dandew Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Hello, Im desperately looking for stories of hardship in the 80's from anyone in the Sheffield area. Im looking for families or couples which really struggled during those times and be willing to talk to me about it. Im making a documentary for the BBC on family life during that period but for now I just want to hear peoples stories. Those times must not be forgotten and with your help Im trying to make sure they are not. Please email me at daniel.dewsbury@bbc.co.uk Best Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheffNiner Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 When steelworks were shutting left right and centre in 1980/81 I'm sur there most people living in Sheff at the time must have known somebody affected. It all seemed to happen so quick, 1000's of steel jobs gone, and not much we could do to stop it. anybody remember any of this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandew Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 Yes, this is such an important thing that happened to the people of Sheffield and its surrounding areas. Id be really disappointed if I could not get something like this remembered on TV. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StJohn Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I left school in 1981 and all they way through school no one ever thought they wouldn't get a job. The first week I left I had to the job center and UB office on Lound side Chapeltown to sign on. The queue stretch twice around the building, all my friends were there and a lot of them were with their dads. It was a really horrible feeling. Then only to be told you have to go on a YTS scheme or get nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willybite Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Hello, Im desperately looking for stories of hardship in the 80's from anyone in the Sheffield area. Im looking for families or couples which really struggled during those times and be willing to talk to me about it. Im making a documentary for the BBC on family life during that period but for now I just want to hear peoples stories. Those times must not be forgotten and with your help Im trying to make sure they are not. Please email me at daniel.dewsbury@bbc.co.uk Best Dan i remember 1984/5 very well i worked for laycock engineering sheffield it came about, the company the firm supplied,(ford motors our biggest costomer) ceased buying our motor parts, so we were put on short time three days a week to start with, then two days a week afterwards, this went on for nine months.in the years following the workforce was cut back.in 1988 i retired but i met a workmate who had been made redundant around that time and i asked him how he was, he said he still hadn't found a job although not for trying,he had just been to a job the job centre had sent him to and he had had to turn it down and when he told me that when we worked together we were earning at that time five pounds per hour this new job was paying eighty pence per hour (no minimum wage then), but he was told that there would be unlimited overtime, and people today think they are bad done to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tradescanthia Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 That was when South Yorks went into recession and it has not recovered properly since. The 'credit crunch' made the south east scream but northeners are used to it permanantly. This area has one of the lowest average earnings per head in the country, minimum rate being the norm in a lot of firms. Just look at at the jobs websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gremlin_mick Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 When steelworks were shutting left right and centre in 1980/81 I'm sur there most people living in Sheff at the time must have known somebody affected. It all seemed to happen so quick, 1000's of steel jobs gone, and not much we could do to stop it. anybody remember any of this? I remember my dad being on strike in 1979, when the steelworkers all came out. I was only ten at the time, but can vividly remember us struggling with things like bills and clothes. We had a load of clothes given to us (by the Union I think), and my mother refused to let us have them, cos they were really awful! I also remember election night in 1979, sitting at the side of my dad in the early hours, watching the BBC. When it was clear that Thatcher had won the election, my dad said to my mum "Well, thats this country f****d then"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tradescanthia Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 I remember my dad being on strike in 1979, when the steelworkers all came out. I was only ten at the time, but can vividly remember us struggling with things like bills and clothes. We had a load of clothes given to us (by the Union I think), and my mother refused to let us have them, cos they were really awful! I also remember election night in 1979, sitting at the side of my dad in the early hours, watching the BBC. When it was clear that Thatcher had won the election, my dad said to my mum "Well, thats this country f****d then"! I only have to think of Maggie Thatcher and I shudder, the hardest years of my families lives were when that bitch was PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat86 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 I dont remember much of it. But my dad was on strike in 86 for 12 weeks when my mum was pregnant with me. My mum had left work, so they'd have starved if it wasnt for relatives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StJohn Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 This is an Expats board and wonder how many people became so as a result of having to move away from Sheffield for jobs or a better life? I personal moved because there was nothing left for me. As for Maggie Thatcher I think she was catalyst for the view that greed is good and greed at others expense ...... Fast forward to today and we see her legacy in this Recession, credit crunch. I live in America and I love coming back to Sheffield to visit because it really grounds me what is important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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