johnlittle

Does anyone recall Arthur Gill who retired from Hadfields around late 70s ? He lived at Brightside.

I don't listen to Radio Sheffield much these days apart from sometimes tuning in to the football phone in whilst driving home from a home match. It seems to me that the station has forcibly been dumbed down like much of the rest of media and society in general over the last generation especially worsened given the cuts in funding plus political and economic changes. When the station opened in 1967 it did feel like a breath of fresh air and for the first time it offered really local news (and promptly, rather than having to wait for the local morning paper to hear the latest). It actively engaged the community and gave a voice to many. Apart from the news, there was music and entertainment too. In the bad weather and power cuts of the industrial struggles it was the main instrument to help people keep working. Unlike today, there was no social media and folks were hungry for local news and interaction and the BBC local stations fed this need better than the older pirate radio stations and their music. It truly did feel exciting. I confess (not sure I should need to use this word) I tend to listen to the BBC - R2, R3 (infrequently) and R4. I think I'm correct to suggest that some of the producers at Radio Sheffield went on to higher things at the national stations. Personally, I grew with Radio Sheffield, left it behind and as I got older I learned to listen to more demanding content and to account for any suggestion of bias or other interference by means of my own intelligence and understanding, which is how it should be. I regret the changing influences over what we see and listen to (and this includes social media and television) but have now learnt to accept 'catch up' apps and iplayers as a way to take in and even improve the quality of what I can listen to (never thought I would). I suppose I'm biased by my own age but what I'm thinking is that local radio was just a staging post along the way which, at its inception, was a novel quality because it gave us local information and entertainment we never used to have. Incidentally, does anyone remember the weekly live Sunday morning show 'Answer Line' or the recorded quiz show 'The Panel Beaters' of early 1970s? I was involved in the production and presentation of those shows as a member of Junior Chamber of Commerce. That itself an example of the opportunities local broadcasting presented then.

That's very good of you tinfoil hat. Reminds me of my childhood days on the estate where I lived.

Tinfoilhat , I do agree except that many single people like me find that they are not on the usual communication or grapevine lines (school run, church etc) to get to know many people. Here lots of my neighbours are themselves elderly and alone or are renting the property for a short term. I suspect (but only that) that many of the local folk having food delivered are self-employed working families who see themselves as very busy normally but who may now not have any work but can afford to continue their deliveries. Having been born a few months after VE day, I can see the changes in social behaviour and expectations between then and now but that is a discussion for another topic!

Not actually living in Sheffield although having a Sheffield post code ...... Two helpful families have offered to shop for items for me but I don't think they can be expected to shop for everything I need. They also couldn't be expected to spend time tracking down the urgent items I needed which the supermarkets ran out of during the panic buying. Fortunately, prescriptions are not a prob as I live close to a chemist. On a happy note, I had delivered today, by two pleasant young local community carers, a packed anniversary VE day afternoon tea courtesy of the Parish Council and local Gala committee in lieu of the cancelled picnic activities. Well done to them although this perhaps illustrates one of my original points that, in an emergency such as this, community help cannot (and should not) be expected to replace the need for carefully planned and directed government action (such as ensuring anyone who is vulnerable can obtain priority for food deliveries and that issues with that are dealt with thoroughly).

Being in my mid-70s, independent and unfortunately not having any direct family of my own I can share my own experience and feelings about food deliveries in these current times. Not long ago I had a serious case of pneumonia and am pre-diabetic too but was not informed directly that I was vulnerable to the new virus (although I knew I was). I normally look forward to shopping and am organised so usually do a monthly visit. I was concerned about the possibility of contracting the virus so tried to book a home delivery. It was impossible so I resorted to visiting Tesco. Social distancing was in place but I still felt the risk I was taking for one or two hours. Supermarket delivery vans are a common sight where I live in a relatively affluent village (both Tesco closely followed by Morrison's almost ran me over today which would have added insult to injury!) and I am surmising that many young families and others who might not have any vulnerability issues are using them. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I think something more efficient to help the elderly and vunerable could have been arranged in the past few weeks. Other goodwill assistance has been offered informally in our community for which I'm entirely grateful but this can never be a replacement for official emergency provision in my opinion and is often patchy, limited, unaccountable and lacking proper resources. I have just tried https://shoppingslot.co.uk and it appears very useful except there was no slot to be had at any supermarket so it's off to Tesco again next week! Quite an exciting prospect given my propensity to walk down aisles in the wrong direction!

I would like, if possible, to be put in touch with any competent genealogists who would be willing to help me , firstly, verify, and secondly, expand, my family tree which I have compiled via subscriptions with Ancestry and Family Tree Maker. I am hoping to complete this project soon as I am in my mid-seventies and happen to be last in my family line. I have had very kind help from other members, for which I'm most grateful, but if anyone can help me or recommend someone on a continuing basis for a reasonable fee, that would be ideal. Thanks.

Depersonalisation and derealisation disorder (DPDR) is a common symptom of anxiety caused by stressful situations and should be checked by a medical professional if it persists.

Around 1960, as a somewhat timid and reluctant pupil (and fish out of water!) at Central Technical School, West Street, I remember walking, probably once a week, to tin-smithing classes at a workshop somewhere near to Davy's factory. It might well have felt as if I was serving a life sentence for something of which I was not guilty! The futility and tediousness of it all was, however, often relieved by the appearance of a bag of broken sugar icing which was greedily consumed by all of us. By such acts of kindness is life remembered! Whoever you were, thank you!

