Sheffield gales 1962

[Lostrider]

Originally posted by Sam Miguel

I was six at the time and remeber going to school the next morning and witnessing the unbelievable devastation. Roofs torn off houses, trees ripped up etc etc.

 

In the weeks after the gale, the blown-over trees became great things to play on.

 

I lived at Hackenthope at the time. I was about seven years old I think. I slept through the whole thing, I couldnt beleive it when I looked through the window next morning. I saw our next door neigbours glass greenhouse slowly float up into the air glide over our fence, turn upside down and crash into our garden. Glass everywhere. There were TV ariels all over the road and slates flying everywhere.

 

The pre-fabs on the aptly named Windy House Lane on the Manor were totaly flattened and never re-built. What happened to all the people who lived in them I wonder?

[TWIST]

Originally posted by herbiegrass

We lived on Meadow Street at the time, I was six years old and slept in the attic.

I remember my dad waking me up and taking me down the two flights of stairs and plonking me on the settee, I was half asleep and bewildered at what all the hullabaloo was, I remember the shutters were rattling and a crash came from up the stairs, my dad went to investigate and came back saying "Bloody chimneys come through seelin'". the next morning we went outside to a scene of carnage, lots of broken slates and chimneypots.

Even to this day high winds still bother me.

 

my mum lived on alfred road,then moved to meadow street,she tells a story about her friend bein crushed as their chimney fell in,he was in the attic and it fell on him and took him to the cellar,she still gets nervous too when its windy

[louisajane]

Playman, just read your memories of the gales in 62'. You mentioned how the flat roofed houses on Sands Close had their roofs blown off. I was there when that happened and still in the same house today. We spent the day with neighbours and all my young brother was bothered about was his money box. Naturally.

The roof has been repaired 3 times in all. Had very bad damage again in 89'. I would hate to leave, we just love the views and all the greenery.

[pitsmoorlad]

I lived in the prefabs at the top of Shirecliffe Rd at the time. All our family were in the lounge cos we couldn't sleep. Then the woman and son from the prefab behind ours came to our place because their windows had blown in and her husband was disabled and couldn't get out of bed. Dad went round to help him. About 5 minutes later our lounge windows went and the whole building started to shake.We were sheltering in the hallway when the roof started lifiting and so mum took the decision that we'd best get out. As we left, the roof on the house behind us came off and as it passed it took off part of our roof. We were joined by Dad and the guy from behind, dad pushing him in a wheelchair. We ran along until we got to the first proper house, banged on their door till they let us in, and stayed there till the afternoon. The prefab behind us had collapsed like a house of cards, it was so sad helping them to sort out what they could salvage. We lived with relatives while our roof was repaired and had iron ropes put over the top to protect it from future winds. Within a year we'd been rehoused. I reckon my dad could well have been a hero that night.

That was the only day I'd missed at school for years and it cost me my "Gloops" badge.

[Trekker]

I,ve said this before elsewhere, but I lived on Skyedge at that time. in a then state of the art prefabricated house.

[TWA756]

I was living in Darnall at the time - don't recall any serious damage around us (perhaps just roof tiles off here and there) but I do remember well that the day before (must have been late afternoon as it hadn't got dark) the sky was a really strange colour - pink/purple, I think - hard to describe it more clearly after all this time but I know that we looked out of the window and commented on it because it was very unusual. Does anyone else remember this?

 

Can't remember whether we were kept awake by the gale or not but I know we didn't realise until the next morning just how much damage had been done in other parts of the city.

[pitsmoorlad]

Re. the colour of the sky. My uncle had served in the navy for years, and apparently he'd seen the sky the same colour while at sea. He said that it always meant gale force winds, so he'd told his neighbours what was coming. Can anyone remember if the weather forecasters had predicted it?

[docmel]

I was seven at the time - living in an off-license on St Phillips Road. Opposite was the White Heart Pub - I remember my dad waking me and taking me downstairs - he looked aout the window at the pub and told us that it had lost it's roof.

 

Little did we know that our shop had suffered the same fate - half the roof gone - if I remeber correctly the Fire Service came and slung a huge canvas sheet over the roof until we could get the builders in.

 

My Mum was expecting my baby sister at any time - we all thought that is it was a girl she would have been called gail.

[tiffy]

The Parson Cross Heritage Society working with Weston Park Weather Station are looking for personal accounts of adverse weather conditions in the Sheffield area. If anyone would agree to having their own memories of adverse weather conditions included in this study (later to be displayed online) please PM me.

 

Thanks

[Basalt]

We lived in Burncross. Lots of damage to houses on the Bevan Way estate. Chimneys down, slates off, gable ends fallen down, etc.

 

Seem to remember most of it happening during the night.