We are agroup of local people who are trying to publish a book about Gleadless Valley from the beginning.
Do you remember the schools pubs churches and have you any old photos of the early days?
If so would you care to bring them to the Tenants Hall at Newfield Green on Friday afternoons between 2pm-4pm

I grew up on the gleadless valley, we moved on in 1961 when it was built, we lived on the hill at the side of the old quarry on gleadless road, going back now it seems to have changed so much, the family home is now up for sale after our dear mum passed on last year, all the family grew up there and it was a great place back in the 60's & 70's when we were growing up, there was always something to do, i remember them building the holy cross church on spotswood behind the wyvern. Also altering gleadless road by making it straight and wider, then they filled the bottom part of the quarry. Not sure about any photos though it was not a priority when growing up but lots of memories though.

Thinking back now about the pubs, I can remember a wooden hut taking subs while waiting for the wmc to be built, sadly it closed and is now the kingdom hall betwwen newfield farm close and buckwood view. when it was built we went in with mum and dad until we were old enough in our own rights to join, we used to start in the wyvern run by horace williamson, on to the far lees where fred martin was the landlord, up to the cutlers and the senns, on to the wine lodge, nailmakers, john o'gaunt, down to the horse & groom before heading up to the blackstock on to the wmc and finishing back at the wyvern.
we had the 28 bus going up to herdings and the 43 to jordanthorpe, occasionally they would run a bus up gleadless road but kept taking it off again. there was a wooden hut at the bus stop after the wyvern but that did not last long, then mike bennet had his mobile van doing the rounds otherwise the only shops were at newfield green or herdings or below the john o'gaunt not much cop if you were not near any of them, and the schools were a fairly long way away too.

Originally posted by playman
I grew up on the gleadless valley, we moved on in 1961 when it was built.....

It was built before that. We moved there in the late 50s, although it may have built in stages and perhaps not finished until 1961.

I know it's all relative, but it seemed like a great place to grow up in the 60s (and it probably was, compared to the slums we came from).

Sad to see it now with junkies plying their trade behind the John O' Gaunt etc.

When GV was built in the late 50s, they built the streets very narrow and not many people owned a car (maybe one in three houses had one parked outside, or in the specially designated parking areas). It's a shock going back there now. Every house has 2 or 3 and it's chaos with cars parked on the lawns, footpaths etc.

So much for forward planning.

Yes maybe ours was the last phase to be built, we had garages under the houses, bearing in mind they were built into the steep hillside so the area comprising the middle hays did not have room to park on grass verges etc... also they were all cul de sacs so no speeding motorists either due to the bollards at the end of each one, the view was (is) spectacular stretching over to the moors of the peak district.
It just seems so strange that in these days of ever increasing car owning that they removed so many garages on that side of the estate, we used the garage doors as goals and spent many hours playing football (not that there was any other facilities to do anything else) but yes it was a brilliant place to grow up in.

I remember the houses with garages underneath. My Auntie lived in one at Rollestone right at the end of Blackstock Road. As I recall they didn't have them at Hemsworth, were we lived.

The view is still stunning. Every time I go there I can't believe how good it is.
Our local shops at Hemsworth were at Constable Road. Last I drove past they looked like Fort Knox. Another sign of the times, I expect.

The Stringfellow family lived in a little maisonette opposite Constable Road shops and Paul, one of the younger brothers was in the same year as me at school. He was always impressing everyone (well, me at least) by bringing in Beatles' autographs and the like.

yes forgot about the shops on constable, i also lived on ironside road for a while at the top end near the school, i was also the postman on there too, of course it was in the days long before the co-op was built, i delivered on mawfa & constable rd and all behind to the wine lodge, remember the fun fairs that used to be in the field at the side of the cricket club opposite the water tower, when we were growing up we used to go caddying at lees hall golf club, and of course the council dump at the bottom of blackstock opposite the horse & groom, it looked a lot better when they stopped the land filling and it was grassed over.

I was born onto the Gleadless Valley, on Gaunt Close. My parents then moved out of my Grandparent's house, into a maisonette, opposite, on Gaunt Road.

I remember the stunning views from our top-floor maisonette. across the wood to Newfield School and the lees Hall Golf Course, and over to teh city centre and beyond that, the moors.

I have very vivid memories of being a young girl, watching the old Arnold Laver's Wood-Yard on Queens Road (where the B & Q store is, now) going up in smoke. All the way from The Valley, we saw the thick smoke, we thought it would never stop.

When would that fire have been? 1967? 1968? or was it later than that? I remember I was only a little'un when it happened.

PT

Originally posted by playman
yes forgot about the shops on constable, i also lived on ironside road for a while at the top end near the school, i was also the postman on there too, of course it was in the days long before the co-op was built, i delivered on mawfa & constable rd and all behind to the wine lodge, remember the fun fairs that used to be in the field at the side of the cricket club opposite the water tower, when we were growing up we used to go caddying at lees hall golf club, and of course the council dump at the bottom of blackstock opposite the horse & groom, it looked a lot better when they stopped the land filling and it was grassed over.

We got ten bob for four hours caddying at Lees Hall golf club in the 60s. The golfers were usually stuck-up toffs who looked down on the kids from "the estate" and they'd give you s**t if you accidentally passed them the wrong golf club, or stood in their line of sight.

We lived on Mawfa and the fair at Oakes Park was always a real treat. Remember when it first started? They had Freak Shows and even a Tableau Strip Show in the early days.

It was apparently against the law for the strippers to move in those days, so the bloke would say something like "And now, the Hanging Gardens Of Babylon" - the curtains would open for a minute, you'd see the pose (which usually involved lots of chiffon), and the curtains would then close again.

It was all very tame when you look back, but at the time it seemed pretty daring to a 13 year-old like me

My family moved to Gleadless Valley in 1961, when I was 9.

They had only just finished building our house on Plowright Drive. None of the houses on Spotswood Road had been built then, so it was all grass and a stream right outside our front door.

The stream was spotless and I used to follow it to Blackstock Road then crawl through the culvert that took it under the road.

My first school there was Herdings Junior and the walks to and from there were pleasant jaunts through a litter-free Rollestone Wood. My mates and me used to think they were haunted by goblins and trolls, (especially at the top end) so the time spent in there was always an adventure, particularly in winter when it was dark and gloomy.

We also played a lot in Lees Hall Wood, which was full of trees, and also had a clean stream, as opposed to full of litter with a blocked-up stream. The wood seemed massive in those days. Above where the tip is now was an old, ruined farm we played in (now nettle covered pile of rubble) and we could stay there as long as we wanted to, as long as we were home by just after dark. In front of the farm there was a pond (now just a dry depression by the track) where we got our newts and tadpoles from, and an old underground brick built cellar/shelter (now overgrown with brambles) that we used as a secret den.

Many hours were spent by the golf course collecting balls that golfers lost, or trying to cross the course, commando fashion, without getting caught.

As for the fairs in Oakes Park. I’ve lost count of the number of goldfish I won there, but never managed to get home alive.

I remember a newsagents hut on Leighton Road for whom I delivered papers. £1 per week for morning and evening rounds, plus Sunday. What a tiring round that was!

Got tons of memories of when the Valley was a nice, rural place to be as a kid, but am in danger of typing for ever.

:P

Markham, do you remember gleadless road being in front of the maisonettes before they altered it ? do you remember the small tunnel going under the road from the top of the woods below spotswood across and under what is now the road above ?.
we used to play football in the middle of what used to be gleadless road before they altered it and leighton road, we used to play football on the garages opposite the wyvern, and on sundays on the area just up from the far lees on the right with all the blokes from the pub.

Yes playman, I do remember the line of the old road, and the tunnell which ran under it and into the woods parallel with Spotswood Road. Often played football on the triangle between the roads. Spent a lot of time up at the quarry as well. Climbing, paddling in the enormous puddle in the bottom, and pretending to drive an old black (sit up and beg style) car dumped on the very edge of the top. God, I survived!! HOW?:thumbsup:

I also remember the newsagents Humphreys in a cabin on Leighton road then they shut it and they had a mobile van,which use to go round the block at 5.00 each evening.I worked for that newsagent in 1966 on moorland rd during the day,and in the mobile from 4.00-6.00 all for £3.76 a week!Life has certainly got better.

My dad old me about the vans and "huts" that passed for shops when the estate was first built, before the shops and library were built by the John O' Gaunt pub.

He said that, in a way, it was awful, compared to the fawcett street Slum-clearance area my family came from. There was virtually no bus service, there were no shops, nothing really to do for entertainment in the evenings.

He was used to being five to ten minutes walk from the city centre, with the dance halls, and the cinemas like the western picture house, and the roscoe, and all the others which were in such rich supply in that area.
teh Glossop road baths were five minutes walk in one direction, or he could stroll 10 minutes across to the upperthorpe pool and library.

He liked the housing. that was fine (except when the water tank for the district central heating burst. The tank was sited on the top of our particular block of maisonettes, and held a considerable amount of water. it burst, and came through our ceiling, bringing the whole lot down. We got the brunt of it, as we were on the top floor) He just did not like being away from the hustle and bustle of town, and the convenience of having everything to hand.

I remember loving the area for the rural feel it had, and how picturesque it was, the snow on the dramatic hillside in the winters, the bluebells in the woods in the spring. I loved the riot of yellow of the gorse, in the summers on the "backfield" as we called it, behind the maisonettes on gaunt road. Me and the boy who lived downstairs would make the prickly Gorse bushes into our "dens"

I liked to look out of our high-up living room window, across the valley toward the unusual architecture of the Holy Cross Church.
as i have mentioned earlier in the is thread, the views were wonderful.

I remember walking down what we called the "black-path! which ran from the herdings bus terminus (rememebr the old no 28?) through the wood, behind ironside road, and brought you out near the shops at the John o' Gaunt.

I remember Shentalls shop, which became a Fine Fare, on blackstock road, and Gower and Burgin, the "big" supermarket. I remember the butchers, on that parade of shops, mainly because I lost my teddy bear in there. i was heartbroken, and then delighted a while later when my mother discovered it hanging there on a meat hook, and we were reunited.

I cannot rememebr the name of the family who ran the greengrocers shop on the parade. I remember the son who was called Alan. he must be in his sixties now, at least? the mother , the father and son alll worked hard in the shop.

I remember the joy of discovering books, at a very early age. I joined the hemsworth library, and must have read the print off every book in the children's section!

I also remember being shocked in very recent times to see teh parade of shops on Constable Road, (co-op, grocers and teh post office I rememebr) being demolished to build the new co-op.

What year was teh statue of the little girl stolen from the garden at Constable road school? I loved to look out of my classroom at the little girl.(I was fortunate, because my childhood classroom, Mrs Browns, was the only one which overlooked the statue.)

the headmistress at Constable Road Infants was called Miss Hill, I remember Miss Vickers, who had ginger hair. I remember Mrs Brown, and I remember Miss Longbottom. there was a child-care assistant lady there. I cannot remember her name, I think she was Miss Smith. she was a cuddly, caring lady. a very generously built woman.

My whole bank of memories of her was that she simply oozed love and care about the kiddies she dealt with. she was so loving and comforting. Working at dinner times and playtimes, teaching playground games and rhymes, dealing with grazed knees, bumped heads.... and, oh my gosh.... the day that a girl in my class, called Helen, ran across the playground, toward miss longbottom's classroom, and could not stop in time. She put her hand through the window pane. We were all horror struck! she'd have only been four or five at the most when that happened.

There were other childrenwhose names and faces I recollect. I remember, Jacquie Deakin, (who's mum i share a birthday with) Lydia... Robert... Christina Pell, Julie (Who lived on Ironside Road, and whos father drove an orange VW Kamper caravette), Keith...
who else? There was another julie, Julie patterson, who was a little younger than me.

oh, the memories! :)

PT

Nice memories PT.

We also moved to Gleadless Valley from the slums of Netherthorpe. You are perhaps too young to remember, but maybe your folks recall a bloke going around the streets of Netherthorpe/Upperthorpe in the 50s and early 60s selling fruit & veg from a horse & cart? He's my uncle.

The "black-path" was a brilliant short cut from Herdings to Hemsworth and we used to go sledging there in winter.

We used to go on long walks down Lightwood Lane and it really did feel like you were out in the countryside. Very different from where we were born.

Originally posted by mojoworking
Nice memories PT.

We also moved to Gleadless Valley from the slums of Netherthorpe. You are perhaps too young to remember, but maybe your folks recall a bloke going around the streets of Netherthorpe/Upperthorpe in the 50s and early 60s selling fruit & veg from a horse & cart? He's my uncle.

The "black-path" was a brilliant short cut from Herdings to Hemsworth and we used to go sledging there in winter.

We used to go on long walks down Lightwood Lane and it really did feel like you were out in the countryside. Very different from where we were born.

I got to hear a lot of the tales of netherthorpe and gleadless valley from my family, and I have a very good memory of my own childhood, that goes back probably further than anyone else's I know.

I would sit, rapt, as my parents and grandparents would tell their histories, and relate the events of their youths.

I remember my mother pushing me and my sister with this huge boat-like silver cross pram, all the way fron the john o Gaunt area across to gleadless townend, and then down, past the old Harrow pub, and along fox lane to birley/ hackenthorpe to visit my uncle, at least once, possibly twice a week.

I would be seated on this chair thing that perched between the handlebars of the pram, and my sister who was 2 years younger than me would be laid, a babe-in-arms, inside the pram itself.

How my mother hauled that massive pram, two kiddies, and her shopping as well, all the way up those flights of stairs to the top floor maisonette we lived in, I will never know.

we also used to go for strolls along lightwood lane, which was, for a child, such excellent fun, we loved it.

