Expat-Mark1

Can't add any eclesiastical or geology knowledge to the thread but can add some 50's and 60's history of the Bole Hills, especially the main playing fields which were once under Sheffield Education Committee regulations. I think the fields may well have been the recreational outlet of Bole Hill and Western Road schools?

At the end, nearest the police station on Northfield Road, was a 'cook house' where the Education meals were prepared. This was surrounded by a wonderful oval path which was an ideal cycle-speedway track!

Then there was a changing hut and surrounding toilets.

The main field now doesn't tell the truth as grass can be seen. There used to be a soccer pitch at the Walkley end with the main pitch at the Crookes end, by those toilets. In between was a hockey pitch alongside a concrete cricket strip. The 'top pitch' bore no grass at all. It was played on every night and was dust/mud/cinders, it was the colour of the sand in Tenerife!

The game would start about 6.15pm (after homework) and as eyes acclimatised, we could still be playing at 9.30. The bottom of the field was surrounded by sharp-spiked railings and many a ball bit the dust on those!

In summer, there was a queue to play tennis on about eight courts and you booked them down steps, no longer there, by the bowling club.

There was the childen's playground and the park-keeper's hut behind which hanky-panky is alleged to have taken place. I wouldn't know, I was busy with the football!

We used to come from the field and go into Meeson's sweet shop at the end of Longfield Road. We'd buy our JUBBLIES there but Pop Meeson kept about a dozen cats and they'd walk all over the jars and fridges - the whole shop stank of cat pee but I'm told his lemonade was great! We entertained ourselves in those days and loved every minute.

Thanks for posting this. The steps you mentioned were built in the early 1900's by my grandfather, for a pair of shoes, shame they are gone now.