Sparkytom

A bit late answering your query. I was in the Sheffield Schools Choir when they made a recording of Jerusalem but it wasn't in the presence of Winston Churchill. The recording was done at Abbeydale Girls School. We recorded 4 songs on 2 78rpm records, record 1 had Jerusalem backed with Non Nobis Domina', Record 2 Had Nymphs and Shepherds on one side but have forgotten what the other song was. I do have a copy of record 1 and have managed to digitise the two songs. I enter a photo of the session on the Sheffield archive site Picture Sheffield the title being "Sheffield Schools Choir" Regards Sparkytom

I was a member of 76th Sheffield (All Saints) Scouts from 1948 to 1954. Only just read your query but maybe able to help with any information you may require.

Hi Voldy, Thanks for the photo. Although 1950 is a bit early for me, I started in the repair shop 1956, and then only there for 1 year before moving onto other departments. Unfortunately the picture disintegrates when blown up but I think I recognise a couple of guys. Tall guy on back row was an armature winder. 3rd and 4th from the left middle row could be Johnny ? and Stan Cave, the were control panel re-builders. The shop manager must have changed as the one in my time was a very sick looking man and I don't remember ever seeing him smile. There again I suppose 6 years can change some one.

It's been a long time but just noticed your entry. Was the office you worked in a small brick built office block infront of the West Machine shop and just about next to the canteen. The general manager was Mr. Brocklehurst, office foreman Harry Brown, his assistant was George Hartley.

Started working at English Steel in 1955 and attended day school one day a week and night school one night a week at Rotherham Technical College. Finished in 1961 with my City & Guilds Electrical Technicians certificate. Moved to Australia and started my own electrical business and over the years took night school classes in computer programming and Programmable Logic Controls just to keep up with modern trends. Ended up doing part time night school teaching in computer programming and basic electrical theory. Proving the often said, if you want to know a subject well, teach it.

Hi Dennis, Just catching up with messages. I noted you mentioned Tony Hall would he have lived on one of the streets coming off Ellesmere Road just before Petre Street started. I went to school with a Tony Hall, through All Saints Junior and Burngreave Schools. We used to meet up after school at the Ellesmere School evening play time, it did have a name but I've forgotten. Gordon

Hi Fresia I have just read your message from a couple of years ago re- Les Rushford. Funnily I knew him as Lesley so the Les didn't ring a bell. I knew him when he was in my class at All Saints around 1945 to 1951 after we went to Burngreave he wasn't in my class so lost touch.

We left Sheffield in 1964, for the first few years we were a little home sick, we live in Australia. We have returned 7 times over the years, ourlast visit was 2014 and we st ill love visiting, we hope to make maybe our last in 2016. I wouldn't want to live there, mainly because of the weather and the traffic congestion not only in Sheffield but the whole country. Although at first we missed the old Sheffield we have now become accustom to it and look forward to seeing new changes.

Hi Ian, Only just caught up with this thread. I lived at Petre St Post Office and played with some of the boys you mentioned. My main friend was Graham Cowley who lived next door to the Brailey's. Others were David Brailey, Alan Hardisty, Malcom Slack but the other names don't ring a bell. I am 5 years older than you so would have been one of the big boys. Graham Cowley's brother was Michael and he married the Pearce girl from the chip shop on Petre St. Those two brothers immigrated to Canada and then on to USA, I have tried locating them but had no luck so far. I have been in touch with Steven Brailey who also lives in the USA.

Hi Taffy124, yes I went to Burngreave School, I think a little before your time 1951 to 1955. If you look back through the thread you should beable to pickup on others that went there.

I don't know about the Kelvin Flats GW but I certainly agree with you on the hole in the road. I'm sure it could have been expanded more to create out of the weather shopping for that whole area. Of course also being look after and policed much better would have helped.

Hi Gennylove, If you meet up with your Uncle David just give my regards from the post office boy, he'll know who I am then. I'm trying to remember all the boys, am I right in thinking that Peter was the next eldest from David. I have been in contact with Alan but he was only a baby when I used to play with David.

Sorry about that, it must be me that is having memory problems, I don't remember her at all. I thought I was his secretary in my first year, as our room was next door to Scowcrofts office, room 61 if I recall. He has a buzzer in that room which he pressed when he wanted an errand boy. I lived at a post office so he used to call for me to post all his mail when I went home for lunch.

Na then Lazyherbert I think thi' memories going a bit. I was there in 1952 and don't ever remember a miss King, infact don't recall there being any women teachers in the boys school. Of course on the girls side there was the dreaded Miss Yates, thank goodness she had nothing to do with us lads.

