The Street Where You Were Brought Up.

[francypants 441]

I was brought up in three areas of Sheffield before moving down south in 1966 at the age of 11.

My earliest memory is of living on  Yarmouth Street,  Carbrook  from being a baby until I started  Carbrook C/E School.

At the time I was living with my aunty and uncle and two older cousins because when I was born my mom was really ill with TB  which was very contagious and often fatal in those days and she wasn't allowed to look after me and my older sister ( my sister was living with another aunty and uncle )          The house was a typical small two up/ two down terrace with coal fires and despite it being only a stones throw from the steel works and constant daily  'smog ' I remember people striving to keep their houses as clean as possible.   Large tin bath hung up on the outside wall, placed in front of a roaring fire in the kitchen on bath night.  I remember with me being the youngest I was always first in the tub and it was constantly topped up with hot water from the copper in the corner.   Outside toilet down the bottom of the yard ( horrible spiders ! )  and in winter a small paraffin lamp inside to try and stop the pipes from freezing.  Coats and shoes on just to visit the loo,  potties in the bedrooms at night.   Several houses sharing one big yard,  as children we called all neighbours  aunty and uncle.   Bonfire nights were magical with everybody joining in, sharing all the fireworks and homemade parkin,  bonfire toffee, toffee apples etc and potatoes on the bonfire.  Yes there must have been arguments/ disagreements with people living virtually in each other's houses but as far as I can remember,  they just got on with life.

     When I was about  5 years old  my mom  had finally recovered from TB and was strong enough so I was allowed to go and live with my mom and dad ( as was my sister ).  We lived on Merlin Way at Firth Park.    Small two bedroom house but it had a front and back garden which we spent hours in.  I especially used to love digging in the soil and making roads for toy cars.    We had hot running water,  a downstairs bathroom just off the small basic kitchen and an inside toilet off the back porch.  In winter we still had to use paraffin lamps in the toilet.   Merlin Way was a small road and there were virtually no cars back then so we often played outside on the road with our nearest neighbour's children.  Their toys always seemed better to play with and vice versa  !!    We had a budgie called Billy until it laid eggs  ..... then it was renamed but I cannot remember it's new name.   Spent hours during summer sliding down the dried grass Donkey Hill in Firth Park on pieces of flat cardboard and making dams in the stream at the bottom. My sister and I went to Hucklow Road School but the only things I can remember about there is my sister used to play the violin and in May we all used to dance around a maypole in the school playground.

      A few years later we moved up to a three bedroom house on Oaks Fold Road, Shiregreen right opposite Concord Park.   It was a wonderful park as were all the parks back then.  Excellent swings, roundabout, rocking horse and slide all kept brightly painted. Tennis courts, putting green,  outside giant chess board, bowling green.  You could also hire equipment  such as tennis rackets, putters etc. from a hut in the park.  Full  golf course and Woolley Woods to play in which were covered in bluebells in spring.  We rode our bikes in the park but had to keep an eye out for the Park Keepers !    Played skipping with a rope right across the road and hide and seek with our many friends.  Occasionally unknown to my mom and dad I'd go with friends to the bottom of Shiregreen and play on a bridge called Basket Bridge over a railway. Naughty naughty !!

At the time I was at Woolley Wood School just round the corner from our house and my sister ( four years older) went to Hinde House Comprehensive School.  We both went to ballet classes at Velma Furniss Dance School on Oaks Lane Shiregreen.  I didn't go for long because I hated it but my sister loved it and passed her bronze and silver medals. Instead I went for a few years to a teacher in Attercliffe called Miss Merrell for piano lessons.  It was whilst living at Shiregreen we had the Sheffield Hurricane in  1962.  Remember waking up and there was a full garage in the middle of our road and loads of uprooted trees in Woolley Woods.  In 1962/63 we had a really bad winter with snow for weeks and weeks.  Playing in Concord Park in the mega snowdrifts was wonderful for us children I will never forget it.   In 1966 I moved down south with my family.  I never liked living down south so ended up coming back to Sheffield without my mom, dad and sister to live with my aunty and uncle who had looked after me as a baby.

Well that is a small part of my early childhood in Sheffield.

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by francypants

[trastrick 866]

Great story. Tell us more!

[Davey1889 0]

Rushdale Road, Meersbrook. 1971 - 1977.