PT

Yes all the woodlands and open green spaces really made it a wonderful place to grow up in, we covered all the valley in the holidays just exploring, it seemed so vast when we were young but now it seems so small, all the hills are just as steep but do not seem as long, i remember what a challenge it was trying to climb the hills on bikes and what a sense of achievement when finally conquering them, all the tunnels going under the streams and the bridge at the bottom of blackstock at the side of the horse and groom, it seemed so high when you walked on the outside of the railings overlooking the drop, we used to go to heeley baths through the allotments near bankwood school, always thought what a stupid place it was to put a school (and still do). there seemed so many places to play football and it all seemed like a giant adventure playground (specially when they were building the holy cross church) it seemed so big and high and all the coloured glass in the walls instead of windows, then when it was built they eventually opened a youth club.

My sister still lives up on constable but she is the last tie with the valley since mum passed on last year but there were 8 of us and we could not have grown up in a better place.
We were on the middle hays halfway up gleadless hill which made for fantastic sledging when the snows came.

Great reading about GV-I lived on Gaunts rd near the bottom opposite the old folks flats.I lived there from approx 1960-69 after moving from Pitsmoor rd .I was aged approx 5 or 6 -cant fully remember-old age creeping on.I remember the bad winter ,plenty of snow,also the row of shops at the top end,was the newsagents at the far right hand side of these and the butchers to the left of it?I remember going to a Sunday school church somewhere up there.I went to rolenstone school,may have spelt that incorrectly and remember the tip to the left of it.I can only remember a few names of people at school-Ivvone Wood,Susan Stanway and possibly a teacher Mr Scofield.I do remember one land crossing the road on the bridge and a van running over his foot-not a nice site-can anyone else recall this?

Regards Allotmentman

So I wasn't the only nutter foolish enough to cross the bridge on the OUTSIDE of the railings playman. It's a 40 ft drop isn't it!!

Just remembered the times spent at the back of the butcher's on Blackstock Rd playing amongst entrails trying to find sheep's eyes. We found hundreds!!!!!!

Anybody else here used to live in one of those Swedish tower houses? We did and it was so wierd when we first moved in. Living room on first floor, one bedroom on first floor and two on second floor. And that ducted heating system, what was that all about?

God I miss it all though

:thumbsup:

Almost forgot my jaunts over to Norfolk Park before they built the flats. Wasn't there a big house there surrounded by high stone walls where kids feared to go?

Nice veranda though !

I moved to Gleadless Valley when I was six months old.
I moved out of Gleadless Valley 11 years ago but have returned to work in the area and also have close family ties there.
Growing up in the valley was a joy! There were the woods to play in and fields behind Fleury Road, as well as the open spaces on Leighton Road.
Can anyone remember the winters? It always seemed like weeks of snow then, everyone had sledges, and the best sledging was on the 'Camel's Hump' on Leighton Road, or the field behind the maisonettes on the opposite side to the Far Lees.
As kids we spent a lot of our time 'side stepping' the tunnel under the road at the side of the Far Lees. It looked like it went on forever and was pitch black in the middle.
I went to Rollestone (now Bankwood) Infant and then Junior school. Can anyone remember the teachers in the Juniors? There was Mrs.Moore who was a J1 teacher. You had to have a clean Hanky everyday or you got lines, and she used to get a big jar of Hobos out of the cupboard to reward the class for good work. I was frightened to death of her! She seemed so strict, always wore tweed suits and smelt of lavender. I'll tell you what! you learnt your lessons in her class!
I revisited the school when I was 14, she had retired but lived around the corner and when I met her she was the sweetest old lady you could wish to meet.
There was Miss Woofinden, who wore miniskirts, make-up and had long black hair. She did have very knobbly knees though!
Mr. Goldstone - ex. military with ginger hair and a curly moustache. He always carried a steel tipped cane, which I saw him use on more than one occasion.
Mr. Schofield who always seemed to shout ( I met him years later and he was very nice). Mr.Roberts the headteacher.
Remenber Mrs Boomer, the Infant school dinner lady who pulled out your wobbly teeth with her hanky!!
I often wonder what happened to my school friends when we split up to go to either Ashleigh or Gleadless Valley.
Happy memories

Anyone remember the big house in the middle of fleury/spring close mount with the orchard, it was last owned by the beardsmores, alas it no longer stands it was demolished a few years ago with just a pile of rubble now in its place, ashleigh has gone the same way and no longer exists, we used to have contests to see who could get the furthest up the gleadless road hill on their bikes, sands close always seemed a long way off, but then fleury road was considered steep when growing up whichever end you came up, yes the camels hump was brill for sledging, we used to use the cutting a lot for going to manor top it runs from about half way up gleadless to the top end of toll bar at the side of the quarry, we used about 4/5 different places for football we were really spoilt for choice way back in the late 60's early 70's.

I have rememmbered the name of the family who had the green grocers on the parade of shops by the John O'Gaunt at the bus terminus...

It was the Hartley family.

There was the mum and dad, and their son, Alan, and their daughter whose name I cannot recall. I remember that Alan's wife used to work in the shop.

A friend of mine drove me past the site of Constable Road school yesterday evening. I felt a bit sad to see that it has been demolished. (even though I knew that it was going to be pulled down, it was still a shock to see the site where it was) It was a bit peculiar to see a bit of my childhood was "missing". Even the caretaker's bungalow was flattened.

I have no doubt that the council have big plans for a private housing development on the land.... :(

I also happened to see the site of St John's Church, near the top of Blackstock Road (opposite the school site), where I was Christened. The church is also gone, and houses have been put up on the site.

PT

[i] A friend of mine drove me past the site of Constable Road school yesterday evening. I felt a bit sad to see that it has been demolished. (even though I knew that it was going to be pulled down, it was still a shock to see the site where it was) It was a bit peculiar to see a bit of my childhood was "missing". Even the caretaker's bungalow was flattened.

I have no doubt that the council have big plans for a private housing development on the land.... :(

I also happened to see the site of St John's Church, near the top of Blackstock Road (opposite the school site), where I was Christened. The church is also gone, and houses have been put up on the site.

PT [/B]

That's sad news. Hemsworth Primary was my first school (not counting infants)

St. John's Church used to hold dances on Saturday nights and I went to a couple when I was 12 or 13

CIRCA 1953 (YES FIFTY THREE) I HAD A MATE WHO LIVED NEAR THE HEELEY GREEN CINEMA WHOSE FIRST JOB ON LEAVING SCHOOL WAS TO WORK ON A FARM (YES A WORKING FARM) UP GLEADLESS VALLEY. ABOUT 10 YEARS LATER I WAS A LABOURER IN A GANG OF ABOUT 10 WHOSE SOLE JOB WAS DIGGING OUT FOOTINGS FOR THE HOUSES BEING BUILT AT THE TOP - LEIGHTON ROAD SPRINGS TO MIND. JEEZ - ARE THEY STILL STANDING??? from andy with the london accent.

This wasn't the old farm where my mates and I used to play in the very early 60's above what used the be the landfill site was it ANTHONY?

Lees Hall Farm I think it was called.

Originally posted by markham
This wasn't the old farm where my mates and I used to play in the very early 60's above what used the be the landfill site was it ANTHONY?

Lees Hall Farm I think it was called.

LEES HALL FARM? POSSIBLY - THAT RINGS A BELL BUT IT WAS 51 YEARS AGO!!!! BY THE WAY GLEADLESS HISTORIANS - IT WAS 1958 WHEN I DUG THE FOOTINGS OUT ON THE GLEADLESS. THAT WAS A WET YEAR AS I RECALL - A BRIDGE AT MILLHOUSES PARK WAS WASHED AWAY AS WAS A HOUSE NEAR BROADFIELD ROAD/HEELEY BATHS. THE FOLLOWING YEAR WAS VERY DRY. TOTLEY MOORS BURNED AND YOU COULD WALK ALONG MUCH OF THE OLD VILLAGES UNDER THE DAMS. DO THEY STILL TALK FUNNY IN SHEFFIELD? E.G. "nar den dee ar dar woona dem deer *_)$@~ from london? ANTHONY AKA ANDY WITH THE LONDON ACCENT.

Originally posted by markham

Anybody else here used to live in one of those Swedish tower houses? We did and it was so wierd when we first moved in. Living room on first floor, one bedroom on first floor and two on second floor. And that ducted heating system, what was that all about?


i lived in one of the "tower houses", in fact my younger brother still does (bought it from our parents).

the old "warm air" heating was atrocious- no heating at all on the top floor !!! the council ripped them all out and replaced it with radiators in the lates 70's/early 80's.

memories of growing up in GV (still live here). me and my two brothers were the paper boys for Plowright/Farmstead/Spotswood in the early 80's - always remember the "dulux" dog who was owned by a "morning star" reader on spotswood.

remember when the bottom part of "buck wood" was cut down to build the "northern counties" flats - many a good time messing around on the building site after the workers had gone home.

remember when one of the cranes/diggers from the building site rolled across gleadless road and hit a "tower house" on farmstead.

remember when the current hairdressers on newfield green shops was the butchers, the current post office was another butchers, and the current hardware store was the post office (very confusing!).

remember the saturday morning discos at the tenants hall at newfield green shops - and one girl always doing a freaky dance to "the hippy-hippy shake".

remember bankwood school being one of the best, if not THE best, at rounders, 5-a-side footy, and football. mr roberts has to be the best headteacher ever.

gleadless valley - still not too bad a place to live, still unique, still has too many hills and steps !!

Originally posted by hogpog

remember when the bottom part of "buck wood" was cut down to build the "northern counties" flats - many a good time messing around on the building site after the workers had gone home.

remember when one of the cranes/diggers from the building site rolled across gleadless road and hit a "tower house" on farmstead.


My honorary uncle, Ron, was actually the driver of that crane-lorry!

IIRC, the incident happened because the road was very narrow, and the machinery was very long.

As the crane lorry was backing out of the site, the wheels went onto the grass which was wet after rainfall.

"Purchase" was lost by the drive wheels, and the lorry slipped down the steep banking, and into the house. of course, this being gleadless valley, there were not many places where the land did not fall away at a steep angle!

(I wonder if the repaired brickwork is still noticeable? I lived in the maisonettes further along the road, and I had actually forgotten about this incident!)

Always remember going to school in the morning when we had to catch the 28 into town, we lived half way up the hill and would watch for it stopping at the wyvern stop then fly down the hill and catch it at the next stop, if we missed it we would look and see if a 43 was coming down blackstock and bomb across for that, yes it was a fairly big loss of trees when they built buckwood view and newfield farm close and also the adult home at the bottom of gleadless hill, all playgrounds for young budding adventurers, we all had mates all round plowright and farmsteads, in fact it was a really friendly place to grow up in, alas since our dear old mom died last year we no longer have many ties with the old valley, but boy do we have millions of happy memories.

We moved to Gleadless Valley in 1956. At that time there was no bus service and I used to walk down to Graves Park every morning - OK during the summer but murder when it snowed.

Our local pub was the Bagshaw run by George Skelton, it used to have flock benches and when they got too hard everyone used to stand up at the same time and give them a good shake. At the back of the Bagshawe there used to be a barn which used to be an old court house (probably still there). At that time the Nailmakers only had one room and you had to go in at the side, not the front as you do now.

Old lady Bagshaw who lived at the Oaks used to have the local hunt on her land, she used to be driven round in a big old Rolls and all the locals used to touch their caps as she went past. It was largely due to her that the Valley kept all its trees - when she sold the land to the council she told them they could'nt chop any trees down.

hiya mojoworking
I wonder if the fruit and veg man could have been called George

I was brought up in Bromley street and remember George very well, and when my wife and me got our first house on Bromley street, he also served us with our fruit and veg. Where did you live mojoworking?

Originally posted by Plain Talker
I got to hear a lot of the tales of netherthorpe and gleadless valley from my family, and I have a very good memory of my own childhood, that goes back probably further than anyone else's I know.

I would sit, rapt, as my parents and grandparents would tell their histories, and relate the events of their youths.

I remember my mother pushing me and my sister with this huge boat-like silver cross pram, all the way fron the john o Gaunt area across to gleadless townend, and then down, past the old Harrow pub, and along fox lane to birley/ hackenthorpe to visit my uncle, at least once, possibly twice a week.

I would be seated on this chair thing that perched between the handlebars of the pram, and my sister who was 2 years younger than me would be laid, a babe-in-arms, inside the pram itself.

How my mother hauled that massive pram, two kiddies, and her shopping as well, all the way up those flights of stairs to the top floor maisonette we lived in, I will never know.

we also used to go for strolls along lightwood lane, which was, for a child, such excellent fun, we loved it.

PT

My old man was born in Upperthorpe so I have a lot to thank the area for :D

Originally posted by deecee
hiya mojoworking
I wonder if the fruit and veg man could have been called George

I was brought up in Bromley street and remember George very well, and when my wife and me got our first house on Bromley street, he also served us with our fruit and veg. Where did you live mojoworking?

I remember a fruit and veg delivering at my mom's house but his name was Cyril. Did he also deliver paraffin?

Cyril, the parafin man lwas the last surviving wheelwright in Sheffield. He lived with his sister in the house and workshop by the side of the Bagshawe, they had no electricity, and that's why he sold parafin, as a kid I used to walk over there with the tank from the Paulwarmer to get it filled.

My uncle used to build and repair boats, and Cyril let him use the yard and the workshop.. it was a fantastic place, like a blacksmith's shop with the old forge, and all the tools, horseshoes etc hanging on the walls. I often wonder what happened to it all.

Anyone who can remember Cyril will know that he always wore a beret, and had a fag hanging from the corner of his mouth constantly.

I think his sister was called Gwen..anyone else remember?

Brought back a lot of memories rincewind.

I remember the cottages well but can't for the life of me remember the names of the residents, even though I probably sat with them in the Bagshawe.

The cottages were great - used to look like a typical English countryside scene - like the ones you used to get on biscuit tins. You'll be sorry to know that they were all demolished, probably because they didn't have gas and electricity etc. They were all replaced by council houses.

Do you remember Norton Oaks Cricket Club - thats still in existence.

I was in Sheffield in early Jan and was shocked to find that my old school (Hemsworth) had gone.. I guess that's progress.

I remeber my dad telling me that he worked on the building of the water tower and the reservoir.. must have been the late 50's early 60's.

