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Sheffield
Sheffield maps
Historic maps of Sheffield and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Sheffield maps
Sheffield area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Sheffield and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Sheffield
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memories of Sheffield.
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Number 1 Nether Edge Rd.
This house was built by my great- great grandfather around 1883. His name was James Burnand, founder of James Burnand and Sons, cutlery and Bowie Knife makers.
Circa 1950s
I was born in 1939 and remember the war years vividily. However, I was draughted into the army in 1948 and because of my knowledge and interest in explosives, became an Ammunition Examiner. During this period, I knew I liked music but nothing specific and I had never been to a live concert. I was walking by Barkers Pool one day and saw an ad at Wilson Peck's for a band concert. I don't know why but on a whim, I bought a ticket. It was some band headed by someone called Ted Heath. I had never heard of him but that concert electrified me. I had never heard anything so fantastic and today he is still top of my list.
At the same time, I had become very interested in ballroom dancing and took lessons. I can't remember the name ofthe place but it was on Eccleshall Rd.I became quite good and was asked if I would like to take it up as a professional career. I declined.... Read more
Lyceum Theatre 1950's
I think my first memory of going to the Lyceum theatre was to see Harry Seacome in the Christmas Pantomime of around 1949, but the highlight for me when I was invited to be a cast member in "Song of Norway" put on by the Sheffield Teachers Operatic Society around November 1954. That experience of being on a show for the whole week with a matinee on Saturday has always been a fond memory but it was also the end of my stage career, I was 14 at the time.
Gordon Lawton Australia
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 stage. Across the road at the City Hall I saw many of Sheffields Big Amateur Operatic Societys Musical shows there after the Lyceum closed in 1969 and prior to its great reopening in 1990. Only the City Hall remains now of one of Sheffield's former entertainment areas.
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 reopened during the 1970s and 1980s. It was great to see it re-furbished and re-opened in 1990 and whenever I am in Sheffield I always try and catch a show there. It was designed by W G R Sprague, opened in 1897, and is now the only surviving Sprague theatre outside London. With its modern sister theatre, the Crucible, next door, Sheffield once again has a great cultural quarter.
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 Ones', full of energy and careering around the court, whilst the old guys played bowls close by, and the park keepers made sure we didn't get out of hand.
Now I'm one of the old guys, but the memories come back afresh on seeing the photograph.
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, The Steel City Works, that got bombed, oh don't I remember the sounds around that night!!!. I remember the City Hall getting hit by the tracer bullets, I still think we were lucky not to have the City Hall bombed. I am now in my 68th year and as I walk around the city centre, memories still stick with me of those unsettled times we ALL had in Sheffield. I am pleased that some of old Sheffield remains, it's good to jog ones memories of the past.
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 the froth flowed down the street. Equally impressive was the fluorescent dye that gave the water a yellow green radiance. It was much abused but ever entertaining. Shame it has gone, probably offended Health and Safety?
