lennonman

yes thanks for that mikey im always fascinated with beatle history, particularly when it involves Sheffield, great stuff

yeah i remember my sister seeing them at the city hall and she had a programme with Roy Orbison on the bill. I scribbled all over it and it must be worth a few bob now i was a right little bugger!

I have many happy memories of Cairo Jax on friday nights out with the lads 'on the pull' but probably the funniest thing to happen was in the mid 80's when Steve Wright from Radio 1 at the time, made a personal appearance. We were all crowded round the front of the stage when he asked for a volunteer. He picked me. 'The man with the light perm' he said which was the state of my hair at the time! He then poured a bucket of sludge over my head which must have been made of porridge and stuck to every part of my body. Was a great laugh though!!! Great place.

My dad was a micrometer maker at Moore and Wrights when they had a factory at Handsworth. They were considered one of the best companies for measurement tools in the country. They were taken over by James Neill Ltd and continued to trade for many years. I believe Neills have moved to Neepsend now. The former factory at Handsworth was bulldozed to create the new ASDA hypermarket. Many happy memories of Moore and Wrights, they had great christmas parties for kids of employees, are there any people out there who went to these parties?

I agree with the Imposter i think there should be some kind of a plaque outside where the Beatles played. I remember the Azena still being there when i was a kid and grew up with the tale of the Beatles playing there just as they were getting famous, its hard to believe now but they must have played every hall and youth club in the early days just to get on the ladder of success. Im a massive fan now and would have loved to have been old enough to see them in their prime. With Macca still doing his stuff there is still a chance to see a legend sometime in the future.

After reading these posts yesterday i found myself watching football on the telly and screaming at the ref in my best Sheffield, 'as tha gen it then referee?' and then thinking 'gen it' refers to the giving of something as in 'as tha gen it to him/her'. my accent always comes out more watching footy, is anyone else the same?

yes i do remember the names you have mentioned, recall going to Anne's house to rehearse, and we used to meet in the mail coach on west street on thursdays. I think i was in the group around 1983/84 time. Glad Sheila is still going she was a great actress wasnt she, remember her playing the mother in The Anniversary which i was in and she was brilliant.

Are there any former members of 53 Theatre Group out there? I was a member for a short period in the early eighties and performed in 3 plays at the Library Theatre. Remember the group was so called because it was formed in 1953. I need my memory jogging for names, the only ones i recall being Sheila Gascoigne and Royden Beniston. Was also wondering if the group are still performing these days.

Just come across this post Rich and yes i was with you at that film for Paul's birthday. Remember it well and i also remember his and your birthdates after all these years. Weird isnt it, sometimes cant remember what ive had for my tea yesterday!

A massive Christmas greeting to all Sheffielders around the world, including those in Sheffield, have a great one and a prosperous new 2008. Ive found many old friends on this site and its a joy to participate in. From the deep south........Kent actually!!

My favourite landlady was Linda Greatorex who ran the Harlequin in the Wicker, now sadly demolished and then the Red House on Solly Street. They were great Sheffield live music pubs with always something going on. Full of characters these pubs, i spent many happy nights there playing and singing till the wee small hours. She was very welcoming but firm and fair when there were proplems!! She retired from the Red House a few years ago and all the magic disappeared overnight. Sadly missed, hope she is fit and well.

thanks again for your memories Sharrovian They were tight werent they, Loxleys? When i first started they used to sent me on the train to Birmingham to deliver sample posters to RoSPA who they did a lot of work for. It was a nighmare getting the cash for train journeys and a bite to eat when i got there, used to get it from a white haired and moustached old fella from upstairs, cant remember his name now, bet you can. Anyway my memories of Loxley's in my early days were a lot of fun. After leaving school i thought working would be very serious, grown up stuff, but a few of the lads were around my age and it was like a playground some days! they would play pranks all day, like flicking type at George Frost. They would ping type onto his head until he had enough and caught the culprits and put them in the bin...he was a big bloke wasnt he? A great favourite would be to sneak up on someone who was setting type in a stick, and drop a iron galley onto the floor, making the victim jump and 'pie' his type all over the floor! Was chatting to an old mate about this recently and we were in hysterics at the things the lads got up to. Good times they were and very different to the way things are these days.

Hi Michael22 you must have been in the year above me i left in 76, remember all the teachers you mention, forgot all about the french lab(!) with the headphones and mr Savage who lived up to his name a lot! We had a french student teacher for a short time and she was gorgeous, never paid more attention than that short period...i went to 2 of the reunions at the trades club bottom of city road, were you there for those? They were great and a good time was had, particularly as we wore name badges so you had a clue who people used to be when they had hair....ive forgotten about all the bad times at that school, only remember the good, it wasnt as bad as people made out was it? remember having loads of laughs

Signing on as an apprentice was very important then wasnt it? Before they gave me the job i had to go to Wombwell for an aptitude test. Nearly didnt go because it was so far away to travel by public transport but my dad said it was worth going, to show a willing! They also sent us to day release college which was on Psalter Lane. Hated that mostly as it was like going back to school which i had just left. Someone used to visit the apprentices at work to see how they were getting on at college and if we had any problems, and looking back they did really do it properly and made sure we had the right qualifications. Dont know if that ever happens now, doubt it very much.

When i started going to prince edwards, the sports days were at Intake School on their fields, but later on they tidied pit field up and grassed it and made it into football pitches which doubled up for the setting for sports day. Remember the pitches were quite small and the goal posts were not full size and visiting schools used to complain that there wasnt enough room for 11 a side football. Posh schools mainly! Are there any more members of prince edwards football teams out there? In my time Mr Phillingham was in charge of the school team and we suffered some horrendous defeats, a classic being 14-0 at Acres Hill in the driving rain. We did win some though, and did get pretty good towards the end of my years there.

