Jump to content


History of Sheffield steel industry and people

Recommended Posts

Hi Hampson,

 

Seems it certainly was the right move then Brian. A heart warming story :)

 

Peter.

 

Hi again Peter, it was not just the major steel works that lost thousands of jobs but the ripple effect on small engineering and fabricating companies was catastrophic, not to mention scrap dealers and steel stockists etc. The Tories basically turned south Yorkshire upside down and emptied her pockets. So glad I got away from it, just in time. Merry Christmas, by the way...cheers!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hi again Peter, it was not just the major steel works that lost thousands of jobs but the ripple effect on small engineering and fabricating companies was catastrophic, not to mention scrap dealers and steel stockists etc. The Tories basically turned south Yorkshire upside down and emptied her pockets. So glad I got away from it, just in time. Merry Christmas, by the way...cheers!

 

Yes, very true TORONTONY.

Thankyou and best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to you.

Peter.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Peter I worked at Tempered Springs at Warren ST before I came to Canada and there are gone I was told they went under in the 1980s Iwas back in 2010 and all that was left was the pub Brian

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hi Peter I worked at Tempered Springs at Warren ST before I came to Canada and there are gone I was told they went under in the 1980s Iwas back in 2010 and all that was left was the pub Brian

 

Hi Brian,

 

Have you seen this pic on Picture Sheffield taken 2nd May '66 apparently of a yard at Tempered Springs on Warren Street?

 

Click on this link....

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?action=zoomWindow&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s33743&prevUrl=

 

Could the metal lettering in the foreground of the pic below on 1st May '66 be that of Tempered Springs Co Ltd?? It's listed as Warren Street, Princess Street, Leveson Street and Norfolk Railway Bridge Viaduct. A very familiar junction to me.

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?action=zoomWindow&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s13165&prevUrl=

 

Peter.

Edited by PeterR

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

that of Tempered Springs Co Ltd?? It's listed as Warren Street, Princess Street, Leveson Street and Norfolk Railway Bridge Viaduct. A very familiar junction to me.

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?action=zoomWindow&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s13165&prevUrl=

 

Peter.

 

Yes Peter, the photo is indeed from the Tempered Spring Co at the junction of Warren Street and Leveson Street. The main street shown is Attercliffe Road and the right arch of Norfolk Bridge is Sutherland Street. The four towers at the top are/were, Pye Bank flats.

Edited by stpetre
Edit

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My father was Kingfisher who posted in this thread and the one about where the asbestos was. Sadly my father passed away in October aged 92 after suffering from asbestos related illness for many years.

 

I do have his collection of every Firth Brown Works Magazine (published quarterly) from the 1950's to the 1980's and I am looking for somewhere that might be interested in housing them and making them available for researchers if they would be of interest. Any suggestions gratefully received (Sheffield reference Library, Kelham Island ???)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I was a swing grinder at Jonas & Colver around 1976, it was an awfull place. Swing grinders used to move around a lot in those days [following the money we used to call it] but nobody stayed at Colvers for long. Nearly every grinder I knew had worked at Colvers at some time, but left at the first opportunity. The work was a killer, the dust was awfull and Colvers had never moved with the times- everything was done the old fashioned hard way. The only good thing about the demise of the steel industry is that jobs like this are gone forever and wont kill anyone else. The sad part is that good firms who cared about their workers fell by the wayside as well.

I had around 20 years in the steel industry and ironfoundries and enjoyed most of them.

No Regrets.

hiya my dad was a swing grinder, one job he nearly started was at brown bayleys I was still at school at the time he was supposed to be on afters starting at 2 pm, his brother worked there as a pickler ,anyway the foreman in the grinding shop said to his brother we've got a grinder starting he has the same surname as you, when my uncle asked if his name was bill he said it was to which he was told that he wouldn't stay, when dad saw the grinding shop he was ankle deep in grinding dust , dad said who is the sweeper up when he was told that when it got too bad the grinders would clean it up, then he asked where he was to hang his coat he was told oh hang it any where at that dad asked for his cards and was back home for four o clock

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
My father was Kingfisher who posted in this thread and the one about where the asbestos was. Sadly my father passed away in October aged 92 after suffering from asbestos related illness for many years.

