Devonshire Street

A Memory of Chesterfield.

I was born at no 10 Devonshire Street and remember the row of terraced houses and tiny cramped back streets, and loads of alleys and gennels where we played hide and seek. I was about 4 when Sheffield was bombed and remember standing in the doorway between my mum and dad and him saying "Don't worry, Twiggy. They are not going to bomb us". He must have been on leave from his regiment at the time but he was also evacuated from Dunkirk after swimming out to the small boats in the English Channel. There were searchlights in the sky and a large brick shelter was built towards the bottom of Devonshire Street and a Mr. Oldfield used to organise us when we filed in during a bomb scare. Looking back we would have had no protection at all if a bomb had been dropped. I couldn't have been very old but I also remember the lamp lighter who used to come and light the gas lamp at the top of the steps leading down onto Brewery Street and the sweet shop near the steps where I bought some sweets with 2 farthings. Can anyone remember Thompsons grocery shop opposite the old Royal Hospital with sawdust on the floor? I would love to see old photos of Devonshire Street and learn of any history ie when it was built. I can't seem to remember when it all disappeared but it is unrecognisable now.


Added 27 September 2011

#233530

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