What was there before Ponds Forge?

[Plain Talker 11]

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/zoom.pl?picture=http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/u04112.jpg

 

City Council Housing Department Offices, former Joseph Rodgers &; Sons Ltd, Sheaf Island Works, junction of River Lane, right and Pond Hill, left - 1970

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/zoom.pl?picture=http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/s15866.jpg

 

Pond Street Bus Station looking towards Pond Hill including Lyceum P.H., Sheffield United Tours, Joseph Rodger's Cutlery Works F.J.Brindley & Sons, Ponds Forge and Park District - 1950.

 

This is how I remember it as a kid in the 1950s - pretty dismal !

 

I well remember the housing department offices being in that old factory, prior to the Egg-box Town Hall extension being built. I remember going into what must have been the basement with my mother, to pay our rent, and I remember the stairs.

 

You was right in the first place PT,

Rogers cutlery firm did have premises on Pond Hill,

I remember going there to buy day tickets to fish their pond at Killamarsh

m&p

 

it was the other factory, opposite which I was trying to think of, and getting the two mixed up.

[Hetty 12]

When going to work at Parkhill,(early 60,s) seem to remember a big forge George Senior??? After so any years the mind plays tricks!!! I DO remember a forge, it is possible it wasn't at that place!

[PopT 10]

I know there was a brewery there as I have an old beer bottle with the name Ponds forge brewery.

 

I did read the Sheffield went up as far as the Midlland station so it must have been a huge place.

 

I hope this gives you some leads to follow.

 

PopT

[vanner 10]

Most of the time that I worked at Joseph Rodgers,started there in `64 at 17+, the landlord of the Queens head was a nondescript bloke called (I`m pretty sure) Peter. His missus was twice his size and wore very unflattering frumpy dresses. Looking across from the toolroom (where I worked) you used to marvel at the fact that the net curtains and curtains,upstairs, were "loppy" and looked as if they had survived from another age.

Talking about George Seniors, we were able to go and have a meal in their canteen now and again. I don`t remember how this state of affairs came about. Whether someone at "our" place knew someone there I have no idea. Just round the corner from the pub, along the bottom of Pond St bus ranks, was the offices of SUT, Sheffield United Tours. A mat of mine`s dad used to drive part time for them at the weekends.

 

Every morning, around 9am I think, a young Lady, in her early twenties by the look of her, would walk down to the housing past the Queens head. The reason I remember this particular lass, was that her posture was very good and that she was quite slim. Every bloke in the toolroom at that moment would, upon hearing the call of, She`s here, go immediately to the window and gaze out at this vision until she went into the the Housing Dept. Where we assumed she worked. The reason that this young lady recieved all this attention, apart from the fact that she was very attractive, was that for someone of her slender build, she possessed the most wonderful decoletage. In fact, and this may be fuzzy memory syndrome, more than one bloke managed to drool onto the bench he was leaning over. There`s no point mentioning the beer in the pub. Most ale was terrible then. We are spoiled now for real ales etc.

[lazarus 68]

Just directly opposite of Bakers Hill was Shude Lane leading to Wheel Lane & on the corner of Shude Lane & Shude Hill was the Ice House, on the hottest summer day the coldness emmiting from there was unbelieveable. And Seniors Ponds Forge was there as the Gateway in Pond Hill shows, when I lived on the Manor Estate you could hear the thump of the massive drop hammer going through the night. Back then people didnt complain about the noise as it was somebodys livelyhood so you got used to it.

The Council took over Joseph Rodgers in Pond St and used it as their Rent Offices.

Edited May 16, 2010 by lazarus

[maat49 10]

Most of the time that I worked at Joseph Rodgers,started there in `64 at 17+, the landlord of the Queens head was a nondescript bloke called (I`m pretty sure) Peter. His missus was twice his size and wore very unflattering frumpy dresses. Looking across from the toolroom (where I worked) you used to marvel at the fact that the net curtains and curtains,upstairs, were "loppy" and looked as if they had survived from another age.

Talking about George Seniors, we were able to go and have a meal in their canteen now and again. I don`t remember how this state of affairs came about. Whether someone at "our" place knew someone there I have no idea. Just round the corner from the pub, along the bottom of Pond St bus ranks, was the offices of SUT, Sheffield United Tours. A mat of mine`s dad used to drive part time for them at the weekends.

 

Every morning, around 9am I think, a young Lady, in her early twenties by the look of her, would walk down to the housing past the Queens head. The reason I remember this particular lass, was that her posture was very good and that she was quite slim. Every bloke in the toolroom at that moment would, upon hearing the call of, She`s here, go immediately to the window and gaze out at this vision until she went into the the Housing Dept. Where we assumed she worked. The reason that this young lady recieved all this attention, apart from the fact that she was very attractive, was that for someone of her slender build, she possessed the most wonderful decoletage. In fact, and this may be fuzzy memory syndrome, more than one bloke managed to drool onto the bench he was leaning over. There`s no point mentioning the beer in the pub. Most ale was terrible then. We are spoiled now for real ales etc.

 

What a y story, do you wonder what happened to her?

[kenny gray 10]

s.u.t booking office was there,the garage was on charlotte rd.also i think a firm called marsh bros.made tools for rolls royce.

[canz 10]

You all remember what was there before pondsforge? Gosh you really are old :L

[doodles 10]

excellent info there! love the old stories and memories, hoping i can build a picture right from being just outside the castle walls to where we are today but then that may take me an incy bit of time! cheers

[supersentin 10]

Hi I see on here a mention of the old Blue Commer lorry. Does anyone remember the Super Sentinel Steam Waggon - I heard it was used to ship a load of stainless steel chain to strengthen the Dome on St Pauls after the dome was damage by two unexploded bombs during the war. What I am really interested in is what colour was the waggon? I have it here in my shed and want to put it back to the original George Senior and Sons Old Pond Forge Sheffield - I also have a black and white photo if anyone is interested - but black and white doesn't show the colour but I am thinking dark blue? Kind regards Mark

[david weston 10]

The side of Pond's Forge, by the pavement, was of black painted, corrugated iron and I remember, in the early 1960's, there was some graffiti written on it, seen by all the bus passengers leaving Pond Street. I can't remember what it said now, something rude, but it was visible for years.

[Nagel 10]

Before it was demolished for the swimming pool for the World Student Games I remember a Victorian factory building with a large courtyard which you could drive into and park there.

 

At least part of the building was taken up with an architectural antiques/salvage business