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Hillsborough Arcade.

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Just been having a discussion in the pub earlier tonight about Hillsborough Arcade, particularly the Bradfield Road side between the Shakey and Wilkinsons and what used to be there before it opened.

 

My first recollection of it being there is from about 1980 but none of us can remember what shops/buildings preceeded it.

 

Does anyone else know?

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Travelling the other way up Bradfield road from the Old Blue Ball......to hillsborough corner.

On the corner of the Old Blue Ball car park there was a fruit and veg shop.

Next was a church, where the TSB and Wilkinsons now is.

Then the "Shakey".

I don't recall ow't in between.

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Starting at Hillsborough corner it was Burtons the Tailors,then came The Shakespeare at the side of the Shakespeare was a small bank which later became Dempseys shoe shop and next to that was The Church and then there was a small fruit and veg shop at the side of The Blue Ball.not positive about the Bank but someone no doubt will put me right.

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Here is a scan from the 1973 Kelly's Directory showing the Middlewood Road side. On Bradfield Road the directory shows only Burton's, the Shakespeare Inn, Tesco (which became Wilkinsons) and the Blue Ball. The Methodist church had gone; it must have been demolished around 1970.

 

The small bank that nosy nellie mentions was the Sheffield Savings Bank; it moved to Hillsborough Road around 1962-63. The little fruit & veg. shop that Allen remembers is shown as "T. Lake, greengrocer" at 158a Bradfield Road in the 1968 directory but it had gone by 1973. The only other directory I have is that of 1942 which shows little else in Bradfield Road - the fruit and veg. shop at that time was occupied by "Alfred Thomas, boot repairer"

 

How many people know that the alleyway down the side of the former Woolworth's is called Bradfield Place? As far as I know it has never had a sign..:)

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Many thanks for the replies, you've all answered some of the questions which were puzzling us last night.

 

I do remember the fruit & veg shop now it's been mentioned, but I didn't know the alleyway was known as Bradfield Place.

 

Thanks again.

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That is something I have learned Hillsbro I never knew the alley was called Bradfield Place Thanks again Hillsbro I am still finding out things even at my age.

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Just another snippet - Bradfield Place used to end at a wall, beyond which was the Old Blue Ball. A door in the wall was open 364 days a year, but a sign on it stated that it would be "locked on Good Friday". And sure enough, they locked it once a year on Good Friday. This was a legal move to prevent Bradfield Place becoming a public right of way "by usage". If it had been a right of way, they couldn't have built the Arcade across it.

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Tell you what I'm gutted I didn't help myself to the free clothes hangers outside the shop before it shut ;)

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Thanks for all your replies so far, but just another quick question, does anyone know what was at the Bradfield Road and Middlewood Road entrances immediately before work started on the arcade?

 

I've heard it was a loading bay for one of the shops at the time but wondered if anybody else could verify that, and the year it officially opened.

 

Thanks in advance.

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Thanks for that hillsbro. I remember the alley and the wall with the gate.

I didn't know it was called Bradfield Place, nor the fact it was locked one day a year.

 

On the other side of Bradfield Road, opposite the church used to be a "Fina" garage.

In those days they had a petrol attendant to fill your car. None of this self serve business. I remember the guy there always had a smile on his face...most friendly chap.

Anyone know what happened to the "Fina" brand. It doesn't seem to exist anymore.

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Thanks for all your replies so far, but just another quick question, does anyone know what was at the Bradfield Road and Middlewood Road entrances immediately before work started on the arcade? I've heard it was a loading bay for one of the shops ...
The 1973 directory shows Tufft's draper's shop next to Woolworths, and so this shop would have been demolished to make the Middlewood Road entrance to the arcade (though I think that Tufft's had closed by the time the arcade was built). There can't have been much at the Bradfield Road side - the church and adjacent house (next to the Shakey) had been demolished in c. 1969 to make way for Tesco/Wilkinsons and there might perhaps have been a loading bay there.
...On the other side of Bradfield Road, opposite the church used to be a "Fina" garage....Anyone know what happened to the "Fina" brand. It doesn't seem to exist anymore.
Fred Wilson's "Fina" garage with its friendly pump attendant was opposite. He also had a secondhand car dealership and car hire business/motor finance operation until he sold up and retired in c. 1978. "Fina" became part of "Total" in about the late 1990s.

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Thanks for the info everyone, much appreciated.

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