Hello again Sharrovian, i saw the advert in the Star and i rang Loxleys up. They said it was in the planning stage and they would get back to me when it was organised but they never did. Thought they may have cancelled it but glad you got to go back. Would have been good to see the old place again to see how much it has changed. Remember going for my interview there as a nervous 15 year old and being very intimidated by the building with the pillars on the main door! Is the front still the same?

Hi Soobylou im sure its Sue isnt it? Its Darren im sure you remember me! Great to hear from you, it must be about 22 years since i saw you since i left in 1985. We did have some laughs in those days didnt we? Bridge every lunchtime for grub and a few pints, cant believe we went back to work sometimes...fancy you still knowing Irene, brings it all back now, would like to go in there again just to see what it is like now. Im living in London now packed in printing last year and have now started singing and playing guitar in pubs for a living..sounds far fetched i know but its true. Say hello to Jackie for me will you and anyone else we both know. If you want to send a private message that would be great.

That just shows you how times change doesnt it? Cant imagine a footballer these days taking another part time job? It must be true what they say that they wernt paid as much as players today. On a footballing note, when i was an apprentice at Loxleys a job was passed on to me that i had to collect money every week from people who were in the Blades development draw and i had to go to Bramall Lane every week to pay it in. You can imagine how i felt as an Owl having to go into the office! Remember Derek Dooley was behind the counter one day and i told him i was a Wednesdayite and his face was a picture! I actually won an agents draw there once and the prize was a coach trip to Wembley to watch England versus Scotland. It was the time that the supporters of Scotland invaded the pitch and dug it up and sat on the crossbar and broke it, do you remember, think it was 1977. Spent the whole day trying not to talk about football so the other agents wouldnt know i wasnt a unitedite....happy days

Thanks Sharrovian bet Jim still likes a moan at the blades doesnt he? He was very passionate about them and we used to laugh when he came in on Mondays when they had lost. The air was blue! Hope Jane is ok, we went out a couple of times many years ago but it didnt last...the Rachel I knew went on to work at Garnetts after Loxleys, dont know if that is your daughter or not. Many laughs over the years there, i used to play tennis with Ted Stafford and Dave Winbow and none of us could play and I used to spent the hour doubled up laughing we were so crap! Ron Thomas was works manager when i started at 16 and he gave me the job, but left soon after. I know what you mean about him!John Birch was appointed MD just before i started and another one i remembered today was Frank Gavin who used to be in the comps but was doing artist stuff when i was there. Good to hear from you again.

thank you for your message "IANO" sorry about the postage my old friend, i will set up a standing order with your bank to pay it back...ha! Wouldnt mind but the posters cost £1.50 each to print off its costing me a fortune! As my former printer, your rates were much better wernt they? Give my regards to the lads and, as this is a Loxley's thread, a special ey up to former employees, Roger Bentley, Steve Guy and Pete Grayson.

great to hear from you. Can you mention me to Jim the next time you see him? Im Darren, im sure he will remember me, i was apprentice in the comps department when he was in charge, he was united daft, no doubt he still is, and i am a wednesdayite so there was always a bit of banter! Great to hear some of the old names, i dont think Stan Boddington was there when i was though his name was mentioned often, his name shortened to Stan Bodds. Heard about George, that was sad news we always had loads of fun in the comps they were a daft bunch. I went on to work for Garnetts in Rotherham for 20 years then went to polestar for a year, then packed printing in to move down south. Did you know Roger Bentley? he worked at Loxleys and then the Star. Worked with him at Garnetts, another bloody unitedite!

yes Bev2 i remember Mr Carr, was he the music teacher or am i mixing him up with another short bald headed bloke! Used to also dread the swimathons, i was a bad swimmer and they used to make you do a couple of lengths of the pool if i remember. used to think it was torture.

Just to give a memory jog, these are the people i remember from Loxleys (theres a lot). Jim May, Steve Wilde, Mark Naylan, Neil Mackley, George Frost, Nobby Scotton, Terry Cartwright, Bill Hayward, Geoff Russell, Jack Cowlishaw, Bob Edworthy, Paul Ward, Pete Brookes, Chris Skelly, Dave Horton John Marsden, Bill Seffers, Dave Winbow, Big Dave Walker, Derek Boucher, Jonathan Newbould, Les Hunt, Chris Bailey, Pete Grayson, Ted Stafford, Garry Hall, John Marshall, Elvin Reinhart, Paul Gordon, Gary Anderson, Susan Crerar, Dawn Edis, Diane Fairest, June, Susan Grayson, Jackie, Maureen, Sheila, Kath, Joanne, Rachel (cant remember surnames) Margaret Elms, Dave Williams, Jane May, Tony and Phillip (warehouse) Mick Dickinson, Ron Thomas, Richard Sanderson, John White, John Birch, Barbara Russell, and Barry from the yard! Phew! I know a few of these people have sadly passed away but it would be great to hear from anyone else from those days. I moved on to Garnetts in Rotherham and then Polestar in Sheffield before leaving the trade last year.

Went by the school recently and, as well as being called Myrtle Springs now, they have built something on the school fields. Does anyone know what it is. Looks like its cost a few bob! Noticed the East block is still standing, they used to say it was falling down 30 years ago, and the West block is still there and that was even older. What happened to the youth club, is it being used for something else now. That was a great place when it first opened, for those who can remember it had great facilities and even had a disco, with saloon doors and was dark inside like a night club!

Cheers Marky Baby will send you a pm.