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Sharrow Lane School 1950s - Reunions

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I certainly do !   Your mum was a treasure and was much loved by us Sharrovians.  Your sister Diane was in the same class as myself and someone else who follows this site, Valerie Shaw (as was) and others with whom we are also in touch.  You might like to drop me a personal message or tell us all on the Forum what happened to the Goodfellow family from Ventnor Place!

Edited by DavidFrance
grammatical correction

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When my sister Diana reached school age my mother took her to the school but was told due to shortage of teachers she could not join.However my mother had  trained as a teacher at  Darlington TC then worked at Brightside infants till marriage to Alan Goodfellow (history teacher at City Grammar,then head of Wisewood comprehensive).Shewas told that Diana would be taken in if mother would come as a teacher to start a new class,so she did till her retirement.She moved to Bents Green and died of a heart attack in 1970. Diana went on to Hurlfield Grammar,Sheffield Uni (French and Spanish) taught at Ipswich Grammar then emigrated to Germany and taught English at Trier and then Ingelheim am Rhine where she still lives near her son and daughter.

 I left in1950 and went to King Teds along with Jimmy Green,then Birmingham Uni qualifying in medicine and surgery in 1962,followed by jobs in the midlands as a consultant anaesthetist till 1976 when I decided to find a 9-5 job for more time with family and because both my wife and I had become serious competitive racing cyclists. I took a job in occupational medicine with British Nuclear Fuels,moved to Blackburn, and was rapidly promoted to Senior Med Officer till 1993 when I was able to take an early retirement option and start my own business from which I finally retired in 2016.

I was a member of Sheffield Sports cycling club,then Birmingham's Beacon Roads CC,then North Lancs Road Club.I managed to win a national championship and with my son hold the national 24hr tandem record with 501 miles which has stood for 28 years.Despite having a cardiac arrest 2 years ago near Fox House and being kept alive by CPR for 19 mins without a heart beat till the helicopter arrived with a defibrillator and then to Northern Gen Hosp for 2 weeks,I have made a full recovery and cycling up to 75 miles a day and have just come back from youth hostelling cycling in Scotland.(I have a life membership since a teenager and want to make sure I get value out of it!

 Boys I remember are Graham Jowett,Malcolm Hurt,Marcus Cohen,Michael Ormesher,Philip Lawson,Michael Green.

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Michael Green I remember, as does Valerie but we can't put faces to the other names, I'm afraid.  It seems your mum passed away quite young?   That is very sad. And as for you and your exploits we are filled with admiration for your achievements.  I wonder how many of the teachers who were colleagues of your mum you can recall. One of them, Mrs Robinson, who lived at Totley,  had a son who is the voice of Radio Sheffield, Rony Robinson. I'm sure you also recall Miss Cole the head teacher and Miss Vick the head of the primary school.  It's a very sad building now. The primary school is derelict and the junior/senior buildings are mostly a community centre. The vibrant playgrounds are filled with cars, as are the adjacent streets.  Compared with the Sharrow of your youth the district is a much less happy place.  When you are talking to Diane please say Guten Tag from me.  I learned German at High Storrs GS  and it came in handy from time to time, especially when I was serving with the RAFVR in Rheindahlen. I quite envy her living on the Rhine.   By the sounds of things you are now living somewhere near Sheffield so you might want to join in some of the reunion activities where many of the pre 1953 cohorts still come along. 

Good to hear from you.

David France

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I now live in Blackburn but visit frequently my son and grandchildren who live near Forge Dam and almost in view of High Storrs. I remember  Miss Vick and also (her successor?) Mrs Currie whose son played for United.When I was age  9-12 or thereabouts  my mother subcontracted marking arithmetic books to me,so I have probably seen your work!  I also remember crossing Sharrow Lane to a tuck shop and buying slabs of Cowans Highland toffee to be eaten surreptitiously in J4, and visiting the first house in Southview Rd to get permission to go into the back garden to get the rounders ball back after a successful strike. I've remembered it was Maurice Ormesher not Michael.The only teachers  I recall were J3's Mr Telfer and a supply teacher called Mr Willey  who was very handy with a cane and had cyst on top of his bald head.He also had a speech impediment so that a number of us would stand in our desks to provoke him to shout "*hit in your sheets". On one occasion Michael Green was being caned on the hand and managed to grab the cane and pull it from his grasp, necessitating a visit to the headmaster whose name I cannot recall.

Edited by Blackburnrod

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Everyone remembers Mr Willey!!!  The head teacher was pipe-smoking Mr Davies  (Morris 10 at the gate). The tuck shop was a must, for those who had spending money !  Were you also in the local Scouts  (St Johns Meths?).  If you scan much earlier entries under "Sharrow Lane School" you will find many such former pupils' memories and lists of teachers and classmates.  There is also, in case you had missed it, a parallel forum called Sheffield History Forum but which attracts a completely different set of followers.  Happy to meet up when you have spare moments on your next trip to Sheffield.   The "kids"  from Fentonville St off Sharrow Lane have been having regular reunions for about 18 years and our gatherings have also been attended by "kids" from Priory Rd, Priory Place, Langdon St etc. Our next Fentonvillains lunchtime gathering is going to take place in early November. The group spans the years 1938 to 1946  (DoB) and includes Peter and Bob  Ireland, John Vernon, Mick Glossop,  Denis Anson, Brian Drabble, Valerie Shaw, Judith Whitehead, my sister Christine and also Barbara Walker who although not a Sharrow Lane pupil lived on the street where her father ran the best chippy in the district.  We have lost touch with Philip Stansfield who would be about your age, and are aware that Peter Green, same age, died some years ago.  Other names from that time are Edwin Fox, Warner Baxter and Graham Reaney who were also about your age.   There were many others who hung around the Fentonville - Washington Road complex but most of that group went to Pomona St or St Mathias schools.  

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The only name I recognise is Warner Baxter but I recall a girl of my year called Irene Brown who lived just off Sharrow Lane just above Wostenholme Road roughly opposite my hairdressers,Mr Noakes, he of the wax tapers used to singe cut ends.

I have forwarded our conversations to my sister Diana (now Manitz) who has indicated she will contact you to correct some misinformation concerning her degree subjects.

 I am hoping to be in Sheffield at lunchtime Friday 18th and could visit the school for lunch.

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Hi Rod (my recollection is you were called Robin?) I am sending you a personal message.  Look forward to hearing from you.

David France

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After reading bits and bobs on here.. things looked a bit bleak -  regarding a successful  turnout to the - Sharrow school reunion,  - Wednesday - 27th. Nov.  - but I went along just in case anyone turned up for a natter.  A group of 7   were there who were enjoying the  pre-arranged  Christmas lunch.  With me being alone... they made me welcome - we had a few handshakes.. and a short chat. ... 

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