zakes

Anyone got any memories of TA Royal Engineers Some more info of my time in the Territorial Army – 1972-74 As I have already posted in detail about my training, this post will deal with side issues. These issues are things I (we) got up to, some funny, some not so funny. Anecdotes of an enjoyable short time in my life. I have also posted before on another TA. Thread: Want to join the territorial army? (History and Expats) by borninsheffield (21/11/2007). I’ve posted detailed stuff on this thread too. As I don’t wish to overload my secretary with extra work, I have decided to do this post in parts. This being Part 1. -- Southwood Army Training Camp – Cove – in Hampshire. 1972 Photos 1 2 A short time before going to Cove for training, I had ceased being a Sapper in the Royal Engineers. I became a Private by transferring over to the Army Catering Corps, ACC (Anyone can cook. LOL.) I was still ‘stationed’ at Somme Barracks, attached to 106 Squadron. I also retained the same army number … 24250465. On the photos, I can be seen wearing a light-coloured (lilac, light purple) band around my peaked hat. I also wore the same coloured lanyard on my left shoulder. I wore different badges and buttons to the other soldiers (Sappers). I was 18 at the time. 1972. -- The photo with the most people on it: My best mate during training was Terry Grounsell, from Cullercoats. He is situated in the centre of the back row. A great lad. My second best mate was Mick Mayne, the son of a stubble jumper. Mick is situated third form left in the middle row. He came from one of the Channel Islands. The lad fifth from the right on the back row came from Sheffield (Arbourthorne). He can be seen on the other photo too (back row fourth from left. A quiet lad with red hair. He enjoyed Army food! On both photos are two men who had agreed to correspond with each other once they were back in their own towns, Plymouth and Burnley. Each letter would include a chess move. That right, they were gunna play a game of chess by letter. Ludo was my game. LOL. On the main photo again. Third from right on the front row was a bloke from East London called Dilt. He is fourth right on the photo with less people on it. Dilt was somewhat cack-handed and cack-footed. He always talked cack, and clack too. He should have been named…Dolt. He received the most amount of verbal abuse from the NCO’s training us. Poor sod. The NCO’s are situated in the middle of the front row on the main photo L-R Lance-Corporal Williams - Cardiff Staff Sergeant Wills - Exeter Corporal Grubey - from the area (vicinity). All three were nasty people, but did succeed in smartening us all up. 8 persons are missing from the photos. 7 of them for a mixture of reasons: homesickness, training was too robust, upset by the verbal bullying the NCO’s dished out. The 8th missing person was a Lance-Corporal, a Scot. He ended up in hospital during our last evening at Southwood. The next day was our passing out parade, with the visit of a scrambled-egged Brigadier. The Scot (I forget his name) had been really vicious with us trainees during our stay at Southwood. A group of us had crept into his room during that last night, tipped him out of bed and gave him a good leatherin’ in the dark. How we all got away with what we had done is still a mystery. LOL. -- When I had arrived at Southwood Camp on that first Saturday in the Summer of ’72 with a long kit bag and a large suit case it took only 2-3 hours before I received my first (of many) brollickings… We newlings were walking around all areas of the camp to get acclimatised we had been advised to do this. Why it had taken so long for the NCO’s to notice what I’d done showed their (NCO’s) lack of observancy. I had knotted my tie in a Windsor fashion. I had done this deliberately to see how far I could go (a wind up). I knew it would get noticed eventually, and I had expected to be told to tie my tie in the correct manner, but I certainly didn’t expect what was to happen… Corporal Grubey eventually saw the Windsor knot, his face immediately became a deep shade of rubicund. He then stood with his face an inch or so from mine. Then snarling he shouted in the loudest voice I’d ever heard to take my effing tie off and to knot it in proper soldier fashion. I could feel the spittle hitting my face, plus his hot stinky badger breath. It is (was at the time) frowned upon (perhaps forbidden) to wear a Windsor knot in the services unless you are RAF personnel. The rest of that Saturday was taken up by us newcomers getting to know each other. Some of the men were quite quiet and reserved. Most were open and candid, me for example. Even in those days, everything was an adventure to me. Learning about where each of them had come from their professions and their accent I found to be very interesting, fascinating even. At tea time, we all went to the mess hall…for our tea. The hall was enormous, with loads of tables and a big Juke box. The food was unbelievably plentiful with loads of pies and joints, fish potatoes prepared in many variations. There was a wide choice of desserts too. That same evening many of us came back to the mess hall…to booze. Newcastle Brown Watney’s Red (‘best thing you’ve said’) and Courage Beer were the popular drinks, although some supped a fizzy kid’s drink called lager. There were no snobs at Southwood training camp, hence no ‘rea ale’. LOL. The loud Juke box blared out a continual variety of tunes like: Silver Machine – Hawkwind Jig-a-jig – East of Eden When I’m dead and gone – McGuinness Flint Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin Slade Jackson 5 Etc.. -- Having smoked my last (in the packet) consumption tube, I went to the fag machine. Much to my dismay it didn’t vend Park Drive, nor my second choice, Woodbine. It did have Players Navy (lol) Cut, and also Senior Service. I didn’t like these two brands because the tobacco was always tightly packed making it nigh on impossible to draw any smoke out of them. I bought Players Weights (same size as Parkies) in the hope they weren’t tightly packed too. The Weights were spot on (when I later returned to Sheffield, I continued to smoke Weights. The only place I could find them was at Sylvesters, on Surrey Street. It was worth paying the extra cuppla pence forrem). -- Sunday was spent much like the previous day. We supped less booze on this evening because tomorrow was to be our first day of training! Gulp. -- To be continued.

