Can anyone remember

[Par1s]

can anyone remember the little sweet factory on shrewsbury rd near parkhill flats

[caronlel]

I remember my dad coming home with bags of pear drops and mint rock and stuff as a kid I always knew it as the "rock factory"

[Par1s]

It was known as that we used to go and watch the little old men making the rock they always used to give us a few broken bit,s bless them the smell was out of this world mmmmm.

[caronlel]

The smell was gorgeous..... the warm, sticky, sugary smell of everything all mixed together - mmmmmmmmmmm.....

[Plain Talker]

I'm sure there's mention of the sweet factory on another thread on the forum.

 

I remember it very well. My father and I were only talking about it on sunday, and he said "I wonder where we can get some info on its history!"

 

My Mother used to use the sweet factory as a bribe for my sister and I.

 

Sshe'd walk us all the way to Park Hill, to my Gran's place.

 

Our little kiddy-legs hated the pull up Shrewsbury Road, it was so long and so steep for us.

 

So what my mum would do is, that, to persuade us to make the climb, she'd promise us that we could stop off at the factory and have some boiled sweets.

[Guest]

I think I remember it being open as a child; I lived fairly nearby and certainly used to play on the hills around there. My main memory is of the building being dilapidated, then its resurrection as offices of some description. When did it close as a sweet factory?

 

Is the building still standing, and if so, what is its use now?

[Par1s]

cant think when it closed but they did do it all up and made it into offices what a shame.....

[Plain Talker]

I think I remember it being open as a child; I lived fairly nearby and certainly used to play on the hills around there. My main memory is of the building being dilapidated, then its resurrection as offices of some description. When did it close as a sweet factory?

 

Is the building still standing, and if so, what is its use now?

 

Yes building is still standing, it's been renovated, new double-glazed windows and allsorts! looks good!

 

it's the only building still standing from all that area being slum cleared in the 1950's (South Street, Gilbert st, Granville St, and Long Henry St, etc)

 

The factory was certainly still operating in the mid 70's (75/6, poss as late as 77) when my gran still lived on Park Hill. It may have been operating after then, but we didn't use it as Gran then lived in Upperthorpe.

[Guest]

Thanks for the info, Plain Talker. I'm glad to hear it's still standing.

 

A 1976/77-ish closure would certainly account for my memory of it being so fuzzy; that or the imminent onset of premature senility .

[milted]

In 1936 I lived at the top of Shrewsbury Rd,on Norfolk Rd On my way to school on Leopold St,I passed the old factory every morning It was dererlct then But that was my way to school,down the hill ,cross Granville st,over the footbringe and straight up Howard St But I saw the building from the Tram and it looks good again