Some questions about old Sheffield.

[*_ash_*]

Great thread, gives me an excuse to browse more of PictureSheffield.

 

This one is pretty good (for the Park Square bit) as it shows many recognisable buildings which are still standing.

 

View from current Park Square, looking towards the Hotel Ibis

[Puffin4]

Hi,

 

 

As for the Corn Exchange, this was in on the corner of Broad Street and Sheaf Street. Remember Broad Street used to come right through to the bottom of Dixon Lane, before Park Square was built. I remember the building as a child but it caught fire in 1947(?). Some businesses continued to operate at street level (Kidder's Cafe for one) and they still used the cellars for storage. The rest was really a burnt-out shell was eventually demolished in the late 50's.

 

One thing I do remember is that the Registry Office was in the front of the Corn Exchange Building, facing Sheaf Street and the Market. What a terrible place. The surroundings were just awful and if the Wedding was on a week day, the happy couple would come out to all this terrible noise (yelling and shouting from the market, trucks loading/unloading produce, buses,trams screaching around the corner at Broad Street), etc.). But that's how the SCC used to behave in those days (sound familiar?). Even when the office was burnt-out of the building (I don't think the records were damaged), they only moved to another tumble-down building on Surrey Street. It was the early 1970's before they were moved to the new purpose-built circular building most people will remember.

 

Behind the old Woolworth/BHS building was the Sheaf Market. Better know as the "Rag' n Tag" or "Cloth and Insect". It streached all the way over to Sheaf Street and from Broad Street to Commercial Street. All long gone.

 

Regards

 

Hi Falls,

 

I remember the Sheaf Market as the Rag and Louse.

 

Was there not a pub in the Corn Exchange group of buildings? I forget the name but Norfolk Arms seems to ring a bell. It was used by market workers and was known colloquially as The Manche. I think it had an all day licence.

 

It had a large concert room and I remember, one Christmas eve about 1957 or 8, our band, the Gloryland was booked to play for a lunchtime session. The clientelle in the room split into two distinct sections with market workers on the one side and students on the other and an impromptu singing contest developed. I don't remember the outcome but there was lots of bonhommie and a good time was had by all. We stayed all afternoon and then went on through the evening session too. I seem to remember having trouble getting home to Richmond with my double bass afterwards but then, twas ever thus.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

[Falls]

Hi Falls,

 

I remember the Sheaf Market as the Rag and Louse.

 

Was there not a pub in the Corn Exchange group of buildings? I forget the name but Norfolk Arms seems to ring a bell. It was used by market workers and was known colloquially as The Manche. I think it had an all day licence.

 

It had a large concert room and I remember, one Christmas eve about 1957 or 8, our band, the Gloryland was booked to play for a lunchtime session. The clientelle in the room split into two distinct sections with market workers on the one side and students on the other and an impromptu singing contest developed. I don't remember the outcome but there was lots of bonhommie and a good time was had by all. We stayed all afternoon and then went on through the evening session too. I seem to remember having trouble getting home to Richmond with my double bass afterwards but then, twas ever thus.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

 

You're right, there were a couple of pubs in the Corn Exchange building. The Mauche was one. If I remember correctly, this was on the corner of Sheaf Street and the street that used to go to the canal wharf (a sort of extension to Exchange Street). In fact the streets that ran around the back of the exchange were always called "The Maunche". Nobody used the proper names: most people probably never knew the real names and I can't remember them.

 

Most of their business was from the Market people. In my childhood, they had very little trade in the evenings and on weekends, they were almost dead. They may only have had six-day licences at one time.

 

Regards

[Arfer Mo]

The Sheffield Corn exchange stood on the site where the Parkway and Park Square now stand. Broad Street came down the right hand side of it and there was a pub on the opposite corner. The Corn Exchange was gutted by a bad fire (I think this was in the 1940's) but the ground floor on the front was kept in use - one of the business's was a cafe which was used by a lot of the Market workers. I used it about 1957 / 1958. I believe The Corn Exchange was finally demolished in the 1960's.

The only job Jimmy Childs lost money on the walls were very thick and welded together, built t o last eh !

[Wadsleyite]

Cambridge Street was only rename to mark a visit by the Duke of Cambridge (One of Queen Victoria's sons) in the late 19th century. Before that, it was called Coal Pit Lane.

There was a Coal Pit Lane in Wadsley, as well - it's now called Aldene Road. In fact come to think of it, there's coal under my house - if I get hard up I might start to mine it. There must be lots of former miners who'd like to be back in harness...

[Plain Talker]

There's a Coal Pit Lane out at Stocksbridge, too.

[milted]

Nunnery pit was the nearest I can think of I worked down the nunnery pit and also Handsworh 1948 it was possible to walk from Handsworth pit and come up at the Nunnery Good wages then 5 pound a week for 5 shifts not bad eh? I certainly remember Steads and Henry Mathews and his Bedford T K lorries painted dark blue I think they carried a lot of ashfelt, tarmac ect always immaculate turned out

[Nigel Womersle]

Before the construction of Park Square, the Park Cinema stood in the middle of what is now the roundabout.

[capricorn_11]

You're right, there were a couple of pubs in the Corn Exchange building. The Mauche was one. If I remember correctly, this was on the corner of Sheaf Street and the street that used to go to the canal wharf (a sort of extension to Exchange Street). In fact the streets that ran around the back of the exchange were always called "The Maunche". Nobody used the proper names: most people probably never knew the real names and I can't remember them.

 

Most of their business was from the Market people. In my childhood, they had very little trade in the evenings and on weekends, they were almost dead. They may only have had six-day licences at one time.

 

Regards

 

You're right Falls, it's fullname was "The Maunche Hotel", and its was on the corner of Sheaf St. and Exchange St. (Exchange Street crossed Sheaf Street and finished at the Canal Wharf at that time).

But what was the name of the Pub at the back of, and underneath the Norfolk Market Hall?, the old memory banks are on the blink!!

regards Capricorn_11

[milted]

Wasn't the Pub on the corner of Exchange St And Sheaf Street called the Indusry Inn (The old Dustbin ) ?? Think so