Norfolk Secondary (Modern) School List of Teachers

Norfolk County School List of Teachers

Highfield School. (E.S.N). Sharrow Lane List of Teachers

Memories of Eckington Let me explain… To cut a long story short. From the age of 7/8 I used to wander and adventure to places that seemed to be a long way from home. I was living at hackenthorpe at the time 1961-62. Moving to Newstead / Birley aged 12, I continued my adventures. At the age of 14 in 1968 the family Zakes (with me) moved to Gleadless town end. During all those years’ I got to see, Woodhouse, Beighton, Drakehouse, Frecheville, Birley, Ridgeway, Ford, Mosborough, Half-way, Renishaw and Eckington. The years went by, including 17 years abroad. In 1994 I decided to re-visit these childhood places again, aged 40. I was disappointed and angry with what I saw. My childhood playground (fields-woods-marchland etc.) had been taken away (without my permission LOL) from me. I cried. I’ll be typing a post about all this sometime. It’ll be something the over 60s will perhaps understand. I forgot to mention that I saw some of these places again during 1972-74ish, before moving abroad. -- One of those places was Eckington: Mixed bag memories of 72-74 and 1994 onwards. In no particular order. 1 I recall Flymo at the bottom traffic lights 2 Is the Telephone Exchange building still there? What is it now? 3 I recall about 74 time going into the library (can’t recall the exact site) and coming out having bought 3 slightly scratched (surface marks) elpees. Two Beatles doubles, the red & the blue. Also, an elpee of Procol Harum. 25 pence each. 4 What is or was, Pipeyard 5 The White Hart pub (Home Ales) on Church Street next to the Church. I was in this pub 3 or 4 times in ’73-‘74ish. Did this pub later become a restaurant? Mick Jagger never got to see me in this pub. 6 Where is the still intact coal mine situated? I met the owner of the mine 3 years or so ago in a Barlbrough pub. He drove a flashy car. I could possibly have seen him again in the Albert, in Woodthorpe (Derbys). 7 Anybody recall an acquaintance of mine who went to Eckington school? She once lived at Wren Park Close, in Ridgeway. Kim Dawson (not related to Mark who runs the Queens, in Ridgeway). 8 Where do Eckington people now go on a night-out? Mosborogh? Dronfield? 9 Davy’s shop was mentioned on the thread. There is a lovely framed picture of the shop and other shops hanging in the front room (facing the main road) at the George and Dragon on Mosborough. My first job in 1969 was at Davy’s in Fargate-Sheffield. 10 Anybody know David Bowler? He used to post on the Forum. 11 I was recently in the Fox and Hounds, Marsh Lane. It was a bit dead for a Saturday night. I supped a pint of Mansfield. 12 After the Fox and hounds we then went to the Butcher’s Arms. There were two musicians playing, called The Fab Two. They were 2 blokes rom Nottingham area. They played Beatles songs and were brilliant. During the interlude, I spoke with them. We chatted about Home Ales and Shipstone Beer. The pub was quite full. I think I supped John Smiths. 13 About 15 years ago Eckington had a young top-notch snooker player. I forget his name. What happened to him? Snooker wise. 14 Albert Pub – Woodthorpe (Darby’s). I had Sunday din-dins at this pub this past summer. We were on our way back from a car-boot sale in Oldcotes. We decided on a slight detour LOL. The meal was superb and cost under a tenner. Two women were serving. They were both in their 50s or so LOL. One of them was to be going the next day on holiday to Portugal. We felt quite welcomed. As usual I ‘broke the ice’ and discovered the landlord was Steve who used to ‘run’ the Bridge, at Ford. Before Steve left the Bridge there was talk that he was possibly to be taking over the Snooker Club in Eckington. Did he? Even for a short spell? I had many chats with Steve when he was at the Bridge. He spent his childhood in the Parkwood Springs area. I can’t remember his surname. I also found out at the Albert that Steve took a bar staff member with him from the Bridge. A tall, lean but strong looking lad called Ashley. Ashley lives in Eckington I think. He and I had loads of chats at the Bridge when I used to do my fortnightly daytime jaunts on that area a couple of years ago. I often visit the South-East area of Sheffield in search of things (even small) to jog memory to use in my yesteryear forum posts of my boyhood. LOL. 15 Eckington Engineering. 16 Does anybody recognise themself on these pics? Market Street, Post Office, Southgate.

