Tuesday 25 June 2013

Grave Affairs in the Cathedral "Gardens"

I've just posted the following newspaper cutting from the Sheffield Star dated 6th August 1958 to the Sheffield History Forum. Apparently one contributor wanted to know where the bones that were exhumed from the Cathedral were taken to. Some ended up in Stradbroke at the proposed site of aa garden for old people.




Monday 17 June 2013

June Talks 2013

I've just completed a further two talks that were arranged to primarily promote our second book.

This involved putting together a new presentation for the talks that featured more of the twentieth century material.

The first of the talks was last Wednesday and formed part of the Broomhill Festival 2013

Sheffield’s Shocking Past: Part 2 – The 20th Century
Date/Time - Date(s) - 12/06/13 (Wednesday)
6:30 pm - 7:45 pm
Location - Broomhill Library
Local historian, Chris Hobbs and local author Matthew Bell bring you some more gruesome, grizzly and long forgotten tragic episodes of 20th Century Sheffield.
Uncovering such tales as the killer cat of Millhouses, death by chimney stack and the horrific aftermath of an American Air Force jet crashing into Lodge Moor Hospital in 1955, plus many more.
The second talk was two days later at the AGM of the Friends of Walkley Cemetery which was held in St Mary's Church South Road Sheffield. 
Both talks went well, and I must admit I did enjoy the experience of speaking about events that many people have not heard of. And of course when you are enjoying something times flies!


Wednesday 5 June 2013

Kenneth Steel and and the Sheffield Castle Painting

I've just updated the article on the Sheffield artist the late Kenneth Steel.

A painting that he was commissioned to do for Brightside and Carbrook Co-operative Society in 1964 was in storage in Manchester, after it was removed from the Society's Angel Street store

The full story appears in this report from the Sheffield Star

I am an admirer of Kenneth's work but for some reason this painting fails to impress me as much as some of his other work. It just seems rather contrived and the perspective seems strange. I think I will have to go and see it "in the flesh" so to speak to see if my impressions are justified 

Tuesday 4 June 2013

Joseph Jonas

I've just updated the article on Joseph Jonas, a former Lord Mayor of Sheffield who was stripped of his knigthood in 1918.

An article appeared in the Sheffield Star on May 15th 2013 announcing that his former home Endcliffe Hall was to be turned into a boutique hotel by its current owners The University of Sheffield.

Two weeks later The Star's feature writer Colin Drury produced an article that used material from my web-site