Ordinary Sheffielders.

[cuttsie]

On 28/10/2021 at 19:21, hackey lad said:

Kilburn Brown

Killer

[cuttsie]

THE BUNNYS

I have know two Bunny's  in my life ,  George Grey and George Deakin , for some reason they were both called Bunny . No idea why 

George Grey was a bricklayer who lived on the Whybourn estate , he was one of the funniest men I have ever known .

George was  Unitedite but the rest of our gang all supported the Owls .

In 1966 we were working for Hassalls  Castles at Fox Hill and the Owls had a FA cup run that took them all the way to Wembley  . 

Us lot went to every round finishing early on a Saturday and off in Tony Hughes Cortina . 

 

The funny thing is Bunny decided that he did not want to be left out so shifted his allegiance temporary to the Owls .

Bunny always wore wellington boots that winter along with a Donkey jacket that had Longdens printed on the back , He and us lot all went to the matches in work gear usually muddy boots as well .

 

The outstanding memory I have of that cup run is the trip to Huddersfield won of course . 

We some how stumbled upon the Huddersfield Rugby club bar and social club after the game , we all trooped in to the obvious amusement of the rugby mob .

We soon settled in to banter and frivolities.

Bunny was rather smiitten by a film star look alike brunette who due to his charm with the ladies was giving him her full attention .

A couple of pints in and Bunny decided a nice kiss on the smackers was just the tonic  she needed and proceeded to go for it big time .

 

All hell broke loose as the lass although no objecting let out a yell .

The rugby 🏉 team came for us , chairs fell over , And we started running , Except for one ,!!!!!  Bunny . 

He stood his ground  shouting us back in a way that made it clear that no Big rugby player players was going to freetun him .

I looked at Ken Carr (one of our gang ex Tramway pub landlord)  I said we can't leave Bunny on his own , Ken said "Tha can do what tha wants im off".

I pondered for seconds , then Bunny appeared laughing his head off as the Rugby mob had decided to call it day .

He called us all a set of yellow barstuards . 

He was right .

Bunney Deakin to follow , MI finger hurts .

 

 

Edited September 3, 2023 by cuttsie

[harvey19]

In the Tramway one cold wet night in the 1960s stood at the bar near the parrot in a cage. A regular came in and ordered a pint and noggin of rum for the parrot. It had us doubled up with laughter.

[cuttsie]

On 06/09/2023 at 07:51, harvey19 said:

In the Tramway one cold wet night in the 1960s stood at the bar near the parrot in a cage. A regular came in and ordered a pint and noggin of rum for the parrot. It had us doubled up with laughter.

Ken and Val Carr became landlords after the 60's  .    I remember the Travellers on the Moor having a minor Bird called Trevor in the 60's , Trevor would tell one to go away and multiply.

As would the bar staff who were rather limp of wrist if you know what I mean .

[harvey19]

21 minutes ago, cuttsie said:

Ken and Val Carr became landlords after the 60's  .    I remember the Travellers on the Moor having a minor Bird called Trevor in the 60's , Trevor would tell one to go away and multiply.

As would the bar staff who were rather limp of wrist if you know what I mean .

It was quite dark in the Travellers as I recall.

[Padders]

6 minutes ago, harvey19 said:

It was quite dark in the Travellers as I recall.

Ron Delta was a frequent customer in there.....

[Fred G]

I remember Ron he was stood at the bar in the Penny Farthing club. He was wearing  a light suit I noticed a piece of cotton on the front of his jacket so tried to pick it off but it got longer and longer. He was laughing at the shock on my face and then he showed me the bobbin of cotton in his inside pocket. I still laugh about it.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Padders said:

Ron Delta was a frequent customer in there.....

Many of my happiest hours were spent in the Travellers with Ronnie, Bill Hogan and company.

Gem of a pub with laughs and talent capable of filling the Palladium.

Ronnie sometimes came down to The Bell in the Square,  where Bill played piano,  and It was like sitting in the middle of a Carry On film.

[cuttsie]

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 

I have been thinking of Mrs Walters these past three weeks , Thinking how horrified she would be at situation in Israel .

A lovely human being she was and i am honoured to have been a friend .

[cuttsie]

Little Rita ,  

little Rita was just that ,little , should stood around 4ft 9inches in her stocking feet .

We saw a lot of Rita’s stockings .

She was also the best dancer I have ever seen,

Her venue to dance was the Lacarno on London Road ,   Her dance the jive , 

Rita would dance all night long from 7 pm til chucking out time at 10-30 pm .

 

Her party piece was when Sam Higgins split her up from her mates , (the lasses always danced in a group often around their hand bags placed on the floor ). 
Any way Sam was Rita’s equal on the Lacarno dance floor , Sam was also small just a bit taller than Rite ,, 

As the night was coming to a close the magic usually happened , The band would strike up with a Rock and Roll number , Rock around the Clock , See you later alligator and so on.

The pair would square up.  A look a twirl and off they would go , Sam could sling Rite around like a top , Rita could spin like a top . 
 

The floor would clear and the couple would be in their own World ,

Over Sam’s head she would go , through legs , shoulder drops , twirls .frock was like a parachute on each twirl revealing Rita’s stocking tops and suspenders and a bit more if you were Quick .

The assembled Lads and Lasses crowded all the way around the dance floor edges clapping , shouting and whooping , Teddy boys and girls , Italian suited lads , lasses with buffont hair does piled up like a pyramid on heads that would be head scarved as they all ran for the last bus home at 11 PM in Pond Street .

Can I take you home love was a cry that often could be heard as the hall emptied usually with a knock back as the lasses all stuck together in those far off days. 
 

I used to see Rita as she passed where I was working on the Castle Market build ,

She would catch the bus there  ,

”Can I Tec thi out love “. I asked now and then , She just gave me a look that said , “Tha can if tha learns to dance like Sam”