Ordinary Sheffielders.

[cuttsie]

1 hour 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!

Just come to me ,The Joiner was  called Billy Roberts , He had a brand new MGB roadster .soft top , He was also into property letting along with his  partner Martin Lee (a plumber AKN  AS Leeky Lou.) , they did terrace houses around Sharrow Lane area

1 hour ago, cuttsie said:

How you keeping .OK I hope

 

[zakes]

Continued.

At Fitzalan Square taxi rank, I noticed there was a bit of a queue, bleddy hell! There was a lad and a lass directly in front of me. They were about the same age as my good self. I broke the ice, and we got into conversation. They asked me the same question I'd heard about fifty times that day..."What's the record you got in the bag?" I told them it was a Jan Akkerman elpee. The lad then, with excited voice said to me that Akkerman had played some great guitar on the track, Tommy, on the Focus album, Moving Waves. I already knew this. This lad and me automatically started to play air guitar whilst stood in the queue. Lol. We also did the der,der,der,ders to the Tommy track...Far out man! We had a good laugh whilst a few persons, including the lad's girlfriend looked at us both in a very strange way, with knitted eyebrows. lol.

Any rooad up, I finally climbed into a Abbey black taxi cab. I instructed the driver to take me home, to Crossland Drive, Gleadless Townend. The driver looked about mid  fifties, I was nineteen or twenty at that time. We had hardly got underway, when the driver asked the question for what seemed the fifty first time that day. "What record have you got in the bag"? I told him what the record was, thinking he wouldn't know the name of the musician. As soon as I said the name, the taxi driver went into raptures about Focus, a band from the Netherlands. He said Focus had had two singles in the Top Ten a year or so ago, and another number in the Top Twenty...Hocus Pocus, House of the King, and Sylvia. All instrumental pieces. I already knew this.

Moments later, The driver (loudly speaking) told me his wife was into Deep Purple, his daughter was into a band, who in recent times had become famous. She liked the lead guitarist, who used a sixpence instead of a plectrum. The band was called Queen. As for himself, he was into Black Sabbath.

On arrival at Crossland Drive, The taxi driver switched off his engine, then started to recommend to me which bands I should listen to. This was a real education in rock bands. This bloke was deeply into rock music, not just British, but foreign bands too.

The taxi driver must have gone on for seventeen minutes or more. I finally got in a word in edge ways by asking him how much the taxi fare came to. He told me he had enjoyed the chat, and he also told me I could pay him the 'unknown fare' next time we meet.

We never did meet again, that saved me a few bob. lol.

Mr.taxi driver, you were\are another extra-ordinary Sheffielder.

 

Thank you Sir.

[Padders]

7 minutes ago, zakes said:

Continued.

At Fitzalan Square taxi rank, I noticed there was a bit of a queue, bleddy hell! There was a lad and a lass directly in front of me. They were about the same age as my good self. I broke the ice, and we got into conversation. They asked me the same question I'd heard about fifty times that day..."What's the record you got in the bag?" I told them it was a Jan Akkerman elpee. The lad then, with excited voice said to me that Akkerman had played some great guitar on the track, Tommy, on the Focus album, Moving Waves. I already knew this. This lad and me automatically started to play air guitar whilst stood in the queue. Lol. We also did the der,der,der,ders to the Tommy track...Far out man! We had a good laugh whilst a few persons, including the lad's girlfriend looked at us both in a very strange way, with knitted eyebrows. lol.

Any rooad up, I finally climbed into a Abbey black taxi cab. I instructed the driver to take me home, to Crossland Drive, Gleadless Townend. The driver looked about mid  fifties, I was nineteen or twenty at that time. We had hardly got underway, when the driver asked the question for what seemed the fifty first time that day. "What record have you got in the bag"? I told him what the record was, thinking he wouldn't know the name of the musician. As soon as I said the name, the taxi driver went into raptures about Focus, a band from the Netherlands. He said Focus had had two singles in the Top Ten a year or so ago, and another number in the Top Twenty...Hocus Pocus, House of the King, and Sylvia. All instrumental pieces. I already knew this.

