My First Beat in Sheffield on Nights.

[PCPLOD178 10]

I was a virtual stranger when I came to Sheffield in 1959, the year I married, and in 1961, I joined the City of Sheffield Police. After three days walking round beats with experienced bobbies, I was set loose upon the citizens of the city. I knew my way around the City centre, which was handy because I was posted to B Division working from West Bar, the old fire station, but I had never been outside the shopping areas. New bobbies were always put on Pitsmoor and Burngreave beats, and I found myself there in the Winter of

1961. A little old lady known as 'Little Miss Music' had been murdered in her home on Ellesmere Road, so the area was crawling the C.I.D.s, and being a new wet behind the ears bobby, I kept my head down. On the night of my first time on 6/7 beats, around the All Saints area, the smog was so thick I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, and what was worse, I couldn't find my way around the beat. I was looking for All Saints Box to ring on duty, and after stumbling around for half an hour, encountered a young lady walking towards me. "Scuse me love,' I said, 'do you know where the poiice box is ?."

She supressed a giggle, and told me it was across the road, just twenty or so yards away. I had never worked night shifts before and they took some getting used to. On that first night, I waited at a street corner at what we called a 'conference point' which was a pre-arranged rendevouz for the sergeant to check on you, and I was so tired, so tired......yawn. I leaned against a lamp post, and next thing, I felt a breeze on my face, and saw blokes walking past me on their way to work laughing at the daft bobby fast asleep standing up leaning against a lamp post. Oh the times.

[old tup 30]

In the 60s a PC used to stop at our house quite regularly on his beat for a cup of tea and a chat,his beat he told us was the punishment one given to rookies and PCs who got the wrong side of the sergeant!.It started at Hillfoot along Club Mill Lane to Owlerton and if anyone who has walked it in the dead of night will tell its very spooky,not a soul to be found anywhere!.Knowing Dave (the PC) saved me a few times when wending my drunken way home,once relieving my bladder against the wall where Napoleans is now,he appeared from nowhere frightening me to death letting me off with a bollocking!.Another time in the early hours my mates were carrying me home down Livesey Street as my legs refused to work due to over indulging in alcoholic beverages on my 21st.Dave appeared like a Genie in the night and helped them with my paralysed body down to our cottage,what a star he never told our old boy anything saving me weeks of purgatory from Attila the Hun(Father).I bet nobody walks that beat nowadays it would be much to dodgy as the firms down there will be targets for metal thieves and such who are not afraid to use violence against anyone in their way!.

[david weston 10]

If you don't already know of this, PCPLOD, it may interest you. A book entitled "A copper in Castleford. " , ISBN 978 149 187 5575, or on e-book, same ISBN but ends 5582 instead of 5575.

[handypandy 14]

Or these two, I guess the same era as the OP. Easy read and Sheffield based. I would recommend.

 

CLICKY 1

 

CLICKY 2

 

 

 

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[Da link went 10]

When I was a young lad in Sheffield there was a Police sergeant on Sharrow lane who used to flick me round the ear with his white glove. It looked like a friendly flick but little did the passes by know that he had put nuts and bolts in the fingers it made my eyes water. Anyway one day he came waltzing along Worsterhome Rd and I saw him coming, I was with my younger brother, I was 13 he 11 and we stood by the water tank trying to hide but eagle eye saw us and promptly walked over, " What are you two young buggers up to now, " he pronounced, authority glaring from his stern face. " Nowt Serg, wi wer just goin down to library," big chuckle from mr authority,"gerrin in to some more mischief more like, a bet yu can't read can ya. " A can read that number on thi collar, said I trying to boost my morale and stop my knees from knocking. " that maybe,anyway geroff hooam and don't let mi catch thi ageean. Little did he know there was a tap on the water tank and he stood right under it with his once shiny black boots, my brother had turned it on to drip while he was chastising me.

[hobinfoot 25]

I was brought up in pitsmoor I'd be five

years old in 1961 and a couple of police officers used to visit our school Ellesmere Rd in the 60s they were called Leverton and Ward I wonder if you knew them.

