My First Beat in Sheffield on Nights.

[bladebeer]

I was a virtual stranger when I came to Sheffield in 1959, the year I married, and in 1961, I joined the City of Sheffield Police. After three days walking round beats with experienced bobbies, I was set loose upon the citizens of the city. I knew my way around the City centre, which was handy because I was posted to B Division working from West Bar, the old fire station, but I had never been outside the shopping areas. New bobbies were always put on Pitsmoor and Burngreave beats, and I found myself there in the Winter of

1961. A little old lady known as 'Little Miss Music' had been murdered in her home on Ellesmere Road, so the area was crawling the C.I.D.s, and being a new wet behind the ears bobby, I kept my head down. On the night of my first time on 6/7 beats, around the All Saints area, the smog was so thick I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, and what was worse, I couldn't find my way around the beat. I was looking for All Saints Box to ring on duty, and after stumbling around for half an hour, encountered a young lady walking towards me. "Scuse me love,' I said, 'do you know where the poiice box is ?."

She supressed a giggle, and told me it was across the road, just twenty or so yards away. I had never worked night shifts before and they took some getting used to. On that first night, I waited at a street corner at what we called a 'conference point' which was a pre-arranged rendevouz for the sergeant to check on you, and I was so tired, so tired......yawn. I leaned against a lamp post, and next thing, I felt a breeze on my face, and saw blokes walking past me on their way to work laughing at the daft bobby fast asleep standing up leaning against a lamp post. Oh the times.

I also worked those beats in 1959 , and I remember an old chap who lived in a tiny house in a yard where I think Smiths motorcycles used to be .He used to be up all night wrapping cutlery in tissue paper for a cutlery firm .I used to make a point of calling in on him in the early hours and he would give me a drink of tea and a massive piece of cake .The sergeant would have skinned me if he had known

[Carmen.]

I remember an occasion.

 

---------- Post added 28-06-2014 at 17:30 ----------

 

I was only in my teens and a very sick young woman

Awaiting the call to go into hospital to have the tumour, that was pressing on my brain, removed.

It was late night and I was waiting for a tram on Blonk Street.

I felt a seizure coming on and panicked.

I looked across to where there was an island in the road, and where the ''bobby'' stood on duty.

I ran across to him and in a rather garbled manner I tried to explain that I had a Grande Mal seizure coming on and would he help me.?

Poor man,I can think of it like that now.

He told me not to be silly and bundled me on a tram.

On Blonk St.

The tram conductor was kind, helped me upstairs and gave me a cigarette.

People are more educated now and it would, hopefully,never happen again.

So nice to be reminded of the different areas of Sheffield.

Most I know.

Thank you.

 

---------- Post added 28-06-2014 at 17:40 ----------

 

Sorry about the potted personal history.

I wished to put in my ''twopenorth'' and could only think of Blonk St, and it was also the only place of which I could reminisce.

 

---------- Post added 28-06-2014 at 17:54 ----------

 

OH! The roller skating place on Attercliffe Rd. I met my husband there.

[Cycleracer]

Stories like this make this Forum worth looking at a pleasant change from the usuall tickle tackle point scoring jibes that are a common feature these days.

Lovely thread OP keep the stories coming

 

Paul

[PCPLOD178]

Hello Carmen,

I'm sorry your experience was a bad one, if I had been that bobby I'd have stopped a taxi, the drivers were very good to bobbies in those days, and asked him to take you to wherever you were going, and I would have gone with you to make sure you were looked after, and bugger the sergeant if he had come looking for me.

[yorky15]

The 'handlebar' moustacheod police officer at Attercliffe IS Ray Howard. Still going strong in his retirement and is a 'warden' at the Police & Fire museum in the old West Bar station. He is still a character with many tales to tell. Ray has donated a huge amount of worldwide police memorabilia to the museum. Well worth a visit and you never know, he may still remember you?

 

(Unless I have been tragically misinformed, I believe that retired Inspector Raymond Howard has recently passed away)

[Carmen.]

I remember Attercliffe bottom. The Regal was there

and on the spare land just above was a barrage balloon.

All coming back.

Just typed in such a tale about Spital Hill and Snig Hill and I wasn't allowed to post.

 

---------- Post added 29-06-2014 at 23:46 ----------

 

A ''snig'' was a wedge type tool that was pushed under the hooves of the horses to give them a grip as the hill was so steep.

Hence. Snig Hill..

 

---------- Post added 29-06-2014 at 23:55 ----------

 

Pond St.

I worked opposite the foundry that employed the ''bad lads'' from the remand home in Pitsmoor.

They used to walk down to the Wicker Picture House on Saturdays down Spital Hill.

I know. I tried to reform one of them, to no avail.

(He brought out the mothering instinct in me.)

 

---------- Post added 30-06-2014 at 01:44 ----------

 

Must correct myself.

The ''snig'' was wedged under the WHEELS of the CART for the horse to take a breather as it were.

[CaptChris]

Does anyone remember handlebar hank? I think his name was Howard and served as a sergeant in Attercliffe?

 

He was nicknamed "Nutty" Howard and had a very extensive collection of police memorabilia from all over the world - a sound old fashioned bobby.

[Carmen.]

That is what is lacking these days.

A sound, old fashioned bobby.

[sheilawragg1]

I remember the bobby on the beat around the Moor St / Hanover St area, if we were playing football he would use his cape for a goal post. Woe betide you if he caught you doing wrong being a rather large man he could never catch us but he could sure throw that truncheon, it got you between the ankles you went down the he would get your ear and march you home, my ear goes red now when I think how many times I was marched home this way:help: