Janet Olsen

I was a teen in the 60's in Sheffield. Mojo club was always our favourite place. We wore bell bottom Jeans like Bowls mentioned in his post. They were cat collar size bells which were sewn from about the knee down on the outside of the leg. Every time you took a step you gave a little tinkle. Loved those Jeans. Can't remember ever wearing one around my neck though.

Colin & Mavis Dyson had the Salutation in Attercliffe around the 1968 1970 time.

I remember a lady called Gillian who was quite a close friend Of Pete Stringfellow.

My grandparents used to own the shop right at the top of Boyton St. Dyson's. This would be going back to the early 1950's.

Linda I hope you keep going with your book I am sure if nothing else it will put your life into some kind of perspective for you maybe make you aware of things about yourself you didn't realise. I have read a few fantastic books by a Sheffield chap (can't think of his name off hand) We're's Me Mam & Wer's me Dad for example, really enjoyed them & brought lots of memories back. I think we were so lucky to have been born into the era we were. The 60's were just unbeatable wern't they? the music the fashion the dancing etc. Nothing beats those days. Mrs Hughes was a fantastic English teacher & also even made religion interesting didn't she? Wondering if you still keep in touch with Shirley F?

Good on ya Linda as we say in Oz. Yes you have the correct surname. Our Sue still lives locally & when we have previously visited the UK Sue Jean & I visited the school when it was still there, it was a weekend so we just had a bit of a walk around & a trip down memory lane. Memories stay with us for ever don't they & some of those teachers are as fresh in my mind as they were back then. Terrified of Mrs Fletcher (Guess what my daughters surname is now she is married??? yep Fletcher). Loved Mrs Hughes Mrs Payling & even Mrs Warburton in the end. Atrip to Florida sounds great Linda hope you enjoyed it. Jean & Andy reckon their trip while they were with us, to Frazer Island was the highlight of their Queensland experience. Frazer is the largest Sand Island in the world. They had a trip in a very small 9 seater plane over the island as well which is very memorable. Hope we enjoy the hot air balloon experience as much (tame as it is haha). Good luck with your book Linda I often think about putting pen to paper & I suppose I should do that to some extent for the grandkids because it's too late to aske the questions when we are gone isn't it? I know I regret not asking my parents more while I had the chance. My life has had so many twists & turns Linda it might take another life time to write it all down though haha. I don't think your memory is faulty, I am sure we never had any class photos at Newfield but I will check with Jean & Anne. Stay well & safe. Great chatting.

Linda C I was in the same class as you & Shirley F. My cousin was also in the same class we had the same surname? (Janet & Susan) My best friend was also in that class Jean P who is still my best friend & who is visiting me here in Oz in May we are celebrating her 70th & mine which I had in October last year. Jean was here for her 60th & we had a fantastic time with our husbands & my family. So we are repaeting it for our 70th. I wanted to do a parachute jump but Jean settled for a hot air balloon flight haha. I have had a little contact with Ann A (twin). Lovely girl, lovely lady. Her friend Rita J died a few years ago very sad. Unfortunatly I don't have any photos from that era Linda can't remember having class photos taken at Newfield to be honest.

I also worked at Middlewood back in the late 1960's. I worked on reception & dealt with patient files. I can't say I remember them ever having a photo attached to or in the file.

Pretty much sums it up Petcharlie.

So would I Catmiss & my granddaughter is the same age I was when we used to go to the Mojo, but times were also quite different then to some extent don't you think? But while we were at the club we were also safe really not worried about our drinks (coke or coffee) being spiked. The drug issue wasn't anything like it is now & I don't know if you remember but Pete was very against any drug taking in or out of the club. Somehow there did not seem to be the dangers that there are now. Not saying it was 100 percent safe & yes we were too young, but I feel it was a hell of a lot safer than it would be today. We were mostly interested in the music, dancing & fashion wern't we?

Yes it's as I said earlier in a post, you really had to be there to understand the Mojo Club. In spite of what was reported about the place because it got nothing but bad publicity, it kept many teens out of trouble & off the streets. I didn't see the council or any other critic offering anything to equal it for the younsters of Sheffield. Pete Stringfellow will always hold a special place in my heart I think he was great. Many people may disagree, once again due to a lot of bad publicity & probab;ly a lot of those people didn't know him & I think a lot would envy him. Catmiss my girlfriend & I also used to do the same thing because it was all just too good to miss wan't it?

So sorry to hear that Corine Sunter died & so very young. We went to the same school (Newfield Girl's) We were not in the same class nor were we friends as such but I did know Corine. Popular girl rather quiet (maybe just compared to some of us haha). Had a nice singing voice, she tok the lead part of Josephine in HMS Pinafore at school. Can't tell you much more about her though.

The book I was thinking about is called "Pop Art Of Sheffield's King Mojo & Beyond. It is by Peter Stringfellow, Dave Manvell & Paul Norton. They gave the proceeds of the book to the Sheffield Chldren's Hospital. It's mostly photos, posters etc & a very good list of the artists who played there.