I can also remember the building of the 'private houses' on Blackstock just above Gaunt Drive.

My brother was a paper lad before the shops were built at the John'o'Gaunt, when Scholey's (remember old man Scholey with his trilby?) was a wooden hut on the grass at the end of Gaunt Rd, just down from Ironside Rd.

Anyone else Know what the 'Pearly path' was?

The pearly path. if i remember rightly, was a path that was "paved" with the offcuts and waste mother-of-pearl from a button-making "factory" (it was more a cottage industry, really, than a factory)

I seem to remember it was somewhere in the woods near the Meersbrook/ Heeley side of the Valley.

the water tower on the top of the hill has a date on it's frontage, which I think says"sheffield water board, 1961"

I have only managed to get up to the top of the water tower once; I'd be about 13 yrs old.

The height scared me, witless, (I hate heights! I get dizzy on platforrm-shoes! lol!) but it was a clear, summers day, and the view was astounding.

My dad told me, often, about what it was like, and that the only facilities, by way of "shops" etc was Scholeys hut.

He hated the feeling of being "out in the sticks" with no access to pubs, cinemas and the like. (although the New-Inn on Hemsworth Road was not *that* far away, really was it...?)

He was used to being on the edge of the city centre (Fawcett Street, Netherthorpe) with all the easy access to everything the city had to offer, then,:- buses, trams, pubs, shops, cinemas, the whole shebang.

I can't believe the wholesale demolition that's being /been done on the valley.

One of the high-rise at Herdings is gone (Ok, that's been gone a while, now) herdings and Hemsworth schools are no more- it's a new-build combined school, called "Valley Park", now.

The land that Gleadless Valley (Matthews Lane) school stood on, is now housing, (I am certain that the very same fate awaits the site of hemsworth School)

The maisonettes, on Gaunt Road are gone, (the demolition of the last one, at the top of Gaunt Rd was happening, a couple of weeks ago, as we drove past.)

Even St John's Church, opposite Hemsworth School, is now housing, which I also find unnerving, as I used to use the church as a landmark. I was christened there as a baby, and went to "brownie guides" there.

PT

[QUOTE]Originally posted by basherbriggs
[B]I moved to Gleadless Valley when I was six months old.
I moved out of Gleadless Valley 11 years ago but have returned to work in the area

I went to Bankwood and remember Mrs Moore. Remember the ring on her finger! She used to push it in to your back if she got a chance! Remember being in awe of Miss Woofinden. Mrs Cutts was headmistress of the infant school and Mr Roberts headmaster of the juniors. Was such a good school.

Also remember Newfield Shops being different shops. Hammonds though has been there since I was at Bankwood, a mere 26 years ago. Does anyone remember when Gleadless Medical Centre was the original building with the long seats and Dr Bacon and Dr Blindt. I loved growing up in Gleadless. Was safe and fun. Such a sorry state now. Have family still there. Shame on the people now who don't give a damn where they live and how Gleadless Valley once was an award winning estate. Where did the days go.

Originally posted by gvalley
We are agroup of local people who are trying to publish a book about Gleadless Valley from the beginning.
Do you remember the schools pubs churches and have you any old photos of the early days?
If so would you care to bring them to the Tenants Hall at Newfield Green on Friday afternoons between 2pm-4pm

It's a bit scary for me to learn you have a history group for an area which a watched being built. I didn't realise I was THAT old, I must be in denial !!
I'm afraid the only pictures I have are all in my head but good luck with your venture, I hope it's as successful as The Heeley History Group.

Originally posted by sezemeseeds
[QUOTE]Originally posted by basherbriggs
[B]I moved to Gleadless Valley when I was six months old.
I moved out of Gleadless Valley 11 years ago but have returned to work in the area

I went to Bankwood and remember Mrs Moore. Remember the ring on her finger! She used to push it in to your back if she got a chance! Remember being in awe of Miss Woofinden. Mrs Cutts was headmistress of the infant school and Mr Roberts headmaster of the juniors. Was such a good school.

Also remember Newfield Shops being different shops. Hammonds though has been there since I was at Bankwood, a mere 26 years ago. Does anyone remember when Gleadless Medical Centre was the original building with the long seats and Dr Bacon and Dr Blindt. I loved growing up in Gleadless. Was safe and fun. Such a sorry state now. Have family still there. Shame on the people now who don't give a damn where they live and how Gleadless Valley once was an award winning estate. Where did the days go.

Dr Ross-Smith was actually the senior partner that set up Gleadless Medical Cetre. He and Dr Blindt delivered my second child at home in Gleadless Road. Dr Ross-Smith's surgery prior to that was opposite the co-op on Gleadless Road.

Bankwood or Rollestone as it was allways came second to Hemsworth at football, rounders and whatever. Played many a footie game against em and dont recall losing ever.

On behalf of Gleadless Valley Local History Group, thank you very much for all the wonderful replies and memories that have been sent to the Forum.

My honorary uncle, Ron, was actually the driver of that crane-lorry!

IIRC, the incident happened because the road was very narrow, and the machinery was very long.

As the crane lorry was backing out of the site, the wheels went onto the grass which was wet after rainfall.

"Purchase" was lost by the drive wheels, and the lorry slipped down the steep banking, and into the house. of course, this being gleadless valley, there were not many places where the land did not fall away at a steep angle!

(I wonder if the repaired brickwork is still noticeable? I lived in the maisonettes further along the road, and I had actually forgotten about this incident!)
I LIVE IN THAT HOUSE NOW & YES THE NEW BRICK WORK IS STILL NOTICEABLE. I USED TO LIVE ACROSS THE ROAD IN THE MAISONETTES WHEN IT HAPPENED!!!!!!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by basherbriggs
[B]I moved to Gleadless Valley when I was six months old.
I moved out of Gleadless Valley 11 years ago but have returned to work in the area

I went to Bankwood and remember Mrs Moore. Remember the ring on her finger! She used to push it in to your back if she got a chance! Remember being in awe of Miss Woofinden. Mrs Cutts was headmistress of the infant school and Mr Roberts headmaster of the juniors. Was such a good school.

Also remember Newfield Shops being different shops. Hammonds though has been there since I was at Bankwood, a mere 26 years ago. Does anyone remember when Gleadless Medical Centre was the original building with the long seats and Dr Bacon and Dr Blindt. I loved growing up in Gleadless. Was safe and fun. Such a sorry state now. Have family still there. Shame on the people now who don't give a damn where they live and how Gleadless Valley once was an award winning estate. Where did the days go.
IREMEMBER THE DOCTORS LIKE THAT. I ALWAYS REMEMBER THE GARDEN IN A BOTTLE IN THE WAITING ROOM FOR SOME REASON!!!!!

Dr. Blindt was my doctor when I was a little lad, seemed a real trek from the John O Gaunt but he was much nicer than the one at the top of Blackstock Road near the nailmakers pub.

Dr. Blindt was my doctor when I was a little lad, seemed a real trek from the John O Gaunt but he was much nicer than the one at the top of Blackstock Road near the nailmakers pub.

I was under the care of that doctor near the Nailmakers from being born, to the age of 9 or 10. He could be very brusque. His bedside manner was definitely lacking something. I remember when my sister and I got measles, he did a house-call. I had come down with measles first.

My mother had done the traditional thing back then, with measles, which was that she'd pulled the curtains, and dimmed the lights. (something to do with protecting my eyes?)

He tore a strip off my mother, deriding and berating her, and yanked all the curtains open. (Miserable old so-and-so!)

So, when, about a week later, as I was recovering from my bout of measles, my little sister came down with them, my mother put in for another house-call.

My mother, remembering the dressing-down he'd given her, for dimming the lights for me, when I was ill, didn't bother doing it, for my sister.

He arrived, took one look at my sister, and played hell-up with my mother.. "why hadn't she dimmed the lights!!! etc, etc!"

My mother said "Whoa!!! hang on.. hold your horses!!! when my eldest was ill, with the measles, last week, you went mad at me for closing the curtains, yet now, you're playing hell with me for NOT closing them!! I can't blo*dy-well win here!"

It turned out that I had not managed to get the measles in my eyes, but my younger sister, (Who always managed to catch whatever was going, and get it with complications!) had got them in her eyes.

Still, there was no call for him to lay into my mum in that way.

I was born at 161 White lane, Gleadless 1942. Left when I was 4 so not many memories.

I cannot rememebr the name of the family who ran the greengrocers shop on the parade. I remember the son who was called Alan. he must be in his sixties now, at least? the mother , the father and son alll worked hard in the shop. :)PT

the family name is Hartley and they are still working hard in the shop!!!!

i have only lived in the area for about 10 years so do not have any long memories of the place. some nice pictures of the area on gleadless.net. my wife went to herding first & junior school and has lived at herdings/gleadless since 1980.

we live in ironside at the side of the woods (the 'lumb' i believe the council have named our part)

the family name is Hartley and they are still working hard in the shop!!!!

i have only lived in the area for about 10 years so do not have any long memories of the place. some nice pictures of the area on gleadless.net. my wife went to herding first & junior school and has lived at herdings/gleadless since 1980.

we live in ironside at the side of the woods (the 'lumb' i believe the council have named our part)

that bit has always been known as "the lumb" for as long as I can remember.

I was at the methodist church, a few months ago, for a friend's funeral, and I needed a can of pop, as I was very thirsty, and called to Hartley's shop for it. Alan's son(s) was (were) working in the shop, and their aunt was also there. what a "blast from the past" that was!!

that bit has always been known as "the lumb" for as long as I can remember.

I was at the methodist church, a few months ago, for a friend's funeral, and I needed a can of pop, as I was very thirsty, and called to Hartley's shop for it. Alan's son(s) was (were) working in the shop, and their aunt was also there. what a "blast from the past" that was!!


nice family. usually busy in there. shame that the shop is so small

What a trip down memory lane ... I lived in Gleadless ( Middle Hay area) from 1969 to 1982 - went to Bankwood and Ashleigh Schools - remember it being a lovely place to grow up - always somewhere new to explore - lots of trees to climb and places to rollerskate and ride your bike....Did lots of climbing up the quarry on Gleadless road. Everyone seemed to know each other on our road and I particularly remember a community party we had for the Queens silver jubilee....Happy days indeed.

A big bump for this thread but I've only just spotted this post - fascinating as Dr Robinson ("Robbo" - not liked but sort of respected as an authority figure) was my doctor until the very late 80's/early 90's. Yes, a miserable old git but loads of memories...

His horrible old waiting room (a converted living room) with parquet floor and a tatty old heater. Rows and rows of hard brown chairs. Full of ill people, not speaking and miserably waiting their turn. No queue system - you waiting for the inevitable "buzzzzzzz" and had to remember who was next.

He kept a cigarette dispenser on his desk. That isn't even believable today!

He told me I had a minor sprain in 1987 when I'd actually broken my wrist, and took great joy some other time in nearly cutting my big toe off (a bit of an overreaction to an ingrowing toe nail).

He went and retired in the early 90's to be replaced with the excellent Dr Weir (who my mum fancied). He transformed the place, a great bloke and it was a sad day when he moved on.

I was under the care of that doctor near the Nailmakers from being born, to the age of 9 or 10. He could be very brusque. His bedside manner was definitely lacking something. I remember when my sister and I got measles, he did a house-call. I had come down with measles first.

My mother had done the traditional thing back then, with measles, which was that she'd pulled the curtains, and dimmed the lights. (something to do with protecting my eyes?)

He tore a strip off my mother, deriding and berating her, and yanked all the curtains open. (Miserable old so-and-so!)

So, when, about a week later, as I was recovering from my bout of measles, my little sister came down with them, my mother put in for another house-call.

My mother, remembering the dressing-down he'd given her, for dimming the lights for me, when I was ill, didn't bother doing it, for my sister.

He arrived, took one look at my sister, and played hell-up with my mother.. "why hadn't she dimmed the lights!!! etc, etc!"

My mother said "Whoa!!! hang on.. hold your horses!!! when my eldest was ill, with the measles, last week, you went mad at me for closing the curtains, yet now, you're playing hell with me for NOT closing them!! I can't blo*dy-well win here!"

It turned out that I had not managed to get the measles in my eyes, but my younger sister, (Who always managed to catch whatever was going, and get it with complications!) had got them in her eyes.

Still, there was no call for him to lay into my mum in that way.

Have just trawled through this post, fascinating.
Plain Talker, the house on the site of St John's is actually the vicarage for the Holy Cross church. Very plush it is too. I went in it to see the vicar prior to our blessing ( remember me mentioning that last year ? ).

The tower houses mentioned may seem strange to an outsider, but the bloke who invented them must have been a genius. 4 houses connected together, all at different heights, and so-designed that the only time you here your neighbours is if you are on your stairs at the same time as they are on their's,
or if you are on the loo, as both the living kitchen and the room are built on the outside corner of each house ...... ingenious.
I've lived in mine since '79 so I must like them !!!!!

It's a bit scary for me to learn you have a history group for an area which a watched being built. I didn't realise I was THAT old, I must be in denial !!
I'm afraid the only pictures I have are all in my head but good luck with your venture, I hope it's as successful as The Heeley History Group.

Gleadless valley has a history going back at least a thousand years, even Gleadless road as is now has been used as a major trackway for again at least a thousand years. What people seem to forget is that when a major housing project starts in any rural area its not the begining of the area its just a continuation of its history no matter how good or bad the project is.

I was under the care of that doctor near the Nailmakers from being born, to the age of 9 or 10. He could be very brusque. His bedside manner was definitely lacking something. I remember when my sister and I got measles, he did a house-call. I had come down with measles first.

My mother had done the traditional thing back then, with measles, which was that she'd pulled the curtains, and dimmed the lights. (something to do with protecting my eyes?)

He tore a strip off my mother, deriding and berating her, and yanked all the curtains open. (Miserable old so-and-so!)

So, when, about a week later, as I was recovering from my bout of measles, my little sister came down with them, my mother put in for another house-call.

