Shefflich

There was a John Barnard (wife Joan) who lived at Bents Green until they both died approx 5 years ago (?) They had a daughter but don't recall her name. I know they had family in Witney. Doubt that will help much and I'm afraid that's the full extent of my knowledge on the matter!

It's a great shame, especially as years ago when Meadowhell opened, it was really John Lewis's decision to remain in the city centre (along with W H Smith and M & S ) that saved the centre. Things have changed a lot since then of course and JL is struggling. I now live in Lichfield in Staffordshire and both our nearest John Lewis stores have now closed, (Tamworth and Birmingham). Solihull remains open and is now our nearest JL but it's an awkward journey to get to it. We had said that if we were really wanting to go to a store it would be easier to come back up to Sheffield but now that options gone as well. You do wonder how any town/city centre can continue. Sad times.

Back in the late 60s and 70s I used to have Chester Burnham as my dentist. When he retired I changed dentists. I remember once while I was in the chair the receptionist came through to tell him that his next patient had cancelled. He told her to charge her a 'de-buggeration fee'.

The case which the Sword was presented in was made by my father's cousin as he was a cabinet maker at the British Museum in London.

I wonder if anyone knew Mick Ward, born in Sheffield in 1952. Lived most of his Sheffield days with his parents at High Storrs Drive. I believe he attended Silverdale until going to Abbeydale Grange for his A levels. Went on to study Chemical Engineering at Bradford Uni. and married in about 1974/5. He and his family moved to the Stockport area many years ago. Sadly after a very lengthy period of illness and general disability including blindness, Mick died age 67 in Manchester Royal Infirmary at the end of August this year (2019). I am/was his brother-in-law and just thought that someone back in Sheffield might remember him and may wonder what had become of him. None of the family currently live in the Sheffield area. RIP Mick.

My wife and I lived on Albert Road from 1972 to 1983 at number 225. Have you looked at Street View on Google Earth? You should be able to see it as it is today unless someone has blocked the pictures as they have by our old house.

Interesting. When we lived in Sheffield it always bugged us that Sheffield didn't seem to exist as far as the BBC Look North was concerned, you would think Leeds was the hub of the universe! I assume local BBC services are still based in Leeds or have they moved to Media City in Manchester now?

Now living in Lichfield it has been good recently to see so much of Sheffield, of which I have very fond memories, on the BBC. The new Dr Who of course, episode one and episode three this last weekend filmed at Park Hill flats, the new Steph McGovern programme about manufacturing showing the Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, Cutlers Hall and various shots in the city (and Hathersage) and then Breakfast Television from the Winter Gardens just this morning. The city is looking good on the small screen - be proud.

Hi Mikefisher. I no longer live in Sheffield but many moons ago used to do amateur dramatics with Joe Ashton's daughter in a group called Theatre Focus. I'm not in contact with her and doubt she would remember me but you could try contacting her if all else fails. I happened to meet Joe Ashton by chance years later and asking after her he told me she was a reporter and a quick search on-line seems to suggest that she is currently the Local Democracy Reporter at Johnson Press. I'm sure there are contact details on the internet. Hope this is of some small help. I have to admit I didn't recognise her from her picture (she was still at school when she was with TF) but from her history on-line I'm 99.9% positive this is Joe Ashton's daughter. If copies of the book are available still I'm guessing she will know how you might get one. ---------- Post added 30-10-2018 at 16:15 ---------- Me again. Just realised I didn't say that her name is Lucy.

I guess parking charges are always something to be moaned about wherever you live. When I moved to Lichfield from Sheffield nine years ago the locals here told me how expensive parking was until I pointed out to them that you could only park in Sheffield for half an hour for what they were paying for a whole day in Lichfield.

Arthur Price is based in Lichfield, Staffordshire these days. Not a Sheffield company.

For some reason I can't get the picture to open so can't comment on the picture itself, but, Hibberts, as well as selling pictures and supplies also provided a picture framing service. It could well be that whoever owned the picture originally had it framed at Hibberts. As well as buying several paintings from the shop during the years we lived in Sheffield, we also had pictures framed by them and they did put a sticker on the back. Sadly the Hibbert name on the photo may mean nothing more than the fact that it was taken to them to be framed.

True! The same thought occurred to me about half a second after clicking 'Submit Reply'.

I think the furthest landmark you can see from Sheffield, given a clear day, is the Sun. A mere 149.6 million kilometres away. Warning! Don't use binoculars.

I think right up to it closing, Lodge Moor Hospital Pharmacy had a small tank of leaches on their reception counter.

Hi Wensley1. Sorry you both ended up there in those circumstances but glad it turned out Ok in the end. It was very unusual to have both sexes on a ward in those days and I can't recall seeing it happen at the RH. They must have been pushed for beds! I can just imagine the excitement!! The male wards I remember were Bernard Wake, May Ward, Edgar Allan and Arthur Jackson. I was going to list Pye Smith but on reflection think that was female. Each of these wards had four small side wards, 2 each side at the ward entrance. Possibly you were in one of those? There were other wards over in what was known as Pay Block because of a few private rooms on the top floor. That block was served by a lift manned by a rather grumpy chap who I think was called Joe. Don't think I ever saw him smile but then his life must have been full of ups and downs. (sorry). Christmas was always a jolly time with all the wards decorating for the event. Lots of lights and cotton wool snow which H&S eventually put an end to, not to mention inappropriate use of NHS funds. Ah well!

