Ordinary Sheffielders.

[cuttsie]

On 10/04/2021 at 22:29, cuttsie said:

Got it , will meet some one day eh!!!!!!! 

worms that is ,.

[cuttsie]

Steely . Or to give him is real name Ian Steel .

 

Ian was born in 1941 , his family lived on Gleadless  Avenue a nice little road that connects Gleadless Common with Gleadless Road , he was not a gifted scholar at school and left at 15 to an apprenticeship in the tool trade .

 

Along with other kids in the area Ian became a keen cyclist and a member of The Beighton Wheelers C C. He excelled at time trials at the club events and won many trophies ,

Steely always rode the same bike summer and winter ,this being a light weight Mercian made in Derby , The unusual thing about Ian was that he never used gears , only fixed wheel cogs which meant the faster those bike wheels turned the faster you peddled ,this was pretty hairy when descending the steep hills around Sheffield .

 

But the thing that really stood out was that on club runs when we were all going for it ,some on top end bikes with gears Steely always left us standing , I mention this cycling ability he had because it also was evident in other sports events .

 

So we move on to our early twenty's around 1962 ish when our little mob  had become Towny's , in other words we had started doing the rounds of pubs situated within a few minuets walk of the City centre , The main pubs that we frequented inc the Adelphi (now buried  underneath the Crucible theatre ) The Albert that stood across from the City Hall , The Barlycorn on Cambridge Street , and lastly the main venue The Red Lion on Solly Street .

 

I mention the Red Lion last because it was in that pub that I witnessed a remarkable athletic event .

It happened one Friday night, Friday was the main boozing night for the lads around town who had worked all week in the works ,down the pit or on the building site and Friday saw you on the pull around town  this while lowering as many pints of Stones jungle juice as you could get down  you without falling down .

 

The particular Friday in question was a little different , as we entered the big long room on the right hand side of the main front entrance we found the pub even more packed than a normal Friday evening ,, it turned out that the Navy was in Town or to be more precise the crew of HMS Sheffield were on a visit to their home City, 

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED.

 

 

[cuttsie]

The Navy lads were in full throat , especially one who was telling any one who would listen just what an athlete he was , it turned out that he was the forces champion miler who won every event he entered at any distance , 

 

One of OUR lot decided to challenge him to a race ,although it was not him self he was putting forward to do the running in fact it was Steely , who as all  the best athletes do was quaffing a pint of Stones and smoking a Park Drive .

Steely had no hesitation in accepting the challenge  as long as the winner got. drinks all round for him and his mates  from the losing side, this would have left our lot way out of pocket as the navy lads outnumbered  us by  at least a dozen or so .

So we all trape out side . the rules were set , six times around the City Hall the Lion car park being the start and finish . 

 

To a combined three two one GO , the athletes set off and by the third circuit Steely was loosing it but it was evident to my self who knew him well that he was only playing around I had seen him do just the same on the bike when we had raced at various events .

 

by the fifth the sailor boy was easing up giving the big waves as he passed his crew who were already supping the pints that they were sure were coming their way . 

So we are all stood there waiting for the inevitable and round the corner of Balm Green Steely emerged just jogging along with a big grin on his face followed by sailor boy a good ten yards behind .

We were ecstatic ,"" How did tha do it we shouted" , "I din't do owt " said Steely "the daft sod  slipped on his arse ont bottom corner "  It was easy . 

 

Steely died when he was around 60 years old , they found him sat on his settee with a fag stil in the ash tray ,  he was the greatest athlete I have ever seen  the reason I say that is because he never trained , never took it serious , drank beer and smoked fags and still won most sporting events he went in for . You were a star Ian Steel.

 

 

[hauxwell]

On 10/04/2021 at 21:38, cuttsie said:

So I will have another go.

 

Mrs Walters , Another Sheffielder who I have crossed paths with while criss crossing this great City at one time or another.

 

I seem to remember I have mentioned her on one thread  or anotherin the past before I was banned , but just in case the threads lost I will mention her again .

Some time in maybe the early 80's I was asked by Vic Spivey ,(dangerous structure expert town hall) if I would quote for a job at a large stone built house on Collegiate Crescent , the job involved under pinning to a bay window base as well as bits of re pointing to the elevations .

 

We started the work one fine summers day  in or around June  , the weather was very hot and being builders our thoughts soon turned to mashing time ,( for non locals that means having a tea break) . I was given the task of knocking on the back scullery door so as to test the water( so to speak ) on how we would stand when we wanted a brew at break or lunch times .

 

I knocked and waited , knocked again no answer , just as I was walking away I heard the key turn in the door and the door opened just enough for me to see a old lady standing behind it . She asked in a very quiet way what I wanted , I explained that we were wondering if we had to bring our own tea mashing facility's or would she be so kind as to boil a kettle for us at various times . 

 

She asked me how many of us and I replied that we were three handed , the three being my self as well as Tosh Wild my partner and our labourer Harry Allen . I was instructed to wait and she would  mash for us , A few minutes later she half opened the door and put a tray with three china cups ,saucers and a plate of biscuits on the top step that lead into her kitchen , I thanked her but before what I expected to be a bit of customer conversation Mrs Walters quickly closed the door and that was it.

 

This situation carried on for a day or two but gradually the door was opened a little wider as I tried to get a little conversation going as to the job in hand , or the weather ,garden and so on,

 

Around day three I found my self alone on the job as Tosh and Harry had gone elsewhere , I did not bother to knock for tea as I would soon be on my way home any way, when  much to my surprise Mrs Walters appeared and asked if I would like to enter the kitchen as she had just made tea , I entered the very large Victorian style kitchen an sat down at the big oak table while she poured out the drinks and offered me a plate of biscuits .

