Jump to content


What was it like living in Kelvin Flats?

Recommended Posts

I read a thread on here with Pics of Kelvin Flats on. I was wandering if people can give their account of living there, how it was etc.

 

We did a School geography trip and had to go to Kelvin Flats back in 88 or 87 and my group were shot at with Pellet Guns, had potatoes thrown at us and we were chased by a gang. Was it as rough as its reputation, or was life no different than any innercity area?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I used to live in Kelvin Flats in the 80`s, cannot remember exactly, memory fades after so long .....;) ..... but we never had any problems, the flats were nice, if not a little unusual in design, I never ventured out much late at night, so never saw if gangs were beating up old ladies or smashing cars.

 

The only bad part was the shops across, more were borded up than in use.... a bit like now...

 

although i can remember throwing potatoes and my mates had some pellet guns... at some bloody school kids. only kiddin :P

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I used to go to a Youth club on the Kelvin back in the mid-late 80s... Twas OK as Youth clubs go but the estate was run down, and had a few problems, like any estate does...

 

Trouble is, when they demolished the Kelvin a few years back, they moved all the problem tenants up here to Stannington :rant:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I lived in there for about 8 years and was one of the last ones to leave during the clearance programme. I loved it and never had any problems at all. The community was second to none and the majority of people we brilliant. In an estate the size of Kelvin, (947 flats) you were bound to get a few problems. Show me any estate that size that has none.

 

I didn't want to leave and still miss the sense of community. That is irreplaceable.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Originally posted by peter41

I used to live in Kelvin Flats in the 80`s, cannot remember exactly, memory fades after so long .....;) ..... but we never had any problems, the flats were nice, if not a little unusual in design, I never ventured out much late at night, so never saw if gangs were beating up old ladies or smashing cars.

 

The only bad part was the shops across, more were borded up than in use.... a bit like now...

 

although i can remember throwing potatoes and my mates had some pellet guns... at some bloody school kids. only kiddin :P

i remember in the 80s reading in the sheffield star about an old lady who was beaten with a chair or table leg,and later died,sadly i cant remember the old ladies name,i am sure someone will post the her name,its funny how people forget .

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Originally posted by peter41

I used to live in Kelvin Flats in the 80`s, cannot remember exactly, memory fades after so long .....;) ..... but we never had any problems, the flats were nice, if not a little unusual in design, I never ventured out much late at night, so never saw if gangs were beating up old ladies or smashing cars.

 

The only bad part was the shops across, more were borded up than in use.... a bit like now...

 

although i can remember throwing potatoes and my mates had some pellet guns... at some bloody school kids. only kiddin :P

sorry peter,i also remember the doctor who strangled his two children in the cellar of a house in pitsmoor and then threw himself of the flats,leaving there poor mom to cope with her grief.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

As has been said in previous similar threads, yes, things did happen. People jumped, blew themselves up, and attacked people. These are always remembered because they happened on Kelvin. Other awfull things happen in other areas. Granted, they shouldn't happen anywhere but unfortunately they do.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

well 2 I missed then Roughly101, but I am sure the same things have happed at ParkHill Flats as well.

 

It happens allover the place. :confused:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Originally posted by peter41

I used to live in Kelvin Flats in the 80`s, cannot remember exactly, memory fades after so long .....;) ..... but we never had any problems, the flats were nice, if not a little unusual in design, I never ventured out much late at night, so never saw if gangs were beating up old ladies or smashing cars.

 

The only bad part was the shops across, more were borded up than in use.... a bit like now...

 

although i can remember throwing potatoes and my mates had some pellet guns... at some bloody school kids. only kiddin :P

 

LOL I bet it was you :D . Of course I realised they were only trying to scare us (which they did), as i'm sure we'd have been easy targets to hit with them pellet guns.

 

The daft stuff Schools made us kids do aye, in respect, looking back this was a school trip of pure exploitation, as the teachers just hammered home to us about how bad life was in these flats. By the way we were from Barnsley too.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think it was the outside that made the place look bad... but inside the flats were actually very nice, but I am sure that someone will disagree with me....

 

never judge a book by its cover :thumbsup:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

it was no different from park hill really - grim to look at with lots of regular people living inside, but scallys in groups hanging about on the ground floor.

 

my lasting memory of kelvin is walking underneath on my way to langsett road from crookesmoor and being closely missed by a nappy thrown out of a 3rd floor window. nice!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

the basic internal layout of all three blocks of flats (kelvin, Park hill and Hyde Park) were pretty much identical.

 

The only real differences were externally, the windows of HP and K were the same; laid out horizontally.( i e = = = PH were set vertically like so || || || )

 

The interiors were very light and airy, and fairly well laid-out. The windows were very large, in all three blocks, in relation to the wall they were set in (almost a 6' drop, by nearly 9' wide in my old living room.)

 

I think it was simply the construction materials, and the construction methods that let the buildings down.

 

I think that (maybe not so much in PH, as that was the first block of the three to be built) the materials were a bit substandard, or, at least, the reinforced concrete (particularly) and the flat rooves were not suitable for the British climate.

the flat I lived in on HP had a hole in the foor, through to the public access landing below, that you could get your fist in, where teh concrete had spalled, and crumbled away.

 

The PHF blocks don't seem to have been as damp and as poor in construction as the other two.

 

That is the physical climate of the blocks, as far as My memory serves me,

 

the atmosphere on them...

 

well, all three blocks seem as if they had developed a keen sense of community, despite a lot of disadvantage, and poverty etc.... and a lot of what were then termed "problem families" being moved on.

 

People did cleave together, and try and make the communities on those blocks something to be proud of. They worked hard to try and instill a sense of hope and positive attitudes into the residents.

 

things could be awkward, as mums with small kiddies could feel isolated, as there was nowhere safe for them to play, especially if you were on the uppermost floors. you couldn't just let the kiddies out to play... it was so far from some flats to the lifts that it could take ages to get out to the outdoor play areas, and of course you couldn't just leave the younger ones to their own devices.

 

If you were elderly, again, it could be isolating. shops not always near enough to reach easily.

 

You had the idiot drunkards and dead-heads piddling in the lifts, and folk being inconsiderate with noise. Sometimes it felt like a losing battle. but, on the whole, I think the positives outweighed the negatives.

 

PT

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.