 

I do have his collection of every Firth Brown Works Magazine (published quarterly) from the 1950's to the 1980's and I am looking for somewhere that might be interested in housing them and making them available for researchers if they would be of interest. Any suggestions gratefully received (Sheffield reference Library, Kelham Island ???)

 

Hi Dibbler,

 

I'm sorry to hear of your loss.

 

What a wonderful collection, which I'm sure many people would like to see!!

 

Kelham Island has Firth Browns archives but my experience of trying to get access was unfortunately not good and I gave up.

 

I suggest you start here....

 

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/libraries/archives-and-local-studies.html

 

Good luck, I sincerely hope that you succeed as I personally would love access to the collection, particularly as I worked at Firth Browns from 1959 to 1966 and have happy memories of that time :)

 

Peter.

 

---------- Post added 27-12-2015 at 11:55 ----------

 

that of Tempered Springs Co Ltd?? It's listed as Warren Street, Princess Street, Leveson Street and Norfolk Railway Bridge Viaduct. A very familiar junction to me.

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?action=zoomWindow&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s13165&prevUrl=

 

Peter.

 

Yes Peter, the photo is indeed from the Tempered Spring Co at the junction of Warren Street and Leveson Street. The main street shown is Attercliffe Road and the right arch of Norfolk Bridge is Sutherland Street. The four towers at the top are/were, Pye Bank flats.

 

 

Hi St Petre,

Yes, and as I'm sure you are aware, Princess Street is in fact just out of sight to the right of pic between Sutherland Street and Attercliffe Road.

Peter.

Edited by PeterR

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Peter. I found the magazines interesting not least for some of the social aspects associated with the firm (drama, opera, sports, fishing, pensioners outings etc). Of course there are hundreds of retirement photos, plus photos of the numerous trades that went on down there. There some photos of the Sports and Social Club (now the SUFC Academy) in its various modernisations through the years which I found interesting as my mum and dad used to spend their Saturday nights there. Although a lifelong Blade my father always disputed Sheffield Forgemaster's rights to sell the Sports Ground as he believed it belonged to the members (who had a 1d deduction a week to pay for it) and not the company.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Thanks Peter. I found the magazines interesting not least for some of the social aspects associated with the firm (drama, opera, sports, fishing, pensioners outings etc). Of course there are hundreds of retirement photos, plus photos of the numerous trades that went on down there. There some photos of the Sports and Social Club (now the SUFC Academy) in its various modernisations through the years which I found interesting as my mum and dad used to spend their Saturday nights there. Although a lifelong Blade my father always disputed Sheffield Forgemaster's rights to sell the Sports Ground as he believed it belonged to the members (who had a 1d deduction a week to pay for it) and not the company.

 

Thanks CMOT _Dibbler,

 

There are 400 plus Photos of Firth Browns on here....

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?searchterms=Firth+Brown&action=search&keywords=all%3BCONTAINS%3B%25Firth%25%3BAND%3Ball%3BCONTAINS%3B%25Brown%25%3B

but only a handfull are of clerical staff, the position I held for most of my time there. Maybe one day I'll spot someone I knew in the magazines. :)

 

Peter.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Peter R were right I remember that yard I sometimes worked in the building on the left and yes Norfolk bridge the old building on the left was called Burton Weir thatwas the maintenance workshops for warren st plants thank you for the photos Brian

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hi Peter R were right I remember that yard I sometimes worked in the building on the left and yes Norfolk bridge the old building on the left was called Burton Weir thatwas the maintenance workshops for warren st plants thank you for the photos Brian

 

 

Hi Hampson,

 

I'm pleased that the pics stirred some memories for you.

 

I'm fortunate in that the part of the Firth Browns head office buildings on Saville Street East, in which I worked part of my FB time as a clerk from when I was 17 in 1961 and on to 1964, has been preserved and is now named 'The President Buildings'. Also there are 446 photos of the long gone massive Firth Browns site on the Picture Sheffield site which I often view.

 

These pics might ring a bell for you??

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s12221&pos=1&action=zoom&id=15147

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s28610&pos=6&action=zoom&id=89735

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;t07477&pos=16&action=zoom&id=97530

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;t07179&pos=15&action=zoom&id=95634

 

Click on 'Zoom Image ' for a bigger pic.

 

Peter.

Edited by PeterR

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.