Air Raid Precautions Sheffield - April 1937

 This cutting is from the Daily Independent dated 17th April 1937 

I was surprised when I first saw this as I was always under the impression that Britain in general and Sheffield in particular were not fully prepared for was in the summer of 1939.

But this article contradicts that viewpoint but you cannot help thinking that Britain was extremely nervous about the impact of enemy air raids and the causalities that would entail from such raids.

This was the prevailing thinking throughout the Thirties and stems from the British PM Stanley Baldwin

"The bomber will always get through" was a phrase used by Stanley Baldwin in a 1932 speech "A Fear for the Future" given to the British Parliament. His speech stated that contemporary bomber aircraft had the performance necessary to conduct a strategic bombing campaign that would destroy a country's cities and there was little that could be done in response"

Resurrection Day Service - Walkley Cemetery Sheffield - 9th April 1939

Walkley Cemetery Sheffield - 27th October 2012

Resurrection Day Services were not that common in the United Kingdom but it appears that the first one to be held in Walkley was in 1902. Traditionally associated with the Easter period and the Resurrection of Christ the service also had another purpose. Taking place in a cemetery it was an opportunity for attendees to celebrate the lives of their family and friends in that particular cemetery, whose graves they dressed with flowers. And such activities meant that the cemeteries would avoid falling into neglect  

As stated above the Rev Sydney T.G. Smith of St Mary’s Church, Walkley, conducted the first Resurrection Day Service in the Walkley Cemetery on Easter Sunday 1902. Five years later research found an official count of 12,764 people attending the Walkley Resurrection Day Service

Thirty two years later over 5000 were still attending the Resurrection Day Service in the Cemetery

Walkley Cemetery Sheffield - 9th April 1939

The Resurrection Day Service was still in existence in 1950 This cutting is from the Yorkshire Post dated 9th April 1950

I am unsure when the annual Resurrection Day Services came to an end in Walkley 

Golf in Sheffield - May 1925 - The State of Play

 I came across this in the Sheffield Daily Independent Daily Independent dated Friday 22nd May 1925

I was considering expanding this article as it had some interesting points about the history of golf in Sheffield. But when I had a look I found this excellent site that covers the origins of municipal golf in Sheffield in a most comprehensive manner     

A Frightful Death of Emma Memmott - Sheffield - August 1856

 A report from Manchester Times (Manchester, England), Saturday, August 9, 1856; 

FRIGHTFUL DEATH AT SHEFFIELD 

Shortly before eleven o'clock on Monday morning, a frightful accident occurred at the silver-plating works of Messrs. Wm Hutton & Sons, High Street, Sheffield. The unfortunate victim of the casualty is a girl named Emma Memmott, age 13 years who was employed to assist in the various occupations of the works. A few moments before eleven o'clock she was engaged at a lathe making up some finished articles when a shaft, which runs underneath the lathe, caught her dress. The place where she was caught was at the coupling point, and so firm was the hold which had been taken. that her efforts to disentangle herself were fruitless. She screamed aloud and a man named Birks, who was at work close by, ran to her assistance. 

A strong iron bar which had been placed in front of the lather had enabled her to withstand the drawing of the shaft and Birks who took hold of her, feeling that she was dragged from his grasp, called lustily for assistance and for the engine to be stopped. In another moment however the poor girl was dragged from his arms, the strong iron bar bent, and the body literally twisted around the shaft, which was revolving at the rate of 300 times a minute. It was about a minute before the engine was stopped and then the mangled corpse was shocking to be looked upon. Though it was presently known that the girl was dead, yet the men who extricated her from the shaft hurried her to the Infirmary but the attention of the surgeon was fruitless. 

A truly horrifying death and Emma was just 13 years old

The Sad Story of Sheffield's "Starfish" Sites at Strines End and Grindleford

 These two pages are from a book I read years ago called Trojan Horses that dealt with deception and misdirection in wartime. On pages 130 and 131 there is a section on what were known as Starfish sites and it makes particular reference to the events in the Sheffield area in the summer and autumn of 1940.

I was not aware of the dismantling of the site and of course you are always left wondering if the fatalities and destruction that occurred on the nights of 13the and 15th December 1940 would have be less had the site remained active.

Dewsbury Woman Cured by Doan's Backache Kidney Pills - December 1903

 This advertisement is from The News dated 11th December 1903 and I must admit it made smile. In fact I thought if you altered the arrangement of  just two words you may get nearer the truth in our household! Needless being the person I am I kept these thoughts to myself for obvious reasons

Anyway thankfully Mrs H Walker of 15 East Parade Dewsbury was cured by taking Doan's Backache Kidney pills

I have tried to locate East Parade in Dewsbury but have had no success. The BNA goes no further than 1952 but one cutting I did find was of interest. I wonder if she knew of Mrs Walker 

 Of course Miss Boothroyd was to have what can only be described as an interesting life