Grimesthorpe, South Yorkshire

childhood

i have some wonderful memories of visiting my grandma in the early 1960's in Ecclesfield, and later moving there to live in 1967. my dad's mum and dad lived in Ecclesfield and every Sunday we would go for a walk around the church area and the woods, then my dad would drop me at my grandmas house while he went... [more]

Sheffield Lyceum

My first visit to this beautiful (and my favourite) theatre was to see Ronnie Hilton in the pantomime 'Sleeping Beauty'. It was then I fell in love with the theatre in general and the Lyceum in particular. It was a great loss to the Sheffield entertainment scene in 1969 and I was one of many people who tried to get it... [more]

The Gaumont & City Hall

Barkers Pool to me will always mean the Gaumont (ex Regent) Cinema and the City Hall.The Sheffield Gaumont was one of my favourite cinemas. My first visit was to see 'The Great Escape' followed by 'Mary Poppins' and I spent many a Saturday afternoon there in its luxurious surroundings.I also remember seeing Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck live on the Gaumont... [more]

RAF Norton

I was posted to RAF Norton in 1960 and told by the powers that be to catch a bus (number ??) from the railway station to the camp. I asked the conductor to tell me when I got to the stop. He said "RAF Norton, I've not heard of that". He asked around the other passengers and one of then said... [more]

We were 'The Young Ones'

This photgraph brought instant memories of when, as a teenager, I regularly walked with friends, Barry, George, Eric, and others, from Portland Street (Near the Royal Infirmary) to Crookes Valley Park. There we hired racquets and balls for an hour, and played tennis on the court to the right of the bowling green shown in the photograph.
We were 'The Young... [more]

Unsettled Times

I have very vivid memories of the war years as it was coming to an end. I was born in Cambridge Street in The Sportdman's public house, which up to the present time is the only pub left on Cambridge Street. Where the John Lewis store now stands on the corner of Barkers Pool/ Cambridge St there was a firm called,... [more]

Magic and mischief

When it was new , the changing colours of floodlights that swept round the fountain and tinted the sprays looked so futuristic and bright, You could stare at them waiting for the cycle to run over again. At times it froze into grotesque lumps, but the most amazing was when students put Teepol or other industrial strength soaps into it and... [more]

Sticklebacks at Wire Mill Dam

After dad got his first car, an Austin A30, he used to take me and my younger brother out for trips a little further afield, and Wire Mill Dam was one of our very favourite places. We'd be armed with a jam jar and fishing net apiece, and spend hours trying to catch the numerous sticklebacks, and watch people sailing their... [more]