Grimesthorpe Part 3

[bantycock 10]

Hi bantycock, I couldn't remember which it was Hinde house or Hinde I knew it was one or the other. Jean J

 

Your welcome !

[jane2008 15]

The Snicket brought you to Hinde house lane across the road it ran between woods and pond library was at bottom on Firth park road is it still a library not been past for a long time?

 

It isn't a library now but sorry I can't tell you what it is

[stpetre 12]

It isn't a library now but sorry I can't tell you what it is

 

Firth Park Library re-located to the row of shops at Stubbin Lane and Hucklow Road, the former premises are now a religious establishment. The same fate happened to Burngreave Library with it moving from Gower Street to new premises on Spital Hill.

[cat631 10]

Memories of Working Mens Clubs.

My brother still lives in Grimesthorpe, just off Hind Street where the prefabs used to be. I got the chance

to stay with him for a couple of days and visit many of the places I enjoyed as a kid. Most of our walks were into Firth Park and Wincobank Hill as at the other side of Grimesthorps there is not much left to see.

My brother, is still a member of Firth Park WMC on Idsworth Road so decided to have a night in there for old times sake. It was like a journey back in time, getting signed in at the door then the obligatory bingo and tote tickets flogged by a bloke proudly wearing his 'committee' badge. Yet more memories upstairs in the concert room, the bar where females would not be served and the stage where many upcoming 'turns' honed their skills. To the left of the stage was the pie and peas counter and on the right, the pulpit from where the concert secretary ruled his domain.

After a few pints I looked around and thought how little it had changed apart from the thick atmosphere it would have been a few years ago.

Another committee man would have taken us through a few games of bingo, got them out of the way and announced over his microphone. "Pies and peas are 'ere". With well rehearsed timing and barely time to let them digest it was the concert secretary's turn to announce. "Ladies and gentlemen, what you've all been waiting for, it's Talent Night".

It must be twenty five or thirty years since I was last in there and Thursday night is still Talent Night. Nowadays it's called Karaoke but years ago anyone could get up on stage and do whatever they thought they were good at.There was usually a blond Shirley Bassey, a Tom Jones with a Barnsley accent and a perm, another with. "Take any card, don't tell me what it is" and the inevitable farm yard impressions. But the act most of us looked forward to and was appreciated by both men and women in the audience was by a well known Grimesthorpe character, Harry Arkwright. Harry was always smartly dressed in a three piece suit, gold watch chain, matching tie and hanky in his top pocket and an enormous flat cap that overhung his ears like a big dinner plate.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, a big 'and for 'arry Arkwright". Clapping and cheering accompanied Harry as he strode from his seat to the stage, it was the same every week. He would bound up the steps onto the stage, bow to the audience, walk to the back of the stage and pick up a small folding table which he carefully placed near the front. "Come on 'arry, gerron we it, somebody would shout but Harry would not be rushed.

Gradually, the room would become quiet and once Harry had got everyones attention his performance would begin. Dipping his hand into his right hand coat pocket, Harry would pull out three walnuts and carefully place them onto the table in front of him. Then, slowly and deliberately he would open his fly, take out his willy and in the blink of an eye.........Wack! Wack! Wack! he would smash the three walnuts to pieces.

As always the audience went wild with their appreciation, no one was offended apart from a few raised eyebrows from those visiting the club for the first time and Harry went home with a handful of beer tokens again.

But that was almost thirty years ago and I wondered how todays generation of clubbers would entertain themselves tonight? After the bingo, pies and peas, it seems there's little demand for tripe these days, a committee man announced the quiz. Most of them were Googling the answers on their mobile phones then arguing at the finish who had cheated least to claim the prize money.

Feeling rather mellow after a few beers and a trip down Memory Lane I listened for some recognisable tunes on the Karaoke machine but just as we were about to drink up and leave, a voice came over the speakers. "Ladies and Gentlemen, your old favourite 'arry Arkwright". Were my ears deceiving me? After all these years, Harry was still with us and doing his stuff.

We got another pint and looked around for the old star. Harry was still smart and wearing a three piece suit, his flat cap looked even bigger but he still had a smile on his face. He took much longer to get to the stage and with two walking sticks needed the help of a committee man to climb the steps. Once up there, the shouts and encouragement of the audience got him going again and he didn't need any more help to set the stage.

After propping his sticks in a corner Harry set the table down at the front of the stage but instead of putting his hand in his coat pocket he walked to one side and picked up a rather heavy ASDA carrier bag and took it back to the table. He bent down and took out of the bag, first one, then two, then three large coconuts. I thought "bloody 'ell".

