View From A Hill - 31st December 2018

This blog is the 31st I've posted in 2018 which is the lowest annual total since the blog started in 2010. I have also managed to post a few articles to the website but not as many as I would have liked. 

There are reasons for this tardiness on my part but it has meant that I have a rather larger backlog of material than is normal. I hope to get around to posting some new content in the next few months. 

And so all that remains is to wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year

This photograph was taken on 2nd December 2018 and shows a rainbow over the Hill - quite a rare occurrence.

The Springfield Tavern Broomspring Lane Sheffield October 2006

This cutting is from the Sheffield Telegraph dated 6th October 2006 and refers to the The Springfield Tavern in Broomspring Lane Sheffield. As the report says it was the first of its kind in Sheffield

The outcome of the Board's deliberations was that the couple were instructed to install noise abatement equipment

Photo courtesy of Peter Ashworth

The locals who challenged and opposed the granting of a licence to the public house did not have long to wait for a final solution though. The public house was permanently closed in 2010 and is now private rented accommodation.   

Christmas in the Workhouse - Sheffield December 1883

The following is a report that appeared in the Sheffield Independent dated 26th December 1883

"The inmates of the above Workhouse were yesterday provided with their Christmas treat. It consisted, as usual, of the substantial dinner of roast beef and plum pudding. A pint of beer was allowed for everyone except the imbeciles and children. They has coffee, as also did everyone who preferred it. The total number of inmates in the house this Christmas is 1334... after dinner they were briefly and suitably addressed by the Chairman (Ald. Hunter) ....The inmates were then dismissed to their various wards to pass the afternoon in recreation, various friends having kindly sent a quantity of illustrated papers and books for their use. `the old people were supplied with tobacco and snuff and the children with oranges. An excellent tea was given them, and to-day (Wed) there will be a magic lantern entertainment kindly supplied by Mr Rodgers. The Sheffield Pillow Mission sent their usual Christmas present of a letter and illustrated card to each inmate."

As with the previous blog I was going to post a fuller article but found this article about Christmas in the Workhouse which even includes a recipe for a workhouse plum pudding!

But the sentence that shows just how tough life was in the 1880's is this "The total number of inmates in the house this Christmas is 1334" - a staggering total

Marjorie Stewart and Harry Fallows - Castleton Derbyshire January 1927

This cutting is from The Scotsman dated 12th January 1927. I was going to post an article to the site about their tragic deaths but found that there was this article that covered the event. (and others).

The article by Kay Harrison is very interesting to say the least and well worth a read. The couple lived at Hinde Street Moston which is a district in Manchester

The Beatles first appearance in Sheffield - Tuesday 2nd April 1963

This is a copy of a poster that has been circulating for years and has been shown to be a fake

The Beatles did not appear there on that date but did appear on Tuesday 2nd April 1963

There is an excellent blog that explains all about what happened and why But when I was in the Local Studies Library the other day, I found this advertisement in The Sheffield Star dated Tuesday 2nd April 1963,

The show did take place but I could find no report of the event in the following nights newspaper. Of course the typos are quite amusing "Tickets at the Noor" and Mark Stone I believe is "Mark Jones"

But the fascinating act has got to be the "Screaming Howling Horror of Fitzalan Sqaure - Count Linsey 111 and The Skeletons,." I wonder what happened to them? 

Alma Street Brightside Sheffield - August 1867

I came across this report in The Brecon Reporter and South Wales General Advertiser dated 
3rd August 1867. (The National Library of Wales have placed their newspaper archive on-line and is well worth visiting)

The report appeared under the title SHEFFIELD SENTIMENT.

 The other night a commercial clerk, living in Alma- street, Brightside, Sheffield, beat his litttle boy, 11 years of age, with shocking severity. The child had caused his father a deal of trouble by his propensity to lying. On the other hand, the child has been much repressed at home, and very frequently beaten. His mother is dead, and his father has married again. In consequence of the cruel conduct of the father the neighbours communicated with the police, and the chief-constable sent the child to Dr Young to be examined.

The doctor found his shoulders, back, and loins covered with bruises and bleeding wounds, so that a finger could not be laid on a sound place. In consequence of the doctor's report the father has been brought before the magistrates, but the doctor not being present the case was remanded.

"I suppose, said one of the magistrates to the father, "that we must send the boy back with you, and I hope you can be trusted not to beat him again before tomorrow. I'll never touch him again," said the father, bursting into tears. Upon this the little boy looked up and began to cry too, and said, taking his father's hand,"Don't cry, father I'd sooner go to prison than you should go."

 Thus weeping, the father and child left the court together." 

These are the only details I have at the moment but it would be interesting to know what happened to the family

John Womersley's house on Bents Drive, Sheffield - April 1967

Just over  a year ago I posted a blog on John Lewis Womersley. John was City Architect for Sheffield from 1953 - 1963 and led the team that planned and designed the mixed high-density housing developments, Park Hill (1957-1961) and the Gleadless Valley estate (1955-1962). He was also involved in the building of the recently demolished Castle Market.  

I came across this cutting whilst I was researching something totally different. It is from The Sheffield Star and is dated April 1967

 Unfortunately the article does not stipulate the number of the house on Bents Drive but the fact that it is a three-bedroomed house with a large secluded garden does seem to indicate that John was not all that taken with the designs and visions of Le Corbusier. 

If anyone could supply me with either the number of the house or a photograph, please contact me.