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Blake Street race

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I’m just about to head out to the Blake Hotel pub for a couple and it got me thinking back to when I was a kid growing up in the area. I always remember people saying that they used to have a race from the pub to the bottom of the road and back up again with the winner winning a tray of drinks (or something along those lines). Can anyone shed any light on this? A quick search of this forum and Sheffieldhistory hasn’t really cleared it up… I shall be having a word with the barman tonight suggest it is reintroduced if indeed it did exist in the first place!!

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I lived on Blake street for most of my life and I have never heard of this race

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To run a race from the Blake down the hill towards Upperthorpe and back you would need legs like a kangaroo!.Whoever won such a race deserved a George medal nevermind a tray of drinks,phew" Quick nurse the screens!"

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I lived in the area for a long time, there was know one I knew within a two mile radius of Blake Street who could fulfil the criteria of, to run down then run up Blake street, no chance. Not many people could walk down and then walk back up.

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I used to live on Daniel hill street more or less opposite ambler the butchers and we used to go to upperthorpe baths and library and walking back up Blake street was shocking stopping every so often to rest your legs I have great memories living on Daniel hill st going to upperthorpe school and being a slum clearing area there was allways something to do if anyone remembers me I am mick cooper

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I lived in the area most of my life up to getting wed.

 

For a few years had a friend who lived on Boyce Street about halfway up Blake Street - we would go for a pint or two in the Blake Hotel and I was grateful for breather when I got to the end of his street having walked up from Upperthorpe.

 

I never heard of such a race and having walked up an down that bloody hill many times I cannot see how anyone could do it - running down you would probably break your neck if you tripped while running down and climbing it at speed???? - nah, don't think so

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I'm sure Seb Coe did some of his training up and down Blake Street....

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I'm sure Seb Coe did some of his training up and down Blake Street....

 

Not sure it was Blake Street, but he certainly trained on the hills - but only "up'ards" - his Dad was waiting at the top in his car to run him downhill.

 

I dare say a one way race - going up - would be possible - its the downhill bit that would be the problem

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I used to live on Daniel hill street more or less opposite ambler the butchers and we used to go to upperthorpe baths and library and walking back up Blake street was shocking stopping every so often to rest your legs I have great memories living on Daniel hill st going to upperthorpe school and being a slum clearing area there was allways something to do if anyone remembers me I am mick cooper

 

Did you know the Loy family who lived next door to the Butchers shop?

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I went to school the same time as Seb and lived on Blakey (Blake Street ) he did not train on our Street It was fantastic sleding down there in the winter bit scary on roller skates before the hand rail was put up the middle of the road was cobbles

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In recent years a race (The Blake Street Dash) was run up the street, as part of the Ruskin Park Fun Day (itself part of Walkley Festival).

 

But after a few years the red tape and insurance costs became ridiculous so they had to stop doing it.

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remember stones brewery filming a tv ad at the blake in the 70,s

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