My mother, remembering the dressing-down he'd given her, for dimming the lights for me, when I was ill, didn't bother doing it, for my sister.

He arrived, took one look at my sister, and played hell-up with my mother.. "why hadn't she dimmed the lights!!! etc, etc!"

My mother said "Whoa!!! hang on.. hold your horses!!! when my eldest was ill, with the measles, last week, you went mad at me for closing the curtains, yet now, you're playing hell with me for NOT closing them!! I can't blo*dy-well win here!"

It turned out that I had not managed to get the measles in my eyes, but my younger sister, (Who always managed to catch whatever was going, and get it with complications!) had got them in her eyes.

Still, there was no call for him to lay into my mum in that way.

I went to live on Ironside road when i was 8 yrs old, my 2 youngest brothers were born there at home, the doctor at the top of Blackstock road was called Robinson (i think), i always remember my mum starting in labour and i had to run up to "Robbo's" as we called him to fetch him to my mum. I can remember him being very abrupt with me about having to come down to our house, and shooing me out of the bedroom, but he was supposed to be very efficient.

I never liked going to see him, he wasnt a very likeable man, but my mum and dad wouldnt have anyone else

When we first moved on to the valley in 61 the old toll house was still standing at the top of the gleadless road hill opposite sands close that is where toll bar got its name from, not sure where the myrtle springs name came from but there used to be allotments over the top of the quarry, the quarry as it is now used to be as deep again before it was filled in when the road got straightened, then 671 the home was built after the wmc and the flats either side were added later.

Fascinating thread.

I was born in Gaunt Road, in the upstairs bedroom of one of the now demolished maisonettes overlooing the golf course and 'The Bean' (or more rightly, 't'beyn') We moved in 1963 to Constable Drive (council move for expanding family) I spent the next 16 years growing up on t'Valley.

I went to Hemsworth County Primary and my first class was Mrs Wilson. Miss Hill (who " ... swallowed a pill, half as big as a windowsill") was the headmistress, a stern looking, but quite sweet lady with a big nose. Real twinset and pearls character. The following year we had Mrs Vickers (who "had pink knickers" - we never corroborated this rumour) and again Mrs Vickers in the final year of Primary. The class was filled with superb scamps and tricksters - Stanley Pete being one of them. I think he was a fairground kid, and we often had Shufflebottom kids frequenting when the fair was there as well. I remember going through the adjoining doorway at the back of the dinner hall to the Junior School. We were terrified. In there I joined Mrs Ibbotson's class (lovely woman) and the second year was Mrs Beal, who was a horrid piece of work. Then again, so were we. The third year was spent with Mr Ibbertson (no relation) who was a diminutive, inspirational and wholly kind bloke with specs and a brown Hitler 'tache. He ran the stamp club. Then, finally I spent my last year with Mr Turville, the only bloke in the school who would dish out the cane. I know. I had it stacks of times. 'Monitor?' he would say to Karen Howe, his 'pet'. 'Fetch my cane.' Mr Crossley, a massive, lumbering Reg Holdsworthalike was the headmaster. We used to call him 'bubbleneck'. He was always full of philosphical statements - 'Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you'll feed him for life' was one I took with me. I didn't know what it meant back then.

Playtime was ace, but you couldn't play on the fire escape, in the bushes in front of the school yard or up by the boiler house. Some bright spark brought some marbles into school in 1972 and that became the game of choice for the next few years between the drain hole covers at the bottom of the yard. Occasionally a Wembley Trophy football would appear in the yard and a game of Wedneday vs United would strike up (you could have three simultaneous games of football going on in the boys yard at the same time across what was effectively tennis court markings.) The Trophy's were okay as long as no one booted them into the thorn bushes at the front of the school, whereby they duly popped. A scrap broke out in '73 between Neil Beech and Kevin Allen in the yard over football and Crossley effectively banned it for the next year. We were gutted.

School games - yeah, there was 'athletics' (sack race, egg and spoon and the 60 yard sprint on the sports day and you could chance you arm amongst the dog turds in the sandpit if you felt brave) but the master game was indeed football, the team managed by the moribund Mr Deakin. Ant Riley's dad pulled a flanker at his works and got us some pipework which were painted and made into goals (no nets, like) and our team became quite unbeatable, with superstars like Ant Riley, Kev Fenlon, Kevin Allen, Steve Newall, Sean Simpson, Mark Bell, David Turner, Andy Gray, Mark Ullyett, and Wallace Chambers all turning out for us in one way or another. We beat Philimore Road school once 9-0 and I, in goal, never touched the ball once during the game. Seem to remember us playing a 6 a side turnament at Bankwood as well and coming back with the silverware from that.

More reminisces later, methinks.

PC Drive

ps: Cheers to PW for chronological points

I cannot remember the name of the family who ran the greengrocers shop on the parade. I remember the son who was called Alan. he must be in his sixties now, at least? the mother , the father and son alll worked hard in the shop. (PT 2004)

Was that Simpson's? And in the same shopping strip there was Austins the butchers who made the BEST Cornish pasties. Or was that a different shopping strip?

Lived in the maisonettes on Spotswood Close about '68 to '75. Great place to grow up, sledges in winter, trolleys in summer and if you got fed up of that there was grass-slides, scotch-arrow throwing in the open fields or rope-swings in the woods. Never a dull moment.
Remember walking up the hill to Ashleigh, sometimes via the quarry.
At Ashleigh if you arrived late you had to sign-in the 'late book', usual thing, name, class, time etc...and reason for lateness where Mel Webster once wrote, 'slippy quarry'. He had that as his nickname for years.
You can't make-up stuff like that.

Chris

I found some developed negatives in a drum I bought at a charity shop. I have had them scanned in and cleaned up the images as they were quite damaged in part. I am trying to find the couple whose wedding it was. It was in Sheffield, UK. Early 70s probably. Get in contact with me twitter @andowjames or here if you have any clues or people to contact.

'BoopBoop' or Lisa has been in contact via Sheffield forum. She has evidently shown the pictures to her mother whose maiden name was Dorothy Woodhead.

Dorothy thinks that she recognises one of the female wedding guests. If Dorothy is right then the guest in question is a Janet Colton (maiden name) who used to live on Constable Close in Gleadless Valley sometime before 1973. Apparently Janet would be in her mid- to late-sixties now. Dorothy is not 100% sure. However, she has a photograph of Janet somewhere and once it is found will be back in contact.

This is the photo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesinnottingham/4764302597/in/set-72157624313468359/#/

I cannot remember the name of the family who ran the greengrocers shop on the parade. I remember the son who was called Alan. he must be in his sixties now, at least? the mother , the father and son alll worked hard in the shop. (PT 2004)

Was that Simpson's? And in the same shopping strip there was Austins the butchers who made the BEST Cornish pasties. Or was that a different shopping strip?

I have had a bit of a flash of lightning :-I seem to recall the name of the family who own/ owned the greengrocers was Hartley.

I suspect it's a different set of shops you are thinking about.

edit to add...

Blimey! it'd already been established that the family's name was Hartley, there's a post from 3 1/2 years ago from me about it! deary, deary me!. apologies!

I have had a bit of a flash of lightning :-I seem to recall the name of the family who own/ owned the greengrocers was Hartley.

I suspect it's a different set of shops you are thinking about.

edit to add...

Blimey! it'd already been established that the family's name was Hartley, there's a post from 3 1/2 years ago from me about it! deary, deary me!. apologies!

Yes it was Hartley, the son who worked in the shop was called Alan!

If anyone is intrested I have posted some pictures of Hemsworth Junior/Infant school just before it was demolished on the Friends reunited web page.
If anyone wants them PM me and I will send them direct.

Or I will upload them to Flickr..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/biggus/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/biggus/
....great pics , many thanks , i dont suppose you have any pics of the original Hemsworth shops opposite the school (pre Co-op), or any of Gleadless Valley school, do you ?

I have put some GV pics on Friends Reunited,I borrowed some old Kite Magazines (The old School Mag) and scanned some pictures from that.Unfortunately you would probably have to subscribe to FR to see them.

I have put some GV pics on Friends Reunited,I borrowed some old Kite Magazines (The old School Mag) and scanned some pictures from that.Unfortunately you would probably have to subscribe to FR to see them.

...ok , i will try and get to see them ! Thanks .
p.s , i was at GV school from 74-78

...ok , i will try and get to see them ! Thanks .
p.s , i was at GV school from 74-78

And i was there 1973 - 1978, I went up to GV school just before it got knocked down, they opened it up for all ex-pupils to have a walk around, the weird part was that seemed so much smaller than I remember as a lad!

My nan and grandad lived on the Gleadless Vally for a while, Joe and Margaret Ashmore and their 5 daughters.

...ok , i will try and get to see them ! Thanks .
p.s , i was at GV school from 74-78

I was from 72 - 76 so must be slightly older than you.

You ought to have a look,there are even some pictures of the Teachers, Mr Bradley, Mr Green (Fly) and some of the Gym and some external shots round the bike sheds.

I do have a picture of me and my cousin sat on the wall outside the shops on Constable road but not of the actual shops.

I also have some Council taken pictures of the Library on Blackstock rd that I will add to the Flickr page, it all looks very new as the shops to the left are not even built.

the lady in picture u03165 is Mrs Innocent she was a friend of my Mums and lived on Ironside Close the same as me.

...during my time at GV school (74-78) the teachers i can recall are ..
Mr Lamb (Head)
Mr Cooper - spot (dep head boys)
Miss Johnson (dep head girls)
Miss Barnaby ( French)
Mr Bradley (maths)
Mr Pashley (chemistry) - had bad accident rock climbing , and came back with bald head after skull injury
Mr Pashley (art)
Mr Howe (geography)
Mr Green - fly ( PE )
Mr Simpson - bottleneck - (metalwork)
Mr Moffatt (woodwork and Tech Drawing)
Miss Foster (History)
Mr H... (Religion)
Mr Martin (library) also a special copper at weekends down at Brammall Lane
Mrs Wilson (English)
.....hopefully i may be reminded of more with any replies ! ;)

ps , .. i also worked the projector in assembly for the words of the songs we had to sing !!!!

Ah how the memories flood back,get Bottleneck on about cars and that was the tech drawing lesson out of the window,he used to give lads a couple on the backside with a 3 foot steel ruler if you messed about in woodwork,imagine that today.There was another teacher who used to throw the board rubber at you and pick you up by your sideburns, God they would be locked up now.I seem to remember that it it was a popular myth that Miss johnson would jump off a chair as she gave the cane to the girls which seems a little ludicrous 35 years on.Mr Pashley (art) was our form tutor and if I rememer correctly a little deaf and wore a hearing aid so some of the nastier element used to pretend to bang on the desks and talk in a low voice so he would turn it up and then shout in it a loud as they could when they got up close to him - nice!

I also remember Mr Martin spitting his false teeth out in a class as he was acting a part in a book and someone in was spitting. I have heard from other sources that this was a common occurrence.

Ah how the memories flood back,get Bottleneck on about cars and that was the tech drawing lesson out of the window,he used to give lads a couple on the backside with a 3 foot steel ruler if you messed about in woodwork,imagine that today.There was another teacher who used to throw the board rubber at you and pick you up by your sideburns, God they would be locked up now.I seem to remember that it it was a popular myth that Miss johnson would jump off a chair as she gave the cane to the girls which seems a little ludicrous 35 years on.Mr Pashley (art) was our form tutor and if I rememer correctly a little deaf and wore a hearing aid so some of the nastier element used to pretend to bang on the desks and talk in a low voice so he would turn it up and then shout in it a loud as they could when they got up close to him - nice!

I also remember Mr Martin spitting his false teeth out in a class as he was acting a part in a book and someone in was spitting. I have heard from other sources that this was a common occurrence.

Mr Pashley (Art) did not have the hearing aid, he was the hippy looking bloke with the beard, the other art teacher was.....can't remember the name now, but the hearing aid gags are correct! Mr. Heald was music, Mrs Wilson (English) became Mrs Rodan (we called her "Max Factor" because of the amount of make up she wore!), Mr Wainwright (English), Mr Jepson (History), Mr Richards (Geography), Mr Howe (Geography), Mr Hull (Emu), can't remember what he taught? and who was the one who looked like "Jason King"? we ran into him in "The Limit" one Monday night, and he said something like "I won't tell people I have seen you in here, if you don't tell people you saw me", then he gave us a lift home in his mini, and I am sure he must have been over the limit (no pun intended!).

Mr Pashley (Art) did not have the hearing aid, he was the hippy looking bloke with the beard, the other art teacher was.....can't remember the name now, but the hearing aid gags are correct! Mr. Heald was music, Mrs Wilson (English) became Mrs Rodan (we called her "Max Factor" because of the amount of make up she wore!), Mr Wainwright (English), Mr Jepson (History), Mr Richards (Geography), Mr Howe (Geography), Mr Hull (Emu), can't remember what he taught? and who was the one who looked like "Jason King"? we ran into him in "The Limit" one Monday night, and he said something like "I won't tell people I have seen you in here, if you don't tell people you saw me", then he gave us a lift home in his mini, and I am sure he must have been over the limit (no pun intended!).

Oh and Mr Lyons (Physics) who once smacked me over the head with one of those elongated poles, with the"S" shaped hook on the end that was used to open the windows!

Oh and Mr Lyons (Physics) who once smacked me over the head with one of those elongated poles, with the"S" shaped hook on the end that was used to open the windows!

Oh, and Miss Nutt and Mr Morgan (Biology), it's all coming back to me now! and the art teacher with the hearing aid was "Jack" Proctor, and then their was old "Cyril" Smith, who was about 100 years old.

You are right it was Mr Proctor !!,all these years I have thought it was Pashley,who was the one who picked you up by the sideburns ? If I remember he had huge sideburns himself.

Mr Richards or JFK as we called him as he had a striking resemblence to the president,but was Welsh !!

Mr Heald the Music teacher,I always dreaded his lessons as he had absolutely no control over the class,my overiding memory is someone skimming a huge cymbal across the room like a Frisbee if it had caught someone a decapition was on the boards

You are right it was Mr Proctor !!,all these years I have thought it was Pashley,who was the one who picked you up by the sideburns ? If I remember he had huge sideburns himself.