Hi CF8M, I was in Sheffield 12 months ago and was told about the very same things you mentioned re - the magna, so we didn't waste the 10 quid. Would be interested to know just what is left in Sheffield with the steel industry. I noticed a couple of steel mills up near the airport and I had a little look at what was keft of the old ESC down on Brightside Lane. In 1961 when I had just finished my apprenticeship I was asked if I would like to transfer to a brand new steel mill around Shepcote Lane area. I turned the offer down as it involved 12 hour shifts but maybe the steel mill I have seen is the actual one. On the funny side I immigrated to Australia to a brand new steel mill and ended up working shift work with shifts sometimes lasting 16 hours but then that's another story.

I have to agree with Skippy, don't always believe what propoganda says about a place. I have lived on the coast and now live inland in your so called desert. It is by no means a desert but quite fertile. The green maybe not as deep as England but then we don't have to think about whether to take an umbrella or rain coat or risk it. Our winters do get cold but only so far as we have to wear a jumper and maybe long trousers. In 40 years I have never worn a rain coat or over coat and only wear a jacket for the odd formal outing. Don't think I don't like UK, just the opposite, we have visted about every 4 years and really enjoyed it including the weather but I have to say that we do have trouble handling the masses of people in the towns, the country side and most of all on the roads. The stress of living is very high and seems to be why a lot of people choose to have at least 2 holidays away per year. We don't seem to have that stress and so don't require to get away from where we live apart from our trips to UK.

Hi JemimaB, I used to live at 160 Petre Street, the post office, the Butchers Shop would have been Billy Limbs. I remember the tripe yard up Carwood Rd and the beer off across Carwood Rd from the butchers my Grandma kept from about 1944 to 48. We now live in South Australia.

Hi Frosty, Another one here from down under, although we live in SA much better than ACT:cool:

Hi Pigeon the guy with glasses is my brother and the old guy behind him is my dad. I was never one for the Pigeon lark;) but dad managed to suck brother Brian into it.

As I've mentioned before I actually come from the other end of Petre Street but my dad spent most of his life with his pigeons at Grimesthorpe Club. Here is a photo, I hope, taken in the 70's at the Grimesthorpe (Pigeon) Club trophy presentation night. Just wondered if anyone is reconised in the photo. http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r276/pom_2007/1975PigeonClubPresentation-1.jpg

Although we thought those old cameras were the bees knees and for the times and availability of spare cash they were. Recently I have been scanning literally 100's of old family snaps from mainly Brownie Box Cameras and some more modern types and have found that the focussing was a bit to be desired. For the usual 4 x 3 snaps it was OK but because people tended to stand too far back to take the photo I have been cutting out the sky and bringing the images to the fore. Trouble is they do tend to be out of focus, modern imaging programs can do a little but not enough.

Yes, you could have done better in South Australia:)

Hi AJ, We left the sunny shores of UK in 1964 and have never regretted it. Well I tell a lie, obviously we went through the pangs of home sickness and being so far away from family and old friends. We have returned quite a few times for extended holidays and watched the changes to Sheffield, particularly the Attercliffe area. We last visited 12 months ago and we were billeted at Brinsworth. I borrowed a bike and went for a ride along the canal and then down Hawke Street and had look around the steel works that used to be ESC. Would have loved to have had a walk around inside the steel works but I don't think that is done these days. Because some of the works had been split up and opened up I was able to venture all the way to where Roy and I started work as office boys before we were old enoough to start our electrical apprenticeships. Over the next 5 years we worked together quite often in various departments and were in the same class at Rotherham College of Technology. Although it is sad to see the Sheffield we knew being pulled down I think generally it is for the better, but I also think we did the right thing in moving to Australia, even if only for our kids sake. GL

Having just caught up with this thread I wish to put in my two penn'uth. I went to Burngreave Secondary Modern in the 50's. On the teachers side of things they did have to put up with trying to teach 40+ kids so some sort of displine was required, although by today's standards fairly over the top. With that number of students, no doubt some did miss out through lack of attention. One or two teachers although very strict and used the cane very sparingly were absolute success's as far as pupil interaction. Two others which come to mind were the opposite. One a Mr. Guyler (and I don't apologies for naming him although he has probably passed away now) was very sadistic and ruled with the cane to the point where he asked a general geography question and then went around the room seeking the answer. If you didn't know or gave the wong answer then it was a stroke of cane across the fingers. No one in the class knew the answer so everyone was caned. Need I say more about his teaching methods. He did get success though as the class average for maths was quite a lot higher than previous years obviously gained by fear. The second teacher was the music teacher, I liked him but because I could sing he like me, need I say more. One singing lesson he was walking around listening to each pupil in turn, one particular boy, who happened to be school captain, could not sing in tune at all. So the teacher cracked him across the shoulder blades with the cane and told him to sing in tune. The boy leapt up from his desk and grabed the cane, snap it in half and said don't ever hit me again. The teacher was totaly startled and never said a word to him. I like to think that he had realised he had gone over the top.

Hi Carbrook Lad, I'm a Pitsmoor lad but just incase you may know this guy. Roy Skinner he would have left Coleridge Rd School in 1954, he also lived on Coleridge Road. I worked with him on and off through our apprenticeship at ESC from 1955 to 1961.