 

We made small talk as well as discussing the job in hand , She then told me that she was very reticent about meeting people she did not know ,which I took as explaining how she had been so stand offish up to now .

 

The tea breaks the became more easy and lasted longer as the next day or two passed and Mrs Walters after asking about my own family and life slowly explained her reticent in meeting working people .

 

She explained that as a young Jewish  girl she had escaped the Nazi's in Germany by being put on a train through France and then across the Channel to England finally ending up with a family in Sheffield ,  She told me that in Germany it was mostly the working classes that had turned on her family and this was the reason she was still after many years not good at talking to people who she did not know .

 

It turned out that she had trained as an Architect at Sheffield Uni and married a Dr from the City and they had built up their life around the local area ending in the very large and comfortable house on Collegiate Crescent .

 

Our friend ship developed and I was invited into the front lounge on occasions where  mrs Walters played the grand piano ,she played pieces from Beethoven ,Bach and Brahms , and explained to me how the music evolved through out Europe and then the entire World .

 

A few months later I was passing her house and decided to just call in to see how things  were . gave a knock on that back door and just as before the door was opened just enough for me to see Mrs Walters  ,When she recognised me she invited me in , we chatted for a minute or two and Asked how her piano playing was going on , she invited me into the large front living room and pointed to a glass pane in the bay window that had a small circler hole in it , "what is it " I asked , Old Mrs Walters just shrugged her shoulders and told that some one had fired a pellet through her window one night while she was sat at her piano . 

 

I often pass that house when travelling through Broomhall ,The house is now owned by the University , the windows are all lit with with folk visible inside working and studying but all I see is an old lady sat at grand piano and just another life story among the thousands that are lived every day in Sheffield 

A lovely story, I enjoyed reading this. 

[cuttsie]

2 hours ago, hauxwell said:

A lovely story, I enjoyed reading this. 

thank you , that means a lot , it makes it worth while contributing to the forum .

[bazza63]

On 10/04/2021 at 22:29, cuttsie said:

Got it , will meet some one day eh!!!!!!! 

John Burkill the green wig man,he has collected thousands for  Mcmillan  cancer research he has bot to be in the  Sheffield hall of fame.

[cuttsie]

14 minutes ago, bazza63 said:

John Burkill the green wig man,he has collected thousands for  Mcmillan  cancer research he has bot to be in the  Sheffield hall of fame.

All it needs is for some one to start typing his story .

[Padders]

5 hours ago, cuttsie said:

thank you , that means a lot , it makes it worth while contributing to the forum .

Pity we haven't got a like button, cus I feel the same way as you.

I would always give your post's a like.

[trastrick]

I think all of us have been inspired by ordinary people who touched our lives at one time or another.

By workmates, teachers and neighbours and family members.

 

During the war my Grandma lived in a "double house" on the Arbourthorne estate. That was were two houses were joined by a door in the kitchen for large families. We shared one gas stove and one bath. Her house became a temporary wartime school for neighborhood kids.

 

Rationing was not a big problem for her. With a few simple ingredients, flour, salt and lard, plus stuff from the garden, whatever could be gotten from the butcher, bones, heart, udder, tongue, and the oven on the range, she could feed the entire family some delicious food. She baked on Saturdays and everybody would show up on Sunday to partake.

 

But one story stands out.

 

During the war, they were building prefabs on the spare ground at the end of the street, part of Lawson's Farm. In a stroke of common sense they had German POW's building them. Most were young men and us kids would go and watch them at work. It was routine work and everybody was just basically waiting for the war to be over. Security was lax and the were allowed a little freedom. Nothing like the movies. They would trade whatever they had for cigarettes and food from the neighbors. uniform stripes, buttons, badges, little wood carvings, and such.

 

My grandma took pity on them and invited a few of them in for fresh bread and soup, on their breaks. This was a time when we were being told to hate the Germans, so some of the neighbors complained that she was fraternising with the enemy.

She was adamant, and told everybody that she had a husband and a son who served in the army, and hoped if they were captured, they would be treated the same way.

 

Just an extra -"ordinary" mother, and grandmother.

Edited April 14, 2021 by trastrick

[cuttsie]

8 minutes ago, trastrick said:

I think all of us have been inspired by ordinary people who touched our lives at one time or another.

By workmates, teachers and neighbours and family members.

 

During the war my Grandma lived in a "double house" on the Arbourthorne estate. That was were two houses were joined by a door in the kitchen for large families. We shared one gas stove and one bath. Her house became a temporary wartime school for neighborhood kids.

 

Rationing was not a big problem for her. With a few simple ingredients, flour, salt and lard, plus stuff from the garden, whatever could be gotten from the butcher, bones, heart, udder, tongue, and the oven on the range, she could feed the entire family some delicious food. She baked on Saturdays and everybody would show up on Sunday to partake.

 

But one story stands out.

 

During the war, they were building prefabs on the spare ground at the end of the street, part of Lawson's Farm. In a stroke of common sense they had German POW's building them. Most were young men and us kids would go and watch them at work. It was routine work and everybody was just basically waiting for the war to be over. Security was lax and the were allowed a little freedom. Nothing like the movies. They would trade whatever they had for cigarettes and food from the neighbors. uniform stripes, buttons, badges, and such.

 

My grandma took pity on them and invited a few of them in for fresh bread and soup, on their breaks. This was a time when we were being told to hate the Germans, so some of the neighbors complained that she was fraternising with the enemy.

She was adamant, and told everybody that she had a husband and a son who served in the army, and hoped if they were captured, they would be treated the same way.

 

Just an extra -"ordinary" mother, and grandmother.

Great story pal , Ordinary people are so much more interesting than all the so called celebs who are in the media  play ground .