Mr Richards or JFK as we called him as he had a striking resemblence to the president,but was Welsh !!

Who was the Music teacher,I always dreaded his lessons as he had absolutely no control over the class,my overiding memory is someone skimming a huge cymbal across the room like a Frisbee if it had caught someone a decapition was on the boards

The teachers were as much characters as the pupils they taught at Gleadless Valley, what a school!

If the music teacher was the bloke in the end mobile classroom, near the smokers corner, I am sure he was called Mr Heald? He had specs and a small black beard from memory.

The teachers were as much characters as the pupils they taught at Gleadless Valley, what a school!

If the music teacher was the bloke in the end mobile classroom, near the smokers corner, I am sure he was called Mr Heald? He had specs and a small black beard from memory.


I seem to remember the music room was down near the metalwork room on the same block as domestic science

I seem to remember the music room was down near the metalwork room on the same block as domestic science

Could have been one there as well, definitley the end mobile as well.

...yes old man Proctor was the Art teacher with the hearing aid , and when he retired , Mr Pashley took over . Another Mr Pashley was also next door teaching Chem / Science - the one who had the mountain accident.

Those pictures of the library are fantastic, brought many memories flooding back.

Does anyone know what happened to the librarian (blond) here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/biggus/5052059136/

She worked there for years and never changed.

Are the library pictures all from the same year? Obviously the exterior ones are old, with the shops on the left not built yet, but I notice on the picture I've linked to above, there seems to be the computer terminal on the front desk. They used massive racks of tickets for years, only got the computers in the 80's I think.

And is that a picture of Kathy Staff on the wall ?? :confused:

Those pictures of the library are fantastic, brought many memories flooding back.

Does anyone know what happened to the librarian (blond) here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/biggus/5052059136/

She worked there for years and never changed.

Are the library pictures all from the same year? Obviously the exterior ones are old, with the shops on the left not built yet, but I notice on the picture I've linked to above, there seems to be the computer terminal on the front desk. They used massive racks of tickets for years, only got the computers in the 80's I think.

And is that a picture of Kathy Staff on the wall ?? :confused:

Yes I remember the blonde haired woman. It also shows the bookmakers shop through the library window and, from memory, that opened around 1978 or 1979, so probably the 80's yes.

Yes I remember the blonde haired woman. It also shows the bookmakers shop through the library window and, from memory, that opened around 1978 or 1979, so probably the 80's yes.



I `borrowed` ahem from the Sheffield City Council web site so cant add anything to the year,but I think the externals are 60`s looking at the bus in the terminus and also it looks like the road outside has just been layed,and also the rose garden at the back of the library is still there.. As to the internal shots there is a sign saying 6p so its obviously post decimalisation and the garden has gone so I would hazard a guess at the early 80`s

Does anyone remember the incident at the bottom of Gaunt road where the littlle lad died when the railings fell on him. Mid 80's?

if it's not been mentioned already:

what the heck was that pram race they used to have down blackstock road??

i remember men dressed as babies in big silver cross prams being pushed by blokes dressed as wimmin?

**or did i dream that**

very fond memories of spending most weekend and the school hols with my dear grandparents. they lived in the "orange" block on blackstock road.

i can still smell Hartleys shop :)

and why did the milk-man only deliver once a week?

Does anyone remember the "bean" at the back of the maisonettes on Gaunt Rd it was a real nice suprise when some of the older lads had been and stolen some netting for the goal posts that were on there.

Does anyone remember the "bean" at the back of the maisonettes on Gaunt Rd it was a real nice suprise when some of the older lads had been and stolen some netting for the goal posts that were on there.


Yeah had some great games on the bean.Big bonfire at side.

^^^
^^^
and nicking the golf balls as they landed on the 9th just behind the bean:hihi:

^^^
^^^
and nicking the golf balls as they landed on the 9th just behind the bean:hihi:

The good old days. :D

Hello,
I am an ex-student from University of Sheffield.

We are doing a project about Gleadless valley and wanted to find out some more information about its history, and also any photos anyone may have of the places. Especially interested in the history of the shopping area near the Gaunt Pub - does anyone have any old photos?

Please let me know if you do - email me if yo like prashant_s_@hotmai.com

Regards


Prashant

We got ten bob for four hours caddying at Lees Hall golf club in the 60s. The golfers were usually stuck-up toffs who looked down on the kids from "the estate" and they'd give you s**t if you accidentally passed them the wrong golf club, or stood in their line of sight.

We lived on Mawfa and the fair at Oakes Park was always a real treat. Remember when it first started? They had Freak Shows and even a Tableau Strip Show in the early days.

It was apparently against the law for the strippers to move in those days, so the bloke would say something like "And now, the Hanging Gardens Of Babylon" - the curtains would open for a minute, you'd see the pose (which usually involved lots of chiffon), and the curtains would then close again.

It was all very tame when you look back, but at the time it seemed pretty daring to a 13 year-old like me

i remember lees hall and going cadding on sundays sometimes twice if you got up early enought. you had to be there about 7am and spend 4 hrs plodding round the course and getting 10 bob there were no electric carts then some didnt even have a trolley and you carried the bag round some golfers were right sods andd begrudged paying you owt to make an extra tanner or so we would rummmage though their bag and nick a few good balls and if we went round again in the afternoon we would sell them back for thupence

I moved to Gleadless Valley when I was six months old.
I moved out of Gleadless Valley 11 years ago but have returned to work in the area and also have close family ties there.
Growing up in the valley was a joy! There were the woods to play in and fields behind Fleury Road, as well as the open spaces on Leighton Road.
Can anyone remember the winters? It always seemed like weeks of snow then, everyone had sledges, and the best sledging was on the 'Camel's Hump' on Leighton Road, or the field behind the maisonettes on the opposite side to the Far Lees.
As kids we spent a lot of our time 'side stepping' the tunnel under the road at the side of the Far Lees. It looked like it went on forever and was pitch black in the middle.
I went to Rollestone (now Bankwood) Infant and then Junior school. Can anyone remember the teachers in the Juniors? There was Mrs.Moore who was a J1 teacher. You had to have a clean Hanky everyday or you got lines, and she used to get a big jar of Hobos out of the cupboard to reward the class for good work. I was frightened to death of her! She seemed so strict, always wore tweed suits and smelt of lavender. I'll tell you what! you learnt your lessons in her class!
I revisited the school when I was 14, she had retired but lived around the corner and when I met her she was the sweetest old lady you could wish to meet.
There was Miss Woofinden, who wore miniskirts, make-up and had long black hair. She did have very knobbly knees though!
Mr. Goldstone - ex. military with ginger hair and a curly moustache. He always carried a steel tipped cane, which I saw him use on more than one occasion.
Mr. Schofield who always seemed to shout ( I met him years later and he was very nice). Mr.Roberts the headteacher.
Remenber Mrs Boomer, the Infant school dinner lady who pulled out your wobbly teeth with her hanky!!
I often wonder what happened to my school friends when we split up to go to either Ashleigh or Gleadless Valley.
Happy memories

i remember all that too i was in mrs moores class in 1963 and was her 'pet' i visited her years later when she lived in bunting nook at norton i was in mr goldstones class and mr schofields too i lived on middle hay view from 1963 - 1974 VERY HAPPY MEMORIES

Dr Robinson, I remember him. When very young about 6 or 7 I'd fallen into the kerbside and damaged my knee, I managed to get oil or petrol into the laceration. his cure was a hard scrubbing brush and plenty of elbow grease to scour the wound clean. I remember it because he then gave me a sixpence for being brave and not screaming. Me and mum went straight to the post office on Constable Road and I bought myself a Leseret (sp) rub down sticker set. (anyone remember them, you rubbed down pictures onto a card printed scene. There were hundreds to collect)

I really enjoyed living on Gaunt Road. The cul de sac just up from the Gaunt (apart from an abusive father) my second home was in Lees hall Woods, and the bean, I even played army and made dens in those same bushes as Plain Talker. Beanlands was another little shop i remember, they had all those knitting patterns in the window near the doorway and you went to the rear for the meat counter. I'm glad I don't live there now, from what I hear its gone down hill.

Does anyone remember A teacher called Mrs Wilde who taught at Hemsworth Juniors, she was really horrible, rumour had it she stabbed a kid with a pencil because he had such bad hand writing and it always sloped down the page instead of being straight across the page. She was a bit nasty at times, so much so i was afraid to put my hand up to go to the toilet when i had a bout of diohorrea(sp) and had an accident, it's funny to look back at it, there i was getting star after star to add to our house chart (Chatsworth) and i was afraid to get up. I ended up going home in someones castoffs they'd found in the school office. I was terrified to go back to school but when i did Mrs Wilde was actually nice to me, and none of the kids took the mickey.

Hemsworth junior school this time, does anyone remember the metal geodesic climbing frame in the corner of the playground, I remember the day it was first put in The best behaved class in the school got to play on it first, I was a member of that class,

Oh by the way in those days I was a Headford I had a little sister called Ennis and a little brother called Adrian. My mum was Brenda and her husband was Kevin.

We are agroup of local people who are trying to publish a book about Gleadless Valley from the beginning.
Do you remember the schools pubs churches and have you any old photos of the early days?
If so would you care to bring them to the Tenants Hall at Newfield Green on Friday afternoons between 2pm-4pm

Hello there,

The history of Gleadless Valley has already been published in a book titled; 'History of Gleadless'. This book you can find on sale at Gleadless Townend Post Office.

OMG you make Gleadless Valley sound as if it's been around for donkey years, in fact it only came to life as a residential area about 55 - 60 years ago. Prior to that the valley was nothing but farmland and woodlands.

Hello there,

The history of Gleadless Valley has already been published in a book titled; 'History of Gleadless'. This book you can find on sale at Gleadless Townend Post Office.

OMG you make Gleadless Valley sound as if it's been around for donkey years, in fact it only came to life as a residential area about 55 - 60 years ago. Prior to that the valley was nothing but farmland and woodlands.

You missed out one important word "ANCIENT farmland & woodland" the track that is now Gleadless Road has been used for over a thousand years BUT I do agree with you 60 years is not old, old is over 200 years.

We moved into 23 Overend Way, when i was about 7 or 8 into a tower house, I first went to Herdings as no other school was build then, and Bankwood after it was built, Mr Malaband was the Head then and I think Mr Scholfiled was there to. I went to Gleadless Valley Sec Schoo when i was 11 until 15, we moved also to Plowright Close when i was 11 when my dad died, and my mom has been there up to passing in 2007 I loved living in the area it was a good child hood, im just sorry to have lost contract with all the kids i did go to school with.

...during my time at GV school (74-78) the teachers i can recall are ..
Mr Lamb (Head)
Mr Cooper - spot (dep head boys)
Miss Johnson (dep head girls)
Miss Barnaby ( French)
Mr Bradley (maths)
Mr Pashley (chemistry) - had bad accident rock climbing , and came back with bald head after skull injury
Mr Pashley (art)
Mr Howe (geography)
Mr Green - fly ( PE )
Mr Simpson - bottleneck - (metalwork)
Mr Moffatt (woodwork and Tech Drawing)
Miss Foster (History)
Mr H... (Religion)
Mr Martin (library) also a special copper at weekends down at Brammall Lane
Mrs Wilson (English)
.....hopefully i may be reminded of more with any replies ! ;)

ps , .. i also worked the projector in assembly for the words of the songs we had to sing !!!!

I can add

Mr Rolfe (RE)
Mr Wainwright (English)
Miss Mettham (French)
Mr Dunn (deputy Head)
I remember a music teacher who sang John Lennon songs name escapes me
Mr Lyons (Physics)
Mrs Foster (Needlework )
Mrs Cross (home economics)

may remember some more

The teachers were as much characters as the pupils they taught at Gleadless Valley, what a school!

If the music teacher was the bloke in the end mobile classroom, near the smokers corner, I am sure he was called Mr Heald? He had specs and a small black beard from memory.

You are quite correct PW

Hemsworth junior school this time, does anyone remember the metal geodesic climbing frame in the corner of the playground, I remember the day it was first put in The best behaved class in the school got to play on it first, I was a member of that class

Some brilliant memories in that post. You must have been there earlier than me, because I remember the day they took the metal geodesic climbing frame away for good (leaving just the rectangular climbing frame and the concrete pipe). That would be 1978 or 79 at a guess.

I think the pipe's pretty much the only thing left.

I don't remember a Mrs Wilde, but she sounds eerily similar to the equally frightful Miss Dibb in the junior school. Did she ever smile?

I can add

Mr Rolfe (RE)
Mr Wainwright (English)
Miss Mettham (French)
Mr Dunn (deputy Head)
I remember a music teacher who sang John Lennon songs name escapes me
Mr Lyons (Physics)
Mrs Foster (Needlework )
Mrs Cross (home economics)

may remember some more

I think it was "Miss" Foster, Stodge!

