Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the New Roots Cafe

Last week whilst I was in Burngreave I took the opportunity to photograph the New Roots cafe which is at the corner of Spital Hill and Hallcar Street. I've been meaning to do this for a few years as it is the place where Arthur Conan Doyle practised in 1878

 An archived site explains
"Arthur Conan Doyle had a brief acquaintance with Burngreave. In 1878 he came to Sheffield to work as an assistant to Dr Charles Sydney Richardson on Spital Hill. This was in the building on the corner of Spital Hill and Hallcar Street, which is now the New Roots Café and Burngreave Ashram. It seems that Conan Doyle did not get along with Dr Richardson or Sheffield patients as he later wrote:

'These Sheffielders would rather be poisoned by a man with a beard than saved by a man without one.'

In fact he stayed there for just three weeks before moving on. He was just 19 years of age.

When I saw the building I thought in looked newer than 1878, and so I checked on Picture Sheffield and found the following photograph that had the caption

"Nos 70-86, Spital Hill from Burngreave Road. Hallcar Street, left Sheffield_Burngreave 1900-1919

And so it was the buiding that Conan Doyle practised in, rather unsuccessfully it must be said

The New Heeley Voice - June 2012

Our recently published book "Sheffield's Shocking Past" has appeared in "The New Heeley Voice" for June 2012  

I am really pleased that it has been featured as the book contains three chapters that relate to Heeley.

The host website is also very impressive - in fact it is one of the best community sites I have come across!

Pitsmoor, a Peek into the Past. A Snapshot of Life and Times in Victorian Pitsmoor

I was invited to the following on Saturday

I'm writing on behalf of Burngreave Local History Group to invite you to the launch of their first local history book: - Pitsmoor, a Peek into the Past. A Snapshot of Life and Times in Victorian Pitsmoor

The Burngreave Local History Group was started in 2009 by the Burngreave Messenger. With the help of Local History Tutor Suzanne Bingham, the amazing resources available at Sheffield Local Studies Library and Sheffield Archives, and after months of research, local residents have put together a collection of articles about the streets, buildings and people of Pitsmoor in the Victorian Era. 

Please come along to Burngreave Library, on Saturday 16th June, 11am-2pm, to help us celebrate the completion of Pitsmoor, a Peek into the Past. You will be able to enjoy looking at the book and our local history exhibition. There will also be light refreshments.

Books will be available on the day for £7, and in Burngreave Library after the launch

 

It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience with a excellent display of material. Needless to say I purchased the book and was amazed at the amount of effort and research that had gone into the production of the book. They can all be very proud of their achievements 

 

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The Trials of Selina Mannifield

Just posted an article to the site that has it's roots in the 1891 Census for Spring Hill.It relates to the Mannifield family and is rather sobering one to say the least!

I also updated the Walkley Cemetery page in the light of the information that I obtained on the work day last Saturday (9th June 2012)

The Hampton by Hilton Hotel formerly known as West Bar Nick

On 8th March 2011 the BBC reported that

"It is the end of an era for Sheffield's main police station, which opens its doors for the final time on Friday.
West Bar police station opened on 16 July in 1965 under the City of Sheffield Police Force.

Now the crumbling building, which once towered over the city's skyline and served the force for over 45 years, is closing for a new state-of-the-art building.

Chief Superintendant Andy Barr told BBC Sheffield: "It's a day of sadness, a lot of the cops have loved working there over the years. There are some fond memories and some great stories."

The five-storey building has been sold to a development company which plan to demolish the former headquarters to make room for a new hotel and restaurant establishment.

"Instead of housing prisoners it will be housing some of Sheffield's many visitors."

Mr Barr added: "We're closing it because it's past its sell by date.
"The boiler and lifts kept breaking down. It's very cold and officers need somewhere better to work. We've also had a rat infestation problem too.

"We accessed the costs and they really would be too much for the police to continue working there and update the building."

Officers and staff will be relocated over the weekend to the new headquarters at Snig Hill. The police will remain to operate a 24-hour public enquiry desk which was available at West Bar".

