Raven pub off West Street?

[jaffa1]

Back in the mid 50's there was a gym (weight training) at the back, upstairs. You got changed into your kit downstairs then climbed a ladder into the gym proper. It was managed by a guy called Charlie, he worked on the GPO. The weights were all over the place, no racks or anything like that, not like today. Some fairly famous people would go there from time to time. When I say famous I mean in the strength area of sport and athletics. It was like an up-market Sheffield All-Rounders venue, meaning you could train on all the floor area without fear of going through it. Happy days they were.

 

I remember Charlie Moseley from the Wybourn I think and Jacky Hudson who used to be a boxer. I'm not sure but I think Lol and Madge had two daughters. I know Lol had a wooden leg as the story goes they called him Lol because he used to lol on the bar.

[crookedspire]

Sounds like it was an interesting pub Iv been told that during it's ' Hornblower' days the inside was decked out as a sailing ship a sort of nautical theme bar ?

[WarPig]

Sounds like it was an interesting pub Iv been told that during it's ' Hornblower' days the inside was decked out as a sailing ship a sort of nautical theme bar ?

 

Yes it was, at least when I used to visit in late 80's early 90's.

 

I seem to remember a Peugeot dealership next door?

[willybite]

Yes it was, at least when I used to visit in late 80's early 90's.

 

I seem to remember a Peugeot dealership next door?

 

hiya,when i started going in around 1960, there was a darts room to the right a best room to the left and a long concert room at the back, one night i met someone and took her home,that was the raven pub i remember,we married the following march 1961 we had just short of 54 years together, a son and a daughter, seven grandchildren and a g/granddaughter. Jean my wife she passed away last year not seeing another g/g daughter born this year, so i have fond memories of the raven Neville Watts hardwear at the top side, freeman oakes at the bottom side their garage entance was in cavendish street below. as a jewish bespoke tailor, and a cobbler,a school friend freddie wright lived in one of a row of houses, lower down was the back end of surmanco.Erver house it was called, lower still was Nesthills factory.on the other side of broomhall st was winters bakery their meat and tatty pies were to die for in 1954 they were 4p in 1960 6p, going back to the raven one daughter was called maureen have seen her school class photograph on computer, along with class mates,maureen broadhurst,brian brooke,dick stirling, ron weatherall,i knew most of them from school days.

Edited October 16, 2016 by willybite

[mikeG]

Early 60's. Lawrence and Madge - daughter Janet who went out with the lead guitarist in our group. She married the lead singer with another group - can't remember his name but he worked at EDP, Solly St., 1969. Ian ?? The Raven served a good pint of Tennants if I remember correctly.

[Nagel]

The final picture before demolition on the Libraries service Picture Sheffield:

 

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;v03032&pos=136&action=zoom&id=44290

 

There are other earlier pictures on the site.

 

The Peugot dealer was Gregory and Dench where I bought my first car in Sheffield.

[Fudbeer]

That was a tricky time for pub-goers wasn't it? Every other place was turned into a flippin' Folly and Firkin.

 

I used to love this place when it was The Hornblower. It was a haven of (relative) sanity in the middle of West Street mayhem. And it had a great jukebox.

 

Yes thats something that you rarely see in pubs now a good,or even any jukebox.

 

Just bland background music or nothing.

[Bucannear]

When I was in hospital in 2009 in my chats to the bloke in the opposite bed it turned out he was landlord of the Raven sometime in the 70's. I can't remember his name but he used to work for Bertram Mills Circus in his younger days, one of his job was to lay down flat in the clowns car and drive it in and out of the ring. Told me of the time in Chesterfield when the dwarves took a baby elephant into a pub that they had previously been barred from. Used to go in the Raven myself 72 to 74ish, found it a great atmosphere.

[Texas]

All these memories of the Raven inspired me to look through my T' shirts. I had one with the name 'Raven', red on a black, done about 20 years ago. The only one in existence. Does the name Harry Henries ring any bells? He trained there for a while.

[themissis]

Sounds like it was an interesting pub Iv been told that during it's ' Hornblower' days the inside was decked out as a sailing ship a sort of nautical theme bar ?

 

it was, and tables made of beer casks. we used to have a game where we stood innocently drinking but swaying as if on a ship. within 10 minutes everybody stood ( no seats ) around would be swaying too , wityhout realising they were doing it...... good times