Edited January 23, 2014 by hobinfoot
wrong age

[Bob England 11]

Does anyone remember handlebar hank? I think his name was Howard and served as a sergeant in Attercliffe?

[raymondo1952 11]

Remember mr howard my ear is still stinging from his gloves

[sweetdexter 10]

It must have been around 1961 I was walking home to Parson Cross

along the Shalesmoor area.

I had a 48 hour pass and just enough money for the train but not enough for a taxi.The last bus had gone.

It was a damp ,foggy, miserable night when out of a shop doorway stepped a PC.

He scared the living daylights out of me.

He asked what I had in my bag,I carried a small canvas holdall

I think I mumbled something about the Crown Jewels.

The PC ,who must have known from my short haircut that I was in the army said "best be on your way then" ,before stepping back into the shelter of the shop door way.

[Mapman 10]

The 'handlebar' moustacheod police officer at Attercliffe IS Ray Howard. Still going strong in his retirement and is a 'warden' at the Police & Fire museum in the old West Bar station. He is still a character with many tales to tell. Ray has donated a huge amount of worldwide police memorabilia to the museum. Well worth a visit and you never know, he may still remember you?

[bladebeer 11]

I was a virtual stranger when I came to Sheffield in 1959, the year I married, and in 1961, I joined the City of Sheffield Police. After three days walking round beats with experienced bobbies, I was set loose upon the citizens of the city. I knew my way around the City centre, which was handy because I was posted to B Division working from West Bar, the old fire station, but I had never been outside the shopping areas. New bobbies were always put on Pitsmoor and Burngreave beats, and I found myself there in the Winter of

1961. A little old lady known as 'Little Miss Music' had been murdered in her home on Ellesmere Road, so the area was crawling the C.I.D.s, and being a new wet behind the ears bobby, I kept my head down. On the night of my first time on 6/7 beats, around the All Saints area, the smog was so thick I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, and what was worse, I couldn't find my way around the beat. I was looking for All Saints Box to ring on duty, and after stumbling around for half an hour, encountered a young lady walking towards me. "Scuse me love,' I said, 'do you know where the poiice box is ?."

She supressed a giggle, and told me it was across the road, just twenty or so yards away. I had never worked night shifts before and they took some getting used to. On that first night, I waited at a street corner at what we called a 'conference point' which was a pre-arranged rendevouz for the sergeant to check on you, and I was so tired, so tired......yawn. I leaned against a lamp post, and next thing, I felt a breeze on my face, and saw blokes walking past me on their way to work laughing at the daft bobby fast asleep standing up leaning against a lamp post. Oh the times.

I also worked those beats in 1959 , and I remember an old chap who lived in a tiny house in a yard where I think Smiths motorcycles used to be .He used to be up all night wrapping cutlery in tissue paper for a cutlery firm .I used to make a point of calling in on him in the early hours and he would give me a drink of tea and a massive piece of cake .The sergeant would have skinned me if he had known

[Carmen. 14]

I remember an occasion.

 

---------- Post added 28-06-2014 at 17:30 ----------

 

I was only in my teens and a very sick young woman

Awaiting the call to go into hospital to have the tumour, that was pressing on my brain, removed.

It was late night and I was waiting for a tram on Blonk Street.

I felt a seizure coming on and panicked.

I looked across to where there was an island in the road, and where the ''bobby'' stood on duty.

I ran across to him and in a rather garbled manner I tried to explain that I had a Grande Mal seizure coming on and would he help me.?

Poor man,I can think of it like that now.

He told me not to be silly and bundled me on a tram.

On Blonk St.

The tram conductor was kind, helped me upstairs and gave me a cigarette.

People are more educated now and it would, hopefully,never happen again.

So nice to be reminded of the different areas of Sheffield.

Most I know.

Thank you.

 

---------- Post added 28-06-2014 at 17:40 ----------

 

Sorry about the potted personal history.

I wished to put in my ''twopenorth'' and could only think of Blonk St, and it was also the only place of which I could reminisce.

 

---------- Post added 28-06-2014 at 17:54 ----------

 

OH! The roller skating place on Attercliffe Rd. I met my husband there.