Pond Street Nora

[alex3659]

my dad used to work for big ada in the old market he tells us all about her.as for nora ,when we were teenagers we used to talk to her she was ok if people didnt torment her.someone used to leave he a bit of tobaco on the arm of the bench next to 43 jordanthorpe bus stop in pond street.one day we saw this arshole walk up to the bench and blow all the bacca away thinking it was funny.i waited for nora and gave her a couple of cigs,after that i used to give her a couple of cigs if i saw her,god bless nora and i hope the arshole grew up

[tatty dumps]

Can anybody remember the local character Pond Street Nora in the 1970's? She could often be seen sitting on the benches in the old Pond Street bus station surrounded by all her belongings stuffed in carrier bags. I can remember seeing her for a decade or more then she disappeared. I wonder what became of her.

 

Mo

I was working on the buses and knew Nora well. She wasn't as mad as a lot thought. On Christmas Eve She used to attack the polce box in Fitzaalan Square, next to the G.P.O. she was always arrested but then she always had somewhere to sleep Christmas Eve. and then she had her Christmas dinner.

Tatty Dumps.

[crookesey]

if it's the same guy, his nick-name was sub-way cyril,

he ended up dying alone in the doorway of one of the big dept stores on hay-market,.

 

i recall reading an article in the "star" after his death, turns out his son had been looking for him for 20+ yrs, after "cyril" had gone awol following the premature death of his wife and that his death was even more tragic as he had been a fighter piolet in ww2 and had been awarded the "DFC".

not relly a fitting way for a war hero to pass away.

 

I remember him well and think that there is some foundation to the 'fighter pilot' story. He used to wear an old RAF greatcoat and often stayed at the Salvation Army Hostel, he was very well spoken. There was no half way house with him as he either had the shortest of short back and sides or hair half way down his back.

[BorderReiver]

I remember Pond Street Nora around 1970. She used to wear a brown overcoat, even in summer, and a headscarf and carry a shopping bag.

 

The kids used to torment her life out and she would walk through Pond St. waving her index finger shouting:

 

"I'll f***ing have yer you'll not f***ing play games wi' me" yer little b****rds

 

Ah! - good old days

[Springslass]

Yes she was a character all right. I left Sheffield in 1966 but have never forgotten Pond Street Nora...if she was in the ladies waiting room I was scared to stay. Looking back I now realise how sad a life she had but things look different when we`re older. She is definitely a piece of our history. And thank you to her family for setting the story straight.

[allthegearno]

does anyone remember pond street nora

she was a tramp who lived and died on pond street in the late sixtys she use to eat out of the bins.

they say that when she died they found out she infact was very welthy and owned her own house and the police found a lot of cash in it thousands of pounds.

i heard she went mad after her husband died

i think she was the most famous tramp to ever walk the streets of sheffield

[topdollar]

I remember her but do you remember dog end dereck ? he was another well known vagrant around sheffield city centre. He use to hang out around what use to be the roxy night club. He use to walk around all day picking up fag butts and putting them in a tin, then roll cigs from them (hence the name)

[RoseHadi]

She used to scare me to death, she would linger in the toilets in pond street in the 60's. a very tall lady vagrant and very scary!

[andco]

weve only just caught up with this sight me and my mum and it was quite touching what people thought thanks for your kind words over a tricky tough past me and mum read the end bit of this site and had tears in our eyes thanks again take care.....

 

I've been deeply touched by your story and openness. Hope things are going well for you all.

[Gemima]

I have read this thread today along with family. My dad, who used to be a motor fitter with SYPTE (as it was in those days) remembers Nora well and also saw her daughter a couple of times.

 

He remembers children taunting her and if anyone would laugh at her she would shout loudly. "Get thee sen a brush and gooen sweep up".

 

He also remembers that she used to stand by a lit bin fire to keep warm in the winter and the police would come and put it out, to encourage her to move on. She slept on the benches in some extreme weather and never appeard to suffer ill effects because of it.

 

This has been an interesting thread and it has been lovely to read of a family reunited because of it.