Which Hotel is this from 1912

[Falls 10]

No the letters are indistinguishable but like you I think it is a street sign,a short one at that!

On 1901 Census there is a George Buxton living on Old St [Crown and Cushion Hotel] but dont know if this is part of the family or even exactly where it is except its in the Park District.

 

 

Hi Audreyf,

 

Old Street, in the Park, should still be there but may have a fancy new name these days. It ran parallel with Bernard Street, on the city side. It started at Broad Street (about where the road bends to the left as you come up the hill), and ended at Bard Street.

 

On a recent visit to Sheffield (June 4th), I went along Bernard Street. Most of the buildings I remember from years ago on the city side where still there, including the old Park Congregational Church (1915): Now all spruced-up and some kind of community centre.

 

Old Street ran along the other side (back) of church at a lower level than Bernard Street. I was in a hurry that day and didn't have time to see any of the other streets in the neighbourhood.

 

Regarding a good comment from Far East, The hotel he is thinking about would be the Royal Victoria Station Hotel ( think it was later renamed the Holiday Inn but may have changed its name again) at the end of what used to be the station approach. That is a much larger hotel than shown on the photo. As to it being in the Wicker, I grew up in that part of town (1937-1960) and unfortunately, I don't remember any building as impressive as the one on your photo. Of course, it could have been in the Wicker before I came along and replaced by some newer building.

 

I don't recall any new construction in the whole district on anything that looked new, apart from the OXO building on Joiner Street. The wicker area in my childhood was just one big collection of old, worn-out buildings. Any "civic improvements" that occured down there were started by the Lufwaffe. Newer buildings now in the area are from 1960 or later.

 

Another comment about your hotel looking like the old Children's Hospital building on Western Bank was close but perhaps not what you are looking for. Certainly, the architectual quality of the two buildings is about the same.

 

 

Regards

[Dawdie 10]

Hi Everyone

I know I mentioned the Education offices before as a possibility but now I'm thinking the side part to these which were used as The City Grammar School.Its all covered in scaffolding and tarpaulin as this area undergoes redevelopment so I cant see it but what do you all think?

If I dont find out soon I shall have a sore head with all this scratching!!

[saxon51 10]

Search arond on here for similar buildings

[HughW 10]

This isn't it but the building on the left of this picture had me going... West Street. The building in the foreground is the Beehive so the side street should be Portland Lane.

 

Hugh

[Fareast 10]

Well , this sure is a fascinating puzzle !

These are just some musings -----hope they throw up a clue ?

The space in front of the building is obviously fairly wide . That's why I thought previously of a railway hotel . [ taxis turning round .....etc....] .Not to labour the point , but could this have been an older version of the Royal Victoria ? Or could it have been the same building but that the frontage of the Royal Vic was modernised ?

The road seems to be going slightly downhill from right to left and as for the " street setting " , to me , it looks exactly like the street in front of the old post office building , looking from Fitzalan Square towards the old main entrance .

The second letter seems certainly to be a B -------so ' G.B ' ? Great British ? Great Britain ?

Lastly , is Audrey sure that the building is an hotel in the everyday sense of the word ? In those days did people have lavish , private , exclusive hotels , which were more like private houses or at least private clubs ? Someone suggested it looked like one of the big houses up in Ranmoor and this would fit in with the last idea .[ Until about 1960 my aunty worked for a local businessman { everyone knows the name } who had a huge house in Ranmoor . It was as big as an hotel and employed nearly as many staff ! ].

Can't wait to get the answer . Any point in consulting an old architectural firm for some clues ?

[pitsmoorlad 10]

My bet is that it's not a hotel as I can't see any Hotel Name and they used to have their names in BIG letters. I reckon it's an offics type building and it's

on West St. I'm sure that the shop on the corner survived into the 70s / 80s.

I think it was decorated with G R and the crown to mark King George's coronation.

[Fareast 10]

Pitsmoorlad-------you may have hit the nail on the head there !

The street name looks small enough to be ' West St. ' and if you are right , it looks like the bit of West Street , roughly behind the City Hall . Is the corner shop on the corner of the little street which used to have the old Red Lion on it ?

The mystery deepens !

[lazarus 68]

I dont think its anywhere near Holly St/West St because the pavement does not seem to have any incline, it looks like a very flat street where-ever it is.

[Falls 10]

Hi AudreyF,

 

The building on HughW's photo of West Street has an almost uncanny resemblance to the one in your photo. Can't see it being your building though because of the different pediment, window and other architectural details. Best try so far but we will have to keep looking.

 

 

Regards

[Dawdie 10]

Hi Fareast and pitsmoorlad

Its definitely a hotel.Perhaps its not very clear but over the entrance where the group are standing the word Hotel is carved but just that nothing else!

I've been to the Local Studies library and they have been involved in the search but to no avail.I just wish there was'nt a 100 year closure on census information because if it was decorated for George V Coronation,that was in June 1911 and the census was taken either March/April that year.I hope I dont have to wait 5 years!

Audrey

[MickeyMO 10]

Interesting mystery. I'll throw in my thoughts. Could the letters be GB?

Looking at the census data there is the son George Buxton then 17 years old (1891) by 1912 (date on back of photo) George would be around 38 and possibly managing his own hotel so could the letters be his initials. That would leave the crown symbol to maybe belong to the hotel name.

'The Crown' or 'The Crown & Cushion'

By the way Old Street, Park, still exists.Its where Broad Street becomes Cricket Inn Road.

Finally, I once saw a book in the local library about old Sheffield pubs.Unfortunately I can't remember the title or author but I think he was local. It had lots of maps and photographs. Maybe if anyone knows this book they could have a look in there.

[GrinderBloke 10]

Yes - I think you're spot on about GR and the crown, it is very similar to lots of other coronation decoration photos I've seen.

 

I've just scratched my head for ages trying to figure out which building it reminded me of - definitely the Children's Hospital opposite Firth Court. It's not there, but it's what it reminds me of!!!!!

 

Reminded me of the old bit of the childrens.