IRONMONGER

Carousel has always been my favourite musical, many people fail to realise that it brought us the song “You’ll never walk alone.” My favourite film always has to be “Calamity Jane” with a very young Doris Day.

I don’t suppose that anyone else will remember my first big news story. I can remember the sinking of the ‘Flying Enterprise ‘ in the channel around 1951. I recall my mum demonstrating how the ship keeled over by using a clothes brush! I must search the incident on the internet. I also remember a top secret American bomber crashing onto Lodge Moor Hospital c.1954. Also, Halibut, the coach that the IRA blew up became known as the M62 bomb.

It was ‘Moran’s’, we really enjoyed their jazz nights with the Grumpah Band. Next door was a bicycle shop.

Sheffield Council must have lost all normality of common sense. A few years ago Sheffield University built a huge student village on Endcliffe Vale Road for new students. The complex includes hundreds of student flats, shops and two hotels. On the third weekend of September thousands of freshers arrive along with parents. The whole area becomes gridlocked and I have heard tales of it taking two hours to drive half a mile from Firth Court to Broomhill! Any Sheffielder who is alert well knows this but in their wisdom Sheffield Council have decided to close Endcliffe Vale Road today for a 10k race! Can you just imagine the utter chaos that this will result in? This is terrible news for Sheffield because as word spreads how many school leavers will come to Sheffield University next year after this debacle?

Mr. Sparks’ Launderette, Mitchell’s butchers who sold booze under the counter but now the best off licence in the area.

As the headline states I am looking for a skip hire company who are good, efficient and reasonable. Have you had a good experience?

Google John Banks in Birmingham, they offer sizes up to 70” waist! Their service for mail order is excellent and they offer an alteration service.

Well I was born in Parker’s Road, Broomhill which backed onto Turner’s Lane. In Turner’s Lane were a lot of businesses mainly vehicle related. My Dad’s family had a haulage business housed in a garage opposite a yard of a garage,filling station. At this garage worked a mechanic Calle Joe Elliot who, many years later, would become the father of Def Leppard lead Joe.

Shentall’s were a Chesterfield based company with many branches throughout the region.the had a large branch in Chesterfield Centre . They had a branch on Whitham Road in my home territory of Broomhill. Opposite was a branch of Gallons a small shop with a high counter behind which stood the managers Mr and Mrs Duggleby who delivered locally in a one ton Morris Commercial van. The windows were covered in whitewash writing proclaiming the offers. on Glossop Road was a branch of Gowers the grocers who merged with Burgon and Son, who were adjacent to Parker’s Lane. Don’t dismiss the cooperatives of Sheffield and Ecclesall with branch number seven on Glossop Road. Across the city reigned the Brightside and Carbrook Cooperative Society. In Broomhill we also had a branch of the high quality grocer R. Orme managed by Ron Markin. Orme’s Were based in Bakewell with branches in Nether Edge, Totley and Matlock. i also recall Meadow Dairy, Melias and Seymour Mead.

The Pink Panther was the outcome of an idea by the directors of The Sheffield Lifting Gear Company because they couldn’t find a local restaurant posh enough to entertain their international customers. The restaurant was managed by the lovely Spanish couple Jose and Felicia, the last I heard they had retired back to Spain. Several other local foodies also worked there including another Jose (Joe ) who now owns The Dore Grill. Why the PP became the Shiraz I don’t know but this was run by a lovely man who lived in a huge house on Kingfield Road, a Mr Din. Sadly his son was immature and raced his mates all in expensive Porsche’s up and down Fulwood Road. One very early morning the son was involved in a fight outside the PP, Dad came to help but suffered a heart attack and died. The restaurant then became the notorious Balti King.

I have been told that Community Transport require three months notice. I am not looking for charity and I am fully prepared to pay a fair price for a fair job. I am certainly not naive and realise that a large Euro Cab must cost considerably more to purchase than a normal cab. Once I had a Mercedes Benz cab which was jolly super, I asked the owner for his personal phone number which he wouldn’t give. I am perfectly happy to negotiate a fair fare privately for a satisfactory service.

I know that I and many other wheelchair users are extremely fed up with the terrible service from Sheffield taxi companies. If I order a taxi and a suitable one arrives on time I consider myself to be extremely lucky. I am sick of being treated as a third rate citizen, for example, last Sunday I ordered a large euro cab to take me to an important meeting approximately 2.5 miles away. The meeting was to start at 10.30am so I ordered a taxi for 9.30am, I was sent a text stating that my taxi would be delayed. After one hour and several phone calls I finally gave up and had to miss the meeting. On Thursday I ordered three taxis, firstly one to take me to a funeral at Hutcliffe Wood Crematorium about a mile and a quarter away. I ordered it one and a quarter hours early because of my previous problems, it actually arrived even earlier so I had a long wait at the crematorium. After the service I had ordered another taxi to take me to St. Luke’s Hospice. This one never turned up so I had to return to base on my electric wheelchair missing the rest of a very good friends funeral. On Thursday I also ordered two more taxis to take me about four miles to Loxley and the return. The outward turned up fine, but the return was a SMALL euro cab and after getting my £8,000 wheelchair stuck I had to be removed and wait for another cab. Tomorrow I have ordered three cabs for two important meetings, what will happen? If anyone knows of, or offers a reliable taxi cab that treats disabled people with humanity and respect please let me know.

I recall that the 1-11 left the Big Tree for The Cross Scythes on Derbyshire Lane. Hi

Thank you Hillsbro, as I said earlier it was in an old chapel on Wellington Street which burnt down. The following day I went to the paint wholesaler Allan Davies who were opposite and the air was full of the smell of burning paper and charred cards scattered over the road.

I thought that it was in an old chapel on Wellington Street that burnt down. I thought that the company started in the Broomhall area as a toy and stationery wholesaler. Trying to remember the name of the boss, it was something unusual such as Guon.