Pond Street Nora

[devlin]

I can remember another man with a bald head who used to look in all the litter bins in town. Did he have a nick-name?

 

 

yes he was called Rommel by some - but an old friend of mine was realted to him and although I cant remember his last name his first name was definately, Sidney.

 

Think the main difference between these characters is the fact that Nora and Sid were homeless, whereas the Duke of darnall had a little house somewhere off darnall main road.

 

Does anyone remember the youngish woman from Darnall, who married a really old man ?? seem to remember them getting kicked out of there house at Darnall because of the state of it - they were rehoused on the little lane that sat directly at the back of woodthorpe baths (off Woodrove Avenue) in the very first house - disgusting -she used to walk around with no nickers on etc... and it was obvious she didn't know how to get bathed !! uuuurghh. Cant remember what happened to them ??

[superchantty]

Yes I remember Pond Street Nora, we used to go into the toilets on our way home from the night clubs and she used to curse and swear at us. A few years later I went to work at Middlewood Hospital and who should be on the wards but Pond Steet Nora. Once I got to know her she wasn't half as scary as she seemed and I think once she was in Middlewood she would probaly get the right medication for her condition

[Heeley tyke]

Russian Edna?

Wasn't she murdered in High Hazels Park in the 1940s?

[mahonia]

My mate who Worked at Midland Railway Station say's that you smelt her well before you saw here.

 

I also Worked on Midland Station in the 90's and remeber the Mirror Man:D

[Heeley tyke]

My mate who Worked at Midland Railway Station say's that you smelt her well before you saw here.

 

I also Worked on Midland Station in the 90's and remeber the Mirror Man:D

 

There was an apocryphal story going round about a young copper who saw Norah drunk and disorderly in Fitzalan Square.

He dragged her down to Pond St. before arresting her as he couldn't spell 'Fitzalan'!

[LaceCurtains]

Hi Porsche, I am not as flamboyant as you, only a Fiat500. I have butterflies in my stomach, I visited a spiritualist who said I need to research my family tree and just looked on this by accident. We may be related. Does your mother remember hearing whether she has a half sister and a half brother? I was told my father, Tom Lee (not Thomas) was married to Nora and I had a half sister called Kathleen (I was also told there might have been 2 sisters). Much of the beginning of your story rings true to me. I think my father had been married before and had a son (i think his wife died). After he left Nora he kept his son. My mother moved in with Tom to look after him and his son (she already had 2 sons herself). I came along and the rest is history. My childhood memories of Nora: going to town with Tom and as soon as he heard her voice we had to divert our route through the bus station. If we did see her there was so much verbal abuse. I used to ask why but just told she was ill. Later on, being nosey as children are, I found my fathers army pass book from the war - wife Nora Lee. I summed things up and asked questions and got the answers above. I am sure I once met a sister when I was young (but a cloudy memory). I have heard many amusing stories about Nora (especially her husband drove her mad) and kept quiet but if asked I say Nora was married to my father (what is there to hide). We can't pick the parents we have but they are our parents and we have to live with that fact. Tom died of a heart attack in 1963 aged 53. There you are I found something out today and hopefully you did as well. I have a hard job now of finding something out about my own mother's family.

 

Just found this thread and have found it absolutely fascinating! Brings back many memories of Nora in the bus station during the late 60s/early 70s - have spoken of her and the other characters many, many times over the years when reminiscing about our teens and early 20s and I'm in my late 50's now - Nora and the others live on through our memories and when people do speak of them it is with great fondness for times gone by My kids used to love hearing about these characters and still do. I know people used to pester her and the others but it was never meant nastily. I really do hope that Porsche contacted you. Like they say, you can't choose your family but times have changed haven't they? People don't tend to keep skeletons in their cupboards like they used to. I'd be chuffed if members of my family had played such a part in Sheffield's history and as such you can be assured they will never be forgotten. Strange isn't it that both you and Porshe used cars for your usernames! All the best!!

[Fiat500]

Just found this thread and have found it absolutely fascinating! Brings back many memories of Nora in the bus station during the late 60s/early 70s - have spoken of her and the other characters many, many times over the years when reminiscing about our teens and early 20s and I'm in my late 50's now - Nora and the others live on through our memories and when people do speak of them it is with great fondness for times gone by My kids used to love hearing about these characters and still do. I know people used to pester her and the others but it was never meant nastily. I really do hope that Porsche contacted you. Like they say, you can't choose your family but times have changed haven't they? People don't tend to keep skeletons in their cupboards like they used to. I'd be chuffed if members of my family had played such a part in Sheffield's history and as such you can be assured they will never be forgotten. Strange isn't it that both you and Porshe used cars for your usernames! All the best!!

 

Not strange why we both used cars really. I was new to the site when I saw Porsche's thread, you can imagine how excited I felt reading it. I had to pick a name so used a car that was completely opposite to a Porsche and seeing my favourite little car is a Fiat 500 that's what I chose.

To let you know how we have got on: we have exchanged emails and I finally got to meet my sister (Porsche's mother). We have talked about the past and present, it was good. I have still to find a brother Derek Tom Lee and a sister Doreen Ivy Lee (maiden name). These two were born to Tom Lee's previous wife before Norah.

Your phrase on you would be chuffed if members of your family had played a part in Sheffield's history, I assure you at the time you would not have been. Now we look back at these stories with affection but then, the ridicule and humiliation was too much. I was not Norah's daughter but I know the problems she went through. I also had to live with the secret that my father was married to her and abandoned her for whatever reason. In fact I never knew he was married to her until he had died and then found I had two sisters (I already knew about my brother).

Thanks to Sheffield Forum and perhaps Norah's notoriety I found a sister. I hope with help from Sheffield Forum I might find my other sister and brother.

[Heeley tyke]

.............

 

 

Yes Depoix .you are rite about Russian Edna. I used to work next to the Barly Corn she was always in there. Used to knock about with the Duke of Darnall. She was found murdered in High Hazels. They thought the Duke was to blame I don't know what the outcome was. Maybe someone else knows

 

I think I wrote something about Russian Edna a while ago. She was murdered in High Hazels Park after being picked up in the Sportsman pub in Carver St but the man, a lorry driver, was only convicted of manslaughter and he was freed about 18 months later.

20 years later in the same pub, another prostitute, Theresa Smith, was taken away by a lorry driver and found murdered near Chesterfield. Quite a coincidence!

[Heeley tyke]

Thanks for that memory. Before 1950 — during the war — there was always a policeman on traffic duty at the junction of Fargate, Leopold Street and Surrey Street. And could he control the taffic! Anyway, the Duke of Darnall, little man kitted out by a city centre tailor and wearing spats and shiny shoes, used to stand behind the policeman and exactly the same gestures with his hands. And yes, he was funnier than Charlie Chaplin.

 

That policeman was PC. Judd. He once stopped a runaway horse and cart in Surrey Street and got a commendation for his action.

[Heeley tyke]

There's another character I remember from the 50s. She wore heavy male-up. I think most of it was just flour and she wore bright red lipstick. She always dressed in green; green costume, green hat and gloves.

She came from Rotherham but often she was on the Norton 74 bus from Meadowhead.

I think she was known as the Green Linnet.