Pitsmoor in the 60s

[cookingfat50]

hi I spent my child hood in the old slum pitsmoor on haywod road thad ran off pye bank road and I went to pye bank junior school. it was all slums in the 50s, my mum and dad had a house that was part of some warehouse, for aislewoods flour mill on nursery street, there was a derilect Methodist church at the top of our yard with an out side lave that butted up to the church wall all very scary at night if you wanted to use the loo either one of my parents would have to stand by the door to hear me and my sister call if we got very scared. I remember that lots f houses had tarps over the roofs with bricks tied to the corners to stop it blowing off. there was a lane leading to Woodside, with a fruit and veg shop called Nancy's and the fowler hotel across the road. in 1960 we moved up to gleadless valley and thought we had come to wonderland. brand new houses, indoor toilets and bath rooms a sort of central heating.as kids it was surrounded by woodland some fields 2 streams, which we played in for hours, never being afraid of strangers, just walking into neighbours houses was the norm with a quick knock on the door, as kids we played games all the time like tiggy, tiggy off the ground hide and seek rounder's great days on the valley my parents lived there till there deaths a few years ago, my brother, and a niece still live there. it was the pride of Sheffield and Europe with councils from other city's and Europe coming to visit the estate. but going back to pitsmoor after the old slums were demolished, and other high rise flats were built and maisonettes after 20 years they were pulled down and now replaced by new housing which in the near future will be the next generation of slums a great shame from once a quit wealthy area in the early Victorian and Edwardian era's my dad would not know Sheffield now with aall the road changes around the wicker and shalesmoor soory I've gone on a bit but a love social history steve x

[stpetre]

If my memory serves (i wasnt born then) he Derrick Dooley was born in Bramber street.

 

Thank you Kidley for the Derek Dooley explanation, I believe as an Owls player he lived on Vivian Road (off Firth Park Road), does anyone know where he went to school?

[Jim Hardie]

Thank you Kidley for the Derek Dooley explanation, I believe as an Owls player he lived on Vivian Road (off Firth Park Road), does anyone know where he went to school?

 

He went to Owler Lane. Not sure if it was East or West.

[kidley]

He went to Owler Lane. Not sure if it was East or West.

 

He passed his 11+ as well, i dont know where Vivian Road is but my understanding was that when his family left Pitsmoor they move to the SHiregreen/ Parson Cross area

[stpetre]

He passed his 11+ as well, i dont know where Vivian Road is but my understanding was that when his family left Pitsmoor they move to the SHiregreen/ Parson Cross area

 

Vivian Road is the last (very steep) road on the left of Firth Park Road, coming away from Page Hall, just before the park.

[25195348]

I was born in the slums in Pitsmoor in 1959 on Grove Street, and most of the family lived on or around Fowler Street.

I don,t remember much if anything about that area apart from what i,ve been told as i was born in 1959 and fortunatly that area was about to be demolished to make way for the modern Pitsmoor we see now, which again is about to be demolished.

We moved to Woodseats in 1961 and according to my mum who was born and bred in Fowler street was full of snotty white collar workers, our next door neighbour being a rent collector thinking he was a top accountant and Dad working the building sites Odd carrying who did,nt fit in with these middle class wannabees so we moved on to the all new Pitsmoor and being the first to move into our new massonette on Andover Drive.

We all went to Pye Bank which was run by that great authourtarian Mr Cook and we made a lot of friends throughout our time in Pitsmoor which spanned from 1963 to 1976.

I lived at number 67 and i know that people especially the seniors of our generation always keep saying that these days people don,t care or mix like the older days but there very right that locals then were always looking out for one another and some of my biggest mates today are the kids of then from Woodside.

Did you live in Pitsmoor during the sixtys, whats your opinion or maybe you lived in the old Pitsmoor and think the newly built one was,nt the same as the old one.

I would be interested in your views.

