KiwiPete

I was a pupil at Hinde House from 1958 ish to 1962 and have been trying to discover when the school was built. Did the usual search on the web but the only info is on the newer school. While I was a student there they started building another school next to the original in line with it. I left before it was completed. Any info welcome. Kiwi Pete.

Hi Pauline, Are you still there? You can be forgiven if you have given up waiting for a response after all this time but I have only just caught up with the Forum. Wrote something about Limpsfield back in Jan 07 but there were only a few responses, (Anlaby St having the best recall) so I drifted away. Could it be that most folk who lived there at the time are either dead, moved to the other end of the earth (still how much farther can get than me without falling off the end), don’t give a stuff about the past or are in la la land. Might be a good place to be though. No worries there. OK cut the crap Pete did I hear you say and get on with it. So I was born in 47 that’s 1947, at no 69 Limpsfield Rd. My Gran lived in the next yard up at 73? Same yard as you Pauline but to my shame I can’t remember you. Yes, I knew Freddie, we played together a lot. Now I’m talking about kids play not the later pop bands that Freddie was to play in. I think Freddie was a bit younger than me, this is where the brain crumble clicks in again, can’t be sure but there would be only a couple of years in it. I can remember your Ma and Pa but for some reason I remember Jim better. He was either your Dad’s or Mum’s brother? He was a very friendly guy, lived on Dearne St and drove a truck for the London Brick Co. Always had a red face, that’s Jims face not the truck, although these lorries were red with some black and seemed to be very big to us kids although when you see a restored one today they are quite small. Foden I think? I have three photos of Freddie taken in the early 50’s. Two were snapped in our backyard the third being taken by a professional photographer of all the pupils of Brightside School. The date on the back says 1954.I can scan these pics and send you the copies. Let me know. There’s a lot more to say but I’ll leave that until later. See Ya, Pete.

Clown, I remember ESC's power station very well also the reservoir.I lived on Limpsfield Rd and as a kid we used to play on Jimmy Childs quarry( Red Hills ) and occationally we would go up to the 'reser', squeeze through the railings and throw stones into the water.The pumping station was opposite the Crown pub.The water from the Don was unbelievably polluted, heaven knows what it did to the inside of the boilers.I have just come across an article in a 1995 Internatioal Stationary Steam Engine journal which says that ESC's power station was commissioned in 1936 and ceased opperation in May 95.There is a lot of other detail of the power station in the article, too much to write here though.

Sorry but can't add too much to the thread other than I was born in Sheffield some time ago (old fart) and I have a post hole borer made by the Hardy Pick Co in my shed.I bought it 25+ years ago, second hand and have no idea how old it would be. Still it bores holes with out any problems its only the opperator thats slowing down. Has anyone done a search at the Ken Hawley Tool collection,there could be something in the archives.

Old rowley, I was born and lived on Limpsfield Rd and remember the stinking gas works very well.I might have known those two boys in the photo.The fumes that came from that tall slender chimney on the right were evil.Net curtains that were in fashion at the time had a very short life, rotted away with the fumes. Wonder what it did to our young lungs? Is this (fumes) the reason why I have a bad cough or was it the Woodbines? I remember when the building was demolished, Hurray! can't think what year it was.Trouble is they built another stinker in it's place. The gas retort was in the back ground, It can't be seen in the pic.I have a 1906 map of the area. I used to go with my Dad to the retort house for coke, he pushed me there in a wheel barrow.The retort house was a scarry and facinating place for a young kid with lots of smoke and flames. The two chimneys on the extreme left (two more out of sight) are ESC's Siemens Open Hearth Furnaces. Those chimneys used to belch out orange smoke that would cover the whole area if the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. The fall out would pit the paint work on our car, again what the hell did it do to our lungs? Cough ,Cough.

