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Ordinary Sheffielders.

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I enjoyed reading your memories of Mrs. Walters. I don’t know that I would describe her as an ‘ordinary’ person living in Sheffield. She sounds to have been very extraordinary to me.

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2 hours ago, Kedikat said:

I enjoyed reading your memories of Mrs. Walters. I don’t know that I would describe her as an ‘ordinary’ person living in Sheffield. She sounds to have been very extraordinary to me.

She was , but did not know it just like so many  Sheffielders , I have others  I may mention when in the mood  but hope to hear about other ordinary lives that have effected  others on these threads . Than you for your kind reply .

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On 12/04/2021 at 22:38, cuttsie said:

The Navy lads were in full throat , especially one who was telling any one who would listen just what an athlete he was , it turned out that he was the forces champion miler who won every event he entered at any distance , 

 

One of OUR lot decided to challenge him to a race ,although it was not him self he was putting forward to do the running in fact it was Steely , who as all  the best athletes do was quaffing a pint of Stones and smoking a Park Drive .

Steely had no hesitation in accepting the challenge  as long as the winner got. drinks all round for him and his mates  from the losing side, this would have left our lot way out of pocket as the navy lads outnumbered  us by  at least a dozen or so .

So we all trape out side . the rules were set , six times around the City Hall the Lion car park being the start and finish . 

 

To a combined three two one GO , the athletes set off and by the third circuit Steely was loosing it but it was evident to my self who knew him well that he was only playing around I had seen him do just the same on the bike when we had raced at various events .

 

by the fifth the sailor boy was easing up giving the big waves as he passed his crew who were already supping the pints that they were sure were coming their way . 

So we are all stood there waiting for the inevitable and round the corner of Balm Green Steely emerged just jogging along with a big grin on his face followed by sailor boy a good ten yards behind .

We were ecstatic ,"" How did tha do it we shouted" , "I din't do owt " said Steely "the daft sod  slipped on his arse ont bottom corner "  It was easy . 

 

Steely died when he was around 60 years old , they found him sat on his settee with a fag stil in the ash tray ,  he was the greatest athlete I have ever seen  the reason I say that is because he never trained , never took it serious , drank beer and smoked fags and still won most sporting events he went in for . You were a star Ian Steel.

 

 

Hi Cuttsie, was this by chance Ian Steel a toolmaker at Viners?

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Yes that was Steely  ,A great guy and friend who died to soon .He also worked at the Admiralty .. He used to drop pieces of of silver down a drainpipe and collect it up from the grate later , he also made perfect ten Bob pieces  , all for charity though as he bought us all a pint in the Red Lion on Holly Street when we were skint .

Another pub Ian frequented was the Grapes on Trippet Lane where he would take a seat in the snug and read his belovered Observer news paper .

Edited by cuttsie

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I'll never forget the older lads I worked with as an apprentice installation electrician. (F. H. Wheelers)

 

A real mix of places, from the steel works, Steelo's, Sammy Foxes, Firth Vickers to building sites, Gleadless Valley,  the 13 storey flats at Gleadless, Martin Street, and Handsworth, to cushy jobs (no dirty overalls) at Boots,  Walsh's, and Sheffield University, Castle Market, and out of town jobs in Scotland and Leicester.

 

What they all had in common was a gang of workmates, that seemed to always have a Paddy, a Taffy. and a Jock.

 

Amongst them were some great comedians and singers that could hold their own with todays best. Some of the younger guys had great personalities and a way with the ladies.

 

We worked hard, under some bad conditions, but I always looked forward to going to work.  At lunch times, and when we were rained out,  we'd play Solo, Brag, Dominoes and Crib. The poor chargehand, who used to knock on the cabin door and say "Gentlemen?" was told to get lost 'til they'd finished the game.

 

Some names, Bud Callaghan was a star turn, and Spud Murphy, Mick Smith, Keith Fletcher were big guys, who we could always rely to take care of any problems we had with local lads in the pubs, who didn't like us chatting up the local birds.

 

I learned at lot from these guys, and looked up to them, and it was a magic time just to be in their company.

 

Ordinary Sheffielders.

 

 

Edited by trastrick

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27 minutes ago, trastrick said:

I'll never forget the older lads I worked with as an apprentice installation electrician. (F. H. Wheelers)

 

A real mix of places, from the steel works, Steelo's, Sammy Foxes, Firth Vickers to building sites, Gleadless Valley,  the 13 storey flats at Gleadless, Martin Street, and Handsworth, to cushy jobs (no dirty overalls) at Boots,  Walsh's, and Sheffield University, and out of town jobs in Scotland and Leicester.

 

What they all had in common was a gang of workmates, that seemed to always have a Paddy, a Taffy. and a Jock.

 

Amongst them were some great comedians and singers that could hold their own with todays best. Some of the younger guys had great personalities and a way with the ladies.

