Rotherham memories wanted please

[chele510]

I am planning a project based on the history of Rotherham. I am looking at working from the angle of memories from people who are willing to submit an account of their personal memories on specific topics. The topics I am looking for peices on are,

 

Social Life, Family life, work life, law and order, wartime, healthcare, and general memories.

 

If anyone would like to submit a piece of writing please include your name(first name only is sufficient) age and roughly the time period you are writing about. Please also confirm that you give permission for your piece to possibly be published on a website on Old Rotherham in the future.

 

You may submit your memories direct to my email address which is chele510@aol.com

 

Thanks for reading this and have fun with your writing, I look forward to reading them.

[chele510]

Just thought I had better clarify a point.

 

This project is purely a hobby and in no way will any money be made. I am just a housewife with time on my hands looking for something to do with my time and history is something I enjoy so I thought doing a project on the history of my hometown would be the ideal place to start.

[steamrollus]

I was a police officer in Rotherham between january 1969 and April 1974. At the time the town had more murders per year than Sheffield. I remmeber the little miss music murder and others that happened when I was there. More positive is my memory of the council owned retaurants in the town centre, excellent food at reasonable prices, there was one on Church street that made scones in the afternoon, wonderful. It was always a rough town but we were rough coppers and I honestly believe that the public were better serviced by the Police than they are now, thats no disrespect to the individual officers but a comment on the way the service is managed.

 

The town centre was very busy every week day and saturday and the pubs very busy most nights.

[chele510]

As an ex policeman you would be in a great position to write a piece for the law and order section. If you fancy it send it straight to my email address (in the previous post) and include your name (state if you would like to be kept anonymous) and a rough date for the memories you are submitting.

 

Thanks Michelle:thumbsup:

[chele510]

Come on guys, surely someone has some old memories they would like to share. At this rate it looks as though I am going to have to consider working from a different angle.

 

You dont have to write a long piece (although you're welcome to if you like) just a short piece will do. Dont worry about the spelling and grammar I can make any alterations needed before publishing. Come on this will be a valuable resource for school kids, students or just history enthusiasts like myself. Every other website is based on facts ie very impersonal, my idea is to give the history of Rotherham from personal points of view.

 

Give it a go, what have you got to lose?

[TheRedWizard]

Hi Michelle,

 

There's been lots of excellent oral history projects in and around Rotherham over the last few years. Why not go and check them out at the local studies/archives and pick out some of the fascinating stuff in those publications which, as you point out, I don't think are on the internet anywhere.

 

Similarly, there are lots of history groups in Rotherham, who will have oral history archives and transcripts, and might be really happy to have excerpts put together onto a website - it sounds great. To see about twenty groups in one place come along to the Heritage Fair in mid-May.

 

Having said that, getting people to e-mail memories from all over does sound like an exciting way of putting a collection together!

 

All the best,

 

'Red'

[Nigel Womersle]

I started my working life in Rotherham in 1959. It was a vibrant town - cinemas galore, nice shops, and when I was old enough - nice pubs. Saw a few stage shows at the Essoldo. I remember seeing Quo Vadis, Butterfield 8 and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning on the screen there. I Went up Masbro' to see the floodlights at Millmoor when they were first tried out - fun memories of going to the old Statutes Fair where the police station now is - watching 'Musical Marie' at the old Cinema House in Doncaster Gate when she was doing her marathon piano playing. Also watching Mein Kampf there. Going to the miner's gala in Clifton Park. Going in Cantor's in Effingham Street to hear all the latest records being played by the lady who eventually opened The Sound of Music in Howard Street. Having my lunch in the Whitehall Cafe and The Gate Cafe. I stood gawping at the burnt out Woolworths in College/Effingham Streets. Joining the town's Civil Defence service. Happy memories of my then favourite singer - Marion Ryan, when she opened JAX in College Street. I loved riding on the 'Trackie' Buses too - so smooth, much better than the Sheffield Tramcars. Nights at the Civic Theatre (could be after I worked in R/ham - usually Lincoln Theatre Royal Company). Sad memories of a colleague losing his seven years old son. Watching a lorry lose control as it approached the red traffic light at the bottom of Doncaster Gate. A lady and a small boy lost their lives because of this. It was a Friday morning. It preyed on me for ages. Eventually I walked out of the job as I had wanted to leave for some time, but my parents were against it. In those days you had to do as you were told when you lived at home. The wonderful feeling when I left the premises for the last time, knowing I would never return. I was 19 and had been getting home from that place at 8-8.30 some Saturday nights. I had to make up for lost time, and I did. I realise that it was the wrong way to leave, but that it was the best thing I ever did for myself. I never regretted it for one second. Time has told it was the right thing to do. Rotherham itself will always hold memories for me.

[chele510]

Thanks Nigel, with your permission I will use this in the Social Life section.

Thanks for taking the time to write it, Michelle:thumbsup:

[chele510]

Hi Michelle,

 

There's been lots of excellent oral history projects in and around Rotherham over the last few years. Why not go and check them out at the local studies/archives and pick out some of the fascinating stuff in those publications which, as you point out, I don't think are on the internet anywhere.

 

Similarly, there are lots of history groups in Rotherham, who will have oral history archives and transcripts, and might be really happy to have excerpts put together onto a website - it sounds great. To see about twenty groups in one place come along to the Heritage Fair in mid-May.

 

Having said that, getting people to e-mail memories from all over does sound like an exciting way of putting a collection together!

 

All the best,

 

'Red'

 

HI Red

 

Can you give me more details about the Heritage Fair, is it the same one advertised on the RFHS website?

[Nigel Womersle]

Thanks Nigel, with your permission I will use this in the Social Life section.

Thanks for taking the time to write it, Michelle:thumbsup:

 

Hi Michelle. I am flattered you think it good enough to include. Please do use it if it will help at all. Best wishes for a successful project.

Regards

 

Nigel Womersley