...during my time at GV school (74-7 the teachers i can recall are ...
Mr Lamb (Head) - Big lumbering lummox, he was. Always spoke like he was half-cut.
Mr Cooper - spot (dep head boys) Old school deputy. Always looked as though he had no idea what was going on.
Miss Johnson (dep head girls) Nose (and it was some nose) always in the air, like someone had just farted nearby
Miss Barnaby (French) Lovely woman. Friendly, amenable, and a great teacher. If she is indeed no longer with us, it is a great shame.
Mrs Mathieson (French) Louche, lovely but a tad harsh in places. Once dropped her bag in the library and (what we thought was) a vibrator rolled out of it
Mr Bradley (maths) Always fancied himself, the brummie plank. Couldn't half lay it on with the stick an all
Mr Pashley (chemistry) had bad accident rock climbing , and came back with bald head after skull injury. Nicknamed 'Dint-head' Self explanatory
Mr Pashley (art) Top teacher. Looked like he'd just come off tour with ELO
Mr Howe (geography) 'Garth' Great teacher. Likeable and fun
Mr Green (PE) 'Fly' Loved his basketball. Creaked a bit. Used to hock up grollies and spit them in the gym
Mr Purkiss (PE) Another one who loved himself a bit too much.
Mr Simpson (metalwork) "Bottleneck" Pupil: 'Sir. You've got some varnish on your glasses.' Bottleneck: 'You've got some lacquer on your spectacles, lad!'
Mr Moffatt (woodwork and Tech Drawing) AML. The Anti Moffat League. Fabio Capellos twin brother. Another 'layer on' of the stick.
Mr Francis (woodwork and metalwork) Bit of a Uni-bred ********.
Mr Turner (metalwork) Smashing feller. Sarcastic and funny.
Miss Foster (History) Miss Foster was home ec. Chain smoker. Bit of a predator. But nice.
Mr Sewell (Religion) Sanctimonious, hideous, hectoring self-righteous bell-end
Mr Martin (English and library) also a special copper at weekends down at Bramall Lane. Or, as we labelled him 'Part-time Barsteward'
Mrs Wilson/Rhoden (English) Caked in makeup and sporting a fine beard. Menopasue in it's finest.

ps , .. i also worked the projector in assembly for the words of the songs we had to sing !!!!

So did I. I was also one of the prestigious 'chair monitors', who'd come in early and lay out the chairs for assembly.

I can add

Mr Rolfe (RE) effete gentleman
Mr Wainwright (English) 'Baz'. Laconic, Jason King-a-like. Played football with us and spared nobody some of his semi-pro, Sunday League 'treatment'. Almost killed Carl Millward with a two-foot, airbourne tackle.
Miss Mettham (French)
Mr Dunn (deputy Head)
I remember a music teacher who sang John Lennon songs name escapes me
Mr Lyons (Physics) Catweazle. Mr Kindey Puncher. Pointed at you using Flemings Left Hand Rule
Mrs Foster (Needlework)
Mrs Cross (home economics)

may remember some more


Others

Miss Simmister. Mobile 4. We used to follow the fat donkey accress the yard, Candid Camera style. She was in the prime of her autumn years and as daft as a brush. She gave me a thousand lines once. Hated the woman.

Miss Scott. Mobile 2. German and French teacher. Nice lass.

Mr Heald. Music Teacher in Mob 5. Looked and acted like Lennon. Like we gave a toss about 'Songs from a Changing World' with The Blackleg Miner, The Railway Boggart and the like. He was fun though. Gave me a E for music, 'because there is no 'F' or 'G'.' I'm very skilled in music programming/arranging, have a studio setup and have been in bands for nearly 25 years. There ya go, Sheildy, you beardy nobend. You can have your 'F' ... followed by an 'O'!

Miss Peers - Chemistry. Tubby, menopausal bint who wore tight fitting rayon tops which did nothing for her body or her body odour. She stunk of fags and BO.

Mr James - Art. Sinister-looking, meerkat-like. Was always 'Yard Du-ti'.

Mr Jepson - Smashing, sardonic history teacher.

Mrs Russell - Ditsy history teacher. Nice lass.

Mrs Hudson - Fanciable, diminutive Georgaphy teacher, whose husband was allegedly monsterous.

Mrs Ledger - English Teacher.

Mr Hull - Emu. Sutcliffe-a-like maths teacher. Thanks Emu. I still know what pi is thanks to you and didn't it hack you off when I came first in the class in my exams, eh?

Mr Pickup - 'Cockshoes'. On account his shoes looked like cocks. He taught maths, and one afternoon blew up like a volcano when Mark Ullyett threw a rubber across the room which struck him on the back of his head.

Miss Nutt - Teeny-tiny Biology teacher. We ran riot.

Mr Morgan - Bizzarre looking but dead nice Welsh biology teacher.

Mr Richards - 'Clive'. JFK-a-like Geography teacher. Great fun.

Mr Smith - Maths. 'Cyril' lovable, soft-as-****e. We ran riot #2

Any more?

PC Drive

Great to read through everybody's memories of Gleadless Valley. Have such vivid childhood memories myself. Lived my whole childhood on the Hemsworth Estate close to Bagshawe Arms. Me and my Sister went to Hemsworth Infant School followed by Hemsworth Junior school, then followed by the 'big school' up at Gleadless Valley Secondary.

Fond memories of Hemsworth Infant/ Junior school, shame it's now been demolished. Remember Miss Hill, headteacher, and Miss Vickers and Miss Brown. I was in another teacher's class during my time at Hemsworth infant school and I think her name was Miss Kennings, but I can only remember her for a short time as I think she wasn't there for long. I remember having to stand at the top of the steps leading to the assembly hall and having to speak during an Assembly one morning. I was so terrified looking at all those faces, that I wet myself infront of everyone! I remember there being a door that lead from the Infant school dining area to the Junior school dining area.

School meals with different coloured custards - I could never get my head around the green custard though, Yuk! There was a mention earlier in the posts relating to a Miss Smith. She was lovely, a quite plump lady with a heart of gold, she used to look after us in the playground and as a dinner lady. Mind you, was this in the Juniors or the infants, I can't recall? There was another lady I distinctly remember with thick white hair, who was also a dinner lady. There's mention of a teacher called Miss Longbottom, yep, I remember her so clearly, playing the piano in the corner of the hall. In fact, I think Miss Longbottom was a teacher in the infants and then moved to become a teacher in the Juniors if I remember rightly, correct me if I'm wrong.

Does anyone remember the visit by 'Mary Hopkins' (Singer) to the school (1970-1971 I guess?) She sang to all the school in the Assembly hall, I think it was ' We're all going to the zoo tomorrow', or something like that?

My favorites in Junior school must have been Miss Sutton, who took me under her wing as she was a vegetarian and so was I. (I still am to this day!) I remember her making sure that the dinner ladies knew what to give me and what not - was difficult back in the late 60's/ early 70's. There was Mr Ibbotson, he was a very kind, quite short little man with glasses and a little 'tache'. He was my last teacher at junior school and also ran 'Stamp Club'. I do remember, Miss Beal, she was 'evil' and Mr Firth, who I believe was Deputy head. Mr Crossley was the headmaster in the Juniors I believe.

I remember vividly, the 'scraps' or fights which took place on the grass area just outside the school gates (across the road), by the circular area of bushes. Got into a few scrapes there! Mum was not pleased!

Every year just before the Summer holidays, the Junior school arranged one day where we all sat in the school hall and watched Cartoons and Childrens films all day. I can hear the clicking of the film projector to this day and the sheer excitement of being able to have a full day without proper lessons!

'Thestodge'/'PC Drive', Thanks for the list of teachers at Gleadless Valley. Some I can remember, some, you've brought back some great memories of.

Mrs Rhoden - who couldn't remember her? I was terrified of her.
Mr Howe, Geography, one of my favourites.
Miss Barnaby (French), remember so well, sadly no longer with us,
Miss Scott (German), Mr Martin in the library and Mrs McDermott.

I went on my first skiing trip back in 1977 with Mrs McDermott to Italian resort of 'Boscochiesenuova' (i think that's how it's spelt), still have the ski pass from that very trip. Also went on a trip to France to St.Porchaire in the Charente to spend 3 weeks with our penpals. Think this was arranged with Miss Barnaby at the time.(Probably around 1978.) There were two cookery teachers (Home Economics), Miss Cook and Miss Cross, and I remember the woodwork teacher 'Mr Simpson' (Bottlenck or Spoon face) and Mr Turner in Metalwork, nice guy.

Does anyone remember the annual fund-raising events we had at the school? It was usually on a Saturday and there were all kinds of things happening from 'wet sponge throwing at teachers' - 'Crockery smashing stalls' - Jumble stalls, Cake and biscuit stalls etc.

Leaving school each night, running through Oakes park as a short cut home, hoping that Mr Bagshawe wouldn't spot us on his travels from Oakes house. We did get fired at sometimes by the shotgun, filled with dried rice and dried peas - that hurt!!

I'm sure I'll have many more memories to share soon. :-)

tjm2020

Great to read through everybody's memories of Gleadless Valley. Have such vivid childhood memories myself. Lived my whole childhood on the Hemsworth Estate close to Bagshawe Arms. Me and my Sister went to Hemsworth Infant School followed by Hemsworth Junior school, then followed by the 'big school' up at Gleadless Valley Secondary.

Fond memories of Hemsworth Infant/ Junior school, shame it's now been demolished. Remember Miss Hill, headteacher, and Miss Vickers and Miss Brown. I was in another teacher's class during my time at Hemsworth infant school and I think her name was Miss Kennings, but I can only remember her for a short time as I think she wasn't there for long. I remember having to stand at the top of the steps leading to the assembly hall and having to speak during an Assembly one morning. I was so terrified looking at all those faces, that I wet myself infront of everyone! I remember there being a door that lead from the Infant school dining area to the Junior school dining area.

School meals with different coloured custards - I could never get my head around the green custard though, Yuk! There was a mention earlier in the posts relating to a Miss Smith. She was lovely, a quite plump lady with a heart of gold, she used to look after us in the playground and as a dinner lady. Mind you, was this in the Juniors or the infants, I can't recall? There was another lady I distinctly remember with thick white hair, who was also a dinner lady. There's mention of a teacher called Miss Longbottom, yep, I remember her so clearly, playing the piano in the corner of the hall. In fact, I think Miss Longbottom was a teacher in the infants and then moved to become a teacher in the Juniors if I remember rightly, correct me if I'm wrong.

Does anyone remember the visit by 'Mary Hopkins' (Singer) to the school (1970-1971 I guess?) She sang to all the school in the Assembly hall, I think it was ' We're all going to the zoo tomorrow', or something like that?

My favorites in Junior school must have been Miss Sutton, who took me under her wing as she was a vegetarian and so was I. (I still am to this day!) I remember her making sure that the dinner ladies knew what to give me and what not - was difficult back in the late 60's/ early 70's. There was Mr Ibbotson, he was a very kind, quite short little man with glasses and a little 'tache'. He was my last teacher at junior school and also ran 'Stamp Club'. I do remember, Miss Beal, she was 'evil' and Mr Firth, who I believe was Deputy head. Mr Crossley was the headmaster in the Juniors I believe.

I remember vividly, the 'scraps' or fights which took place on the grass area just outside the school gates (across the road), by the circular area of bushes. Got into a few scrapes there! Mum was not pleased!

Every year just before the Summer holidays, the Junior school arranged one day where we all sat in the school hall and watched Cartoons and Childrens films all day. I can hear the clicking of the film projector to this day and the sheer excitement of being able to have a full day without proper lessons
tjm2020

Miss Smith was lovely, and yes, jolly and plump, very motherly lady. She dealt with me when I had a nasty nosebleed when I was about six. I won't talk about the time I weed myself in Mrs Brown's class when she wouldn't allow me to leave the classroom to go to the toilet. :blush: (well I did warn her that if I couldn't go to the loo, I would have to do it there and then... lol )

Mrs Brown and Miss Vickers had classrooms opposite each other. Miss vickers was a redhead, and I remember her wearing a green tweed suit. She seemed a lot more fierce than she was. I was in Mrs Brown's class in my last year in the infants. I remember her driving a teeny-tiny little white fiat.

Before Mrs Brown's class, I was in Miss Longbottom's class. yes she was a talented pianist. I can remember being taken into the assembly/P-E/ Dining hall by Miss Hill, the headmistress on my pre-starting school visit. Miss Longbottom was there, in the hall, she had a class of children around her at the piano.

edit to add, Mrs Smith was like the school matron/ nurse, she dealt with all sorts of accidents and incidents, she was in the infants. I don't remember her having much dealings at all with the juniors

I remember the infant school and the Junior school. I remember some pupils...Nancy Nicholson, Elspeth Barker,(These two used to chase me aronud the playground, and if they caught me, which they always did, they would sit on me and take it in turns to kiss me!!) Wendy Ellis,(who was my first love, though she might not know it!), Rosemary Turner, Tamara,(can't remember her surname).
Teachers from the Junior /Infant school were:
Miss Walker
Miss Michael, (a real Harridan, used to throw me out of the the class at any opportunity.)
Mr Ibbotson. A small guy with glasses.
Mr Turville. My form master, tough, but willing to listen..
Miss Vickers, PE teacher.
Mrs Turley, who loved to teach outside on the grass, and once took some of us for a ride in her sports car. (A yellow open top Spitfire, as I remember it)

Hi, I lived on Mawfa Avenue from being born when the house was brand new, I remember having a good childhood there with lots of friends, I recall Miss Hill at school, she encouraged me to keep playing my recorder as I (had a gift) was able to play everything I heard, I went on to play Clarinet in "Comp school" orchestra, we moved away in 1964 when I was 6yrs old, I remember the Icecream box on a bike coming round on a Sunday, and just around the corner from our house was a little Bubble car parked up. All my family are gone now so can't ask them about any memories I have, my older bro' who would remember more died of cancer 3yrs ago, he would have been 60 this year.

You're quite right 'Plain Talker', now that I've sat and thought, Miss Smith was in the Infant school not Hemsworth Juniors. I clearly remember her in the staff room.

I had the great opportunity to actually re-visit Hemsworth Infant school back in 1982 as part of my studies at Granville College in Sheffield. The last time I'd been there was in 1971, when I was in Miss Vicker's class. If recollection serves me right, then I do believe that Miss Smith was still there and I was pleasantly surprised to have met Miss Vickers again, and she actually knew who I was after so many years.

I do remember the green tweed suit and her red hair and freckles! I can recall learning my 'sums' with small squares of cardboard and on them attached small toys, like a Dinkie Car or something similar. At that moment in tme, we were just transferring between 'old' money and 'new' pennys. Under each item was the price such as 6D or 3 New Pence! I thank her to this day for enabling me to both count in 12's and 10's, it's come in handy over the years!

