History of Sheffield steel industry and people

[Texas]

I seem to remember an element of pride in the fact that Sheffield was the place for 'special' steel. I know my father, at times, would speak in depreciating tones about places like South Wales and Scunthorpe only making 'bedstead' steel.

[Vasquez Rich]

Yep, the lesser stuff is still referred to as "Clog iron" even though it's steel or other such metal. Stainless Steel was indeed special and invented in Attercliffe.

[gosling]

My dad, Albert Gosling worked at William Jessops as an electrician from the mid 1930s to 1952 ,from memory I think he said that they were working on jet steel at one stage, possibly during the war.Does anybody remember a comedian from Sheffield who went by the name of Stainless Stephen.

[viking]

anybody remember a comedian from Sheffield who went by the name of Stainless Stephen.

A bit off topic but.

I dont remember Stainless Stephen, but I once saw a male stripper called "Throbbin Robin" Strange but true.

[fox20thc]

I did some geneology about my family.

 

All the patriarchal lines on both sides were in the the steel industry or plating from the 18th Century onwards. The last of the line of steel workers was my Dad who started with the then English Steel when he came out of national service until the demise of British Steel following the strike actions when I was a kid.

 

My grandfather was a steelworker, other one was a little mester, granny was a buffer girl, (so no millionaires lurking in my family tree )

[Texas]

Hey gosling, I'm old enough to remember Stainless Steven. Heard him on the radio many times in days gone by. Supposedly never told any mucky jokes, hence the name 'Stainless'.

[viking]

granny was a buffer girl, (so no millionaires lurking in my family tree )

 

Does anyone know why "Buffer women" as they were known got their reputation for swearing?.

 

My Mom always used to say "She swears like a buffer woman".

[Vasquez Rich]

They got a reputation for swearing because they did.. worse than any men I ever met.. I was lucky(!) maybe not, enough to work some of my holidays from school in 1977/78 at a cutlery place (shall remain nameless) in Sheffield, some of the buffer women were the most frightening people I have ever met.. you didn't EVER want them to know it was your birthday!!!

[gosling]

Hi Texas, thanks for telling me how Stainless Steven got his name, I didn't know that.

[Texas]

When I was 15 I started work for a builder who did a lot of property repairs around the Howard Street area. There was a large cutlery finishing firm on, I think, Eyre Street, who he did work for. We were doing repairs to the roof and chimney and I had to carry all the materials from ground level, thro' the building, to the roof. The only way was through the length of the buffing shop. Terrifying to say the least. I'd only made one trip when they made a grab, but they backed off when I threatened 'em with the bucket I was carrying, full of sand and cement.

Couldn't they sing though? They always used to be singing. You could hear them over the top of the machines, quite a good training ground I should think. I was always of the opinion that some of them were close to being as good as some professionals of the day, for example, Vera Lynn. When I hear her records, it always reminds me of the buffing shops.