Old Bus Routes of Sheffield – Information needed I recall from the Mid 60s the number 3 Sheffield – Mansfield bus passing through Frecheville. The Mansfield – Sheffield bus ditto. The bus was a double-decker in East Midland livery – dark green. I also remember the Number 12 Sheffield – Chesterfield via Woodseats and Meadowhead. The bus was also a double-deck bus. It’s possible the bus wouldn’t let a passenger alight afore the Norton Hotel? These 12 and the 3 buses always looked as if they were crying out to be cleaned. Another bus to Chesterfield from Pond Street was the number 99 service. This bus went via East Bank Road, Gleadless Valley, Gleadless Town End, Ridgeway, Ford, Marsh Lane, Middle Handley (Devonshire arms?) and Barrow Hill. The 99 was run jointly by Sheffield Corporation and East Midland Motor Service. The bus on this route was single-decker due to the low bridge at Barrow Hill. I remember seeing on occasion a double-deck bus on this route, and I presume passengers for Chesterfield would have had to change bus at Barrow Hill. This reminds me of a track on the LP / CD Some Call it Godcore, by half man half biscuit. “Tour Jacket with Detachable Sleeves”. It mentions near the end of the song about a double-decker bus attempting to pass under a bridge with tragic consequences. LOL

Edwin Gowers and Son. Grocers Head office

First day at work and end up with a horse I remember overhearing my Uncle Albert telling my Dad about a horse he was responsible for at work. Uncle Albert was chief cement-mixer and general dogs body on the building sites of Ackroyd & Abbots (Ackers & Ackers). Uncle Albert’s surname was Almsley, the horse was called Arnold…late 50s - early 60s.