I can remember the heavy snow falls that we had up there, and I know that they still get. It's terrible being stuck at the top of what seemed 'nowhere' in the middle of a harsh winter. The buses stopped at the bottom of Derbyshire lane and Scarsdale road cause they'd not be able to get up the hills. Schools closed in the 70's like it was going out of fashion and there were numerous times I recall the schools having no oil to heat the classrooms.

I very clearly remember the row of shops at the entrance to the Hemsworth Infant School (Constable Road). When I was a kid, it was a Spar Supermarket on the left hand corner, then a Fruit and Veg shop with a Fish counter on the right of the shop, then a small Post Office (oh, I remember the range of penny sweets), and finally the S&E Co-op on the right hand side as you look with your back to the school. My Mum used to collect the dividend stamps, it was my job to always stick them in the stamp books. Now all that's gone - just a large Co-op building instead.

Does anyone recall the Old Court House by the side of Bagshawe Arms? I know the hanging tree was also in the field there, directly behind the house where we lived. Unfortunately, my last remaining memories are of my Father's house of not so long ago before he passed away.

I do remember the old cottages by the side of the Bagshawe Arms and the workshop where my Dad would visit and see the owner. (Now the site of a Care Home), Orpen House. The old field by the side of the pub was where we used to play as kids and when the old cottages were demolished, we found an old underground air-raid shelter where we would hide and play.

My mother used to be a cleaner at the Bagshawe Arms for many years and she also worked in the old cottages on School Lane in Norton, within the Oakes Park estate. I know they are still there, however, fully modernised now, but I remember going there back in 1968-1970, and they were still without electricity or gas. The old lady who my mother worked for still used a large oil lamp and a large marble slab was the 'refrigerator' in the side out-house. They didn't even have indoor toilets and it remained a 'whole in the floor' in the garden outhouses, until the old lady finally left to live in the old Oakes Park Gate House. I think that the cottage was the old school house opposite the old Post Office, which is also still there.

Anyone else with memories of the School lane Cottages? I'd be very interested to hear. (I know it's not strictly GV but as a matter of local interest!).

There used to be a website called 'Gleadless.net'. What happened to it, does anyone know? I can't seem to find it anymore. It was very interesting with local photos, etc. It will be a real shame if it's gone.:(

tjm2020

Any more?

PC Drive

Mr Kentzer Science or Chemistry,we changed the E to U :)

hi have lived on the valley since 61 when most of it was a building site with no shops hardly any paths but i digress what i would like to know is before the valley weas built what was there before, looking at all the woods round there i feel most of it was woodland until you got to lower healy and manor top and who did the land belong to so many questions thanks hope someone can help:confused:

My family moved to Gleadless Valley in 1961, when I was 9.

They had only just finished building our house on Plowright Drive. None of the houses on Spotswood Road had been built then, so it was all grass and a stream right outside our front door.

The stream was spotless and I used to follow it to Blackstock Road then crawl through the culvert that took it under the road.

My first school there was Herdings Junior and the walks to and from there were pleasant jaunts through a litter-free Rollestone Wood. My mates and me used to think they were haunted by goblins and trolls, (especially at the top end) so the time spent in there was always an adventure, particularly in winter when it was dark and gloomy.

We also played a lot in Lees Hall Wood, which was full of trees, and also had a clean stream, as opposed to full of litter with a blocked-up stream. The wood seemed massive in those days. Above where the tip is now was an old, ruined farm we played in (now nettle covered pile of rubble) and we could stay there as long as we wanted to, as long as we were home by just after dark. In front of the farm there was a pond (now just a dry depression by the track) where we got our newts and tadpoles from, and an old underground brick built cellar/shelter (now overgrown with brambles) that we used as a secret den.

Many hours were spent by the golf course collecting balls that golfers lost, or trying to cross the course, commando fashion, without getting caught.

As for the fairs in Oakes Park. I’ve lost count of the number of goldfish I won there, but never managed to get home alive.

I remember a newsagents hut on Leighton Road for whom I delivered papers. £1 per week for morning and evening rounds, plus Sunday. What a tiring round that was!

Got tons of memories of when the Valley was a nice, rural place to be as a kid, but am in danger of typing for ever.

:P hi there i remeber doing what you did more or less we lived on blackstock above the groom and we played in all the woods like you said you could drink from them i rememer that farm house i am sure owls nested there we would caddy at lees hall for 10 bob twice on sunday start at 7ish end at dinner time then go back for another round must have walked 1o mile on sunday plus weight of the bag that we carried you might get lucky and get a trolly i did it for one old bloke it was easy he ony had 5 clubs in a canvas bag and 2 balls no brolly great life fresh air and fit

I was born on Gaunt Road in 1960 and our family grew up in the area. Does anyone remember Fine Fare, Scoleys and Beanlands. And what was the name of the fruit shop. Went to Hemsworth School then Rowlinson.

I grew up on the gleadless valley, we moved on in 1961 when it was built, we lived on the hill at the side of the old quarry on gleadless road, going back now it seems to have changed so much, the family home is now up for sale after our dear mum passed on last year, all the family grew up there and it was a great place back in the 60's & 70's when we were growing up, there was always something to do, i remember them building the holy cross church on spotswood behind the wyvern. Also altering gleadless road by making it straight and wider, then they filled the bottom part of the quarry. Not sure about any photos though it was not a priority when growing up but lots of memories though.
Was that Middle Hay Place.

I was born on Gaunt Road in 1960 and our family grew up in the area. Does anyone remember Fine Fare, Scoleys and Beanlands. And what was the name of the fruit shop. Went to Hemsworth School then Rowlinson.

I remember Fine Fare on the Gaunt Shops when it was Shentalls!

hi have lived on the valley since 61 when most of it was a building site with no shops hardly any paths but i digress what i would like to know is before the valley weas built what was there before, looking at all the woods round there i feel most of it was woodland until you got to lower healy and manor top and who did the land belong to so many questions thanks hope someone can help:confused:

Where Gaunt Road was, there was a farm. (where the field was, between Gaunt road and the wood/ Golf course.

My father went off into the Army, in 1958, and just before he left, he and his brothers watched the farmer reap his fields for the last time, where the bean was later built.

When he returned the maisonettes had been built.

I was born on Gaunt Road in 1960 and our family grew up in the area. Does anyone remember Fine Fare, Scoleys and Beanlands. And what was the name of the fruit shop. Went to Hemsworth School then Rowlinson.

I remember you, Phil. Back in the Juniors. You were about three years above me and hung about with my mate Robert Steer (in fact you looked a bit like him) Didn't you have brothers?

I'm Vic Woods, BTW. I lived up on Constable Drive after moving from Gaunt Road in '63.

PCD

my brother michael belk was the first baby to be chrjstened at St Johns church that was opposite constable rd i was in the chior there its no longer there and it was demolished and a very big house stands on the site

my brother michael belk was the first baby to be chrjstened at St Johns church that was opposite constable rd i was in the chior there its no longer there and it was demolished and a very big house stands on the site

I was christened there in 1964! I also went to Brownies there, too.

my brother michael belk was the first baby to be chrjstened at St Johns church that was opposite constable rd i was in the chior there its no longer there and it was demolished and a very big house stands on the site

I don't know the year you sang in the choir, but my brother also sang in it too, he also carried the cross to the alter in the service and on street processions eg whit sunday, we used to go to church twice on a sunday + I went to sunday school, we were always doing something for the church and the vicar who we called Father George was a regular visitor to our house, we left the area in 1964. My brother was called Michael Elliott.

I don't know the year you sang in the choir, but my brother also sang in it too, he also carried the cross to the alter in the service and on street processions eg whit sunday, we used to go to church twice on a sunday + I went to sunday school, we were always doing something for the church and the vicar who we called Father George was a regular visitor to our house, we left the area in 1964. My brother was called Michael Elliott.

Father George married me and my first wife in St James church, Milton in Portsmouth in 1983. Imagine my sister's surprise when they turned up and saw him.

PCD

I was born on Gaunt Road in 1960 and our family grew up in the area. Does anyone remember Fine Fare, Scoleys and Beanlands. And what was the name of the fruit shop. Went to Hemsworth School then Rowlinson.

Hi Phil,Nice to know you are still around (Rich Newall)

Some brilliant memories in that post. You must have been there earlier than me, because I remember the day they took the metal geodesic climbing frame away for good (leaving just the rectangular climbing frame and the concrete pipe). That would be 1978 or 79 at a guess.

I think the pipe's pretty much the only thing left.

I don't remember a Mrs Wilde, but she sounds eerily similar to the equally frightful Miss Dibb in the junior school. Did she ever smile?



I took some pics before it got demolished:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/biggus/sets/72157623761408555/

Hi Phil,Nice to know you are still around (Rich Newall)

I know your Tony, Rich.

PCD

I know your Tony, Rich.

PCD

Oh Hi, I know he has a friend on FB that comments on his thoughts on religion I take it thats you ? whats your name and do I know you ?

Yeah - I'm Vic Woods. Was in the same year/class as your Steve. You were a few years older than me in GVSS.

PCD

Yeah - I'm Vic Woods. Was in the same year/class as your Steve. You were a few years older than me in GVSS.

PCD

Yea Steve Newall is not a relation I`m afraid,I have seen your posts on various forums but cant put a face to your name Im sorry to say,have you got a pic from that era ?

I took some pics before it got demolished:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/biggus/sets/72157623761408555/

They're great pics, I've seen them before and they bring back a lot of memories. Those classrooms in the infants school didn't change one bit in 20 years.

I was born on Gaunt Road in 1960 and our family grew up in the area. Does anyone remember Fine Fare, Scoleys and Beanlands. And what was the name of the fruit shop. Went to Hemsworth School then Rowlinson.

I remember Philip Orme! dark haired lad, used to hang around with Ian Fulwood or some name like that!

I remember Fine Fare on the Gaunt Shops when it was Shentalls!

I remember "Dels" supermarket, owned by the Kiplings who lived up near Hemsworth school in the semi detached houses.

Mr Lamb (Head) - Big lumbering lummox, he was. Always spoke like he was half-cut.
Mr Cooper - spot (dep head boys) Old school deputy. Always looked as though he had no idea what was going on.
Miss Johnson (dep head girls) Nose (and it was some nose) always in the air, like someone had just farted nearby
Miss Barnaby (French) Lovely woman. Friendly, amenable, and a great teacher. If she is indeed no longer with us, it is a great shame.
Mrs Mathieson (French) Louche, lovely but a tad harsh in places. Once dropped her bag in the library and (what we thought was) a vibrator rolled out of it
Mr Bradley (maths) Always fancied himself, the brummie plank. Couldn't half lay it on with the stick an all
Mr Pashley (chemistry) had bad accident rock climbing , and came back with bald head after skull injury. Nicknamed 'Dint-head' Self explanatory
Mr Pashley (art) Top teacher. Looked like he'd just come off tour with ELO
Mr Howe (geography) 'Garth' Great teacher. Likeable and fun
Mr Green (PE) 'Fly' Loved his basketball. Creaked a bit. Used to hock up grollies and spit them in the gym
Mr Purkiss (PE) Another one who loved himself a bit too much.
Mr Simpson (metalwork) "Bottleneck" Pupil: 'Sir. You've got some varnish on your glasses.' Bottleneck: 'You've got some lacquer on your spectacles, lad!'
Mr Moffatt (woodwork and Tech Drawing) AML. The Anti Moffat League. Fabio Capellos twin brother. Another 'layer on' of the stick.
Mr Francis (woodwork and metalwork) Bit of a Uni-bred ********.
Mr Turner (metalwork) Smashing feller. Sarcastic and funny.
Miss Foster (History) Miss Foster was home ec. Chain smoker. Bit of a predator. But nice.
Mr Sewell (Religion) Sanctimonious, hideous, hectoring self-righteous bell-end
Mr Martin (English and library) also a special copper at weekends down at Bramall Lane. Or, as we labelled him 'Part-time Barsteward'
Mrs Wilson/Rhoden (English) Caked in makeup and sporting a fine beard. Menopasue in it's finest.



So did I. I was also one of the prestigious 'chair monitors', who'd come in early and lay out the chairs for assembly.



Mr Rolfe (RE) effete gentleman
Mr Wainwright (English) 'Baz'. Laconic, Jason King-a-like. Played football with us and spared nobody some of his semi-pro, Sunday League 'treatment'. Almost killed Carl Millward with a two-foot, airbourne tackle.
Miss Mettham (French)
Mr Dunn (deputy Head)
I remember a music teacher who sang John Lennon songs name escapes me
Mr Lyons (Physics) Catweazle. Mr Kindey Puncher. Pointed at you using Flemings Left Hand Rule
Mrs Foster (Needlework)
Mrs Cross (home economics)

may remember some more


Others

Miss Simmister. Mobile 4. We used to follow the fat donkey accress the yard, Candid Camera style. She was in the prime of her autumn years and as daft as a brush. She gave me a thousand lines once. Hated the woman.

Miss Scott. Mobile 2. German and French teacher. Nice lass.

Mr Heald. Music Teacher in Mob 5. Looked and acted like Lennon. Like we gave a toss about 'Songs from a Changing World' with The Blackleg Miner, The Railway Boggart and the like. He was fun though. Gave me a E for music, 'because there is no 'F' or 'G'.' I'm very skilled in music programming/arranging, have a studio setup and have been in bands for nearly 25 years. There ya go, Sheildy, you beardy nobend. You can have your 'F' ... followed by an 'O'!

Miss Peers - Chemistry. Tubby, menopausal bint who wore tight fitting rayon tops which did nothing for her body or her body odour. She stunk of fags and BO.

Mr James - Art. Sinister-looking, meerkat-like. Was always 'Yard Du-ti'.

Mr Jepson - Smashing, sardonic history teacher.

Mrs Russell - Ditsy history teacher. Nice lass.

Mrs Hudson - Fanciable, diminutive Georgaphy teacher, whose husband was allegedly monsterous.

Mrs Ledger - English Teacher.

Mr Hull - Emu. Sutcliffe-a-like maths teacher. Thanks Emu. I still know what pi is thanks to you and didn't it hack you off when I came first in the class in my exams, eh?

