Sheffield gales 1962

[BenJ79 10]

Bluebottle, thanks for that. I'll certainly look it up.

[cytine 40]

I was 12 at the time and lived at Gleadless. On our way to school in town (school was open as usual) I remember the bus passing the devasted prefabs on Manor and Arbouthorne. The cranes twisted around the scaffolding during the building of what is now part of the university buildings in Pond St. We walked up Howard St and there was a Thorntons shop on the corner of Union St, their plate glass window was laying smashed in the road.

I suppose as 12 year olds, we didn't really appreciate the seriousness of that dreadful wind. (I slept through it).

[BenJ79 10]

Thanks cytine, some great stuff there. I really appreciate it. If you don't mind me quoting you in the article you can send me your name in a private message.

[mabor1950 10]

i remember my school (newfield )having the gym roof blown off

i also remember collecting slates in the street and selling them to builders

all the prefabs up east bank road were flattened

[BenJ79 10]

Looks like we've been moved!

[darra 10]

There used to be a chart in Weston Park Museum showing the wind speeds readings,don't know if it's still there?

[DUFFEMS 56]

I remember it well because my mother's birthday is today (Valentine's Day), she's 86.

Back in 1962 it was traditional for the family to go out to the pub around any family member's birthday, the family were going out on the Friday night 16th., mum was most miffed because her birthday get together had to be cancelled due to the storm.

We walked up to Carfield School on the morning of Friday 16th. and we were delighted to find it closed!

I can recall all the roof tiles/slates from the houses on Upper Albert Road being piled up and people running round trying to catch them in buckets as they were dropping, as kids we thought it funny but, how dangerous.

[dadswift 10]

I lived at carbrook conservative club ont common and remember my mum keeping me at home the day after the awful night. The whole gable end collappsed leaving it looking like a dolls house. During the night we all moved down to the huge cellar and sat round the coke fired central heating boiler. Every single window at the back of the building was put through so it was the only safe place to be.

[Barts1 10]

We lived on Walkley St. at the top of Burgoyne Rd. We had been married a year and the baby slept through it and didn't even turn over in his crib but he was covered in an inch of soot as the chimney had fallen straight through the roof. All my clean washing was on the clothes rack in the kitchen and that too was covered in soot. I thought the world had come to an end because of all the sirens from the police cars and ambulances. The people two doors away were rehoused. They had 3 daughters... their eldest babysat for us and the middle one used to wheel the baby for me. I really missed them when they left. But we moved ourselves 2 yrs later to a new house in Ecclesfield. Memories....

[hobinfoot 25]

We had been to the children's hospital and my mum was having to hold me tight to stop me getting blown over. We were walking down Church St one of Cole Brothers windows had been smashed I don't know if someone had got blown through it or just the wind had done it.

[glennpickard 10]

I can remember the time the gale hit. I believe it was winter time and I think 2 or 3 people died down Attercliffe from roofs collapsing on them. Those old row houses were not designed for 100 mph winds ! I lived with my grandmother at the time, and her and my grandfather went into the cellar for safety.

[stpetre 12]

We had been to the children's hospital and my mum was having to hold me tight to stop me getting blown over. We were walking down Church St one of Cole Brothers windows had been smashed I don't know if someone had got blown through it or just the wind had done it.

 

Yes hobinfoot; and to the those who might think 'That was some gust', Cole Brothers store was then at the corner of Fargate and Church Street, they moved to Barker's Pool the year after ,1963. Also there is someone on S.F. who was waiting for a (bus to Crookes or Walkley) on High Street around the same time of day and shop windows on there were subject to the same. I was a fourteen year old school boy at the time and on my way to Burngreave school that day (and what a view from there !) it was like the onset of Armageddon, only seven, out of a class of thirty-odd showed up.

Edited January 2, 2016 by stpetre
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