I did'nt work at Davies,served my time at the ESC River Don Works.Was there from 62-70.My best mate Mick Hempshall was a production fitter at Davies and his Father Frank was a crane driver. Frank and his better half Molly are still alive and kicking as far as I know and live at Bramley? Mick lives near Cheadle Hulme. I have family connections with Davies as well, my wife Kate Selby nee Meeke worked there 65-66 in the cashiers office. Margret Malcom and Kath Wragg were in the office too. My Brother in Law Ernest ''Mick" Tooley was I think the Factory Engineer. He had rather a bad work related accident and was of work for some time.He was back at work only for a short time before he developed cancer and died in 94. I remember the sports club very well as I used to go there with Mick.Nobody has mentioned the spiral stair case in the foyer, very flash at the time. Yes I spent many an hour downing a pint or three while playing snooker or darts.Mick was, and nodoubt still is a good player but hated losing so as I was a pretty average player (some would say below average) I used to *iss him off when I played a bad shot, especially if we were playing for money. I got to know Dave "Henry'' Wragg:D as well as Frank Hammond and some others who's names I have forgotten. ESC had a sports club at Shiregreen but this was old and rather dowdy but Davies was new and a rather exciting place to be.Is it still there? Mick had an amazing ability to fart on demand, you know pull my finger.Anyway after having a few pints of the amber liquid at the club we decided to go into town (there was another guy with us but I cant remember his name)We hopped on a Atlantian bus and went up stairs, all cool teenages went up stairs and sat on the back seat. A Jamacan conductor came upstairs to collect the fares and just as the conductor reached us Mick let out one of his thunderous farts made even louder by the leather seats.The conductor who was a little startled by this, said, with a dead pan face and in a thick Jamacan accent Have you ripped the seat? This remark sent us into hysterics helped nodoubt by having a few ales under our belts. Ok you needed to have been there. It's good to see that Davies is still in business. Pete. K P

PopT, I worked at ESC River Don works 62-70.Served my time there.Worked in the West machine shop then the South m/s.I also live in NewZealand.We could be living close.If you are agreeable we could exchange e-mail addresses.Always happy to talk about the old firm and engineering. Pete.

Alabystreet, Sorry I cocked up the email address try this selbymester.forge@xtra.co.nz I put a comma when it should have been a dot PLONKER.Send me your email address so that I can get those photos to you. Will reply to your posting soon .

Does anybody know what happened to Linda Swain and Yvonne Hill they were both in my class at Hinde House 1956 -62.Both were from Wincobank, one of them lived on Standon rd and the other on Wood bury rd but can't remember which way round.Looking at Google Earth I see that the roads are still there.Linda married Derek Wilson and Yvonne to Kieth Walker but this was many moons ago.They were loverly girls and yes you have guest right I fell for them but at the time I was way to shy to say so (I can feel myself blushi:blush: ng now) Anyhow it would be nice to catch up with them.

Thanks Anlabystreet for your memories,but I have no idea who you are so please identify yourself.My email address is selbymester.forge@xtra.co,nz A lot of the names that you mentioned have gone completely from my head (brain crumble) you say that you can go on and on, please do. As I said in my first posting I have several group photos taken at Brightside school in the early fifties could be before your time though,I dont know when you were at the school.Anyway if you are interested I can send you a copy they are great fun to look at.

My uncle, Pete Whitehead worked there for many years but cant remember the dates.Does any one remember him.

I was told this story when I was a tea boy at River Don works back in the sixties. Tradesman askes t/boy to go buy bubble for spirit level,tea boy says yes no problem,T/B reapears later with packet of soap powder, says to tradesman here make your own F*****ing bubbles.Now why did'nt I think of that one.

I recieved your message but as I am new, (less than 10 posts) I cant reply to your message .Please send me your e mail address then I can send you the "stuff".