Bearing in mind that the building is "crumbling" (a common condition that afflicts many public buildings that were built in the 1960's) and that it was "passed it sell-by date", I was not surprised to see that the building was to be demolished and be replaced by a new hotel on the site.

But I was taken aback when it was reported last week that this crumbling obsolete building was NOT going to be demolished but was going to be converted into a 142 bed city centre hotel. 

The Sheffield Telegaph dated 7th June 2012 report

 It seems perverse to me that a building that is deemed fit for demolition and has no architectural and/or historical significance whatsoever should be renovated at a cost of £9 million. And to call it one of Sheffield's "high profile buildings" is just plain rubbish - it is a building that was flawed when it was built and always has been.

But what is even more disconcerting is that the same newspaper carried a report which stated that

 I feel as though I'm missing something here!

Deals Worth Celebrating??

" Nisa on Barber Road in Crookesmoor, now Costcutter, has been found on several occasions to sell dangerous, illegal alcohol to students. The illicit substances were tested and it was found the vodka was in fact industrial alcohol and contained a chemical commonly used in bleach, as well as xylene and toluene – two compounds found in paint stripper and dangerous for human consumption.

Despite this, the council renewed the store’s alcohol licence on Tuesday morning, on the condition that the premises supervisor was removed from his post...

(Forge Today - May 2012)

Does the decision by the Council condone the sale of industrial alcohol to students and other members of the public?  

Taking a view on Sheffield and its shocking history

 Well they say that there is a first time for everything but I never thought I would appear in the "lifestyle" section of a newspaper!. The article was a means of promoting the new book that was published last month

Sheffield's Shocking Past - Forgotten Tales of Murder, Mishap & Gruesome Misdemeanour by Chris Hobbs & Matthew Bell.

I must admit I enjoyed writing the article - my remit was to write about 800 words and not mention the Winter Gardens or the Millenium Gallery - there was no danger of that as I'm not that impressed with either. 

Anyway here are a few of my favourite things!  

Published on Friday 11 May 2012 09:00

 

What Chris Hobbs started as a hobby 13 years ago to trace his ancestors became a website of Sheffield’s murky past with 30,000 page views a month. Now he has teamed up with Sheffield author Matthew Bell for a book, Sheffield’s Shocking Past, which records bizarre and disturbing episodes from Victorian times. You won’t find the Sheffield Flood of 1864 or the murderous deeds of Charlie Peace - “they’ve been done to death and I can’t add anything new”. Instead there are tales of multiple murders, strange and untimely deaths, hideous accidents and a factory explosion. Chris Hobbs lives in Crookes with his wife of 31 years and has two grown up children.

lSheffield’s Shocking History is published by ACM Retro and available from The Star Shop and local book shops at £12.95. Visit www.chrishobbs.com.

Central Library

A marvellous building where I’ve spent many hours over the years researching both my family tree and articles for the website. The Local Studies section on the first floor is a particular favourite. The staff are knowledgeable and are always helpful if you have a query. And after spending a few hours researching material, there is an excellent cafe on the third floor.

Cemeteries

In researching my family history, I have found that several cemeteries in the city are the last resting places of many of my ancestors. Naturally I have tried over the years to locate their graves and in quite a few cases I have been successful. The search can be both puzzling and time-consuming - many of the cemeteries seem to me at least to follow no logical plan or order. But it does add to a sense of achievement in locating a grave. On the whole, I find the cemeteries restful and peaceful places where you can get lost in your thoughts. Being a resident of Crookes, my particular favourite is Crookes Cemetery, which has tremendous views out towards Loxley, Rivelin and the surrounding moors. I am also a Friend of Walkley Cemetery, which is in a peaceful and tranquil setting above the Rivelin Valley. It relies heavily on the efforts of volunteers and supporters, but it is a fascinating place that reflects the district’s varied past. The Friends run tours throughout the summer, and I can thoroughly recommend them. Stout shoes are advisable, though!