Gosh, happy days! I started at the Royal in April of 1968 in what in those days was just plain old ECG. Finally retired from the RHH Cardiology in 2006 after 38 years. Very happy memories of the 10 years at the Royal (think it was 78 the RHH opened the wards and the Royal closed). Was it Bert who manned the little office at the main West Street entrance? Remember Frank and Percy who used to trundle their trolley around with the post? Some of the girls from the department used to hide their trolley when they weren't around. They always took it in good part. They made the move to the RHH. We worked for Dr.Gumpert (senior) not his son who became a Neuro Consultant. Prof Sir Charles Stuart-Harris. Dr. Jerry Daly, Dr Derek Cullen, Mr Williams, Mr Fox, Maggie Platts, Dr Charles Davies. Gosh there were others but the names escape me. No doubt someone can fill in some more names. As has been said there was a lovely family atmosphere which largely disappeared when we moved 'up the road'. There was great excitement making the move and strange walking around the finally empty Royal. I recall that on 'moving day' there was one very poorly patient in the Renal Unit (used to block the end of the first floor corridor near Keeling Ward). They put off moving them until they had no option but I believe very sadly that they didn't survive. Everyone was firmly of the opinion that they wouldn't have survived anyway but it was ,to say the least, very unfortunate timing for all concerned. I digress slightly from the main topic, but the RHH was the only hospital I ever worked in where if you asked a patient where they lived, often they could point out of the window and show you whereabouts they were from. Certainly had better views than the old Royal assuming you forget about Fulwood Annex!

I hate to recommend the internet rather than a real shop, but take a look at Modelsport. I can vouch for them being a very good company. They do actually have a real shop though just at this moment I can't recall where it is! they are very helpful should you need to contact them by phone as well.

Sorry to come to this so late, but I worked at the Royal on West Street in Cardiology from 1968 until we finally moved to the RHH. Also worked at the RI. I can confirm what others have said that the Miners Welfare Block was at the Royal Hospital not the RI. It was also referred to as Pay Block there being a small private ward on the top floor with individual rooms. ---------- Post added 24-10-2017 at 17:14 ---------- [ She also used to assist in the operating theatre. The sister in charge was a Miss Smeaton, and I have a photograph of both of them in the theatre which had a marble panelled wall. . Although based at the Royal on West Street, I occasionally worked in Cardiac theatres at the old Infirmary. I normally did cardiac theatres at the Childrens Hospital working with the surgeon Mr Desmond Taylor and the anaesthetist, Dr Di Robertson. The first time I worked with them at the Royal Infirmary, Dr Robertson asked me what I thought of the marble walls which he referred to as 'urinal architecture'.

My Mother was bombed out of her flat in the London blitz and came back up to Sheffield to be with her parents. My father was serving with the Royal Marines. She gave birth to my sister in Sharrow Head Nursing Home at the top of Cemetery Road in June 1944. Bombing wise things were possibly much quieter then?

Sadly not anymore. Not sure if it's happened yet but the last flight ever of a Vulcan was due some time towards the end of 2015.

Playing Scrabble by candlelight with my wife who was eight months pregnant.

My wife, who was born and bred in Sheffield assures me that there were some true back to backs at the bottom of Cemetery Road where the Christadelphian Church now stands. They went probably in the late 50's or very early 60's. They were literally back to back the dividing wall being only one brick in thickness. Those living in one fronting onto the street would have to go along the road and through a passageway to gain entrance to 'their' court where the wash house and outside loos would be. We now live in Lichfield and only last Thursday visited the last remaining back to backs in the country in Birmingham where they are maintained by the National Trust. Well worth a visit. Guided tours only which must be booked in advance. See the National Trust website for details.

I worked at the old Royal Hospital on West Street back in the late 60's early 70's until the main part of the Hallamshire Hospital opened (1978) and as part of my work also did some time at the Royal Infirmary until that also closed in 1979(?). When I went there I was surprised to find that there was an extensive network of tunnels linking all the buildings. There were areas used for storage as well and it was a real rabbit warren. I once got lost taking a patient back to a ward from the Roundhouse building in wet weather. Fortunately we bumped into someone else who directed me but it was quite an experience to go down there. There must have been lift access to all the buildings or it would not have been possible to take patients in wheelchairs or beds which I recall it was. No longer living in Sheffield I don't know how much, if any, of the old buildings are left. I recall that all but one of them (Victoria Block?) had gone but I wonder if the old tunnels are still in existence beneath the housing and supermarket that eventually covered the site.

When we were first married (1970) we had a small flat on Emily Road and so the Abbeydale was in very easy reach. However I only recall going to it once and that was to see a documentary film called 'Blue Water, White Death'. It was all about the great white shark. Maybe it gave someone the inspiration to write Jaws. The cinema itself I seem to recall was quite tatty and run down even then.