Pond Street Nora

[drabbs]

can anybody remember pond street nora?

[John Peace]

I vaguely remember the Duke of Darnall. I dont think he chased buses 'cause there weren't any. Trams maybe.

Strangely enough he used to hang out up Crookes, usually at the Noah's Ark. He did dress in a tailed suit, Spats and all

[BobbyDazzler]

hi yes its well known that nora died in middlewood for some time i nursed her she settled and made friends with both staff and residents had a domestic job had money for her fags enough tea to drink as she wanted was clean and no longer deluded could still curse and swear if you crossed her at least the last part of her life found her content and more cared for spent the last years of her life in more comfort than she had had in sheffield city centre

It's nice to know she ended up in good care, I miss them old sheff chracters

[hillsbro]

Here's the Duke of Darnall. Click on "Zoom" for a larger picture.

[Jacko 1]

As a bus conductor I once had Ivy Wello on my bus into town and she went through her repertoire of chucking her legs over the seat in front and singing and generally being a nuisance, in Bridge Street everyone got off the bus except Ivy, I said to her this was the termins and she asked me very politely if I would change her a £1 note, I asked her why and she said she didn't want the robbing shop assistants to do her.

Nora in Pond Street I moved up to Inspector and when we went into the Bus Station in the early morning to open up and we spotted Nora asleep on a bench we would lift a bench at the other end of the platform and drop it and then run like mad when she woke up swearing at us.

[chrishall]

Though I often heard about a lot of these characters I can't recall seeing any of them with the exception of one and that was a man in the 50s and 60s who I recall may have been ex forces, short cropped hair, he would walk down the road in the centre of town and be casually looking in shop windows and without warning would veer off towards someone shouting at them aggressively and then veer away, very frightening for the person targeted. Does anyone recall him?

[crookesey]

yea i remember him come to think of it there was two guys poss same height with bald head and the one im thinking of in the poss late 50/60s wore a r.a.f. long coat and if my mind is correct i heard he was a ace in the war in spitfires and it sent him a bit funny after he came out of the hospital also i was told he was decorated for him being a hero etc.

 

You are correct, he used to nick a flower from the Peace Gardens, to put in his great coat lapel. Strange how we treat our heros, nothing changes.

[GLOOPS]

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 worked in Sheffield in the 60's and I too remember Nora. She certainly looked passed child bearing age to me back then. I worked at the Sleep Shop at the time and often used Pond St station. I remember her in 'pumps' and being tall and lean and smoking a lot. I seem to remember seeing her for the last time for me, near the railway station one dark winters night standing in a small que at a food stall I think, getting a cuppa possibly.

 

I remember her giving me a dirty look as I walked by.

 

I can't remember seeing her again as I moved to Proctors in the Haymarket for a time.

 

I have often thought about her and how she ended up.

 

This site is great for this history. :D

[beechnut]

This part of the Forum is certainly good for history, and post #45 on this thread (written by Nora's granddaughter) gives the facts about Nora. The BMD records confirm that Norah Kathleen Welbourn was born in Sheffield on 6 November 1915. She married Tom Lee in Jan.-Mar. 1942, gave birth to a daughter Kathleen M. Lee in Jul-Sep 1945 and died in March 1986 aged 70.

[doger]

Hi i remeber pond st nora last time i saw her she was in middlewood hospital