Parks

When I was young, it was a real treat to go for a day out in Millhouses Park. I can still remember the open air swimming pool, which was replaced sometime in the mid-1960s by a modern lido. At the time, I never quite understood why they called it a lido. I’m now informed that lido is the Italian for beach. But Millhouses Beach just does not have the right ring to it somehow. Of course the whole area fell into a state of terrible disrepair and neglect in the 1980s, which was tragic. By that time I had a young family and it was difficult to explain to them that only a few years earlier that area of badly fenced off derelict wasteland was one of the best swimming pools in Sheffield. But at least the park is back on its feet now which is great to see, but it is sad that my children never experienced the joys of the Millhouses lido!

Just a few hundred yards further on towards Totley are Beauchief Gardens, which were donated to the city by the Graves Trust in 1935. Like Millhouses Park they were also allowed to decline in the 1980s but thanks mainly to the efforts of volunteers, they are now in a more healthy state and are an excellent place to eat a sandwich, and have a flask, especially in the summer.

Bramall Lane

It was 50 years ago when I first went to the Lane to see United play Burnley in the FA Cup. They lost 1 - 0. But over the years I have had some fantastic experiences watching the Blades, and also some downright miserable ones. With regard to the latter, the events of May 2 1981 (relegation to the old Division Four) are still vivid in the memory! But hope springs eternal, as they say.

Sheffield beer

I’m not averse to the odd pint or two with the proviso that it must taste like beer. Like many industries, brewing in Sheffield has undergone many changes and there have been some very dark times. But thankfully things seem to be on the up, and there are some really good local beers now available in all sorts of outlets. And by drinking them, you support local businesses rather than international conglomerates, which can’t be bad.

And the best ...

There is no doubt about it, my favourite thing about Sheffield are the views you get of the city from the surrounding hills. A few years ago I was treated to a helicopter flight over the dams at Ladybower and Howden. Whilst the perspective you get of the dams in awesome, the most surprising feature of the flight is the real beauty and variety within the boundaries of Sheffield. I saw it on a bright and clear summer’s day, but I feel it would still be jaw dropping on a cold winter’s day.

And it must not be forgotten that you can get some tremendous views from the hills within the city.

Local Elections - May 2011

At 20.40pm last night I was sat watching the "match of the season" between the two Manchester sides at home. The scores were level when there was a knock on the front door. I got up and was greeted by the local Green Party candidate in the forthcoming election. As this was the first candidate from ANY party to knock on the door since the early 1980's I took the opportunity to "bend his ear" on a number of local matters that were and still are vexing me.

I did of course caution him about the dangers of "coalition politics" and he gave me his assurances that if elected the Green Party would pursue an independent course, and not "cosy" up to any particular party.

The fact that he took the trouble to knock on my door has impressed me. What was less impressive is that I missed seeing Sir Alex's face when the City scored. My wife used the phrase "taciturn". And so as the choruses of "Blue Moon" echoed around the Etihad Stadium, the song seemed to reflect the chances of the Green Party achieving electoral success in Sheffield.

But you never know!

Update - He lost to New Labour by about 200 votes but he ran into a fine second, and secured a lot more votes than the Liberal Democrats whose vote collapsed. I wonder why?. The Conservative party put up there normal lamentable show 

Morgan Stanley and the Great Britons of 2007

I just came across this from The Daily Telegraph - October 2007. Needless to say a wry smile crossed my face

"Britishness and the state of the union dominate the political agenda. But which Britons make our country truly great? Here Telegraph writers choose their favourites from this year across seven categories as the search begins for the Morgan Stanley Great Britons of 2007

·         Morgan Stanley Great Briton of 2007: Who gets your vote?

·         Great Britons of 2007: Telegraph writers' picks

BUSINESS

 

Our candidates in the business category have successfully flown the flag for Britain in the global economy, from banking to retailing and engineering to telecoms.

Sir Fred Goodwin is the leading British banker of his generation, having transformed Royal Bank of Scotland from a mid-sized provincial player into the world's fifth largest bank.

Seven years ago, he steered the bank through a successful £21billion hostile takeover of NatWest, a bank three times its size.

This year he surpassed that as Royal Bank led a consortium of Belgium's Fortis and Spain's Santander, beating competition from Barclays to buy Dutch bank ABN Amro for £49billion in the largest takeover in banking history."

It is just a shame that Lehman Brothers weren't hosting the award 

And four years later

How the feckless have fallen!