Moments later, The driver (loudly speaking) told me his wife was into Deep Purple, his daughter was into a band, who in recent times had become famous. She liked the lead guitarist, who used a sixpence instead of a plectrum. The band was called Queen. As for himself, he was into Black Sabbath.

On arrival at Crossland Drive, The taxi driver switched off his engine, then started to recommend to me which bands I should listen to. This was a real education in rock bands. This bloke was deeply into rock music, not just British, but foreign bands too.

The taxi driver must have gone on for seventeen minutes or more. I finally got in a word in edge ways by asking him how much the taxi fare came to. He told me he had enjoyed the chat, and he also told me I could pay him the 'unknown fare' next time we meet.

We never did meet again, that saved me a few bob. lol.

Mr.taxi driver, you were\are another extra-ordinary Sheffielder.

 

Thank you Sir.

Good un Zakes,

Only asked you the question 51 times, are you sure it wasn't 57times?

[cuttsie]

Marion , Marion lived on Hurlfield Road , in a row of old cottages  demolished when all the Schools were built in that  Myrtle Springs area of Sheffield . Midd fifty's if i remember correctly .

She was a character especially to us kids from the Crescent because she wore mens clothes .

 

Flat cap on top of a  platted hair , The platt was long and tucked into the collar  of a Donkey Jacket with leatheret shoulders

Her trousers were  a thick cord like  material often with one knee  tied with string for some reason only known to her .

She also wore  clogs when  going to Town  on the 101 . 102  or105 bus . She always sat on the upper deck and you knew when she got on or off because the clogging sound was  a sound you never forgot as she stamped down up and down those bus stairs .

The most unusual thing about Marion apart from her dress sense was her ability to  mend things , from bikes, to prams and even to the motor cars, vans and lorry's of those way off days in the 50's .

 

If owt broke you  would often hear folk say , Teck it to Marions she will sort it , and thats where I had  my first encounter with her .  

I had a cricket bat given to me for my birthday ,  After just a few swipes  at the corky ball it split ,this set me roorin , My ma told me to stop being a mardy arse ant teck it up to Marrions "she will fix for thi "

 I run up through corn field ,  ( Now private housing estate )  and knocked on her  door 'showed her my cricket bat , She looked at it , tutted . and said . come in  "I'l'e boil thi some glue , The house was  very untidy and full of junk (to me any way ) , old bikes, mangles , comic books,  vases, and last but not least a Brough motor bike ,  that was in hundreds of bits scattered  all around the front room ,  She saw me looking at this bike or bits of bike and said ." It was mi dads  ile ger it fixed one of these days don't touch it I don't want parts mixing up "  As far as I could see they were well and truly mixed up any way but I was fascinated by that room and its treasures .

Any she said fetch some sticks i and light fire in that grate , It was a old Yorkshire range , I put paper and sticks on and soon fire was rorin up chimney It was summer so  it was hot in that cottage front room any way , 

When the flames died down and the fire was glowing she placed  a  grate across and then put a painters kettle on the bars , 

 

What was in that kettle I do not know but it stunk . It stunk to high heaven , .I held my nose and she laughed .

After around ten or fifteen minutes  a curdling liquid was spitting and spilling over the kettle top making flames shoot up the chimney ,    She hooked it off  still on fire and rushed through back door , slung a sack or pot and extinguished the burning pot ., 

 

"Right hold bat on that stone slab  " said Marion while I run this glue into that crack .  I did and the glue was tipped into bat .

"It needs clamping or night she said " " Come back tomorrow and we will see if its done job" 

The next day , I was up that hill and saw the bat lolled up on front door , There was a a bit of paper wrapped ont handle  , Bat mended just teck it and see if its ok was written on the paper .

 

We used that bat all summer it never budged the crack held ,  One day we were playing in Davy Uniteds Sport field where the school was built and  Marion sat watching us I tipped the bat to her , She just smiled .

 

 

Edited October 16, 2022 by cuttsie

[Padders]

2 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

Marion , Marion lived on Hurlfield Road , in a row of old cottages  demolished when all the Schools were built in that  Myrtle Springs area of Sheffield . Midd fifty's if i remember correctly .

She was a character especially to us kids from the Crescent because she wore mens clothes .