Suppose you were right in saying they were dance halls St Petre, but as someone who spent their teens years at the Mojo Club they were more than dance halls to us. Pete had so much charisma not to mention insight into the music scene back then. Where else could you have seen the bands,groups, solo artists that Pete & Geoff Stringfellow brought to the Mojo Club? They were brilliant years, open only about three years in total & here we are more than 50 years later still talking about the Mojo Club. It was something really special that really was a case of "You had to be there to understand it". All we were interested in back then was the music, the dancing & the fashion. I consider myself so lucky to have been a teen in the 60's living in Sheffield. Tin Star if you can get hold of any books about the Mojo club ,cast your eyes down the bands, groups, solo artists who played there. No matter how old you are now, I am sure you will be more than impressed to see who played there & what we paid to see them. Fantastic times believe me.

The three of them involved actually got sent to prison from memory. It ruined their careers & in some ways no doubt ruined their lives. David & Carol Layne where a very nice couple when they had the Squirrel, he always spoke to his customers both in the cafe & elsewhere. He never seemed bigheaded or on himself. It was dreadful when Carol was killed in a car accident when they were coming home from somewhere. Carol was a lovely lady & they had a young son Michael I think he was called. I agree with what someone said about today's footballers sports people, they get away with anything. I live in Australia & am ashamed of our disgraceful cricket team even though I don't follow cricket. How disgusting was the ball tampering...banned, forgiven & back in the game, no prison for those guys was there. Speak as you find & yes those guys made a big mistake, but I always found David Layne a very decent guy.

Don't forget the Wooly Bully (Sam the Sham & the pharaohs.

Bronco (David ) & his wife Carol had the cafe opposite the park in the early 60's it was near all the shops as you were heading into the shopping area. I seem to remember it was then called The Squirrel. Never remember it actually being called Bronco's.

Thanks retep, I wasn't sure. Yes they did try & run Pete & Geoff out of town & the Mojo Club was the best thing that ever happened to Sheffield teens in the 60's. They were treated shockingly by the council & others. I have nothing but praise for the whole family to be honest as I frequented the Mojo for most of it's life span. Mr & Mrs Stringfellow were lovely people as were the boys all of them. Geoff's wife Maureen was also a nice lady. We were fortunate enough to reap the benefit of Pete being able to recognize & secure bands & singers that went on to become some of the most well known entertainers of today. Geoff probably was the brains behind the outfit & Pete certainly had the charisma needed. I & I am sure, many many other Sheffield (now 70 year old's haha) have very fond memories of Pete Geoff & the Mojo ....sorry KING Mojo Club.

Calahonda I was thinking the same thing about Geoff. I had a feeling Geoff was actually older than Pete, may be wrong though. I heard a few years ago that Geoff was quite ill. He was much quieter than Pete but also a very nice chap. It's not mentioned very often but Geoff was also very much a part of the Mojo Club back in the 60's. Always liked to stay out of the limelight but never the less a big part of the Mojo & I believe went into quite a few other ventures with Pete for a few years after the Mojo closed down. I wish him well & his family where ever they are.

It sounds like they should have more people working there that as you say, know the culture of the people they are dealing with. The actual building itself of all Bunnings stores are massive to begin with, so certainly no overcrowding regarding stock. Yes most do have a small playground area for kids, also a cafe in the store for coffeee, cake, sausage rolls etc. Great range of things like light fittings, all bathroom fittings, complete kitchens which you can either fit yourself or pay Bunnings to do the job. Agree with you that hardly appropriate to be pushing things like BBQ's & outdoor furniture. Massive garden sections. Paints, laundry items, honestly they seem to sell almost everything here, which is why I am so surprised they are not doing well in the UK. Time they woke up to themselves hey?

Bunnings is massive here in Oz, does not just sell DIY, most women even love Bunnings as they have lots of household goods not to mention a massive plant nursery in all our stores. They are usually cheaper than anywhere else & easily exchange goods. Both male & female seem to like Bunning Gift Vouchers for presents as well. It seems odd that they haven't done well in the UK in comparison to Oz. I am quite amazed.

I was born in Stocksbridge & remember Ruby very well, she was a lovely lady & respected by everyone. I remember my mother always stopping to chat to her when Ruby had her shop on Manchester Rd. I am referring to the 1950's now.

Alan52 have you tried a good health food shop? we have some up here in Qld in health food shops.

Now that brings back memories. I bought my first car from Monty's in Oughtibridge. My parents had bought me a second hand car for my 17th birthday, but I always wanted a mini & they had got me a rather unreliable Triumph Herald. So without their knowledge I traded it at Monty's for a pale yellow mini which I just adored. I laugh now when I think of the little mini with the massively long gear stick that they used to have in them.I was devastated when some clown pulled out of the pub that lead down to the Rd behind the main Rd can't remember the name of the pub or the Rd anyway he hit the side of my precious mini & got out & abused me. I was 18 & very new to driving etc . He got away with it in the end as he wasn't insured. So Monty's certainly brought back memories for me.

Probably should have been Padders:rolleyes: