johnpm

I saw Brian Nortcliffe mentioned in the photos of the get together. Is Brian related to Ernest Nortcliffe? Ernest was in Boys Brigade at Grimesthorpe I think with my dad Jim Moore in the late 1930's and probably through into the 50's. I knew him and his son quite well. They moved to Ecclesfield although continued with a BB connection somewhere in that area. Ernest won't be around now I guess ; I can't remember the name of his son ( the years are catching upo with me !) - may have been Phillip but I am not sure. I lost touch with Ernest when I left Sheffield in the 70's. John

Hi Trevor, The Ninette Daviso School of Dancing was at 260 Barnsley Road, Sheffield 4 and she is entered in the Sheffield phone directory for 1955. There are also entries for an M. A. Daviso - in 1970 she lived with Ninnette Daviso on Barnsley Rd but in 1973 is listed both there and at 50 Nottingham Cliff, Sheffield 3. The dancing school was in fact Ninettes house. It was a very large detached residence set above the road and reached by a flight of around 15 steps. It was located on the left side of Barnsley Road going towards the city opposite and just above the junction with Norwood Road. What would have been the lounge and dining room was the dancing school and was a wooden floored room bare except for a space for a record player and I seem to recall a piano but can't be certain of that plus a few wooden chairs. I am fairly sure that most of the living accommodation with upstairs although there may have been one other room downstairs in addition to the kitchen. She taught children and adults both individually and also held evening adult dances where pupils could attend and dance with other pupils. I don't recall her sister but as she lived there I guess she may well have been involved in teaching too. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with her andshe certainly did a good job teaching me to dance. If you think there is anything else you wish to know please ask. John

Suggest you try phone records first - I find it can be relatively easy to find people unless they have a common name. Unfortunately quite a number of people are ex-directory these days though. There are a number of internet sites where you can search the Electoral Registers ( for a small fee ) but again people can choose that their record is not made public. You can write to the Sheffield Star Newpaper http://www.thestar.co.uk/ ; they may be willing to put your resuest in the paper. Best of luck

The company based at Victoria Hall was the 1st Sheffield - the first company to be formed in Sheffield. Its Captain for many years ( and until it closed I think) was Roland Hare - he was also Sheffield Battalion Secretary for years and Secretary of the National Association of Methodist BB Companies. I believe the company shut some years ago because of the lack of members who lived anywhere near it. Someone still connected with BB in Sheffield may know more detail. Its also worth mentioning that the Sheffield Battalion Supplies Depot was at Victoria Hall for some years before moving to Montgomery Hall and the Annual Battalion Parade was usually held there. John

I remember George Winslow from my days in the 4th District. Yet another of the many company skippers who did a great job in those days. Where exactly was Nethergreen? It wasn't what I know as Creswick Greave was it ? John

Hi Terry, Thanks for that. Hope you are ok and enjoying the wonderful English summer ! I wish I could get to Sheffield more but with the increased cost of petrol it costs me about £35 a trip . I am looking to see if its possible to get come with my bus pass - guess I could but maybe it would take all day ! Cheers, John

Where exactly was Brook Cottages ?

I bet someone has mentioned this before but can anyone please tell me the name of the theatre that was about 100 yards on the right hand side of Upwell St going from Reform Chapel towards Brightside? I think its now a shed called Upwell St Tyre & Auto centre and is next to the pub (The Ball?). Someone on the Sheffield History site wants to know. http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/ Thanks, John

My memory must be past its sell-by date !! Its only by accident I got involved in BB after I left Sheffield in 1976. 2 weeks after arriving in Guisborough 2 men from a BB company about 4 miles away arrived on the doorstep asking if I would help . Apparently BB HQ had circulated my details to the local Battalion - I was quite impressed with HQ's efficiency! I stayed with that company and really enjoyed myself there for 4 years until we decided to start a BB company in Guisborough where I live in 1980. That company did really well for 15 years - around 50 boys and lots of officers made it a really uplifting experience. We had boys achieving Queens badge, Gold DEA etc and had great annual camps and activity weekends in the Dales . I was captain for 11 years but had to give that job up when parents in Sheffield needed my support because of illness. Staff left for one reason or another and sadly the company closed through lack of staff ( still had about 15 -20 boys) in 1998. Unfortunately that mirrors BB both locally and nationally over the past 10 years. Teesside Battalion is now down to 4 companies from 25 in the 1980's. Thats all down to a lack of people willing to be officers/helpers. In past years many companies survived with only a couple of officers but thats not possible now for safety reasons. Some Officers are also put off by things like CRB checks and the need to operate under a variety of rules ( designed to keep children safe) but which make many practical difficulties. That why we all yearn for the "good old days" . Maybe they will come back one day !! Its not all doom gloom & though. 2 of our companies are expanding both in terms of numbers of boys and officers. One has got 7 new, young officers in the past 9 months ; all really keen. So there is hope for the future. John

Hi Brian, Here is the Buckingham Palace photo again - hope you can see this !! From right its Barry Trigg, ?, John Spencer ( sadly died a few years ago), Roger Stoney (did his Gold Dea with us but not in BB), me, ?, ?, ?. If anyone can put names to the missing ones I would be grateful - some are probably from Andover Street Company.

When I was a lad in the late 1950's Pawson & Brailsford was on the bottom (west side) of Holly Street ( which runs south off West Street) opposite the end of Orchard Lane , behind the City Hall. I went in there a lot with my Uncle.