 

Our yard had 4 houses and my neighbour was Lee Brown, who, a year older than me, I looked upon as a man of the world. His dad Roger, worked for Allied carpets. I remember his mum, Roz, bringing a new import round to our house one evening - cheesecake! Long discussion about whether it was cheese or a cake!

 

Remember the long hot summer of 1976 when it seemed like it would never rain again. 

 

Learning to ride a bike along the pavement one evening with what seemed like most of the street watching. Virtually no cars in those days

[Juddeep 10]

Exeter Street, Sheffield 3  1938 _ 1957

[francypants 441]

18 hours ago, gaz 786 said:

Forgot to mention penguin pub 

I never went in there, although I had relatives living on Concord Road who did.

[hauxwell 243]

On 08/06/2022 at 18:42, francypants said:

I was brought up in three areas of Sheffield before moving down south in 1966 at the age of 11.

My earliest memory is of living on  Yarmouth Street,  Carbrook  from being a baby until I started  Carbrook C/E School.

At the time I was living with my aunty and uncle and two older cousins because when I was born my mom was really ill with TB  which was very contagious and often fatal in those days and she wasn't allowed to look after me and my older sister ( my sister was living with another aunty and uncle )          The house was a typical small two up/ two down terrace with coal fires and despite it being only a stones throw from the steel works and constant daily  'smog ' I remember people striving to keep their houses as clean as possible.   Large tin bath hung up on the outside wall, placed in front of a roaring fire in the kitchen on bath night.  I remember with me being the youngest I was always first in the tub and it was constantly topped up with hot water from the copper in the corner.   Outside toilet down the bottom of the yard ( horrible spiders ! )  and in winter a small paraffin lamp inside to try and stop the pipes from freezing.  Coats and shoes on just to visit the loo,  potties in the bedrooms at night.   Several houses sharing one big yard,  as children we called all neighbours  aunty and uncle.   Bonfire nights were magical with everybody joining in, sharing all the fireworks and homemade parkin,  bonfire toffee, toffee apples etc and potatoes on the bonfire.  Yes there must have been arguments/ disagreements with people living virtually in each other's houses but as far as I can remember,  they just got on with life.

     When I was about  5 years old  my mom  had finally recovered from TB and was strong enough so I was allowed to go and live with my mom and dad ( as was my sister ).  We lived on Merlin Way at Firth Park.    Small two bedroom house but it had a front and back garden which we spent hours in.  I especially used to love digging in the soil and making roads for toy cars.    We had hot running water,  a downstairs bathroom just off the small basic kitchen and an inside toilet off the back porch.  In winter we still had to use paraffin lamps in the toilet.   Merlin Way was a small road and there were virtually no cars back then so we often played outside on the road with our nearest neighbour's children.  Their toys always seemed better to play with and vice versa  !!    We had a budgie called Billy until it laid eggs  ..... then it was renamed but I cannot remember it's new name.   Spent hours during summer sliding down the dried grass Donkey Hill in Firth Park on pieces of flat cardboard and making dams in the stream at the bottom. My sister and I went to Hucklow Road School but the only things I can remember about there is my sister used to play the violin and in May we all used to dance around a maypole in the school playground.

      A few years later we moved up to a three bedroom house on Oaks Fold Road, Shiregreen right opposite Concord Park.   It was a wonderful park as were all the parks back then.  Excellent swings, roundabout, rocking horse and slide all kept brightly painted. Tennis courts, putting green,  outside giant chess board, bowling green.  You could also hire equipment  such as tennis rackets, putters etc. from a hut in the park.  Full  golf course and Woolley Woods to play in which were covered in bluebells in spring.  We rode our bikes in the park but had to keep an eye out for the Park Keepers !    Played skipping with a rope right across the road and hide and seek with our many friends.  Occasionally unknown to my mom and dad I'd go with friends to the bottom of Shiregreen and play on a bridge called Basket Bridge over a railway. Naughty naughty !!