Yes I lived on Limpsfield Rd, me Peter Selby was born in June 1947 at no 69. My mum Margaret Selby (now 84) nee Thornton, dad George, died 1991, I still miss the old bugger. Dad’s folks lived in the same yard, George and Ada, while mums folk lived in the yard above. I was a much-loved grandson especially by my lovely gran Thornton. Here are some of the people that I remember. Keith Walker, who lived on Stupton Rd, married Yvonne Hill and went to live in S/Africa. More about Yvonne in a future article about Hinde House school. Gordon Rastrick, his mum nee Bolton, he had an adopted brother, can’t remember his name. (c.r.h.n) Dave Handwell my best mate, lives in Bermuda, has two sons, had a bro named Stephen, his folks were called Bob & Hilda she was a Symonds.They first lived in Dearn St but moved to a new house on Stupton Rd.Living in the same yard as the Symonds were the Rudkins.Jack & his sister Mary they were friends of my mum & dads, they will be in their late eighties by now or pushing up daisies. Their mum kept chickens in the back yard. Glyn Pashley,he had a sister but (c,r,h,n.) Freddy Guite,he had a sister named Lorraine. John MacClean he had a sister but (c,r,h,n.) Godfrey Cole,folks called Ken & Peggy, Ken had a great sence of hummour. Mick Hempshall, my best mate,he had a much younger brother named Patrick,they were good Catholics so I guess Pat must have been the result of a stray shot. Parrents Frank & Molly. Micks gran lived in the same yard as well. Mick moved to Rochdale, married Barbara and has a daughter. Victor Waite who was a bit older that us, still is I suppose, lived in the same yard as Mick,Victors old man had a newsagents shop ( a small shed) at the top of Dearn St Morris Livell,his mum never went out of the house, we call it agoraphobia today. Morris served his time in the steel works and some time later started up his own business but due to some trifling indiscretion served his time again at Her Majesties Pleasure. Today people diddle others out of millions and get a Knighthood for it. John Vollum, Below Johns was Syd Smith he ran a motor cycle repair business from his house, later moving to a shop on Attercliffe Common.Many of my hard earned quids went into Syds till.Syd had a sign over the entry that proudly proclaimed Syd Smith Motor Cycles Rudge Agent. I bet the screw holes are still in the brickwork. Other people that I remember were old man Wright who lived on the corner of Limpsfield and Oxted Rd. He was a self appointed custodian of the “Quarry” and was always chasing us kids away .We thought that he was a right *******, pun intended, but I got to know him better as a teenager and he was quite a nice guy really. Susan Ashforth lived on Oxted Rd. Derek Willsons folks had a fruit and veg shop in Jenkin Rd,he married Linda Swain *******!, more about that later. His folks built a new house on Oxted Rd near the old farm.The house was very posh at the time, they were probably charging too much for the fruit and veg .My dad worked long hours (shifts) as a turner at ESC River Don works for a pittance, this hard graft no doubt contributed to his early death . Mick & Joyce Smith nee Hotnell, they lived in the same yard as Roy Hatersley.Joyces mum lived on Oxted Rd and ran a sweet shop out of her back room .My aunty, Dorris Whitehead nee Thornton would take me there to buy sweets,(was this the start of tooth cavities).Mick Smith had a Ariel Square 4 which was a very cool bike to have at the time. My dad bought it off him but spoilt it by attaching a sidecar, still I had to go somewhere. Most of the kids above went to Bright side school including Tina Cotton from Jenkin Rd, Lyn Davies, Dave Nettleton, John Read, Danny Slack both from Dearne St and many others their names I cannot recall. Fortunately I have a Brightside School group photo of us all taken in May 1952 and if we ,The Old Boys and Girls ,were to see it ,it might just jog our old gray mattes and we might be able to put a few names to the faces . It really is fun and embarrassing (God did I really look like that) at the same time, . If any one wants a copy just let me know, then we can compare notes. One think that is permanently etched in my mind were the toilets at Brightside School. The bogs were built in Victorian times and never upgraded after generations of Brightside kids had put their bums on those ****** soaked wooden seats. I took one look and decided in an instance that no way was my very young arse ever going to make contact with the mahogany. This early (bad) experiences got me into a life long habit of going for a crap before I left home for school or work and you can almost set you’re watch by my bowel rumblings. Rubble rumble must be 6.45, yes sure is, on time as usual, off we go, grab a book. This routine will continue long after I’ve been put in the ground and some early morning jogger, running though the graveyard is going to be in for a fright. I better stop typing now as I have used all the memory up, mine not the computers. I have more to say especially about Hinde House School. I would love to hear from anyone who can confirm, deny or add to what I have written. The passing of time has a nasty habit of distorting things somewhat but it might have jogged a few memories and perhaps between us we might get the facts straight.