 

Flat cap on top of a  platted hair , The platt was long and tucked into the collar  of a Donkey Jacket with leatheret shoulders

Her trousers were  a thick cord like  material often with one knee  tied with string for some reason only known to her .

She also wore  clogs when  going to Town  on the 101 . 102  or105 bus . She always sat on the upper deck and you knew when she got on or off because the clogging sound was  a sound you never forgot as she stamped down up and down those bus stairs .

The most unusual thing about Marion apart from her dress sense was her ability to  mend things , from bikes, to prams and even to the motor cars, vans and lorry's of those way off days in the 50's .

 

If owt broke you  would often hear folk say , Teck it to Marions she will sort it , and thats where I had  my first encounter with her .  

I had a cricket bat given to me for my birthday ,  After just a few swipes  at the corky ball it split ,this set me roorin , My ma told me to stop being a mardy arse ant teck it up to Marrions "she will fix for thi "

 I run up through corn field ,  ( Now private housing estate )  and knocked on her  door 'showed her my cricket bat , She looked at it , tutted . and said . come in  "I'l'e boild thi some glue , The house was  very untidy and full of junk (to me any way ) , old bikes, mangles , comic books,  vases, and last but not least a Brough motor bike ,  that was in hundreds of bits scattered  all around the front room ,  She saw me looking at this bike or bits of bike and said ." It was mi dads  ile ger it fixed one of these days don't touch it I don't want parts mixing up "  As far as I could see they were well and truly mixed up any way but I was fascinated by that room and its treasures .

Any she said fetch some sticks i and light fire in that grate , It was a old Yorkshire range , I put paper and sticks on and soon fire was rorin up chimney It was summer so  it was hot in that cottage front room any way , 

When the flames died down and the fire was glowing she placed  a  grate across and then put a painters kettle on the bars , 

 

What was in that kettle I do not know but it stunk . It stunk to high heaven , .I held my nose and she laughed .

After around ten or fifteen minutes  a curdling liquid was spitting and spilling over the kettle top making flames shoot up the chimney ,    She hooked it off  still on fire and rushed through back door , slung a sack or pot and extinguished the burning pot ., 

 

"Right hold bat on that stone slab  " said Marion while I run this glue into that crack .  I did and the glue was tipped into bat .

"It needs clamping or night she said " " Come back tomorrow and we will see if its done job" 

The next day , I was up that hill and saw the bat lolled up on front door , There was a a bit of paper wrapped ont handle  , Bat mended just teck it and see if its ok was written on the paper .

 

We used that bat all summer it never budged the crack held ,  One day we were playing in Davy Uniteds Sport field where the school was built and  Marion sat watching us I tipped the bat to her , She just smiled .

 

 

Brilliant Cuttsie 

[cuttsie]

12 minutes ago, Padders said:

Brilliant Cuttsie 

Another Ordinary Sheffielder Padders , who some how managed to be extra ordinary .

 

When those cottages were pulled down I did not see Marion again for ten years or so ,I had started work then and was  coming up East bank Road on the 102 , She was walking down hill  using a walking stick ,I jumped of the bus around the Midhill  WMC stop and shouted "Marion " She turned around and told me she was walking to Town , no clogs . no hair platt , just an old woman  who left a memory of a wonderful time in my life . Hope she scored a century .

[cuttsie]

On 04/11/2021 at 19:42, cuttsie said:

Another period of which I Have vivid and funny memories was the time when we met Mr Laurence .

 

Vic Spivey who was a building surveyor and friend introduced us to Laurence so as to give him a price to make a building that had a gable wall that was in danger of collapse on Barber Road  Walkley demolished and re built  .

Our first meeting was in the basement of a gents outfitters on the Wicker which Laurence owned and had a office .

 

We entered through the shop that had no customers and no sign of any one being around . 

 

A voice came over a intercom . " Come down stairs and go through the changing room cubicle curtains my office is there just walk in " 

We did has instructed and entered this dark dingy office scattered with invoices , papers , books , a couple of sawing machines  , pin up pictures of ladies and men in various poses associated with the fashion trade .

 

Ardoo pal , we said ," Mr Spivey has sent us to see about that job on Barber Road "

 

This large man with a head full of ginger hair that sprouted out in all directions stood up .

