View From Another Hill - Friday 26th July 2013

These photos were taken from near the top of Townend Street Crookes on Friday 26th July 2013.
A clear blue evening sky and a warm breeze and tremendous views across the city

Incidentally the large stone-built house on the left used to be the house of Professor James William Edington, a Professor of Bacteriology at Sheffield University who was tragically killed in a car accident whilst driving home from a rugby match in April 1939

View From A Hill - 29th July 2013

We are in the process of having the wall at the back of our house re-rendered. I believe that it was last done in the 1950's and over the last few years the covering had deteriorated quite badly.

 
Whilst the scaffolding was up I took the opportunity to check the roof, clear the gutter out and revarnish the upper window frames. I also took the following photographs looking out over the city of  Sheffield

As you can see the the skyline is dominated by the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. You can also see the gathering storm clouds. Ten minutes after these photos were taken, a thunderstorm broke and it bucketed it down. Time to get down from the scaffolding!

I am hoping that the varnish does what it says on the tin - dry's in 30 minutes otherwise it is another trip up the ladder.

Hill 60 Zillebeke 1918

I'm still sorting through the photos that were mentioned in an earlier blog. One which is again not inscribed shows the British trenches at Hill 60 at Ypres.

I am unsure why the photo is in the box but it is only one of  two in the box. The other is of the Menin Gate in Ypres which is where those soldiers who fought on Hill 60 and have no known grave are comemorated. I wonder if there is a link between these two photos and the family?

THE WATCH TOWER - BRADFIELD St Nicholas Churchyard - Bradfield

Whilst I was scanning the aforementioned photographs I came across an old monochrome  postcard of the Watch House at High Bradfield

 
THE WATCH HOUSE - BRADFIELD
St Nicholas Churchyard - Bradfield

The Watch House at High Bradfield was built in 1745 as a place from which to guard newly buried bodies (from bodysnatchers) in the churchyard of St. Nicholas, Church. There are apparently only two or three of this type of building still in existence in the country and this is the only one left in Yorkshire.

The house is now a privately owned dwelling.

Old Photographs of Spring Hill Sheffield

Old photographs of Spring Hill Sheffield are not commonplace. And so I was surprised when my next door neighbour handed me a box of old photographs and other miscellanous items that the previous owner had left behind in his house well over thrirty years ago!!.

Over the last week I have been scanning the material found in the box into digital formats, and have found some fascinating content. Unfortunately many of the photos have no information on them whatsoever, but after some research I think I can identify some of the people in them. If I can get enough information I plan to put the information into a coherent form.

Anyway here are the two photographs of Spring Hill that were taken possibly in the late 1950's

 

The two girls in the photo that was taken in the garden of 35 Spring Hill may have been called Marilyn and Linda Hobson, and were the daughters of the owner at that time James Hobson. The second photo was taken from the front bedroom window of number 35 and shows the "View From the Hill" prior to the construction of the University Arts Tower   

 

George Herbert Lawrence - Hathersage 5th July 2013

For the first time in my life, I was invited to a presentation, or to be more precise, the unveiling of a plaque that was to remember and honour a person that gave so much to the community.

His name was Geoge Lawrence and details of his life and work can be found on my web-site. The Ceremony occurred last Friday and for once the weather was glorious.

The unvieling of the plaque was a fitting tribute to George's works, and as Brian Ward who wrote an excellent biography of George remarked, the title of  "forgotten philanthropist" may now have to be revised.

I was also given the opportunity to meet descendents of George and Elsie, and that was a most enjoyable and enlightening experience for me. It helped me to appreciate just how important George was to both his family and the community.