The Study of Birds 1967. Part 2 of 3. Upon the wooden bench at the bottom of Rippon’s driveway, Zakes sat. He was in a mood of light pensivity. He had moments earlier spent time thinking about his hero. His hero was an isolated outsider, but was certainly not lonely. He was slightly disaffected by his job, and was often in conflict with his boss. In a twilight world he lived. Zakes would be seeing his hero later on this very day. The next person on Zakes’ pensivity list, was himself. Zakes often enjoyed to scrutinize himself, because he loved to bathe in the pool of his undoubted brilliance. He enjoyed walking, because he knew the life of the sole is the eternal soul. He was always optimistic, knowing hope is a great sense of strength. He allowed nothing to elude, or delude him… except his own mind. He never allowed memories to fade, and he never spread secrets. He could be trusted. He knew that in other people’s eyes he was the salt and pepper in their stew. He was the perfect genius… with hindsight. He was much liked by most. He saw everything, the vertical and the horizontal, and at times the form of things uknown to others. He always had his mind fully expanded to the limit. He never attempted to adjust the picture. He was controlling his missions at all times. Observancy was his strength. He didn’t know at this time, that in circa 18 years time, he would be in some ways emulating his hero of today. _______________ As Zakes was about to de-seat himself from the wooden bench, he was approached by a girl he knew from the Birley Estate. A bright bird called Helen Sharp. Helen lived on Thornbridge Crescent. Zakes knew Helen well, very well. Helen was a studious, industrious pupil at school, and was destined to one day get top marks in ‘O’ level (Zakes knew that already. Cough, cough), but it was felt she mightn’t be arsed to sit ‘A’ level. Helen was short and rotund, and inclined to giggle and gag-gle. She was unsupple, but nervously alert. She kept her piercing green eyes averted from Zakes’ clear blue eyes, because she knew Zakes was capable of reading the minds of others. Helen’s well-tended hazel-coloured hair was hatless, and she was quite quietly dressed. _______________ Zakes was actually on the look-out for a nice piece-of-skirt, but he didn’t want to make the past mistake(s) of his Dad. Dad Zakes had married below himself… most men do. Zakes would take his time in choosing the reight bird to satisfy his expectations. _______________ 37 yards before the first of the Frecheville shops, Zakes came across two familiar faces, with bodies attached. Penny Pike and Sally Fisher. These two girls lived at Birley, and were in the same year as Zakes at Birley School. Upon seeing Zakes both girls blushed crimson. They had the honour, pleasure and distinction of knowing Zakes, and they knew he could charm the ears off an elephant. They told Zakes they had been bowling, down at the nearby Bowling Alley. Zakes already knew this, because he had already espied their gaudily-coloured stripey footwear, their beffy biceps, and their outsized thumbs. Penny was a walking volcano of frustrated lust. Her face looked as thought it had been created in a plasticine by a five year old child. She was locked in a world she couldn’t for one day or night escape. She spoke woodenly, as though giving evidence in a court of law. Penny wore ‘War on Want’ clothing, and was a disgrace to the Empire. Sally wanted to be a Sarah Bernhardt, a Hollywood Arc Angel riding on silver wings. The expression of her green eyes was expressive. Her nose was Grecian, not Roman. She smiled at Zakes, but it didn’t raise his blood pressure. She was the owner of large and square teeth, and she walked in the manner of a marionette. Sally’s emancipated mother had recently purchased a Sheffield made car… a Stringer. _______________ On reaching the world famous Frecheville shopping parade, Zakes came across two girls, Beryl Stone and Charmaine Littlewood. Both girls lived on Hackenthorpe, and had come up to Frecheville on a shopping spree. Charmaine’s Dad had recently had a touch on the coupon, Zetters, although he was called Vernon. Whilst in conversation, Beryl offered up to Zakes her opened bag of spice. Zakes dipped his hand in, extracted seven Kola Kubes, then piled ‘em into his gaping cake-hole. The spice tasted more like Koala than Kola. Zakes would ask his Auntie Jean about these spice when next he saw her. Auntie Jean is a renowned confectioneress who made spice, her speciality being Eucalyptus flavoured toffee. Whilst chattering about past times when all three of them had attended Birley Spa Juniors together, Zakes was pleased to note that both girls had retained their Hackenthorpian accents, and humour. Bery’s face was (un)pleasantly cross-hatched with lines and wrinkles, her sorrel coloured hair was styled to give her a matronic cowbag like look. She seemed destined to lead a dull and uneventful life. She was also a little broad in the beam. She wore a chocolate-brown cardigan with pink piping. Charmaine was charming. On her pallid face was plainly writ anticipation. The sunlight was bouncing off her sunlit hair. Her eyes were set in a face of Iberian contours and her Cupid’s Bow was thin, but her Darwin Points were too prominent, she should grow her hair longer. Charmaine was a modern Miss, nobody was going to keep her waiting. Her elder brother had just started a job (his first) as head doorman at the Pink Pussycat nightclub, in downtown Sheffield. Charmaine was as flat as the proverbial mill-pond. Charmaine’s Dad enjoyed cruising around in his Sheffield made car, A La Plata. To be continued.

Arbourthorne Central County School 64-65 Blimey look at those wages.

Anns Road County School 64-65 Teachers names

Pomona Street County School 64-65 Were you at this school

Acres Hill School 1965-65 Your teachers

Sheffield Education 1956 Here and here from this and this. Opines please.