Mr Pickup - 'Cockshoes'. On account his shoes looked like cocks. He taught maths, and one afternoon blew up like a volcano when Mark Ullyett threw a rubber across the room which struck him on the back of his head.

Miss Nutt - Teeny-tiny Biology teacher. We ran riot.

Mr Morgan - Bizzarre looking but dead nice Welsh biology teacher.

Mr Richards - 'Clive'. JFK-a-like Geography teacher. Great fun.

Mr Smith - Maths. 'Cyril' lovable, soft-as-****e. We ran riot #2

Any more?

PC Drive

Nice one Vic, brought back some great memories there!

Mrs Wilson/Rhoden - we called her Max (as in Max Factor)

Miss Foster - the young dark haired one, gave me a Christmas kiss in my final year, and when I say kiss, I mean a proper one!

Mr. Pashley (art) - built an electric guitar and sold it to Richard Cutts for about a fiver, like a telecaster, pretty decent.

Miss Barnaby - didn't know she had died, sad news.

Cyril, the parafin man lwas the last surviving wheelwright in Sheffield. He lived with his sister in the house and workshop by the side of the Bagshawe, they had no electricity, and that's why he sold parafin, as a kid I used to walk over there with the tank from the Paulwarmer to get it filled.

My uncle used to build and repair boats, and Cyril let him use the yard and the workshop.. it was a fantastic place, like a blacksmith's shop with the old forge, and all the tools, horseshoes etc hanging on the walls. I often wonder what happened to it all.

Anyone who can remember Cyril will know that he always wore a beret, and had a fag hanging from the corner of his mouth constantly.

I think his sister was called Gwen..anyone else remember?

I remember I used to go to their farm when I was about seven to help collect apples.I called her Mrs Archer.The farm had no electricity only oil lamps ,she kept the apples under the bed in boxes . I remember the cockeral would peck my feet and try to keep people away from the door.Mrs Archer had a big wooden castle on the wall it had wire netting on the windows I think it was some sot of bird cage but it never had birds in it.The kitchen had a bath with a worktop on it.I dont remember her brother very well he was always working around the farm.When I was in my twenties the farm was demolished ,the brother had died and Mrs Archer mooved to the flats next to the farm .Mrs archer must have been very old then but she just looked the same.I loved visiting they were lovley people ,must have been or my Mum would never let me go there.I lived on Mawfa Drive from 1956 our house was one of the first to be built.Behind our house was another farm owed by the Bullivants they sold eggs and had 3 geese and chickens.

Hi, I lived on Mawfa Avenue from being born when the house was brand new, I remember having a good childhood there with lots of friends, I recall Miss Hill at school, she encouraged me to keep playing my recorder as I (had a gift) was able to play everything I heard, I went on to play Clarinet in "Comp school" orchestra, we moved away in 1964 when I was 6yrs old, I remember the Icecream box on a bike coming round on a Sunday, and just around the corner from our house was a little Bubble car parked up. All my family are gone now so can't ask them about any memories I have, my older bro' who would remember more died of cancer 3yrs ago, he would have been 60 this year.

I lived on Mawfa Dr .My younger sister is more your age Julie ,I was your brothers age.I went to Hemsworth junior and GVSS .I remember Wall ice cream cart and Taggy ice cream that was much later.

Hello,
I am an ex-student from University of Sheffield.

We are doing a project about Gleadless valley and wanted to find out some more information about its history, and also any photos anyone may have of the places. Especially interested in the history of the shopping area near the Gaunt Pub - does anyone have any old photos?

Please let me know if you do - email me if yo like prashant_s_@hotmai.com

Regards


Prashant

I was born on Harvey clough road, it went right down to the woods that . Gleadless Valley was built on,there was no estate there at all. It was our playground, we spent all our time in the woods. In Summer we built dens and camped out, and in Autumn, all the Mums would come down and we would gather BlackberriesWe had an ongoing war with the kids from the posh houses at Norton Lees,battles would start at the top of the tip,and then down to the stream. We once caught one of them and tied him up in a tree,lit a small fire underneath, all would have been well except we went of looking for more of them and forgot about him. The wind got up and fuelled the fire, by the time we remembered him the soles of his wellies had melted, he was ok ,no burns, just needed some new wellies. At the top of the wood was farmland.,we used to pinch turnips and potatoes,,but running along the top was what we called "the pearl path" mixed in with the soil were hundres of bit of mother of pearl and pearl buttons, no one knew how they got there.

I was born on Harvey clough road, it went right down to the woods that . Gleadless Valley was built on,there was no estate there at all. It was our playground, we spent all our time in the woods. In Summer we built dens and camped out, and in Autumn, all the Mums would come down and we would gather BlackberriesWe had an ongoing war with the kids from the posh houses at Norton Lees,battles would start at the top of the tip,and then down to the stream. We once caught one of them and tied him up in a tree,lit a small fire underneath, all would have been well except we went of looking for more of them and forgot about him. The wind got up and fuelled the fire, by the time we remembered him the soles of his wellies had melted, he was ok ,no burns, just needed some new wellies. At the top of the wood was farmland.,we used to pinch turnips and potatoes,,but running along the top was what we called "the pearl path" mixed in with the soil were hundres of bit of mother of pearl and pearl buttons, no one knew how they got there.

At last a reply about the history of Gleadless Valley instead of a school reunion group.

I remember the infant school and the Junior school. I remember some pupils...Nancy Nicholson, Elspeth Barker,(These two used to chase me aronud the playground, and if they caught me, which they always did, they would sit on me and take it in turns to kiss me!!) Wendy Ellis,(who was my first love, though she might not know it!), Rosemary Turner, Tamara,(can't remember her surname).
Teachers from the Junior /Infant school were:
Miss Walker
Miss Michael, (a real Harridan, used to throw me out of the the class at any opportunity.)
Mr Ibbotson. A small guy with glasses.
Mr Turville. My form master, tough, but willing to listen..
Miss Vickers, PE teacher.
Mrs Turley, who loved to teach outside on the grass, and once took some of us for a ride in her sports car. (A yellow open top Spitfire, as I remember it)

Hello Rincewind,

From the names that you mention, I think you must have been in the same year at Hemsworth as me. I went there from 1960 to 1967 when I left to go to Rowlinson. I remember all the names of the teachers and the pupils and some more too. Wendy Ellis lived at the bottom of my block just along from the Bagshaw Arms with Jeanette Burns just around the corner and Dougie Topham over the other side of the block. Surprising how a change of school makes you lose touch with people? I know that Philip Westnidge ended up in the Fire service and paul bancroft went to grammar school. Stuart Green went down south somewhere and Gillian Ward went to King Ecgberts (my first love!! - would like to know what happened to her). Susan Belk? Andrew Moat? Stephen & Helen King(twins)? Peter Beard? (saw his brother Michael pass me in a car a couple of years ago). Can you remember the name of the head teacher Mr B???

At last a reply about the history of Gleadless Valley instead of a school reunion group.
glad Icould help if you need any more info please send message, good luck with your study

I lived on Plowright Close for a long time before that we lived on Overend Way, then after my dad died we moved, i loved that estate it was so full of trees the woods where right next to the house at Overend, we loved going down that path and the little river than ran all the way down,to the new school. Did anyone attened Gleadless Valley Secondary Modern in the years 1962 to 1966, i have never been able to find any of the kids i went to school with in those years, I often wonder what happened to all of them.

I got to hear a lot of the tales of netherthorpe and gleadless valley from my family, and I have a very good memory of my own childhood, that goes back probably further than anyone else's I know.

I would sit, rapt, as my parents and grandparents would tell their histories, and relate the events of their youths.

I remember my mother pushing me and my sister with this huge boat-like silver cross pram, all the way fron the john o Gaunt area across to gleadless townend, and then down, past the old Harrow pub, and along fox lane to birley/ hackenthorpe to visit my uncle, at least once, possibly twice a week.

I would be seated on this chair thing that perched between the handlebars of the pram, and my sister who was 2 years younger than me would be laid, a babe-in-arms, inside the pram itself.

How my mother hauled that massive pram, two kiddies, and her shopping as well, all the way up those flights of stairs to the top floor maisonette we lived in, I will never know.

we also used to go for strolls along lightwood lane, which was, for a child, such excellent fun, we loved it.

PT

I also attended gleadless valley school i was known to most by the nick name mop head because my hair was a tad wild lol i remember the teacher bracken called Mrs foster was actually Miss foster she wasn't married we all used to tease her about Mr pashley art saying he fancied her ,:) Miss francis used to teach us english when we were in the 6th form she still had us reading ladybird books :( I remember Mrs russel she used to take us for maths i gave her some grief lol then she sent mr to the dragon miss johnson for the cane , I lived on overend way to start with then we moved up to raeburn close i had the bell family as my neighbours i also remember the tragic accident that killed mark bell :( had some good laughs with mark bell he is still missed by a lot of people , i remember going to the chippy near the gaunt pub on my sisters push bike and comming off it on the black path OUCHHHHHHH i still have the scars to show for being stupid lol Anybody remember the fun fair on bagshaws field? next to the school all the lads from school got jobs on there Andrew roper was one i think steven gill ( ligga ) was the other what ever happened to them anybody know? The nailmakers arms was the only pub us underagers could get served in i remember buying 10 no 6 from the shop on constable road for 25p i remember going behind the mobile classrooms for a smoke then when we got found out there we moved to under the stairs next to the girls changing rooms and under the stairs of the boys changing rooms . Did they call the girls pe teacher miss whitehead i feel sure she was a lesbian by the way she used to watch us in the shower after games

Nice one Vic, brought back some great memories there!

Mrs Wilson/Rhoden - we called her Max (as in Max Factor)

Miss Foster - the young dark haired one, gave me a Christmas kiss in my final year, and when I say kiss, I mean a proper one!

Mr. Pashley (art) - built an electric guitar and sold it to Richard Cutts for about a fiver, like a telecaster, pretty decent.

Miss Barnaby - didn't know she had died, sad news.

I remember Mr smith ( maths) i used to give him hell poor bloke i bet he used to dread me ever comming to maths lol

miss barnaby barnaby bear we used to call her what did she use to teach?

I lived on Plowright Close for a long time before that we lived on Overend Way, then after my dad died we moved, i loved that estate it was so full of trees the woods where right next to the house at Overend, we loved going down that path and the little river than ran all the way down,to the new school. Did anyone attened Gleadless Valley Secondary Modern in the years 1962 to 1966, i have never been able to find any of the kids i went to school with in those years, I often wonder what happened to all of them.I was there 1963-1965. My sister would have been there 1961-1966

Nice one Vic, brought back some great memories there!

Mrs Wilson/Rhoden - we called her Max (as in Max Factor)

Miss Foster - the young dark haired one, gave me a Christmas kiss in my final year, and when I say kiss, I mean a proper one!

Mr. Pashley (art) - built an electric guitar and sold it to Richard Cutts for about a fiver, like a telecaster, pretty decent.

Miss Barnaby - didn't know she had died, sad news.

Carl millward OMG thats a name i haven't heard in a while whatever happened to MILLY and his side kick mossy? they both used to get up to no good at the herdings youth club

miss barnaby barnaby bear we used to call her what did she use to teach?

...French , in one of the mobiles. ;)

I also attended gleadless valley school i was known to most by the nick name mop head because my hair was a tad wild lol i remember the teacher bracken called Mrs foster was actually Miss foster she wasn't married we all used to tease her about Mr pashley art saying he fancied her ,:) Miss francis used to teach us english when we were in the 6th form she still had us reading ladybird books :( I remember Mrs russel she used to take us for maths i gave her some grief lol then she sent mr to the dragon miss johnson for the cane , I lived on overend way to start with then we moved up to raeburn close i had the bell family as my neighbours i also remember the tragic accident that killed mark bell :( had some good laughs with mark bell he is still missed by a lot of people , i remember going to the chippy near the gaunt pub on my sisters push bike and comming off it on the black path OUCHHHHHHH i still have the scars to show for being stupid lol Anybody remember the fun fair on bagshaws field? next to the school all the lads from school got jobs on there Andrew roper was one i think steven gill ( ligga ) was the other what ever happened to them anybody know? The nailmakers arms was the only pub us underagers could get served in i remember buying 10 no 6 from the shop on constable road for 25p i remember going behind the mobile classrooms for a smoke then when we got found out there we moved to under the stairs next to the girls changing rooms and under the stairs of the boys changing rooms . Did they call the girls pe teacher miss whitehead i feel sure she was a lesbian by the way she used to watch us in the shower after games

I occasionally knocked around with the Bell lads.

Ligga is still around in Sheffield somewhere.

miss barnaby barnaby bear we used to call her what did she use to teach?

French mainly

Carl millward OMG thats a name i haven't heard in a while whatever happened to MILLY and his side kick mossy? they both used to get up to no good at the herdings youth club

NOt seen Milly for years and I think everybody got up to no good at the club :hihi:

hiya I hope you may be able to help...

I have been trying to do some research into my family and i googled something and a thread from 2004 that you posted in came up and tbh not much else...

i quote
"...Anyone remember the big house in the middle of fleury/spring close mount with the orchard, it was last owned by the beardsmores, alas it no longer stands it was demolished a few years ago with just a pile of rubble now in its place..." (06-04-2004, 19:42)

I wonder what do you know about this place? is it a house that was on Spring Mount Close area?...i heard it was a cattery for a while?... Apparently my family owned this house and much of the land around Gleadless Valley around the turn of the 1900's (the validity of this I have no idea) it was my great grandparents house so I've heard...but details are shady...they had many children and gifted another 2 houses next door to each other to my grandma when she married on Gleadless Hill? (the steep hill that goes between Leighton and Townend) my dad grew up there in the 50's n 60's...they lived in one and rented the other....

I just want to know about my family history is all....and lol if its true my grandparents owned all the land in Gleadless....why wasn't we well off! lol

I hope you may have some info as to who lived in and owned this house...and/or could point me in the right direction...i do not know where to start....

Best Wishes

Cairn