At the time I was at Woolley Wood School just round the corner from our house and my sister ( four years older) went to Hinde House Comprehensive School.  We both went to ballet classes at Velma Furniss Dance School on Oaks Lane Shiregreen.  I didn't go for long because I hated it but my sister loved it and passed her bronze and silver medals. Instead I went for a few years to a teacher in Attercliffe called Miss Merrell for piano lessons.  It was whilst living at Shiregreen we had the Sheffield Hurricane in  1962.  Remember waking up and there was a full garage in the middle of our road and loads of uprooted trees in Woolley Woods.  In 1962/63 we had a really bad winter with snow for weeks and weeks.  Playing in Concord Park in the mega snowdrifts was wonderful for us children I will never forget it.   In 1966 I moved down south with my family.  I never liked living down south so ended up coming back to Sheffield without my mom, dad and sister to live with my aunty and uncle who had looked after me as a baby.

Well that is a small part of my early childhood in Sheffield.

 

 

 

I really enjoyed reading your story. It left me wanting to read more.  Pleased your Mum recovered  from TB.  It was brave of you to move back to Sheffield when your parents moved down south, but your aunt sounds as though she was a second mother to you.  

Edited June 11, 2022 by hauxwell

[harvey19 541]

9 hours ago, SVerhamme said:

Saw Dave Berry and Joe Cocker at club 60

brilliant  great times 💖

Dave Berry developed his arm movements because the Club 60 roof was so low.

Happy nights there.

22 minutes ago, SVerhamme said:

Hey there

had a close friend Susan Lindley who lived near the bottom of Dykes Hall Rd She married someone called Dave who lived about halfway up Dykes Hall Rd 

Have lost contact would be grateful if you have any info ?

Hope you’re doing good 🌸

My grandad lived very near the bottom of Dykes Hall Road until he died in 1965.

Do not recognise your friend's name,.

[Runningman 148]

Herschell Road at Highfields 1946 to 1970

[harvey19 541]

7 hours ago, SVerhamme said:

Lol  that’s funny 😄 I remember the roof lol and the floor a bit spit and sawdust lol

first time I went it was to see Dave Berry and thought it was like going into an underground  bunker some of my school friends went  It was thought way out at the time eh  lots of fun 

Awe I’ve lost touch with everyone sadly!!  been living  down to Cornwall for years

now but still  think of people I went to Wisewood school with and old friends 

The Lindley family lived just above the bus stop on Dykes Hall Road  mum dad Susan her sister Beryl and a brother Susan after marrying David lived half way up on the opposite side their first house 

There was an off licence/ shop on one corner and a newsagents in the other and I seem to remember there was always a cart selling veg and flowers 

My family lived at no 8 Hawthorne Rd Hillsbro Do you live in the area ?

hope you’ve got the sunshine it’s been gorgeous here today 🌞😎

Remember the chip shop at the bottom of the road  near the bus stop.

your friend must have lived across the road from my grandad  Harry Brindley.

I went to Wisewood school until I was 11 .

I lived in the prefabs opposite Wisewood school until we moved onto the Sutton estate.

Was it at the bottom of Hawthorne Road where an house was turned into a club for the scouts.

Edited June 15, 2022 by harvey19

[hillsbro 32]

On 14/06/2022 at 08:47, SVerhamme said:

Hey there

had a close friend Susan Lindley who lived near the bottom of Dykes Hall Rd She married someone called Dave who lived about halfway up Dykes Hall Rd 

Have lost contact would be grateful if you have any info ?

Hope you’re doing good 🌸

Hi - Susan Lindley lived at No. 35 with her parents, sister Beryl and brother John. She married Dave Cameron in 1974 but I think they later separated or divorced. I was in touch with John Lindley some years ago - he lived at Bridlington but I don't seem to have his contact details, sorry!

[kevstones 10]

On 28/05/2022 at 13:10, pattricia said:

Can you remember the very first street where you were brought up?  Mine was Adkins Road, but not sure whether this comes under Shirecliffe, Parson Cross or Southey Green. Maybe someone can put me right ! I can remember no television, only radio, sitting on the roadside kerb in the Summer, kids playing at football and cricket in the middle of Adkins Road ( as no one had a car in those days) and the rag and bone man with his horse and cart giving us pegs or candles when we brought things out for him. Also had an air raid shelter in the garden. Excited to start school at Shirecliffe infants school and later on in the junior school to see a young Tony Kay playing at football with his classmates in the school playground.

What street were you brought up on, and what are your memories of it ?

Frederick Street Darnall. We moved to Malvern Road in 1960 when Mum became pregnant with our Andrew

[DebbieC 0]

Richards Road in Heeley 🙂