Benbow Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 I just can't remember what was previously on the site where the Woolworth building stands - I think that it was a market hall of some sort? I was born in 1939 and I spent a lot of time in that area in the 40's and 50's, Rag & Tag, Dixon lane, Mace's etc but the Woolworths area is a complete blank. Anyone jog my memory? Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me-and-pippo Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Norfolk Market Hall, picturesheffield demolished 1950'ish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willybite Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 I just can't remember what was previously on the site where the Woolworth building stands - I think that it was a market hall of some sort? I was born in 1939 and I spent a lot of time in that area in the 40's and 50's, Rag & Tag, Dixon lane, Mace's etc but the Woolworths area is a complete blank. Anyone jog my memory? Brian hiya i was born the year before you and i remember the norfolk market hall the woolworth building was built on the same area as the old market hall around the main entrance were smaller shops one i remember was bunnies around the side was maces pet shop i think it was down some steps in the basement there were two pubs as well not that i would be able to use them. i remember when going inside the market hall from the main entrance in the centre was a large stone drinking fountain with heavy metal cups on heavy metal chains. from here looking at the far wall there seemed to be i think now some kind of offices in the shape of the upper decks of tram cars.on the road at the back was the wholesale market and there on the corner was the big old brass weighing machine (1d) per go.at one side was dixon lane and the road at the other side was exchange street across the road was the fish market there were two wooden footbridges into the fish market over what i think was bombed building damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benbow Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Thanks Willybite for that comprehensive description but I still can't recall the Norfolk Market Hall, probably because I was seldom taken in there. As I mentioned, I can remember Mace's mainly, I think, because we used to keep chickens after the war as meat (white or red) was very scarce and occasionally I went with my parents to fetch the "fowl food" on a Saturday. The various animal feeds were kept in large hessian sacks ranged around the cellar basement floor and the feed was removed using metal scoops and put in brown paper bags which were fragile and would easily burst open scattering food all over the place. My wife tells me that they had a large round fish tank in the middle of the shop. We were one of the few families who had chicken for birthdays and Christmas but only because they were home grown. On the opposite side of the market hall was Dixon Lane which I seem to remember had many barrow stalls but my memory is dim here. This was just around the corner from the rag market (as we called the rag & tag). Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 If you went into Woolie's by the front entrance, walked thr'o the store, to your left halfway along, were some steps. Down the steps brought you out into Dixon Lane. Across the lane was the Norfolk Market. If you went into the market from the front, immediatly to your right was a secondhand bookstall and then a cutlery stall, or the other way around, I'm not sure about that. Both of them fascinated me as a kid. The whole area was brilliant, the smell of the market, slipping and sliding on the discarded fruit down Dixon Lane, the Rag and Tag. I don't know whats there now, I still see it like it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
segasonic Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 So the Woolworth building referred to is the Woolco/Wilkinson's building? Just trying to visualise what's there now on me-and-pippo's linked picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 This brought back a few old memories, one of my brothers used to go out with a girl who worked at Mace's pet shop, I remember Cann's music shop on Dixon Lane & Big Ada who's stall was outside there. I remember them building the new Woolies around the time of the big gale in the early 60's, I think the old shop was opposite the Brunswick pub before from memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julado Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 By a strange co-incidence I was on Wiki looking up something else from another thread and there was this little photo which I think people on this thread might find interesting. It shows Norfolk Market Hall as it was in the 1850's. The building on the left with the tower is the Old Town Hall....you may know it as it is still there today....it stands derelict and unloved....on Waingate where you catch the bus that goes to the Wicker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 There were two 'Woolies' on Haymarket. The old one can been seen in this 1940s photo.. http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/zoom.pl?picture=http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/s00006.jpg ..just past the True-Form shoe shop. A little beyond it, on the other side of Dixon lane, is the front of the old Market Hall. The later store was built on the site of the demolished Market Hall, not sure exactly when - early 1960s ? and is now occupied by Wilkinsons. http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/zoom.pl?picture=http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/s16969.jpg Incidently - the Maket Hall was built on the site of the old Tontine Inn. http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/zoom.pl?picture=http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/s22449.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
segasonic Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Thanks Greybeard, those are great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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