Hi again Brian, I am John Moore , went into Life Boys in 1952 then onto BB and became an officer in 1962 when I was 18. Stayed working in teh company until 1976 when I moved to Guisborough near Middlesbrough when my job with British Steel moved. I was captain of a new BB company in Guisborough from 1980 - 1991 and stayed as an officer until it shut through shortage of staff in 1997. I am now President of Teesside Battalion of the BB. My dad was an officer in 53rd - he left when I joined and mum was a Life Boy Leader. I went to Owler Lane Infants, then Grimesthorpe Junior then a year at Hucklow Rd before that closed and we all went to Hinde House when it opened in 1956. This is me , mum and dad in about 1961

I already have my bus pass and used it to get back from Newcastle to Middlesbrough then back home to Guisborough in April - a great way of seeing the countryside ! Will have to look at the bus pass possibilities - maybe Guisborough - Scarborough, Scarborough - York then York to Sheffield ? Its a good way of seeing England !! Maybe we will have to make the most of them while they are there - I suspect some government person will decide they are a good saving to make one day !! Cheers, John

Hi Brian, Spoke to Les Cusworth only yesterday - he is reasonably ok and still gets to Grimesthorpe Chapel. Ian Reynolds, Gordon Kay and Joe Cooper still go too but Ian isn't well at present. Here is the other Jersey photo again ( hopefully!)

Hi Terry,saw your entry and thought I would just say "Hello" and hope you are Jeanette are ok. Wish I had more opportunity to come to Sheffield but price of petrol is making trips less frequent now - maybe it will come down sometime !!!!!!!!!!!!!! John Moore

Our reunion is only for those who started at Hinde House School when it opened in Sept 1956. About 25 of us get together for a meal. If you fall into that category send me a PM and I will give you contact details. I don't know about any other reunions.

Hi, I am still in touch with Alan Greaves whose family had the grocers. He After we left school he used to take me to the speedway on his motorbike. He lives at Chesterfield now and comes to our year Hinde House school reunions.

I don't know - just saw they were there when I was walking past last year.

Hi Jabberwocky, Can't send you a PM as your box is full. I see you live in Leicestershire. I am trying to find someone who is involved in family history who can access me the Parish Records for Newtown Linford which are held in Leicester Records Office. I am trying to find the birth of an Edward Wells born around 1853 . In the census for place of birth Edward simply wrote Newtown so its possible its Newtown Harcourt as I see that is in Leicetershire too. Newtown Linford is the most likely though I think. Are you able to help at all or know someone who can? Regards, John

Our Life Boys at 53rd Grimesthorpe WR Chapel used to go to Staithes every year for a weeks camp. For some reason I never went though. It was in 2 huts near Staithes Station. I was there a few months ago and the huts are still there ! John

Hi Roycey, When I worked at British Iron & Steel research Association in Sheffield I visited Samuel Fox & Co (then called BSC Stocksbridge Works - nationalised in 1967) a number of times in the late 60's/ early 70's. Have a look at this website which gives the history of the works founding by Samuel Fox http://www.bradwellinpeak.f9.co.uk/samfox.htm Also see this site http://stocksbridge.org/page3.htm It was only in 2003 when steelmaking was transferred from Stocksbridge to Rotherham - this lost about 300 jobs I think and made Stocksbridge simply a rolling facility - see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/south_yorkshire/2984303.stm Sheffield Archives holds all the Samuel Fox & Co archived material from 1847 - 1971 but apparently these have never been indexed - they total 39 boxes. John

Hi Brian, Its a shame you didn't get to hear about the 75th Anniversary Reunion we had of the 53rd BB on 24 March 2007. Amongst people there were Ian & Barrie Reynolds, Joe Cooper, John Bennett ( I think) , Neil Ward, Mick & Alan Wooten, Richard & Pete Thiel, Les Cusworth, Neil Revill, Eric Foster, Gordon Kay, Kevin Dolling, Paul Warren, Bev Foster. Others as well but I can't remember names at present. Have you seen this photo of us at Jersey in about 1960 ?

I have looked at the census entry and her son is down as William Chappel age 23 a coal miner. Owler Greave Road is not there now but it was in the area around the junction of Staniforth Road and Price of Wales Road where Main Road is. At one time it seems that area was called Owler Greave. It was in the district called Darnall and is in Sheffield 9 post code area. If you type Main Road, Sheffield into google maps it will find it for you. John

All you Grimesthorpians will no doubt be pleased to know that the Grimesthorpe School Admission registers are being transcribed by the Sheffield Indexers (http://sheff-indexers.thewholeshebang.org/ ). You will no doubt find many parents or grandparents if you have a look. The transcriptions are not finished yet though but should be done within a month or 2. I think the data will go up to children admitted Dec 1928. I am one of the transcribers and I gather we are not allowed by law to have information on it which is less than 70 years old . So off you all go and try searching for parents etc and the best of luck! ( but keep looking until you see all the transcriptions are done). John

Both myself and my wife (born in the mid - late 40's) used it all the time.My job moved us up to Middlesbrough area in 1976 and we got into real trouble using "Luv" up here particularly if you let it slip out when talking to a man. My wife was a nurse and she had trouble at work for some years until she lost the habit of using it. You may be interested to know that up in the north east they use the term "Pet" instead of "Luv".