degree in Domestic Science. Started work at the Central School Clinic in Leopold Street. Mostly clerical work, but with some emergency brain surgery, as required.

March 1954 : Joined the RAF. I trained to become a Medic because the training centre was near Blackpool. Stationed in Sick Quarters at Acaster Malbis near York until early 1955. I spent the final two years of service at RAF Hospital Halton. Promoted to Wing Commander acting Corporal. In June 1956 had quite a lot of my stomach removed due to a duodenal ulcer. ("World's largest ulcer" according to Lancet.)

March 1957 : Despite repeated pleas from the Ministry of Defence, I left the RAF.
(While I was in the RAF, my parents and sister had moved to Wickersley, but I managed to track them down.)

April 1957 : Started work at "Steelo's" - Steel Peech and Tozer in Rotherham. Started in Hollerith Department (punched card processing). This turned out to be very lucky for me, because I met Ann (who is now my wife) and because this Department eventually evolved into the Computer Department, where my natural talents found their home ("Are there NO limits to this man's Genius?" - Computer Weekly).

September 1959 : Married Ann. Lived happily ever after.

So there you have it (slightly exaggerated perhaps) but the dates that I can remember are about right. :heyhey:

I like your potted history blitzkid, I was born on Fox St, 151, but in 1933. I take exeption to the fact about Hitler though, he wasn't after you, it was me he was trying to get. I had a good start at Pye Bank, I should say a head start because I could read before I started in the infants. I had private lessons from a girl called Mavis. Beat that!
When I was in the Juniors I got the record at the time for the cane. Mr Spieght gave me three on each hand for punching another kid. It was worth it, but it didn't half hurt.
You dont have to read the rest of this because it's all down hill from here.
After the Blitz, went on the run to Cheshire, good move that, just before Liverpool got theirs. I remember standing in the street looking at the glow of Liverpool burning.
Went back to Sheffield to finish my education in '44, an unremarkable finish to an educational disaster.
National Service, Egypt.
I could go on but it depresses even me.

blitzkid, Texas, it was neither of you Hitler was after. It was the pub.......ask your dads. :)

You were offered a place at uni when you were 11 :confused:

That is no typical pitsmoor lad ;)

:o Lottie!!!

hehheehhe ;)

:( Sorry, lottie.

I didn't mean that those great centres of learning wanted me as a student - but they were short of lecturers after the War. I didn't really fancy the job.

Cheers :D :D :D

:( I didn't want to offend any of you by implying that Herr Hitler was after me personally - that would have been silly!

I'm glad I was only four at the time of the Blitz - I'm sure the grown-ups were really frightened as they waited in their various shelters. I believe the two corner shops at the junction of Andover Street and Fox Street were hit while the sirens were still sounding.
Even closer to our house, several houses opposite Pye Bank school were flattened during the night.

My mother took us kids up into the attic the next morning, and with no plaster on the ceiling, and no slates on the roof, we could look out over a smoking Sheffield. All the glass had gone from the windows, but we had to continue living in the house, sleeping downstairs until the roof was repaired.

I think that all the parents who brought up families during the hardships and rationing of the war deserved a medal.

I've been doing about the blitz in history at school and just had to do a big essay on evacuation..

Those two corner shops you refer to, the first one going down Schoolboard Hill (Andover St), belonged to a family called Levick, across the road, on the other corner I cant remember. They were both hit by a cluster of incendiary bombs, and me only six doors up. An high explosive landed opposite Pye Bank School and blew all the windows out, wrecking a couple of houses. Another landed on a house in Rock Street, people were killed there, I seem to remember it was a time bomb.
Levicks moved into a house just up Fox Street and kept on trading. The authorities closed the School and farmed us kids out into peoples front rooms to carry on schooling. (Did they do a film by that name?) I eventually went to Pitsmoor School but didn't stay there long, about a day actually, I left of my own accord and refused to go back, but thats another story!

i lived on danville street, across from burngreave school, from 1941 to 1952. i can remember doodle bugs going over sheffield and i can remember one going over the school and landing on scott road. as children we used to play in the ruins of bombed houses and on the old reck there was an old water tower thing
my goodness your converstions have dredged up a lot of forgotten memories.