Does anyone know the history of the Bole Hills?

[skippy 11]

I remember the pikelet shop, it was just up from the Wesley Hall as you say, & we went in the other place for hot vimto on cold days, there was a beer off shop just below it & the Ball above it, & the cobblers at the bottom of Mulehouse Rd.

Joe Cocker's mother worked at Shentalls, he lived opposite me & we went to the shop for broken biscuits quite regularly, sorry for getting away from the thread, but this has brought back so many happy memories.

[CHAIRBOY 10]

That would be Binghams. Think it's still there.

 

They are part of the Northern Foods chain. One of my pals, before retirement, used to be one of their sales managers and was nicknamed "Potted Meat Pete" by some of the locals, not disrespectfully, but as a means of identity. Long gone are the days when Bingham's spread was a speciality on sandwiches at kids' birthday parties!

[Grahame 10]

They are part of the Northern Foods chain. One of my pals, before retirement, used to be one of their sales managers and was nicknamed "Potted Meat Pete" by some of the locals, not disrespectfully, but as a means of identity. Long gone are the days when Bingham's spread was a speciality on sandwiches at kids' birthday parties!

I used to walk past Binghams every day on my way to Western Road school and that was over 40 years ago, but someone was telling me the other day that Fletcher's on Claywheels Lane that went up in smoke belonged to Northern Foods?

[CHAIRBOY 10]

I used to walk past Binghams every day on my way to Western Road school and that was over 40 years ago, but someone was telling me the other day that Fletcher's on Claywheels Lane that went up in smoke belonged to Northern Foods?

 

 

Yes, I heard that said too. Confirmed by the following link.

 

http://www.northern-foods.co.uk/index.asp?id=1000012

 

http://www.findtheneedle.co.uk/listing.aspx?company_id=50763

[Grahame 10]

Yes, I heard that said too. Confirmed by the following link.

 

http://www.northern-foods.co.uk/index.asp?id=1000012

I see Smiths Flour are part of the group. I wondered about that because about two days after the fire there were a whole load of people, mostly women, who came to see the devastation. They were all wearing day-glow vests with Smiths Flour on the back, there were so many it looked as though they had come by coach?

 

Sorry, that was just an aside.

[alevans 10]

In the 50's/ Early 60's I was an aspirant climber (still am) and I have memories of climbing on boulders and a small Quarry on the Bole Hills, When I went back a few years ago I could find no sign of them, I thought I must have imagined them, it would seem by your answers that they did in fact exist

[CHAIRBOY 10]

Not ignoring your quote, alevans, I think the answer is 'yes' to your climbing of boulders.

Regarding the football action, there were two football pitches split by a hockey pitch and also a concrete cricket strip. The field then belonged to Sheffield Education Committee and schools used them but the general public could play on them also and the top pitch nearest the tennis courts was always preferred. The bottom part was railed-off though there were sharp, spiked railings and many ball punctured on the spikes. Now the field is green; then, because it was used so much, 90 per cent of the pitch was black dust! Towards the bottom goal, the terrain sloped inwards making a gulley by the penalty spot.

On light evenings, after completion of homework, groups gathered to shoot-in until there were sufficient players for 7-aside. The two captains spun and chose from the assembled ranks. Thereafter, who came next, kicked 'down' and the next arrival joined the opposition. There were times when you could see far down to the Walkley entrance and if it was a player you didn't care for, you'd hope in the meantime someone better would appear round the 'blind' wall on Longfield Avenue!!

I list some of the regular names and please add if you feel you ought to be there.

John Morley, Pete Wright, Dave Harris, Pete Harris, Chris Middleton, Ray Pantlin, Ted Phillips, Rob Smith, Jimmy Knapton, 'Albert' Hardy, Ron Pagdin, Keith Rogers, Royden Townsend, Barry Adams, Phil Adams, Roy Jessop, Roger Oliver, Pete Vickers, Eddie Blagden, Bob Page, Dave Bennyworth, Rob Smith, Johnny Carrack who has the paints shop at Crookes (Stothard Rd) - brother of Paul, et al. Hope it sparks more memories, they were wonderful days.

With the dearth of Scottish talent, Birmingham, Liverpool etc, it begs the question if youth doesn't play like this anymore? We had the luxury of goalposts on the Bole Hills but were never averse to putting coats down.

When there was a game on at the Waterworks ground, or Crookes WMC (where the bowling green now lies) we'd hang around in the hope at half-time, we could use the goals for kickin'-in.

 

The match went on from about 6.30 until 9.30, the eyes becoming accustomed to the light and 'floodlights' from the street!

Edited March 5, 2009 by CHAIRBOY

[crookes 10]

In my whole time at Western Road school I got to play football only once on the Bole Hills, I guess I was useless. Every visit after that I was made to walk round and round the pitch

[TattyBear 10]

Mmm, I've just had a look at the area, on local.live.com and opposite the top of Linaker Road might be nearer the mark. It's so difficult to pinpoint where it was, but there was definately access from Bole Hill Road. I seem to remember it being walled off at the far end, but could not say for sure.

 

I remember playing for hours on this lump of rock because it looked like the bow of a ship

 

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/escafeld01/BoleHills001.jpg

 

My partners family live at crookes, very close to bole hills. He spent all his child hood on the park, and that rock to him and his friends was millenium falcon!

[tsavo 10]

I'm pretty sure that the part of the Bolehills in front of the playing fields was once a corporation tip. I can remember as a child in the late 1940s digging up bottles and other rubbish. It was around this time that a fair was held and the price of a ride was a jam jar! Don't know the exact date, does anyone else remember?

[Yerman 10]

Tsavo

 

You could be right about the tip. I still have a large scar on my leg where I fell there in the late 50's. My leg was ripped open by a piece of rusted corrugated iron which was lurking below the surface.

 

By the way, when was the second tennis court around the bowling green converted into a building - it must have been some time in the 60's.

[Elmambo 25]

Being brought up on Stannington View Road, I remember the Bole Hills very well. However, we did not go there that often as there were lots more interesting things to do, the "old gardens" near the top, the cemetry wood, the first farm, the second farm ( now Den Bank Cres etc. ), Acres of allotments with narrow paths winding through, donkey wood, Jackie bank and the whole of the Rivelin valley. We did sometimes go there to play ball games, as there were a few fairly level areas.

 

Here goes with the memories. No one has mentioned the "Old Mans hut", which was just above the "ship" rock. It was used for playing cards, dominoes etc., and was fiercely guarded you dare not go near it. I remember many loud arguements taking place there.

 

I remember the quarry, very large and deep. It was used as a land fill site to level it off and the area landscaped around 1950 ( I think ). I well remember the playground being opened, 50/51, spent all day there going round on the roundabouts and when I went to bed that night my head was still spinning round.

 

I was told, in the 60's, by an old chap called Mr. Saynor, that the Bole Hills had for many years been used to dump "night soil" from the middens. I think this may well be true. If you look from the Tinker Lane end, this is not a natural landscape, it looks as though it has been used as A tip. It would account for the fact that it was never built on and the presence of large areas of black ashy soil that used to be there - at the side of Cocked Hat Cottages for instance - it's a fair bit greener than it used to be.