Hi I enjoyed reading your piece on Pitsmoor Grove St fowler St I had a grandma lived on Marshall St and delivered Newspapers around the area from the Newsagents on Rock St Cutts his name was I lived on Fitzalan st and also went to Pye bank School a Mr Spieght was the head master at that time so I think I was there a bit Earlier than you.I do remember the old houses getting demolished and the Flats being built.I had a friend lived in one but never visited.I did read that they were being knock down but not been round the area for a long time

[Jim Hardie]

He passed his 11+ as well, i dont know where Vivian Road is but my understanding was that when his family left Pitsmoor they move to the SHiregreen/ Parson Cross area

 

That would be Owler Lane West then, the Intermediate School.

[katflap]

Just noticed this discussion on Pitsmoor in the 60s. I was born in 1950 and lived there until the old house at 64 Nottingham Street was demolished in 1966. I don't think Pitsmoor can be summed up dismissively as the 'slums'. Our houses could easily have been modernised with and an indoor bathroom and a modern kitchen. I think it was a great pity they were all knocked down as people seemed to ge on very well together.

 

I enjoyed my childhood there and loved the way the children could all play out together after school with a great deal of freedom, totally denied to children of today. We had to amuse ourselves and I think we were able to come up with all sorts of games and pass-times with a lot of fun and good humour. I don't remember any fighting or 'gangs', only children up to the age of eleven enjoying themselves.

Pyebank school, one of the first School Board schools to be built in the country, was probably pretty average in terms of education and I hated the way Mr Cook used to cane boys in front of the whole assembly. He probably wasn't a fit person to be in charge - he plainly disliked children. My last teacher, Mr Jenkins was much kindlier. The 4th form-room was arranged on platfoms rising up to the back, with pupils arranged in double desks in 4/5 rows according to results in various tests. It must have been horrible to be in the fourth row,

I passed the 11 plus and went to High Storrs with my friend Susan Burns. I think two boys went to Firth Park.

Kathryn Dodd (formerly Kath Jones)

[mikeG]

Just noticed this discussion on Pitsmoor in the 60s. I was born in 1950 and lived there until the old house at 64 Nottingham Street was demolished in 1966. I don't think Pitsmoor can be summed up dismissively as the 'slums'. Our houses could easily have been modernised with and an indoor bathroom and a modern kitchen. I think it was a great pity they were all knocked down as people seemed to ge on very well together.

 

I enjoyed my childhood there and loved the way the children could all play out together after school with a great deal of freedom, totally denied to children of today. We had to amuse ourselves and I think we were able to come up with all sorts of games and pass-times with a lot of fun and good humour. I don't remember any fighting or 'gangs', only children up to the age of eleven enjoying themselves.

Pyebank school, one of the first School Board schools to be built in the country, was probably pretty average in terms of education and I hated the way Mr Cook used to cane boys in front of the whole assembly. He probably wasn't a fit person to be in charge - he plainly disliked children. My last teacher, Mr Jenkins was much kindlier. The 4th form-room was arranged on platfoms rising up to the back, with pupils arranged in double desks in 4/5 rows according to results in various tests. It must have been horrible to be in the fourth row,

I passed the 11 plus and went to High Storrs with my friend Susan Burns. I think two boys went to Firth Park.

Kathryn Dodd (formerly Kath Jones)

 

Wondered if you knew my ex wife, Gill Roberts, who lived on Petre St. Think the houses there were knocked down in the mid 70's.

[katflap]

Hi Mike

 

Don't remember a Gill. Did she go to Pyebank? I left in 1961, aged 11. I did know several Denise's (very popular in our year), Avril Hastings, Susan Bamford, Kathleen Pilgrim, Audrey Vallance, Catherine Marshall, Marjorie Johnson, June Lee, Josephine Gale, Joan Gould, Chrisitine Bluff, Jennifer Mallinder.

 

Best wishes

 

Kathryn Dodd