Hurlfield secondary (modern) school for girls. Here is a photo of the school from 1955. The photo comes from this.

Neville Watts – Monty’s Motors Thanx bullerboy for your response. Although I didn’t make it clear enough in my original post, I was hoping for confirmation of Monty’s Motors being out Oughtibridge / Deepcar way. That is where I thought I had sent the ironmongery items to, in early 70s. Sorted.

Owler Lane High School Here we are

Pye Bank County School Teachers names

All Saint’s School (controlled) Sutherland Road SH4 Did any of you go here?

Shopping 1967 In the living-lounge mid Saturday afternoon Zakes was comfortably slouched upon the family’s new burgundy-blue leather sofa. Zakes was in thought, dreaming of what delights his mum could be cooking for tea. She always seemed to cook in the kitchen. Just as he was getting to the Rhubarb and Custard part, Zakes heard the house door being jambed loudly shut. After hearing his mum’s orotund gob calling, “Cooee I’m home!”, Zakes then heard her 14 inch stiletto heels clicking in the hallway. Having dumped three large sized shopping bags onto the formica-topped dining-table in the kitchen she gasped a groaning sigh, then shrieked…”Mi chuffin’ feet are killin’ me!” “These bleedin’ shoes will be the death of me!” On hearing this, the thirteen years old Zakes tittered. Not being able to resist the temptation Zakes called back…”I’m not surprised Mum, them ruddy shoes you wear are more like stilts than heels.” “You need to start wearing comfortable foot-friendly footwear.” “It’s a pity you television-addicted women of today are more interested in scandals instead of being interested in sandals.” Zakes retort was met with quiet silence, he knew he had won once again, hee-hee. Having exchanged her stilts for fluffy green slippers in the hallway, Mum Zakes re-entered the kitchen. After having unpacked the goodies she had bought at the universally known Frecheville shopping centre she loudly groaned again. “Them shops are constantly ‘nipping away’ by slipping the odd halfpenny on their products, thinking that people don’t notice!” “They must think we are made of money!” “Something should be done about these robbin’ sods!” “They don’t fool me with their Lost Leaders stuff!” Zakes: “LOSS Leaders!” Mum Zakes: “I’m at a Loss about them Lost Leaders, I wish the Leaders of them shops would get chuffin’ Lost, thievin’ gets!” This got Zakes to thinking: What is the truth about the so – called ‘loss leaders’? – Tea, coffee, margarine, baby foods, detergents, Dr. White’s, rubber goods, butter, flour, baked beans, cereals, biscuits – the basic commodities on every housewife’s weekly shopping list. Do prices of these regulars fluctuate from shop to shop, from supermarket to supermarket? They do, Zakes found, but for the housewives they have a “recognition” price. In the case of a 1/4 Lb. of tea, for instance, the recognition price is 1s. 6d., or just below. One shop may charge 1s. 5 1/2 d. and other 1s. 4d. for the same brand. Another instance, is instant coffee, a 2oz. tin is recognisable at 2s. 3d. or 2s. 4d. But it can be as high as 2s. 10d. A fair recognition price for butter is 3s. 6d. a lb., such as Anchor brand. Some supermarkets sell their own label for as little as 3s. 2d., while some home-produced, as well as French or Dutch butter, can cost 4s. a lb. With margarine, such as Stork, a housewife knows that 1s. 9d. is a good price. But some shops charge 1s. 11d. Mum Zakes had recently bought a 3lb. bag of McDougall’s self-raising flour (to help Dad Zakes improve his performance(s)) for 1s. 11 1/2d. If she’d have taken the trouble to go to another shop she could have paid 1 1/2d. less. Shops often cut the prices of their products making a minimal profit as a “come on.” If women have the time and believe in saving pennies, or even halfpennies, then it is worthwhile to shop around. Zakes will advise Mum Zakes to shop in future at the Castle Market, in Town…”Its ours, leave it alone!” --------------------------- Frozen strawberries no longer taste jammy because of the new nitrogen freezing technique. They are in the shops under the Findus label, at 2s. 6d. a 6oz polythene pack. For years, the frozen food manufacturers have been trying to imitate the taste and texture of the unique fish-and-chip-shop batter. With not much success. Birds Eye brought out Crispy Cod Fries, but the firm were not really satisfied. They are far more enthusiastic about their cod fillets in batter. These need deep frying for 10 minutes and cost 2s. 10d. a pack. From the same firm comes yet another variety of the top-selling fish cakes. After plain, salmon and cheese – now the savoury sort. Two in a 4oz pack cost 1s. 3d. These fish cakes can be used as rather large nibbles at casual get-togethers, but they will never be the life and sole at parties. --------------------------- It’s all a load of codswallop, really. Zakes much preferred his Mums home-made chips with skate nobs, covered with two generous splodges of Hammonds brown source, 11d. a bottle. Yum Yum. --------------------------- Product prices are correct at the time of going to press. ---------- Post added 05-02-2018 at 13:07 ---------- The Study of Birds 1967. Part 1 of 3. A heartily light view. To protect the identity of persons mentioned in he following short story… some names are