Ordinary Sheffielders.

[hackey lad]

3 hours ago, zakes said:

This true story is similar to my posts on my award winning thread...Nah then folks, during the 60s. The punch line comes at the end.

One Saturday during the autumn of 1973 or 1974.

 

Saturday afternoon in the Albert (Whitbread) pub, situated on the corner where Division Street and Cambridge Street meet each other. Having downed a pint, the landlord called time. It was 15:30...chucking out time.

 

Walking around town I had the urge to buy myself a record. I bought a record but forget whether it was from Violet May's shop, on the corner of Matilda Street and Earl Way, or whether it was from Rare and Racy on Devonshire Street. The gatefolded album was titled Tabernakel, and the musician was Jan Akkerman, a guitar virtuoso of the highest order. Akkerman also played with Dutch band, Focus. Jan Akkerman was then, and still is, my favourite musician.

 

Glancing at mi wetch I realised time was whipping on, I had to my get mi skates on...preferably roller skates. I needed to get to Sheffield University, and pronto too. I had to get to the University well before 17:00. The doorman at the door checked student ID's from 17:00 onwards. I had to avoid him by going in before he came on duty. The reason for going to the University was because I wanted to have my tea. I often came here for my tea on Saturdays...Favourites were Bangers & Mash, followed usually by Spotted Dick with yellow custard. The meals were so cheap to buy. After my meal I went straight to the TV room to catch the football results of the day. Watching the tele-printer in action was always fun. After the results, it was time to go downstairs to the bar area. The grid was lifted at the bar at 17:30 prompt. The bar area had loads of seating, plus a great selection of records on the jukebox. There was also a snooker room, two tables. That room now has four pool tables that replaced the snooker tables. This was many years before a new entrance was created on the Glossop Road side of the University building. The entrance is now brightly lit with a sign saying, Bar 1. An old friend of mine, Tim Guest, used to do the same as myself, regarding entry into the University on Saturdays.

 

I only supped a couple of pints at the Students Union, because I would be meeting drinking mates in town about 8ish. All this time guarding my elpee with my life lol. In town I drank slowly because I had no desire to get boozed up. I always liked to be in control of myself at all times.

In town I visited the pubs, The Raven(Whitbread),  The Albert (Whitbread), The Minerva (Whitbread), and The Nelson (Whitbread?). Occasionally I would call in at the Wapentake, which in my mind was a sort of replacement for the much loved Buccaneer Bar, on Leopold Street. At time called in the pubs, I was persuaded to go down to the Penthouse club, on Dixon Lane. Arriving at the Penthouse I was feeling dog tired. I had then to climb the 72 steps to get in the place. Whilst there I drank a couple of pints of crappy beer, but I did enjoy the two fried egg sandwiches I had. Then I decided to leave after an hour or so. I said my goodbyes to my drinking pals. I then headed for the exit, there I shook hands with one of the bouncers on parade, Mick Bond. Mick used to do a bit of driving for Joe Cocker before Joe became reight famous.

 

note. Mick Bond passed away a cuppla years ago. Sleep peacefully Mick RIP.

 

To be continued in the soon.

Great story and another connection we have  , I knew Bondy well , through fishing and drinking together some times , always had a good laugh .  I lived very near him at one time . What still amazes me about him was that he was a bouncer in some right rough houses but he was a quiet spoken and polite  bloke .

[cuttsie]

2 minutes ago, hackey lad said:

Great story and another connection we have  , I knew Bondy well , through fishing and drinking together some times , always had a good laugh .  I lived very near him at one time . What still amazes me about him was that he was a bouncer in some right rough houses but he was a quiet spoken and polite  bloke .

I knew Mick as  well , We knocked around as teenagers , Lots of fisty cuffs around Town but never saw  him join in or push his weight around ,  Was very surprised to find out he became a bouncer just did not seem  to be the type .

[hackey lad]

32 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

I knew Mick as  well , We knocked around as teenagers , Lots of fisty cuffs around Town but never saw  him join in or push his weight around ,  Was very surprised to find out he became a bouncer just did not seem  to be the type .

