soft ayperth Posted October 2, 2009 Author Share Posted October 2, 2009 Sheffield traffic cannot compare to the amount of traffic in Sydney, hell on earth trying to get over the Spit bridge in the rush hour,but it's the same the world over in large cities.it'll be better when the oil runs out!! back to the thread, is the main post office still there in the square up from Pond St? i used to think it was a really nice building with an old fashioned interior. remember the telegraph delivery boys on their red motor bikes? Yes, it's still there asti. not sure what it's used for now though. the locals on here would know. The other buildings in Fitzalan Square have been altered and it doesn't have the look of a square as it used to. But, I'm also glad that the old post office didn't get the wrecker's ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillsbro Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 The old post office is a Grade II listed building, but the problem is that it was designed over 100 years ago and isn't suited for modern usage. It was evidently sold for development in 2006 but there is little sign of anything happening with it. The "White Building" on the top side of Fitzalan Square is also listed - old 'uns will remember this as the home of Wilson Gumpert's toy shop where we used to drool over the expensive, out-of-reach toys in the window. See for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzalan_Square Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asti Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Thanks for that Hillsbourgh, looks a bit smaller than i remember but it was a long time ago. Back in UK in 3 weeks time, i'm definitly going to visit Sheffield but for some reason i'm beginning to feel a little apprehensive,strange really! did any of you Ex Pats feel the same? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Back in UK in 3 weeks time, i'm definitly going to visit Sheffield but for some reason i'm beginning to feel a little apprehensive,strange really! did any of you Ex Pats feel the same? I returned to Sheffield in 92 after being away for 22 years, that trip really settled me in my mind, as I had frequent bout's of homesickness over the years, but I haven't had them since my visit. My wife would now like to return to catch up with old friend's & long lost cousin's, but I'm also a bit apprehensive about going again, I would prefer to buy a motor bike to be honest, it seems a lot of money just to go and sit in peoples houses drinking tea, although I enjoyed a couple of night's at the local, it seemed like no body had moved since I left, the regulars that hadn't passed away were sitting in the same seats, ha ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asti Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Greetings Skippy,seems we both feel the same but for different reasons, still! you can buy a motor bike any time. i don't think i have any one left to visit in sheffield i just want to visit the city centre and places i used to hang around, i think i need a burst of nostalgia just to get things in perspective or it could be an age thing!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soft ayperth Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 Thanks for that Hillsbourgh, looks a bit smaller than i remember but it was a long time ago. Back in UK in 3 weeks time, i'm definitly going to visit Sheffield but for some reason i'm beginning to feel a little apprehensive,strange really! did any of you Ex Pats feel the same? Depends how long you've been away asti. I left 40 years ago, but I've visited it every 5 years or so, so I've been able to keep abreast of the changes more or less. Most of my relatives and friends have either drifted away or passed away. So, I knew more or less what to expect on my last visit and this minimized any apprehension I might have otherwise experienced. You mention the nostalgia thing. I didn't find too much of it for reasons stated - the places I frequented have either changed drastically or gone altogether. I visited the student union building of my alma mater, Sheff Univ., and discovered it had changed so much that I couldn't relate to it. I was going to take a stroll through Norfolk Park until someone told me that much of it had been built upon. So, I gave it a pass. Places like Western Park & Endcliffe Pk are much the same. And as I said in my opening posting, some of the changes are good ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Greetings Skippy, you can buy a motor bike any time. Gday asti, after reading the thread [which estate would you get rid of] in the Sheffield Discussions, buying a bike sounds like a better option, I can't believe they are talking about the same place I grew up in, looking forward to reading your personal report on the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mylee Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Then, there are the taxis, in which the custom seems to be for the tourist to explain to the driver where his or her destination is. Simple solution would be to equip all taxis with an inexpensive GPS. The fare was a surprise at the end of the journey, varying from 7.70 to 12.70 pounds for the same trip. Hi RoG, taxi drivers the world over are now becoming pretty much the same! Hopefully London drivers still have to do 'the knowledge'. The problem seems to be that most of them are newly arrived immigrant drivers who find it difficult if not impossible to find other work. It is the same problem in Australia and, in fact, it's in your interest to check out the route first as it can save you a LOT of money! Having had my first trip back to Sheffield in '06 for 24 years, I think you have summed it up very well. Except think the Peace Gardens are awful compared to what they were. London Black Taxi drivers with meters have to learn the Knowledge, but Mini Cab drivers don't, although most will know the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falls Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Hello, I left Sheffield in 74 but have been a regular visitor since, particularly the last ten years. There has been some significant changes mainly in the central area. Many of these are much delayed improvements although some areas have been greviously neglected. I grew up in the Wicker and that has been totally destroyed. On the plus side, the construction of the inner relief road from the bottom of Netherthorpe Road out to connect with the Parkway has made a big difference. Of course I recall this road was first shown on a planning model in 1946 and it was supposed to be elevated. (60 plus years but who is counting). The High Street and Fargate, a.k.a.phone shop central, have held up reasonable well but once you get to the bottom of High Street, that is it for me. As far as I'm concerned, Angel Street is but a shadow of what it used to be and we wont talk about poor old Haymarket. On a recent visit to Sheffield I did venture into the Castle Market, more out of curiosity than need. I hadn't been in there for almost 40 years. Two things stuck me: - When I opened the door to go in, there was an overpowering smell of p**!!. - It's now the the kind of place where you wipe you feet on the way out. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soft ayperth Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 I agree with your comment about the Castle Market, Falls. No atmosphere - at least no market atmosphere. Part of it felt like going into a garage sale under fluorescent lights. The other part, the butchers and fish stalls were a pale imitation of what used to be. Where were the true hawkers, the ones shouting out one liners like "Come o'er ere luv and feel me luvly peaches," or "Ave a bite er one er these ere apples luv. Me missis can eat em wi er false teeth in." I know the old Sheaf market needed some kind of protection from the elements but not in the way it was done. Look at the old outdoor market in Chesterfield that's been going hundreds of years. For a market, it's about cheap prices, good deals, but most of all, atmosphere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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