He carefully set the coconuts on the table, undid his fly, took out his willy, gave each coconut a wack and shattered them to pieces. Once again everyone was happy and as he made his way back to his seat he had to pass me standing at the bar. "'arry" I said, " that was fantastic, after all these years you can still do it but tell me, why did you change from walnuts to coconuts?"

He looked straight at me and said. "Well lad, I'll tell thi, me eyes aren't what they used to be".

Edited June 6, 2016 by cat631

[paul0726 10]

Memories of Working Mens Clubs.

My brother still lives in Grimesthorpe, just off Hind Street where the prefabs used to be. I got the chance

to stay with him for a couple of days and visit many of the places I enjoyed as a kid. Most of our walks were into Firth Park and Wincobank Hill as at the other side of Grimesthorps there is not much left to see.

My brother, is still a member of Firth Park WMC on Idsworth Road so decided to have a night in there for old times sake. It was like a journey back in time, getting signed in at the door then the obligatory bingo and tote tickets flogged by a bloke proudly wearing his 'committee' badge. Yet more memories upstairs in the concert room, the bar where females would not be served and the stage where many upcoming 'turns' honed their skills. To the left of the stage was the pie and peas counter and on the right, the pulpit from where the concert secretary ruled his domain.

After a few pints I looked around and thought how little it had changed apart from the thick atmosphere it would have been a few years ago.

Another committee man would have taken us through a few games of bingo, got them out of the way and announced over his microphone. "Pies and peas are 'ere". With well rehearsed timing and barely time to let them digest it was the concert secretary's turn to announce. "Ladies and gentlemen, what you've all been waiting for, it's Talent Night".

It must be twenty five or thirty years since I was last in there and Thursday night is still Talent Night. Nowadays it's called Karaoke but years ago anyone could get up on stage and do whatever they thought they were good at.There was usually a blond Shirley Bassey, a Tom Jones with a Barnsley accent and a perm, another with. "Take any card, don't tell me what it is" and the inevitable farm yard impressions. But the act most of us looked forward to and was appreciated by both men and women in the audience was by a well known Grimesthorpe character, Harry Arkwright. Harry was always smartly dressed in a three piece suit, gold watch chain, matching tie and hanky in his top pocket and an enormous flat cap that overhung his ears like a big dinner plate.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, a big 'and for 'arry Arkwright". Clapping and cheering accompanied Harry as he strode from his seat to the stage, it was the same every week. He would bound up the steps onto the stage, bow to the audience, walk to the back of the stage and pick up a small folding table which he carefully placed near the front. "Come on 'arry, gerron we it, somebody would shout but Harry would not be rushed.

Gradually, the room would become quiet and once Harry had got everyones attention his performance would begin. Dipping his hand into his right hand coat pocket, Harry would pull out three walnuts and carefully place them onto the table in front of him. Then, slowly and deliberately he would open his fly, take out his willy and in the blink of an eye.........Wack! Wack! Wack! he would smash the three walnuts to pieces.

As always the audience went wild with their appreciation, no one was offended apart from a few raised eyebrows from those visiting the club for the first time and Harry went home with a handful of beer tokens again.

But that was almost thirty years ago and I wondered how todays generation of clubbers would entertain themselves tonight? After the bingo, pies and peas, it seems there's little demand for tripe these days, a committee man announced the quiz. Most of them were Googling the answers on their mobile phones then arguing at the finish who had cheated least to claim the prize money.

Feeling rather mellow after a few beers and a trip down Memory Lane I listened for some recognisable tunes on the Karaoke machine but just as we were about to drink up and leave, a voice came over the speakers. "Ladies and Gentlemen, your old favourite 'arry Arkwright". Were my ears deceiving me? After all these years, Harry was still with us and doing his stuff.

We got another pint and looked around for the old star. Harry was still smart and wearing a three piece suit, his flat cap looked even bigger but he still had a smile on his face. He took much longer to get to the stage and with two walking sticks needed the help of a committee man to climb the steps. Once up there, the shouts and encouragement of the audience got him going again and he didn't need any more help to set the stage.

After propping his sticks in a corner Harry set the table down at the front of the stage but instead of putting his hand in his coat pocket he walked to one side and picked up a rather heavy ASDA carrier bag and took it back to the table. He bent down and took out of the bag, first one, then two, then three large coconuts. I thought "bloody 'ell".

He carefully set the coconuts on the table, undid his fly, took out his willy, gave each coconut a wack and shattered them to pieces. Once again everyone was happy and as he made his way back to his seat he had to pass me standing at the bar. "'arry" I said, " that was fantastic, after all these years you can still do it but tell me, why did you change from walnuts to coconuts?"