We were fishing one day and the wind blew his long hair away from his face , I noticed half his ear was missing ( left one I think )  and he told  me he it got bitten off in a tussle , while working on the doors  by  a well known character me and Zakes know .   Just done a bit of stalking  ,  Bondy  was buried 5 th November 2020 

Edited October 13, 2022 by hackey lad

[trastrick]

13 hours ago, cuttsie said:

I knew Mick as  well , We knocked around as teenagers , Lots of fisty cuffs around Town but never saw  him join in or push his weight around ,  Was very surprised to find out he became a bouncer just did not seem  to be the type .

Speaking of Mick, and fisticuffs, there has been a few posts on here about Mick Cowan who I went to Heeley Bank School with. I witnessed one of his first fights, when he squared of with his good pal Boneham in the schoolyard for some reason I don't remember. We were 11 or 12.

 

Then there were brothers Mickey and Pete Freeman. Their Mom and Dad had a cafe in the market. Pete was also handy with his mitts had had a minor boxing career in Sheffield and Canada. Pete and Mickey and my brother Roy came over to Canada in 1966, and stayed with me intil they got settled.

 

Pete got in with the local boxing crowd, and introduced me to George Chuvalo and his manager Irv Ungerman, (who wanted to get in on my company which was involved in land acquision)

 

Roy stayed in Canada, and Mickey and Pete went back to England and opened the 2 burger joints Yankees and Uncle sam's on Ecclesall. They've retired now and are both well.

 

Another pal of Cowan's was (Chris?) Sexton who was a year younger than me at Heeley Bank and I used to be a bit rough on him when we played football.

 

Fast forward to one night up in the Nelson, when I was courting my wife, and a drunk came over to our table blabbering about summat. As he was leaving he stumbled and knocked  over our drinks.

 

Out of the blue, this big guy came over and grabbed him and literally threw him down the stairs. He said are you alright? It turned out to be Sexton who I had not seen since school and god, had he grown!

 

Bit of an overreaction, but those were the days.

Edited October 14, 2022 by trastrick

[cuttsie]

Uncle Sams ?????? A  pal of mine who was a joiner by trade Named Billy   ----------- Was involved with Uncle Sams when it was first set up. He told me he did the alterations and was a partner in the cafe ,He later went to Australia , I do not know if he is still involved .

[trastrick]

1 hour ago, cuttsie said:

Uncle Sams ?????? A  pal of mine who was a joiner by trade Named Billy   ----------- Was involved with Uncle Sams when it was first set up. He told me he did the alterations and was a partner in the cafe ,He later went to Australia , I do not know if he is still involved .

Mickey and Pete started up Uncle Sams and Yankees.

 

A tradesman like your pal, and me and you in the old days, would have made a bomb out of those two brothers.

 

After selling the restaurants they went in to student flat accommodations, and are still at it.

 

What a permanent "hospital" job that would have been! 

 

 

[cuttsie]

2 hours ago, trastrick said:

Mickey and Pete started up Uncle Sams and Yankees.

 

A tradesman like your pal, and me and you in the old days, would have made a bomb out of those two brothers.

 

After selling the restaurants they went in to student flat accommodations, and are still at it.

 

What a permanent "hospital" job that would have been! 

 

 

How you keeping .OK I hope

[trastrick]

13 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

How you keeping .OK I hope

Well thanks Cuttsie

 

My "little turn" with the jab reaction, showed no permanent damage to the ticker so I'm cleared to go back to DR, with blood thinners and blood pressure pills.

 

But it did put the kybosh on my trip to England this year with Roy, and I was looking forward to looking you up!

[cuttsie]

57 minutes ago, trastrick said:

Well thanks Cuttsie

 

My "little turn" with the jab reaction, showed no permanent damage to the ticker so I'm cleared to go back to DR, with blood thinners and blood pressure pills.

 

But it did put the kybosh on my trip to England this year with Roy, and I was looking forward to looking you up!

Shame that , My Mr's had a bad reaction to jab , collapsed out cold , led to broken bones   ambulance job , they know where they can shove next one .

[trastrick]

27 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

Shame that , My Mr's had a bad reaction to jab , collapsed out cold , led to broken bones   ambulance job , they know where they can shove next one .

Terrible thing to go through for you.

 

 Hope you are both holding up well now?

 

Best, Tony