Graves Park, Leave your memories here

[Billam 10]

I lived at Woodseats, walked up from Helmton Road through Bluebell Wood, through the farmyard(can't do that now).

In the 60's we would meet in front of the cafe and play football every night and Sunday afternoons. My mates were Roger Buckley, Barry Falcon, Paul Foxton and Dave Smith and too many more to mention, Dave Munks and Mick Hill(ex Sheff Utd) used to join in sometimes, it was great.

But then I discovered beer and women.

I don't know if it's me or not but when you go back to view the places you used to frequent they always look smaller.

It would be great to see my old mates.

[nortonlees15 10]

spent loads of time in graves as a kid and probably even more now with my son playing sunday league etc,still a great place, i fished in the lakes and swam in the "boater" myself and my best mate had the unfortunate experience of trying to help the poor grandad who's granddaughter drowned back in 1982,never ever want to repeat that.

[orielanne 10]

Is it my imagination, but on the Chesterfield Road/ Meadowhead side, wasn't there some kind of overgrown concrete amphitheatre ??

yes there was ,we thought it was an open air theatre when we were kids and used to have pretend concerts and copy all the Aerican musicals. I had a stage with long stone terraces leading up behind it, the walls were huge rock faces.We had some wonderful times there, we would run down to the path across the ravine to the "seven hills" and play cowboys and indians,Tarzan etc, what innocent fun we had, there was always a gang of us of all ages. I the winter we would sledge down the ravine and skate on the ponds,all free,healthy and in those days, quite safe. We all lived on the surrounding roads,there was no Gleadless Valley estate just woods and higher up miles of fields,a kids paradise

[Billam 10]

We used to take ropes and play mountain climbing in the quarry(theater).

We played war and cowboys and indians, it must have been the same place, we called it horsehoe canyon.

[choogling 14]

Every sunday afternoon a crowd of us would go up for a game of footy on the field just above the boating lake.

The girls would be sat on the benches chattin whilst us guys were playing lots used to go up and it would finish up about 20 a side lol. but we had fun. I had one of those Dansette trannys and we would all be gathered round it listening to the pop charts. Remember Alan Freeman. Hi there pop pickers:clap:

In 64-65 i worked in the cafe mostly selling ice cream from the double doors at the end from an old walls fridge.The lady who ran the place was Mrs.grouncil (not sure of spelling) who also had the cafe by the bus stop at the top of Derbyshire lane and ran the soft drink bar at the esquire club on leadmill rd.I worked at all three venues but loved graves park especially all the passing girls in the summer and listening to the home service on a Sunday afternoon via a single waveband tranny.Happy days indeed.

[billhaley 10]

My memories relate to playing football and cricket there and the most vivid recollection is of playing cricket for Pauldens in the Sugg Thursday league on a pitch that didn't merely slope but had a hump in the middle! Standing at the crease at the top end I could only just see the fast bowler's head at t'other end, until he hove into view at a fearsome pace and demolished the stumps. If he had bowled downhill he'd have decapitated someone I'm sure!!

[Jack_Russell 11]

Now the junior Sunday football season has started I thought I'd resurrect this thread regarding junior football in Graves Park, I spent most if not all of my Sunday football time playing on Graves Park pitch No2.

 

I remember in Graves park there used to be (IIRC) 11 football pitches, most would be

in use on Sunday mornings, this meant you would end sharing a pitch with another team when you were playing an away fixture.

 

If you look on Google maps you can still see the outline of the pitches which are no longer used.

 

The changing rooms on a Sunday morning seemed so busy with the number of teams using them, the smell of liniment and cigarette smoke wafted down the corridors.

 

How sad now that only pitch no 1 remains in regular use although I'm not sure who plays there now, yes I know the pitches weren't flat but what did you expect in Sheffield for local football.

 

I remember the local area and most pubs had a football team, some even had enough for 2 teams.

 

Although local junior football up to U18's is thriving with many local clubs in the area, and given the demise of many pubs and WMC's which made up these clubs it's easy to understand the lack of Sunday football.

 

Just wondered if any one else has any memories of playing their football in Graves or any other local park.

[Billam 10]

When I was a boy I used to go up on Saturday afternoon & watch the matches, Derek Dooley had a team, played in Sheffield Wednesday colours.

In the late sixties I played for Kestrels FC, we played on several of the pitches, always good to play on pitch number 1.

I have been back to Graves Park, a little disapointing, most of the trees had seats round them, gone now, no water fountains left.

Sunday afternoons and every night during the summer we played 20 a side in front of the cafe, there is a childrens playground there now, the boating lake is closed, everything looks smaller.So many memories.

[canetoad 10]

My parents were walking past the boating lake one morning early80s I think they saw a body floating in the lake went to the police they never heard any more about it in any papers or anything seemed really strange at the time did anyone remember this?

[anthon bates 10]

I lived on Blackstock Road near the water tower in the early 70s remember walking to Graves Park as a little Lad, kicking the piles of leaves then going to the little shop near Cobnar Road as a child they had the best sweets in the world to me. Then walking up to the lake watching people in the boats, then on to the Cafe for a Carton of Kia-Ora, then the long walk down through the woods to the the little park near the Woodseats Road entrance to play on the climbing frame and the roundabout. The Joy i had on a Saturday Afternoon

Edited September 10, 2014 by anthon bates

[jack reacher 10]

When I was a boy I used to go up on Saturday afternoon & watch the matches, Derek Dooley had a team, played in Sheffield Wednesday colours.

In the late sixties I played for Kestrels FC, we played on several of the pitches, always good to play on pitch number 1.

I have been back to Graves Park, a little disapointing, most of the trees had seats round them, gone now, no water fountains left.

Sunday afternoons and every night during the summer we played 20 a side in front of the cafe, there is a childrens playground there now, the boating lake is closed, everything looks smaller.So many memories.

 

I used to play for that Derek Dooley side in the mid sixties as a 15 year old,the team was called Birley Amateurs Our home pitch was at the top of Bunting Nook on Matthews Lane,anyone else play for them around that time. Halcyon days !!

[HARTLES 10]

Went to Woodseats Juniors in the late sixties.We didn't have a playing field so in the cricket season two of us ten year olds would get the bus at the bottom of Scarsdale Rd with a big bag of cricket equipment and get off at the main park gates.We set up the equipment ready for the rest of the class who were walked up through the woods by the teacher (old man Kelly) Don't think it would happen now without an in-depth risk assessment!