Anyone Come From Shirecliffe

[AnnH 10]

Criss, you're a born story-teller! The kids of the new Watercliffe Meadow School will love to hear about what Shirecliffe life was like for you when you were their age. If you think of any more, please share.

[skippy 11]

What were The Meadows like before they turned it into a tip? And where was The Forum?

 

Theres a picture of the old Forum on Sheffield pictures.

The meadows stretched from Herries Rd on the northern boundary to Rutland Rd in the south, Shirecliffe is on the eastern boundary with neepsend on the western side, it was a vast open space in the 50's.

Some poor families use to go to the power station tip at Neepsend to collect coke from the dump site for their fires, there was also a dump where we used to go and get pen knives etc that had been dumped by some factory.

We also visited the piggeries in the area, and got pig droppings for the garden, the White Bridge was a good place for train spotting, another favourite pastime in those days, there was an old cemetry north of the bridge, where bodies had been buried with all their belongings, some were found after the graves had subsided.

Another great place was the old army base at the top of Cookswood Rd, where we used to climb on the old gun stands etc, some of the huts were still standing at the time, I think they turned that area into a heliport some years later.

On the other side of Shirecliffe road from the army camp was the 7 ponds, it was an area covered in allotments, many locals went to this area to fish, we used to catch frogs & tadpoles, at the other side of the ponds was what we called the 3rd wood, it was positioned between Firshill, Norwood & the Shirecliffe estate, the 2nd wood was where Busk Meadow was built, and the 1st wood was at the other side of Shirecliffe Rd, where they built a community hall or something.

Many kids from my era went collecting birds eggs, there were hundreds of nests around at that time, one day I found a baby magpie that couldn't fly, I took it home and fed it on bread and milk, that bird used to sit on my shoulder when I walked around the woods and became a lovely pet.

One day the bird flew off, I was a bit upset at the time, but that's nature for you, about a year later, I was in the back garden when this bird came and tried to fly onto my shoulder, it then flew onto the gutter of our house, where it's mate was sitting, it flew down again onto my head, wiped it's beak on me then flew away with the other one, I never saw it again.

Every Sunday afternoon, the 1st wood became a football ground, most of the blokes from the area, who were aged between 12 & 30 years turned up for a game of footy, sometimes there were 20 on each side, anyone and everyone was welcome, I doubt you would find such a friendly bunch of blokes around the Shirecliffe these days.

[criss 10]

We used to go and play football on the atlas ground,not the academy one thats there now,it wasjust past the turn in for the academy where you turn down firshill,the groundsman (who we knew as charlie,dont know if that was his real name or the fact that he looked like he,d got a football between his shoulder blades)used to chase anyone who played football on his field,and you,ve never seen anyone run like he could for an old man,his build resembled iron maidens eddie,one particular day, we decided to see how close he could get to us before we shot off,and at the bottom of the field was a hole in the fence to the 7 ponds,as he neared us we all shot off in different directions,dont know how he managed it but as i went through the hole in the fence to join up with the others,he was waiting at the other side,i can only remember him feeling the back of my neck and as i wriggled to get away,went head first into a crop of stinging nettles,no shirt,just shorts,i can still see the old bug*er smirking now,and my parents were,nt impressed when i went home looking like the singing detective,come to think of it ,neither was i,but it would,ve got me out of dancing round the bloody maypole.

[badgemush 10]

Just wondered if anyone remembers my dad's family.

They lived on Herries Road across from the Five Archers pub.

My grandparents were George and Gladys Reed, My dad Walt and his 2 brothers George and Alan Reed.

They all went to Shirecliffe School.

[john t 10]

Just wondered if anyone remembers my dad's family.

They lived on Herries Road across from the Five Archers pub.

My grandparents were George and Gladys Reed, My dad Walt and his 2 brothers George and Alan Reed.

They all went to Shirecliffe School.

 

What years?

 

jt

[badgemush 10]

My grandma and family moved there in 1937 until 1987. My dad went to Shirecliffe School from about 1942 to 1952.

[skippy 11]

That could have been the same groundsman that was around in the mid 50's, he gave me a thick ear for taking a short cut across the footy pitch, there were 2 pitches at that time with a dressing shed between them.

He used to blow his stack evey year when they had a fair there, because the trucks chewed up all the grass, one year after a lot of rain, it was a sea of mud, I bet that peed him off no end.

Anyone remember a big gale, when a prefab was blown right over the road and landed on the footy pitch ?

Another goal in life was to try and beat the bus on a push bike to the top of Cookswood road, did it many times, I only wish I could ride one now.

[Aryan 10]

Just wondered if anyone remembers my dad's family.

They lived on Herries Road across from the Five Archers pub.

My grandparents were George and Gladys Reed, My dad Walt and his 2 brothers George and Alan Reed.

They all went to Shirecliffe School.

 

I don't think i know your dads family. But did you know the Whiteheads who lived directly across from the Five Archers Pub. I used to go to Herries school with Lynne whitehead. We left School in 1984. I'd love to know what happened to her.

[badgemush 10]

I don't think i know your dads family. But did you know the Whiteheads who lived directly across from the Five Archers Pub. I used to go to Herries school with Lynne whitehead. We left School in 1984. I'd love to know what happened to her.

 

No sorry i don't know the Whitehead family.

I left Herries in 1979.

[CINDARELLA 10]

Hi I lived on Penrith Rd went to Shirecliffe School started in the nursery right to the seniors. left shirecliffe when i was obout 23 (1980)Then had 2 years on Miles Rd from 2000.

 

hi i lived on penrith rd no 15

[eastbank 10]

i lived on the shirecliffe from 1955-1968,went to shirecliffe infant/juniors and had one year at the seniors,my gran lived across from us on musgrave road,spent many hours on the tip and playing football outside the five arches....my mates were chris bartholamew,wes heywood and john gallagher plus many more......

[AnnH 10]

Can you say a couple of things about what the tip was like?

 

The Five Arches is boarded up now.

 

The brand-new school, Watercliffe Meadow, on Boynton Road opened to parents/children for the first time today. The grounds aren't quite finished and the rain's been pouring down, but the school building is amazing - clean, modern, bright - and the kids think it's fantastic - so do their parents!

 

It's what the community deserves!