Eccleshall

I've got some thoughts about moving away to add to my earlier post: Over the years, I have met dozens of folk that have moved away from their own towns, the latest being my daughter and family that have moved over to Florida to live near me. Some folks have done well and some have scurried back to where they came from.The only way to make a go of it is to realize that wherever you are, is not where you came from. You have to stop complaining that things are different. You will probably be homesick,but if you get on with life the homesickness fades over time. When I first moved to the USA, if did not seem as foreign as say, Germany, because they speak (sort of), English. It took about 6 months as a civilian after I left the army before I realized that the USA is very much a foreign country to a Brit. There are different schools of thought, different institutions, different political systems, different social structure etc. It also took quite a while before I realized that they did not care about my complaints, and that they were not going to change anything just because I told them things were different elsewhere. Once you get over all that, you can settle down. I did. Of all the things I miss most, I miss the sense of humour. (my spell check is telling me this should be spelled humor). I have learned to laugh at many of the same things the natives do, but I miss the irony and the dry wit of my homeland. In the USA, my son had the good fortune to go to one of the top ten high schools in Illinois, Stevenson in Buffalo Grove (Chicago area). There were 4000 students. The parking area was full of students' cars (they can drive at 16), many of them new beemers (not my son's, he had one of my old hand-me downs). The students had more than 100 extracurricular societies and hobby, and sports activities additional to the academic programme. The school had an Olympic size swimming pool on the premises that put poor old Glossop Road baths to shame, two theatres that most small towns would be glad to have, and very high academic standards. My son played ice hockey for the school and loved it. On a rare visit to Sheffield, I took him once to see the remains of St. Vincent's on Solly St where I went to school, and asked him how he would prefer to go to school there. He looked around him with alarm at the poor neighbourhood. I told him that the only extracurricular activity I had there was getting home without running into one of the bullies. (you know who you are). Ah, yes, happy days. We are now fully integrated in American society. My son went to university here and is an American cop. My son in law owns two car repair garages (shops in the local vernacular) here in Florida. I have lived and worked in the US since I left the army in 1991, and I still have not lost my Brit accent, but it is toned down a lot. I'm a Sheffielder at heart, but I'll never live there again. Oh, it is January, and I am sitting in my shorts and T shirt with the windows open. I have truly loved reading the postings on this site, as it has made me think more about Sheffield that I had thought in the last 40 years. If you too do decide to move, you will find that there are active Brit communities in most countries all over the world. It is a good way to find a friendly accent and help if you want. Sorry this is long. Anyway happy new year to all.

I took part in the Star Walk in (I think), 1961 (might have been 1962). My dad won the cup for first senior, and I thought I had won first junior, but at the prize giving dinner, I was mortified to see that the guy who was in just front of me won the cup. I did not try to chase him down on the final stretch because I thought he looked much older than a junior. Oh well, no prize for second. I never did try the walk again. It was pretty tough with all the hills.

No, probably not. It's what I called him back then, before I had heard of PC. And I'm sure his relatives would not like to hear him described so. I was not meaning to give offence, just speaking out of turn (and time). I rather think it's the eccentrics that give flavour to life. It's funny really, how often, over the years I have remembered him when I forgot so much else. One old chap directing the traffic had much more effect on my consciousness than thousands of others walking past. There must be a lesson there somewhere.

hillsbro, thanks for sharing those pictures. What a classy place Walsh's was. I spent as much time as I could on those escalators before the staff threw this scruffy little urchin out. And what elegance the Arcade had. I agree with you, such a crime to demolish places like that for the soulless places they put up in its place. Shame!

It wasn't that hard to picture it when I was growing up. Half the Moor was a bomb site in those days, especially on the left side when going towards the Town hall.

Yes, I suppose my memories are of the tap room, which is where the gang hung out.

I never went to the SAS bar in Abbeydale, although I went to the Abbeydale cinema many times. I haven't seen liquorice root for years. I now remember one of the reasons I used to buy it was, when I was very young, sweets were still rationed, but liquorice root wasn't. I suppose I developed a taste that never went away.

Endcliffe park also had a boating lake on the pond at the Hunter's bar end of the park near the refreshment bar and bandstand.

I seem to remember the Locarno was a store (M & S)? before it became a dance hall. It was strange because the floor sloped, due, so my dad said, to it having been a cinema first. I was only very small at the time. In my teenage years, I had many a smooch there on Saturday night.

I used to have a friend called Darrel Burbeary. Any relation?

Oh, my lord! St. Vincent's. How could I forget. I well remember Mr. Sweeney,(and the looong wait outside his office when waiting for punishment), Mr. Smith who tried in vain to teach me math (I learned it later, but I had to teach myself). I wonder if anybody remembers the model he made of the church. There was even a picture of it in the newspaper. Mr. Walsh who was the science teacher, and was always in a really bad mood when he had his hair cut. I never figured if getting his hair cut put him in a bad mood. or if that 's when he got it cut. He did have a neat microscope with a screen on the end you could look at to see things swimming around in pond water, etc. Mr. Hosty who actually taught me to love the English language. I still remember him going on about the Canterbury tales. Mr. Veal (Meatballs), who taught me to play the recorder, and something about history. I left there in 1960 and joined the army. Ah yes (not so), fond memories.

There used to be an air show held at Norton in the 1950s. I remember going there as a kid, but I don't remember if any aircraft actually took off from there, or if they flew over from elsewhere.

Was born in Nether Edge hospital in 1945, grew up on Eccleshall Rd opposite the Star Cinema. Attended St Marie's and St Vincent's Catholic schools, joined the army in 1960 and served in Libya, Cyprus, Germany, Norway, Persian Gulf, and the USA. Visited France, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Africa and Korea. Was an army pilot flying helicopters and retired to remain in the USA. Have visited most US states and lived in Alabama, Texas, Illinois, and now Florida. There is a huge world outside Sheffield and I'm glad I found it. I have only been back to Sheffield a few times, each time finding that I was growing further from my mates. We just had less in common, I suppose. I would say that living elsewhere in the world is not hard. Mostly, it's a matter of filling out the right paperwork. I love Florida for the weather and the great lifestyle.

The one on Eccleshall Rd was called Hartley's. I used to live two doors down. They sold sarsparilla, dandelion and burdock, etc. I spent any cash I had there on sweets, and on fireworks when I had been collecting pennies for the guy. They also had a jar of liquorice roots that I found strangely satisfying. (after spending an hour mashing it to a sort of woody pulp).

I used to live almost next door to Wards brewery, between Edley's shoe repair shop and Stubbs' butcher's and near Hartley's sweet shop, right across from the Star cinema. For a while, we had a woman called Gladys who was a sort of baby sitter to us kids. She would send me down to the Earl Grey to get her a jug of bitter and then sit and drink it all night. Some sitter!