Goodbye to the Castle Market

[squeakyclean 11]

Our family owned a shellfish stall for a number of years, and I have fond memories of it. Weekends were so busy, we struggled to keep up! Met so many lovely people over the years.

[999tigger 10]

Went in this morning while in town for a last look round, and it brought back a lot of memories... most of the fish market was still open (except one of the stall I actually wanted to go to, that's packed up), and it looked pretty busy - must be a sad day for those who do spend a lot of time in there.

 

The fish stall that shut down? Simmonites? has reopened on Division streetish. Very busy.

[Super Hans 10]

It's not sad, it's a horrible place.

 

I used to go there as a kid and I have no good memories of the place.

[No User Name 10]

I went this morning and bought a few final bits.

 

Sad to see all of the basement shops closed already, not a single one was open.

[Super Hans 10]

I went this morning and bought a few final bits.

 

Sad to see all of the basement shops closed already, not a single one was open.

 

I think it's been like that for the past 5-ish years.

[scargill 10]

having not been down that end of town for a long time, what has happened or is happening to Sheaf market?

[Vaati 11]

having not been down that end of town for a long time, what has happened or is happening to Sheaf market?

 

Long gone, the Sheaf Market hasn't been open for yonks.

[poison_pen 10]

The whole place was past its sell by date and should have been shut down years ago .It was a nice place once but that has to be over 20 years ago

[BEDROCK 10]

Sad times for those involved, I bet next week will be a massive culture shock for the workers, some of them spent their lives in Castle Markets and never knew owt else, will also be a massive bonus if most the stalls survive the new year as well as the new place really needs a lift to be successful.

 

---------- Post added 23-11-2013 at 19:21 ----------

 

I cannot wait to see what the Castle Markets area will become once it is all landscaped, Sheffield will look rather different in a few years.

Edited November 23, 2013 by BEDROCK

[Mr Bloom 10]

I went down today and had a look around and said my goodbyes. Went in the Q-Park, paid £2 for 2 hours and got my ticket stamped in the market, so got £1.30 back - AWESOME PARKING ARRANGEMENT - I hope the new market will be offering parking with a similar arrangement to encourage custom.

 

I felt really sad. I also felt a bit stupid that I'd missed out going for the last couple of years, as there was some brilliant quality fruit and veg and offers and other stuff like kinnerton advent calendars, 3 for £1 and Cadburys ones at £1, 10 sheets of decent wrapping paper for £1 ! I hope to see these traders in the new market and we don't lose them. I hope the Continental Grocery is moving too.

 

I have really fond memories as a kid and a student at the markets. My favourite was Sheaf Market which I still miss - with the big bread and cake stall in the middle! I remember hassling my parents for a go on whatever mini ride was at the side of it while they waited in the queues.

 

The Castle Market was great though. I have very fond memories of visiting it with my dearly departed Nan and with my parents. Sadly, it did go downhill in recent years, mainly due to lack of customers, so I hope Sheffielders will make the effort to visit the new one or it will end up the same way and we'll just be left with overpriced plastic covered apples in a tray of four at £3 a throw at the supermarkets. It wasn't just due to a reduction in footfall though, I think there weren't enough 'quality control' of some of the stalls by the authorities. I remember once seeing boxes of Asda desserts that clearly said 'Keep refrigerated' in piles high for weeks for sale and they were not refrigerated. I hope they will be a lot stricter in the new market and I think they need to have some sort of quality policy on display to encourage some customers back.

 

On the way out of the market this afternoon, there was a Pakistani family exiting just at the side of me. The little girl, about 5 or 6, was inconsolable. She was sobbing and telling the two ladies with her that she didn't want the market to close. They were comforting her and telling her that she could come down and see it again, it would be a while before it disappeared and there would be an exciting 'castle' to look at there instead soon. She wasn't easily consoled. A bit of me feels like that too.

[sheff71 10]

The fish stall that shut down? Simmonites? has reopened on Division streetish. Very busy.

 

No, the butchers (Barrows?) that was opposite Smith & Tissington's (where I got the fish)...

 

I went up Division Street also this morning and had a look in Simmonites - looks okay and am sure it'll do well there... I did notice the badly cracked window - the downside of being close to a series of boozers I suppose!

 

The free bus is very handy though if you're already in town, linking up Moorfoot and Castle Street easily, for those wanting a market fix and used to the old site...

[annbaker 10]

I never used Castle Market in the 25+ years been in Sheffield mostly down to working full-time and never being in a place where I could nip out at dinner time. Only been in it handful of times.

 

But it's one of Sheffield's great icons so I hope the Moor market takes off big style and the council do something suitable to the site when they pull it all down. End of an era or dunno yet