Democracy is by no means perfect as what is happening with Brexit has demonstrated. All we can do is try and improve it so that it is more effective and efficient in bringing fair, just and balanced government. It relies on the people being informed, as fully as possible, on all issues although this can only ever be an ideal. Some believe democracy means what is best for themselves and others try to consider what is best for the country. We need to learn from the consequences of Brexit. Society has changed so much over the last few decades and is seemingly more selfish and materialistic with different values now than when some of the great social changes of the twentieth century came to fruition. However, we still have an unwritten social contract to honour between the people and government which defines the right to govern. We need to act on Brexit to strengthen and not weaken that. In recent days, I have heard various people known to me (and most of them highly skilled, trained and supposedly well-educated) state such things that (to paraphrase) "the legacy we leave to our children isn't important","let's send immigrants back", "the right of appeal isn't important in small disputes", "self - interest and the pursuit of material things is acceptable over societal needs" and " it doesn't matter if we bypass or even dispense with local authorities and nibble away at our democratic institutions". This saddens me as someone born in the 1940s. A referendum was not suitable to decide a multi-faceted issue such as Brexit and the public were not well- informed on the issues. My feeling is we need a new political alignment, maybe a new party, which can give a voice to all sensible arguments and hopefully rescue the country and our nation from this mess and its tattered reputation by re- stating our values, making democracy work efficiently and restoring social conscience and justice. We might just be able to restore our reputation and be successful economically again by remaining in Europe and becoming the instigator of reform from within although I'm not sure we have the political will, spirit or personalities to attempt it right now. But at least let us learn from Brexit. We do need a general election and maybe a referendum alongside it on the single issue of whether we remain or leave. Are we able to use the quagmire we find ourselves in to positive effect or do we lie down and suffer the consequences?

If you had bothered to read my short response to the reply to my previous post you would have seen how meaningless, badly-informed, incorrect and typically futile was your own response 'What you said' (as well as being arguably grammatically incorrect). On such poor responses as you give to all posters is the country's future, sadly, being decided. To quote something I read somewhere, 'The arrogance of that post is stupendous'!

I'm afraid your summing-up couldn't be further from the truth. My arguments are based on research, knowledge, experience and fact. They happen to be left-wing and not deferential in the slightest to any elite, political or otherwise. Your first paragraph is suggestive of voters who are disappointed with their lot and wish to make an ill- informed and advised reactionary protest against a perceived elite who, incidentally, are not that remote anyway. Your last paragraph is simply repetitive. Believe me, the last thing I can be accused of is being deferential. It is in order- in fact necessary- to quote arguments from both sides of the political spectrum so as to reach a balanced view. Deference is something once characterising the working classes which is now largely gone. Sadly, replacing it with few facts to decide a referendum issue is one reason for the mess we're in.

This whole debacle shows how badly served we have been for many years now by the political classes at central level. (There has been a similar decline in calibre in local politics too). In my view, as one who served an organisation representing local industry and commerce in the 1970s and, later, as an academic in the fields of politics, economics and public management, not only is the scope of the current debate between hard or soft brexit (or no deal at all) largely irrelevant but the most significant arguments for remaining within Europe are being mostly overlooked whilst primary attention is given to arguments from left and right about immigrants, government spending and perceived savings should we leave etc etc. The truth is that, firstly, this issue should never have been the subject of a referendum; secondly, the global economic system will be largely unaffected by whatever outcome and will continue to recruit the best qualified and cheapest labour (so the right-voting British working classes, having voted for Brexit, will, ironically, still be the losers); thirdly, we will probably return to the archaic trade deals and practices we had before the EEC to our cost; and, lastly, we will lose our influence within Europe as an instigator of reform and change from within. One of the major arguments for being within the European organisation is hardly ever mentioned, that is, to affect and sustain the balance of power, the fall of which was the cause of both World Wars. Winston Churchill recognised the need to move closer to Europe for this purpose as well as that of trade, hence his 'Three Circles' foreign policy. We need a general election to decide, not the terms of any Brexit deal, but whether the country really wishes to leave Europe after spending so long in trying to join. Unfortunately, the damage has been done and our reputation as a nation is probably in tatters for a long time to come. Much of the discussion is irrelevant, simplistic and foolish. What will happen economically will happen anyway whatever the politicians decide or think. Factually, the political education of the general population is abysmal and, as Churchill himself said, one has only to speak to the average voter for a few minutes to realise what a mistake it was to extend democracy. Philosophically, Rousseau was wrong and Hobbes was right and we are about to suffer the consequences.

Then there came a period where portable paraffin heaters were very popular with the weekly ritual of carrying a can of ' Esso Blue' or 'Aladdin Pink' from your local shop. Much warmer than electric bar fires or storage heaters which we were encouraged to buy for modernisation!

Excuse me, but I am certainly not an apologist and not looking for excuses but rather would prefer it if we identified and dealt with evidence-based reasons for these kind of actions some of which have been mentioned. Of course, in the main, no rational person would wish to carry out these acts and this is why the proper reasons need to be identified and discussed.