Nostalgic visit to Sheffield

[england27]

I left Sheffield to move to Scarborough in 1954, at that time I was living at 40 Carlton Road off Middlewood Road, so last week I decided (before driving to Sheffield becomes too much) to visit the City I was born in.

 

Over the last 60 years I have visited Sheffield but never been back to Middlewood

So after depositing my wife at the Meadowhall Centre, (Little did I know how dangerous this proved to be, I forgot to confiscate her debit Cards), I caught the Tram all the way to Hillsborough to my surprise nothing much appeared to have changed, the sun was shining, the Park cinema was still there but not showing movies, Hillsborough Park was still a nice place to visit and I called in the library it's altered slightly since I used to visit, I walked towards

Bradfield Road and noticed the Arcade of shops still there, (I recall Ronnie Starling Sheffield Wednesday had a newspaper shop there), I caught the Tram back to the centre and saw the old Infirmary is now an Asda or Tesco.

After visiting the Cathedral I went down Chapel Walk and thought I would have a coffee at Marsden's milk bar on Pinstone street, but had to settle for one at Starbucks near the Lyceum theatre, then back to Meadowhall, found my wife and drove back along Brightside Lane, Upwell Street, Page hall, and Firth Park, nice to see they have preserved some of the old tram tracks.

 

Conclusion the new trams are not a patch on the old bone shackers, Sheffield is still a nice place to visit, and I managed to drive there and back avoiding any Motorways, but I did cheat a bit I stayed overnight at a Premier Inn.

Gordon England

[hillsbro]

Hi Gordon - glad you returned to visit your roots. Yes, Hillsborough Park is still very nice and hasn't changed a lot (the rowing boats went in 1955, the bandstand in 1958 - the paddle boats survived to the early 1970s). The park keepers were really good to us 1950s kids, especially Paul (a war refugee from White Russia, he once saw me tearfully returning home with a broken scooter, and promptly repaired it for me in their workshop!) Ronnie Starling was a great bloke - I was his relief paper boy in 1960-61.

[alexander874]

Ronnie Starling"s shop was opposite the park near Dixon Road , many decades before Hillsborough Arcade was built .

[hillsbro]

Ronnie Starling"s shop was opposite the park near Dixon Road , many decades before Hillsborough Arcade was built .

Yes, Gordon couldn't have remembered an 'arcade' from the 1950s - I guessed he was referring to the 'parade' of shops between Dixon Road and Keyworth Road. Ronnie's was at No 203 uintil he retired in 1967.

[Runningman]

Hi Gordon, should have had a bit more time to have driven over to Bramall Lane and bring back those memories of watching the BLADES !!

[stpetre]

Hi Gordon, should have had a bit more time to have driven over to Bramall Lane and bring back those memories of watching the BLADES !!

 

Perhaps the 1981-82 season ?

[england27]

My apologies I meant the Parade of shops, I don't remember Ronnie Starling playing for Wednesday but remember him playing for Aston Villa just after the war, Recall him delivering newspapers round our district ,bit thicker round the waist but still had thick wavy hair, If I am not mistaken somewhere between Carlton Road and Rockley road Mark Hooper a former Wednesday player had a shop, Also Alan Brown used to walk up Carlton Road on his way home from the Ground.

 

You are right Runningman I will have to make another trip to have a look at Bramall Lane, can't get too much excitement in one day.

Gordon England

[hillsbro]

... If I am not mistaken somewhere between Carlton Road and Rockley road Mark Hooper a former Wednesday player had a shop...

It was actually a little further along, just past Rockley Road. This scan from the 1954 Kelly's Directory showing shops on the west side of Middlewood Road might bring back a few memories!

[england27]

Thanks Hillsboro I would like to Purchase some of these Street directories, Any idea where i could buy them?

I went to Sheffield Library to look at the Electoral registers but they have all been put on to Fiche, I preferred the books.

If it's the Same Mark Hooper I saw him play for Wednesday against Barnsley in the County Cup during the war years he looked old the but still quite nippy on the wing.

Gordon England

[hillsbro]

Kelly's directories can be hard to find and demand is high; local ones were published until 1974. The 1925 Sheffield & Rotherham directory is available on a CD for a few pounds but unfortunately later ones are not, as far as I know. The books do turn up on eBay and in secondhand bookshops but can be pricey - say £30-£40 for a 1960s directory, a bit more for the 1950s. I had to pay £95 for my 1942 directory (and it then needed rebinding) and not much less for the two 1930s directories that I have. But you can be lucky and find them cheaply at car boot sales etc. I'm always happy to look anything up - I have the directories for 1925, 1931, 1937, 1942, 1951, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1971, 1973 and 1974. Pre-1911 directories can be viewed online or downloaded from this website.