"Sheeeew" he said , putting his index finger up to his lips , "walls have ears " 

Me and Tosh looked at each other , looked around , wondering just who could hear owt down in this bloody semi dungeon.

 Laurence it seemed was a very secretive person as we found out over the next few months and years , 

His name was also not Mr Laurence as that was his first name and the one that he insisted we call him in company .

 

So the price was agreed after much negotiation with Mr Laurence thinking he had screwed us down to the last penny ,  but we were as sharp as him on that front .

 

We started the job on Barber Road , the large corner terrace is across from the Old Fairey's plumber merchants now converted to student flats I believe . 

The job was huge success and the numbered corner stones (we chiselled the no's on so on  to rebuild exactly as we had taken down the gable ) can still be seen if you pass on the 95 bus and look closely.

 

So started a long association with Mr Laurence .

to be continued .

If any one has seen , Better call Saul , the series on Netflix , Then Laurence was the double of the actor Bob Odenkirk who played the main part  , and very much like his character .

Edited October 16, 2022 by cuttsie

[Padders]

13 hours ago, cuttsie said:

Another Ordinary Sheffielder Padders , who some how managed to be extra ordinary .

 

When those cottages were pulled down I did not see Marion again for ten years or so ,I had started work then and was  coming up East bank Road on the 102 , She was walking down hill  using a walking stick ,I jumped of the bus around the Midhill  WMC stop and shouted "Marion " She turned around and told me she was walking to Town , no clogs . no hair platt , just an old woman  who left a memory of a wonderful time in my life . Hope she scored a century .

Tha nos Cuttsie, there's no Ordinary Sheffielder's left now,

It seems to me that we have to go back to the 50/60s to find em..

I go out occasionally, that's if I can still find a pub that's open.

And when I do find one it's full of clientele with their tabs glued to a mobile, or gazing at their I pads, or whatever there called.

We didn't need these contraptions in our youth, we didn't need someone to phone or text us that the Ragman was on his way, Ruddy hell, you could hear him a dozen streets away with his piercing scream of "RAGS OLD, RAGS OLD, COME AND GET YOUR DONKEY STONE"

Neither did you need one for your Saturday night edition of the "GREEN UN, GREEN UN."

My first encounter of a Sat Nav, was in a taxi I'd booked for Manchester Airport, me and the wife jumped in, and set off.

Ruddy hell, we got to the bottom of our road and this "Thing" said take the next left.

What's that I asked in amazement, "It's mi Sat Nav"

Crikey, a taxi driver who needs summat to tell him the way to Man Airport, I can drive you there wi  mi eyes closed.

 

When I was a nipper, I used to love watching the Binmen humping the old metal bins on their backs to the bin lorry, following that machine up the road what cleaned the drains out, Oh, and my favourite the "Coilman" dumping a dozen bags of coil in the Coil house.

Then there was that Water works man who used to listen with his metal rod to the grates, I've never known what he was listening to, then he'd lift the  lid of the grate, open a valve or summat, and a great big torrent of water would come gushing out,

I would have loved to have had the pleasure of watching old Slinny going at breakneck speed up a ladder with his Hod full of bricks and Gobbo.

I reckon he would have bettered any of them.

All the characters have sadly gone, never to be replaced, but we will fondly remember them, eh Cuttsie.

 

[cuttsie]

Good un Padders , My favourite int scoal holidays was eating hot tar that had melted of rooooads , 

They used to tar roads every year and spread white chippings on  them. , all the cars had tar and white chippings stuck to wheels , mud gaurds and running boards .   Gluing a penny to pavement so as Mrs moan a lot up rooooad would try to pick it up when no one was looking was another as well as tying porch door to kitchen door , Varmints we were 

[Padders]

11 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

Good un Padders , My favourite int scoal holidays was eating hot tar that had melted of rooooads , 

They used to tar roads every year and spread white chippings on  them. , all the cars had tar and white chippings stuck to wheels , mud gaurds and running boards .   Gluing a penny to pavement so as Mrs moan a lot up rooooad would try to pick it up when no one was looking was another as well as tying porch door to kitchen door , Varmints we were 

Eighting tar Cuttsie, never heard that one before, your version of a Pontefract Cake no doubt.