Handcarts for the pushing

[Arfer Mo]

Does anyone recall the days when property repairers had to push these things all over Sheffield, the last time I did was during the war, after 6 miles up and down hill the job had been done ,I nearly got the sack for telling the boss what to do with his handcarts

[peterw]

I remember the hand-carts well. There was a man in Sharrow who had hand-carts but he eventually bought a three-wheeler van and I remember the single wheel was at the rear and it had what appeared to be a motor-bike engine. Don’t know the make though.

[Texas]

I did a bit of that Arthur, pushing handcarts that is.

When I worked for a Property 'dodger', based in the center of Sheffield, that's all we had, me and my mate, a handcart. We used to load up in the yard with all the necessary gear, ladders, batons for scaffold, sand, cement, ladder cripples, (remember those?) scaffold ropes, all one handcart full.

One memorable job we had was up Walkley. Chimney job it was. Anyhow, we loaded the ladders, and shoved the cart up Walkley. Found the house, assesed the job.

We needed, 1cwt of sand plus bag of cement, new pot (three footer), Colt cowl, can of Rito to slap around the lead flashing.

So it was me that had to go down to Parkers at Silver Street head, get the stuff, and shove the ever loving handcart back up to Walkley.

Everything went fine until I got to Barber Road. If anybody remembers, there was only about 18'' between the causie(?) edge and the tramtrack. So there was me, 8 stone wet through, slipping and sliding on the cobbles, and a tram came up behind.

The b******d clanged his bell and kept coming. I tried to pull the cart onto the footpath but he caught the wheel and upturned the lot.

So if any of you old 'uns saw the incident, I want a witness.

[karaman]

Yes I Remember Pushing A Hand Cart When I Went To Work For George Banks (property Repairers) In Attercliffe In The Early 60`s.

It`s A B----y Good Job That The Area Was Quite Flat.

[hillsbro]

... he eventually bought a three-wheeler van and I remember the single wheel was at the rear and it had what appeared to be a motor-bike engine. Don’t know the make though.

 

Hmmm... Might have been a B.S.A. See http://www.bsafwdc.co.uk/page54.php

[BLITZER]

I was a nights and Saturday schoolboy at the S & E co-op in Sharrow,delivering grocery orders from a barrow. Damned hard work with a full load,but great pushing an empty barrow back to the shop. Some tradesmen used barrows to transport their wares around the streets for sale. The fish monger and ice cream man were two such examples.

[Arfer Mo]

I remember the hand-carts well. There was a man in Sharrow who had hand-carts but he eventually bought a three-wheeler van and I remember the single wheel was at the rear and it had what appeared to be a motor-bike engine. Don’t know the make though.

Hi i think they were called Bond . l started on my own and swore l would'nt push one l bought a Raliegh motorbike 1928 twin, built a side box , the bike cost me £1-10s l wonder what it would be worth today? hope your'e feeling better Cheers Arthur.

[sharrovian]

My dad was a property repairer, he worked for a bloke called Bert Eccles on Grange Crescent off Sharrow Lane way back in the 40s and 50s and he pushed a handcart around with the sand and cement on it together with a shovel and a bag of tools. When he was demobbed in 1945 he went back to him and asked for his job back and was given it on the understanding that he worked Sundays for normal time because their was so much work to do. I remember he said he often had to sit outside or in a draughty passage whilst he had his pack-up and was charged 1d or 2d for the gas when they mashed his tea. I am retired now but when I think about the moans we had at work and what they complain about today it's obvious we didn't know we were born.

[Arfer Mo]

My dad was a property repairer, he worked for a bloke called Bert Eccles on Grange Crescent off Sharrow Lane way back in the 40s and 50s and he pushed a handcart around with the sand and cement on it together with a shovel and a bag of tools. When he was demobbed in 1945 he went back to him and asked for his job back and was given it on the understanding that he worked Sundays for normal time because their was so much work to do. I remember he said he often had to sit outside or in a draughty passage whilst he had his pack-up and was charged 1d or 2d for the gas when they mashed his tea. I am retired now but when I think about the moans we had at work and what they complain about today it's obvious we didn't know we were born.

Thats a fact.! l have often had my lunch in a passage but never had to pay for mashing our tea, l hate to say what my reply would have been, better not Arthur. [go to the end to read this]

[sharrovian]

My dad would have liked to say something I'm sure but was lucky to have a job just after the war ~ Sharrovian