Is this place in my dreams or real ?

[cornishmaid 10]

I think it was around 1962/3/4 , when I was in my mid teens , that I had some time to waste in the city centre before meeting my sister . I have this place firmly fixed in my mind but as I now live in Cornwall , I cant get back to look for it ! It was, I think , behind the City Hall sort of area, maybe the Cathedral , a sort of sloping downwards square where there had been little workshops at one time, an industrial place where I think some of the Little Mesters had their workshops . Can anyone enlighten me as to where exactly this was, if indeed it did exsist ! Thank you , Kate

[victormh 10]

Re post by Cornishmaid

There were many areas/streets like that in Shefield, I left there in 1967 but spent a lot of time taking work to various Little Mesters who were in the cutlery and scissor trade

You did not dream it, these paced were in abundance at that time, and have only dissapeared through area development. I know there were a few on streets off Scotland Street in 2001/2 when I went in the area on other business

Not much help for you other than to confirm you were not dreaming !!

Best Wishes - Grey Eminence - Malaysia

[me-and-pippo 12]

I think it was around 1962/3/4 , when I was in my mid teens , that I had some time to waste in the city centre before meeting my sister . I have this place firmly fixed in my mind but as I now live in Cornwall , I cant get back to look for it ! It was, I think , behind the City Hall sort of area, maybe the Cathedral , a sort of sloping downwards square where there had been little workshops at one time, an industrial place where I think some of the Little Mesters had their workshops . Can anyone enlighten me as to where exactly this was, if indeed it did exsist ! Thank you , Kate

Sounds like Paradise Square to me, not exactly a Little Mesters area,

mostly lawyers & accountants.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=53.383788,-1.470039&spn=0.000768,0.001703&z=19&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=53.383788,-1.470039&panoid=9SOYmEOCQ4A_MpjQsp6DXA&cbp=12,321.96,,0,4.96

[Treatment 10]

Might be that area behind the Dole Office on West Street, and the hill that goes down to West Bar (with the Corn Laws memorial on it ).

[0742Sheff 10]

Sounds like Paradise Square to me, not exactly a Little Mesters area,

mostly lawyers & accountants.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&ll=53.383788,-1.470039&spn=0.000768,0.001703&z=19&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=53.383788,-1.470039&panoid=9SOYmEOCQ4A_MpjQsp6DXA&cbp=12,321.96,,0,4.96

 

That is the place i immediately thought of as well. Back in the 60's those buildings could have been used by Little Mesters i suppose.

[mike-s 13]

When I worked at Walshs in the early 70s the warehouse and tv repair dept were just off Trippet Lane in a courtyard of which I believe were originally little mesters workshops. The property has been modernised somewhat and is now known as Walsh court, Bell square. There are some more recent pictures on http://www.picturesheffield.com I suppose this could be classed as 'behind the city hall' to a certain extent. If you come across any old pictures of it I would be interested.

[Ghostrider 11]

There is a couple of little mesters workshops on cambridge st (its in front of city hall & on a slope, so its a possibility)

[cornishmaid 10]

Thank you, I`ll do a google search of those address`s and see if any ring a bell although the city has changed beyond belief since I left in 1980 !

[cornishmaid 10]

Thank you so very much ! I went onto the website at Sheffield Library , found a photo taken in 1959 of Paradise Square, thats definately the one and a couple of streets around too , happy memories, thanks , Kate

[DUFFEMS 55]

Thank you so very much ! I went onto the website at Sheffield Library , found a photo taken in 1959 of Paradise Square, thats definately the one and a couple of streets around too , happy memories, thanks , Kate

 

The Star used to have their annual carol service there too, candlelit it was and very quaint, it really did have the spirit of taking you back in time because Paradise Square always had that element about it.

[bullerboY 10]

Paradise Square used to be called Pot Square and a man once auctioned his wife there,sorry i don't know what the final offer was,John Wesley also preached there and Francis Chantrey had a studio in the bottom left hand corner.

[emjaydoubleu 10]

There was a firm, John Petty & Sons between Garden Street and Hollis Croft. My Grandfather Jack Beardsall was a little mester there for years and Gran worked in the warehouse. They also made butcher knives.

He made 3-4 gross of pocket knives every week by hand. I helped him after school. It was like going back to Victorian times, grimy windows, no ventilation or dust extraction, no guards on the drives, all leather belting. Grandad died in 1957 from lung cancer. He had worked since he was 12 years old. John Petty drove a Bently and lived in Hathersage. It's a pity some of that wealth wasn't spent on working condition upgrades.........