He looked straight at me and said. "Well lad, I'll tell thi, me eyes aren't what they used to be".

 

nice one:hihi:

[PeterR 10]

Hi All,

 

I was in Sheffield yesterday and had a little treasure hunt.

The Earl Marshall Secondary School bell tower is still outside what is now Firvale School, but looking uncared for with trodden down, worn and littered garden area and minus it's bell.....

 

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh629/peterlaurence/Owler%20Lane%20Schools/owler%20Lane%20Schools%20Bell%20Towers%207_zps21h3yyph.jpg

 

The better news is that the Owler Lane Infants School bell tower has had a pleasant feature made of it at Owler Brook School, on Wensley Street. I believe this school was named after the original infants school at Owler Lane from where the bell tower came, and which once had the name Owler Brook.....

 

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh629/peterlaurence/Owler%20Lane%20Schools/owler%20Lane%20Schools%20Bell%20Towers%201_zpslisorix7.jpg

 

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh629/peterlaurence/Owler%20Lane%20Schools/owler%20Lane%20Schools%20Bell%20Towers%2012_zpsrqnhkqoz.jpg

 

Peter.

Edited June 7, 2016 by PeterR

[cat631 10]

Hello Peter. Great photos, it's nice how the school has put the old tower in such a lovely setting. The School Manager told me the school has just had the tower restored and the bloke who did the restoration asked if he could buy it. They wouldn't sell as they thought the schools histories was more important.

Although the setting looks good today, it's in the pit yard of the old Grimesthorpe Colliery which must have been a grim place in its day.

Edited June 7, 2016 by cat631

[PeterR 10]

Hello Peter. Great photos, it's nice how the school has put the old tower in such a lovely setting. The School Manager told me the school has just had the tower restored and the bloke who did the restoration asked if he could buy it. They wouldn't sell as they thought the schools histories was more important.

Although the setting looks good today, it's in the pit yard of the old Grimesthorpe Colliery which must have been a grim place in its day.

 

Hello cat631,

 

Yes, it was good to see the bell tower in that setting, especially on such a lovely day. It's good to read that the school management appreciates the old schools' histories, as we do.

I didn't know the pit yard site was where you say. I remember the prefabs. Were they on the site after the pit? .

It was disappointing to see that the Earl Marshall bell tower, now at Firvale Schools, was minus the bell. It was there the last time I saw it. Wonder what happened to it.

 

Peter.

Edited June 8, 2016 by PeterR

[bantycock 10]

Hello cat631,

 

Yes, it was good to see the bell tower in that setting, especially on such a lovely day. It's good to read that the school management appreciates the old schools' histories, as we do.

I didn't know the pit yard site was where you say. I remember the prefabs. Were they on the site after the pit? .

It was disappointing to see that the Earl Marshall bell tower, now at Firvale Schools, was minus the bell. It was there the last time I saw it. Wonder what happened to it.

 

Peter.

 

Probly sold for scrap

[brian1941 11]

Hi All, Pictures of Grimesthorpe.

1, Smithes Field, the new flats backside off Grimesthorpe Rd.

 

 

 

2, Looking up Grimesthorpe Rd.

 

 

 

3, New Flats, and Woodhill House Nursing Home Grimesthorpe Rd.

 

 

4, Margate flats, i can remember the prefabs not sure what year they came down. Brian.

Edited June 12, 2016 by brian1941
WORDING

[cat631 10]

In my recent post, Memories of Working Mens Clubs, I mentioned the concert room bar that would not serve women. I've been asked a couple of questions I cannot fully answer.

Is it true the bar would not serve ladies and why? Did this rule apply in all working mens clubs?

Yes it is true, the whole tale is true. Although it's a long time ago certain bits may have become clouded by time. Why did they have such a rule? I don't know and never thought to ask at the time and accepted it. Perhaps the committee thought it inappropriate for unaccompanied ladies to be in their premises, which would be strange as all the WMCs I went in were respectable and well run places.

Did the rule apply to all WMCs or was it peculiar to Firth Park Club?

I'm sure many of you readers will have experiences of WMCs and know the answers, perhaps some of the ladies actually came up against it

Please let us know.

[fleetwood 10]

Hi cat631 - Years ago in Canada (or at least British Columbia anyway) some of the older drinking establishments were called 'Beer Parlours', they used to have separate entrances for women, in fact some of these entrances had 'Ladies only' engraved in the stone lintel above the door. fleetwood