fleetwood

the holly bush was my local in the early 60's, great little pub but had visited there many times before that and can remember going there as a littl'un with my parents. does anybody remember the roses being grown in the field opposite, im talking early 60's and i think it was a polish guy running it, wether he owned the field or rented it i dont know

In my young working life in Sheffield , the company I worked for did work at various companys around Sheffield, I was sent to Arthur lees at Wincobank, I met this electrician, i've forgotten his name but he was a drummer and a real nice guy, so we struck up this friendship everytime we met through work. He lived at Rotherham, he invited me and a mate to a jazz session at his house, there was a tenor player out of the Bernard Taylor band who everybody called 'Digger', he was terrific, also a bass player that was playing for the Teddy Foster band at the time plus some other guys, it was great Sunday afternoon session. I think on a subsequent visit to Nether Edge hall Saturday evening dance the drummer I knew was playing, i've no idea if it was a regular gig for him, does anybody remember this guy he had blonde hair.

Re Ed 59 and CAT631 Further to your recent posts, the little work yard next to Hunsley Street Chapel. I mentioned the guy making these baskets. This yard was almost like a wood yard and it had some kind of open furnace and the baskets were probably approximately 3 to 4 feet diameter. The outter rim was almost like a treee limb curved in a circle and he shaved wood into slats that he used to weave the baskets, which were fastened to the outter rim. It amazes me to this day they looked almost like something out of a third world country, and I can only assume they held vegetables or fruit but have no way of knowing. As I understand they were exported, to where I don't know.

Further to my blurb. I'm talking 40's 50's. I do enjoy the trivia.

There was an herbalist/chemist shop top of Rushby st. I am talking Owler lane/Page hall area, that sold sarsparilla. the name was SCHOLEYS there was also a brother that ,had the dental practice over the shop and just around the corner was Scholeys ladies dress shop. Getting back to sarsparilla, was it originally an American drink as it was mentioned in their early soda fountains and in early American movies.

re ED59 My earliest recollections of Grimesthorpe methodist was that the FIDLER family ran it, the older man was crippled and leaned on a walking stick. I believe they lived along Grimesthorpe rd somewhere, you would see the whole family walking to and fro from the chapel 2 or 3 times on a Sunday and sometimes during the week. Does anybody remember the little chapel on HUNSLEY ST. and the little workyard next to it, the man was manufacturing some kind of commercial large baskets that were exported somewhere.

Hi Pigeon If you were walking on Grimsthrope road towards Burngreave we use to call that the 'top road'. As I recall Cook's and Smith fields were on the left hand side of the road. Gledhalls small holding was on the right hand side beyond what we use to call 'the corn field'. If you walked on the 'top road' you would eventually come to the allotments. My uncle owned one. People used to buy mint and small amounts of vegetables along this road. Useless information, but it was my life.

Thanks Nigel, I got on and found out everything I needed to know.

Reply to PIGEON.Johnny Butler did'nt live on Grimesthorpe rd they lived in the first house around the corner on Cyclops st across from Holmes off-lic. shop ( as it was then) there backyard entry was on Botham st. I knew Francis as a young boy and his entry into local politics and I remember hearing of hisw death.I believe his older brotherJohn jr. emigrated to Africa (you know we're talking many many years ago obviously.) There sister Shirley was a really nice person, the younger children I didnt know. There were some other relatives that lived down Botham st. nr Petre st.

I was picking my son up from Malin Bridge School, Peter Swan was picking his child up also, we got talking, probably about Sheff. Wed, anyway long story short, he had a car and he asked if he could drive us anywhere, I took him up on his offer and he drove us home, I thought what a nice gesture and what a nice person, I followed his career more closely after that.

Sounds familiar Meaks, but don't know for sure.

Does anybody remember a shooting in a pub off Spitle Hill near the collisium theatre, either late 50's or early 60's. Approximately 5 people or more were shot in this pub. Can't remember name of pub.

I was born in Grimsthorpe. My earliest recollections was a neighbor running up Botham street shouting and crying 'that war had been declared' We had two anderson shelters in the yard and spent many nights in them. I remember my aunt looking out the door of the shelter and seeing the reflection of the flames from the factories on our houses and her crying and saying'the houses are burning'. I knew Johnny Butler and his wife Clara and their 4 or 5 kids. As I have read earlier, JB (as evryone called him) was a real character. He worked at Firth Browns and was also a pigeon fancier and kept chickens in his coup over the yard wall and on the tip behind. He did organize sports for the kids and I can't remember if this was war related or any holiday in the summer. I have heard mention Gledhalls shop on Grimsthorpe road. At that time it was a very dirty green grocer shop, which was understandable, as most vegetables were delivered to them with half the earth still attached. They had a small holding off Grimesthorpe road where they kept pigs. We received little bags of candy from the shop if we took our potatoe peelings and other disgarded food. I seem to remember the sons having shot guns and pheasant and partridge were around at that time. The names on and around Grimesthorpe that I remember were the George's, the Parnells, the Bingham's, the Wilkinson's, the Lowes, and I use to swap comics with Cybil Hodge weekly. A good friend of mine was Harry Standage, I knew the Johnsons who both worked at the Victory Picture palace. Botham street north had the Gills who also kept pidgeons, his cousin lived on Botham street and across Petre street on the lower portion of Botham street lived the Hanwells (whose uncle taught at Owler Lane School and became somewhat famous in Canada) I knew the McCallan's, Archer's, to name a few. Hope to get back to this site and talk some more .

After finishing my national service I got a job at Laycocks in the sheet metal dept. While we were inolved with production projects, most of them to do with the auto industry we also did maintenance work around the factory. I remember one forman's first name of Cyril Cussack?? Managers name Kitcheman who I believe eventually moved to the States. I remember the main company car was a big chrysler imperial. The overdrive product that they were involved with I think they called it the 'laycock de normanville overdrive' They also manufactured railway components and one of those was the railway car connecting apparatus, which I believe was exported to the north american market. Does anybody remember Ken Randal, Ted Hall (I believe he has already been mentioned), Mick Patterson (he was a jazz pianist), and I know has since passed away), Keith??, Les Whitehead.

I also remember Tito Burns with his wife Terry Devon, he was able to blend his accordian with his small group and make it sound like a larger band. I also saw them in a mid week concert/dance at the Astoria Ballroom in Attercliffe. I always enjoyed their rendition of 'Lemon Drop'. I also saw The Ray Ellington quartet at the same venue at a different time. Fleetwood

Enjoyed all the memories, I apologize for this late start. I remember JATP at the City Hall in the early 50's with Ella and Oscar, what a night, cannot remember other performers at this time, saw all the British bands over the years and all the Americans that performed between early 50's and early 60's, I then left Sheffield, but I still love Sheffield to bits and all the memories it holds. People on this site have memtioned the concerts in Dublin due to the musicians union embargo. I was one of those that went, I cannot remember how many of these concerts there were at the Theatre Royal and my mind plays tricks with me these days, but I recall seeing Woody Herman and his Herd. As I recall some London musicians flew over and played in the pit prior to the band getting in. It was the most thrilling time, but I want to save thoughts about the whole scene for another time. I have enjoyed reading everything on this site.