 

We worked hard, under some bad conditions, but I always looked forward to going to work.  At lunch times, and when we were rained out,  we'd play Solo, Brag, Dominoes and Crib. The poor chargehand, who used to knock on the cabin door and say "Gentlemen?" was told to get lost 'til they'd finished the game.

 

Some names, Bud Callaghan was a star turn, and Spud Murphy, Mick Smith, Keith Fletcher were big guys, who we could always rely to take care of any problems we had with local lads in the pubs, who didn't like us chatting up the local birds.

 

I learned at lot from these guys, and looked up to them, and it was a magic time just to be in their company.

 

Ordinary Sheffielders.

 

 

Good un , keep em coming 

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Billy Coleman.

 

Just after the war, there was a little todo at Maltby's shop at the bottom of Carter Place. It was not unusual, because novel things were appearing in the shops like canned pineapple, bananas, and other imported treats that were previously unknown to us urchins. The word soon got around.

 

Anyway, on this particular day, the fuss was about this impeccable dressed salesman, with his shining cufflinks, and distinguished grey hair. (Some of us, were still wearing wooden clogs circa 1946). He looked like a movie star.

 

But that was not all, he had this little box, which contained a projector and screen, and was showing a film in colour, of Kensitas cigarette manufacturing, from waving fields of tobacco, to assembly line production, to delivery, and happy smokers. This was at a time when they were still giving magic lantern shows in the Salvation Army hall next door.

 

We were all impressed.

 

Enter Billy Coleman, an older kid, probably around 16.

 

He asked the salesman where he could buy some, and the salesman explained that  they weren't really available in Sheffield yet.

 

So Billy asked him, "if you are going to advertise more, why don't you produce more? and walked off.

 

Challenging a "mester" on an equal footing was not something we heard much in our neighborhood, and the salesman hadn't either. Suddenly losing interest he packed his gear and left.

 

I'm not sure why this little episode has stuck in my memory so vividly, after all these years, but maybe it has something to do with challenging authority and the status quo, or good old common sense.

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Reminds me of the time our dog was licking his nether regions and Mr Humphries next door said "I wish I could do that" my old ma replied "well he'll let thi if tha wants".

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On 06/06/2021 at 14:07, cuttsie said:

Reminds me of the time our dog was licking his nether regions and Mr Humphries next door said "I wish I could do that" my old ma replied "well he'll let thi if tha wants".

:)

 

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More to come , just getting brain in cog .

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Ernest Mills , 

Ernest lived  on Gleadless Crescent before it was murdered by the council , (demolished and the land sold of to private speculators ) , Ernest was a Communist , cyclist and a little mester who had a small work shop on Hill Street .

 

He and his wife Gladiys Mills once cycled from Gleadless Crescent to Moscow in Russia , Ernest loved the Russian people and he would tell me tales about the people he met in remote areas while crossing the vast Countryside .

 

They rode a Tandem made by Hercules cycles , It was a very heavy bike with hub brakes , He also rode the same bike to work on Hill Street , his way home up East Bank which must have been a feat due to the weight of that bike .

In the war Ernist was a conscienceist objector and due to his beliefs that no man should put himself in a situation where one  had to kill a fellow human being was jailed and put to work on the land . 

Some in our district ignored him because of this but to me he was a man who I looked up to due to him having time to converse and spend time helping me to mend my bike and so on .

 

I was given a bike frame one day when on my paper round , it was a Carlton of Worksop make and much to big for me so I gave to Ernest who over the weeks built it up into a road bike.

It was a proud day for me when he finally rode that bike to work , I imagined him flying up East Bank,     flat cap , plus fours and long woollen socks .

Just another ordinary Sheffielder who lived an extraordinary life .

Edited by cuttsie

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2 hours ago, cuttsie said:

Ernest Mills , 

Ernest lived  on Gleadless Crescent before it was murdered by the council , (demolished and the land sold of to private speculators ) , Ernest was a Communist , cyclist and a little mester who had a small work shop on Hill Street .

 

He and his wife Gladiys Mills once cycled from Gleadless Crescent to Moscow in Russia , Ernest loved the Russian people and he would tell me tales about the people he met in remote areas while crossing the vast Countryside .

 

They rode a Tandem made by Hercules cycles , It was a very heavy bike with hub brakes , He also rode the same bike to work on Hill Street , his way home up East Bank which must have been a feat due to the weight of that bike .

In the war Ernist was a conscienceist objector and due to his beliefs that no man should put himself in a situation where one  had to kill a fellow human being was jailed and put to work on the land . 

Some in our district ignored him because of this but to me he was a man who I looked up to due to him having time to converse and spend time helping me to mend my bike and so on .

 

I was given a bike frame one day when on my paper round , it was a Carlton of Worksop make and much to big for me so I gave to Ernest who over the weeks built it up into a road bike.

It was a proud day for me when he finally rode that bike to work , I imagined him flying up East Bank,     flat cap , plus fours and long woollen socks .

Just another ordinary Sheffielder who lived an extraordinary life .

Wasn't he in the Berlin Olympics a bronze medal winner?.

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