fictionally made up. This does not affect the statutory rights of those persons, nor of the reader. _______________ It had been a strange few days at Newstead, and at Birley. Zakes’ pals, some ‘of the day’, and most othrewise, seemed to have disappeared. As it was holiday time, Zakes thought they would have been out playing. It seemed so weird that familiar faces had become so scarce. It was possible his mates may have gone on day-trips with their parents… Skegness is so bracing at this time of year, or maybe some of them were at home suffering from sunburn. Perhaps they were busy readin’ through their piles of comics, or mornging about the house. Zakes came to the conclusion that some of them may have done what he had done last half-term. He had gone to Rippon’s newsagent shop on Birley Moor Road, and had swiped a magazine or two from the top-shelf, and had taken them home with him. Ba—ing-out id=s the norm for most healthy 13 year old boys of the nation at this time of year. _______________ Having clicked… the house door shut, Zakes left home. He glanced up to the firmament to see the day-light star smiling down upon him. The four seasons fill the measure of the year, and right now Zakes was enjoying the warmest of those seasons. A pair of Magpies flew by at 2 o’clock, even though it was only 11 o’clock. Moments later, a swallow called Martin also flew swift-ly by. Zakes’ chirpy chums, his plumed pals, enjoyed this time of year. They flew so much better than those men in their flying machines. Those so called magnificent men would never ever match the synchronised aerial displays of the avian community. Such freedom. _______________ Although he enjoyed Summer-time, Zakes knew it wouldn’t be long afore the cool foggy mornings of Autumn arrived. Oh, the cold wind doth blow. Winter then would follow, bringing cold and darkness, ice and snow. The hardy pollarded willows would then turn to a ephemeral foliage of frost to a sky of silent slate. Spring-time would then slowly creep in. This was the season Zakes loved best. Buds on the trees and shrubs, blossom-studded meadows, birds excitedly twittering and home building, flowers, plants, and girls with a spring (pun) in their step. Their thin lips of Winter becoming fuller lips in Spring-time, their smiles becoming wider, and their facial features becoming softer, to excitedly excite the boys. Who could ever forget those oh, so sweet melodic tuneful voices? All sensible boys appreciate the charm and the prettiness of girls. Thank-you God. _______________ On reaching the roadside of his road (Newstead Rise), Zakes saw before him a group, consisting 6 girls. The girls were ungainly attempting to play French Skipping. Zakes did well to stifle a disrespectful laugh. Zakes had played this gameon many occasions with his Cousin Daphne, and four other likely girls, who always seemed to be up for it. He knew all the moves, and all the technical phrases to French Skippin’. Easy-peasy melon (anagram) squeezy. It was as easy as snatching lozenges off a pensioner. Ins and outs-ons-diamonds-unders and overs-jumps-catapults and swizzles…… Swizzels, Refreshers, Drumstick Lollies, Parma Violets, Rainbow Drops, Love Hearts (Be mine, Kiss me, All yours), and Banana Chews … Ummm Yummy! Mr. Hughes, the local dentist at 130 Birley Moor Road, would be smilingly waiting with his black gassing-mask, and with his shiny pliers sticking out from his top pocket. Mr. Hughes proudly drove a Sheffield made car, a Fairley Convertible. _______________ It was unlucid who the person was who invented French Skipping. It had at one time been suggested, it was a cordon bleu chef at a hotel in Skipton, who had invented it. Marcel the cook, had been at the local market one wet Tuesday, to purchase Skipjacques Tuna. On his return journey back to the hotel, he had decided to skip off work for an hour. Whilst sitting upon a red white and blue coloured bench opposite the local rope making factory, Marcel had observed young children joyfully playing, and the in-seine idea of a new skipping game had jumped into his head. Sacre Bleu! _______________ From the skipping group of six girls, four of them were sisters, the other two girls weren’t. The four sisters were the daughters of Mr and Mrs Glencoe, who both originated from Bannockburn, in Scotland. The Glencoe clan had now been living for over a year on Newstead… of Bannockburn. Mr. Glencoe made his money working as an odd-job-man. He was a Jock-of-all-trades. Mr. Glencoe’s hair was cropped short like an Army recruit’s. He was slight of build and had a clumsy gait. He was a mean-spirited man, and any sarcasm threw him into a paroxysm of fury. He often used his fists when his mouth would have sufficed. He had a dark evil right eye, the left eye was made of Glaswegian glass. He was as cunning as a swamp rat. Mrs. Glencoe was the mentally indolent wife of Mr. Glencoe. She was a dypsomaniac who worked as a spiritualist, two bottles a day. She was skinny, narrow shouldered and somewhat stooped. When she smiled (seldom) one could see her chipped teeth were the same colour as her weak watery eyes… green. Her runny nose and her chin were pointed, her lips pressed together looked like a scar. The mud bespatted plimsolls she always wore were size 4. The Glencoe’s proudly owned a Sheffield made car, a Cavendish. To be continued.

Former McDonalds on The Moor I recall the Lonsdale Universal shop on The Moor, but I don’t remember having ever visited it (but I may have done). I think Lonsdale Universal may have shared the shop with Midland Rentals TV. I’m not sure about it though. This was around 1970/71, or so. The shop later became Quadrant Stationers in 1972/73ish. The shop was on 2 floors. To get to the basement level you went down a curving stairway with white railings, topped with a light-brown wooded banister. I used to ‘buy’ many of my ‘difficult to get’ football magazines here. This shop stocked some football magazine you couldn’t get from other Sheffield shops(?) - football illustrated, World Soccer and others. -- Anyroad, not everybody is into football, so a change of subject. Nuddy mags. On the right, at the back wall (upstairs?) was a fair-sized selection of Adult mags. Some of the magazines I remember (fondly) were: Relate Search Bamboo Review Forum (the readers letters were good) Janus Fanfair Spic and Span Beautiful Britons, and others. These magazines were very popular for there were many daily casual browsers flicking through the pages after having released the mags from their polythene packaging. It’s worth noting for reasons of nostalgia, that the carpeting in this particular area of the shop was well-warn. A few feet further to the left were the less exiting magazines: Parade, Playboy, Mayfair, Men Only, etc. -- A small anecdote. I was in Quadrants shop one fine rainy day, gendering through the latest issues that had just come in. I’d been for about 32 minutes when a shop assistantess with a screech like voice called out “What do you think you’re doing?” I stood Rigidly Stiff like a soldier erect thinking she’d noticed I was a daily magazine reader who never bought owt. It was with a sense of Relief when I realised she was referring to a bloke who had been stood next to me and was making his way to the exit. The bloke had his left arm in a sling and the screechy bird had seen him slipping a pair of magazines into the sling. Some of the above mentioned nuddy mags can still be gotten second-hand at: Anglo-American magazine & paperback exchange, at Spittal Hill shops. Good luck. -- I did eventually hang up my off-buff coloured raincoyt. It had been crying out to be laundered. It has served its purpose.

Anyone play football for Club 62? Yes, Jimmy Hinch did become a professional football player. The full info of his club career can be found on Wikipedia as we all well know! Here is a cuppler signed pics of lanky Jim: 1 and 2.

Prince Edward school, 1940/50/60s. Axus – post 263 Marjorie Pye had a brother called Vincent. They kept rats as pets. One of the rats was called Tom. Yes, the Pye’s lived on Mansfield Rooad. It’s amazing what you can learn on Sheffield Forum. LOL. Do you remember George Cutts, and also Vince Murphy? George is a friend of mine

Anybody from Hackenthorpe? Keith Glennis / Glenys Heather Kenneth Hilary. Turn the Page, new chapter. Is it novel to have 5 children?

Robert and Belks Silversmiths. Here is a photo from about the time I worked at R&B.