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Old Enamel Signs on Sheffield buildings


SteveHB

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Topic suggested by Stuart0742.

inspired by member uklele lady's photograph of Middlewood Pet Stores

'SPRATT'S BONIO' sign.

There must be quite a few of these old enameled signs

still displayed on buildings or walls in and around our City,

so lets make a record of whats left before they disappear.

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Not sure when the Bonio name was first used (may have been mid 50's)

but the American James Spratt goes back to 1860.

In 1860 when James Spratt took a sea voyage to England his purpose was to sell lightning conductors to the British.

But, by the time he returned home, he had embarked on a new career.

The turning point in James Spratt's life - and in the lives of countless millions of pets - came when his ship docked in England. His attention was caught by the sight of dogs scavenging for discarded ships' biscuits on the quay side.

James Spratt, in that moment,

saw the need for specially prepared food for animals and turned his efforts to the production of dog biscuits.

Early Customers were English country gentlemen who bought for their sporting dogs.

Spratt’s Patent, Limited, an English public company, was registered in 1885 to continue the business founded by James Spratt.

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Re-posted to new topic

Though it's probably not what you had in mind, this one at Woodseats will make an interesting start.

It''ll take some beating for quantity. :)

Google street view

I'm sure there are some old ones in their original locations out there somewhere.

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Re-posted to new topic

Though it's probably not what you had in mind, this one at Woodseats will make an interesting start.

It''ll take some beating for quantity. :)

Google street view

I'm sure there are some old ones in their original locations out there somewhere.

Excellent find vox,

and thanks for the re-post.

It's worth zooming in to take a closer look at what the collector has put up on his house

in this link to Google SV

I see another SPRATT'S amongst them,

and a Fry's Five Boy's chocolate bar add.

And a Red Telephone Box in the garden! :o

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No longer on a building I'm afraid, but this one is down in the Porter Valley in the old long gone allotments not far from the Scout Hut and was unearthed by the scouts whilst building shelters a couple of years ago. We think it's the remains of a sign for Spratt's Patent Dog Biscuits - it would be intersting to find out where it came from.

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Here's one in the entrance to the little passageway at Globe Works.

Having been a party to the stripping of Sheffield's Victorian, Edwardian and other artefacts back in the 70's I think these particular items will be very difficult to find in their original locations. I worked in the "Antiques/Junk/Shipping Game" late 60's and into the 70's. Thousands of these bits of nostalgia were collected and bundled off in containers to deck the walls and halls of trendy bars and restaurants in America.

Amongst other things (Known as Shipping Gear) which went the same way were:

Pieces of stained and etched glass

Cast iron pub tables

Pub advertising mirrors

Beer pumps (the manual type)

Boston stools

Windsor and Capstan Chairs

Marble top wash stands

Jug & Bowl sets

Wall and ceiling gas lights and their glass shades

Even complete Edwardian pub bars

etc etc

At the time most pubs were being "modernised" with walls being knocked down and old wood panelling being ripped out (or hardboarded over)

It's notable that most of these items have, at some time since, been re-produced when people started to realised that they were getting scarce and therefore suddenly became desirable again. (Was it the late 80's early 90's when these places went through the mass conversion to imitation Victorian interiors ?)

One of the few remaining original pub interiors that I know of is The White Lion at Heeley. Even this has had a couple of walls taken out inside. (It's also got one of the few remaining tiled fronts)

Probably the biggest of Sheffield's "Shippers" at the time was "Wharf Antiques", based in Canal Wharf (pre development), run by Mick Housley.

Do I feel guilty ? - I don't know really. :unsure:

Should I feel guilty ?

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A case of - "can't see the enamel for the vitreous coating". lol

These have been staring me in the face nearly every day (if She who shall be obeyed is reading, I mean once or twice a month) for years.

Rear of The New Barrack Tavern, Penistone Rd.

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I assume this is an enamel sign, although it is a road name rather than an advertising sign. It is on the wall of Initake Primary School on Mansfield Road (or is it Main Road?)

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I assume this is an enamel sign, although it is a road name rather than an advertising sign. It is on the wall of Initake Primary School on Mansfield Road (or is it Main Road?)

"Mansfield Road, Late Main Road", - it's previous old name.

A bit like this one, not far away from it, for "City Road, Late Intake Road" although this one isn't enamelled.

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"Mansfield Road, Late Main Road", - it's previous old name.

A bit like this one, not far away from it, for "City Road, Late Intake Road" although this one isn't enamelled.

Of course, I started wondering how "late" Main Road was. According to this Map posted by SteveHB it was still Main Road in 1931, which surprised me, as the sign looks so battered I would have expected it to be older than it apparently is. Does anyone know when the renaming took place?

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Of course, I started wondering how "late" Main Road was. According to this Map posted by SteveHB it was still Main Road in 1931, which surprised me, as the sign looks so battered I would have expected it to be older than it apparently is. Does anyone know when the renaming took place?

I now have my doubts about the dating of these maps,

though the folder clearly states 'Sheffield & District Regional Planning Scheme 1931'

some of the additions seem to have been overlaid onto maps from an earlier date

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I now have my doubts about the dating of these maps,

though the folder clearly states 'Sheffield & District Regional Planning Scheme 1931'

some of the additions seem to have been overlaid onto maps from an earlier date

If I had looked a bit more closely at some of these maps rather than just searching out Main Road/Mansfield Road I would have realised this, as some of the railways are labelled as Great Central Railway, which became part of the LNER in 1923. Some of the obvious road additions clearly suggest a date for the originals in the early 1920s (if not earlier) as well.

However, back to Main Road, Intake. Sheffield Records Online gives it as Main Road in the 1925 Kelly's Directory.

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If I had looked a bit more closely at some of these maps rather than just searching out Main Road/Mansfield Road I would have realised this, as some of the railways are labelled as Great Central Railway, which became part of the LNER in 1923. Some of the obvious road additions clearly suggest a date for the originals in the early 1920s (if not earlier) as well.

However, back to Main Road, Intake. Sheffield Records Online gives it as Main Road in the 1925 Kelly's Directory.

So when did Intake Road become City Road?

The sign in my picture looks older.

Come to that when did "Elm Tree" get renamed to "Manor Top", - 1930's perhaps when the Manor estate was built?

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So when did Intake Road become City Road?

The sign in my picture looks older.

Come to that when did "Elm Tree" get renamed to "Manor Top", - 1930's perhaps when the Manor estate was built?

City Road occurs in the Pawson & Brailsford map dated 1903, and Kelly's 1893 directory has it as Intake Road, so I suggest the change was made around the end of the 19th Century.

The slight fly in the ointment is the map produced for the 1910 British Association meeting, which has Intake Road - I assume (dangerous, but has to be done sometimes) that a rather old map was used. The tramways marked on the Pawson & Brailsford map look right for 1902-1903 (apart from the phantom one which appears on the map but which was never built, but that is another story)

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City Road occurs in the Pawson & Brailsford map dated 1903, and Kelly's 1893 directory has it as Intake Road, so I suggest the change was made around the end of the 19th Century.

The slight fly in the ointment is the map produced for the 1910 British Association meeting, which has Intake Road - I assume (dangerous, but has to be done sometimes) that a rather old map was used. The tramways marked on the Pawson & Brailsford map look right for 1902-1903 (apart from the phantom one which appears on the map but which was never built, but that is another story)

About 1900 then for City Road (in nice round numbers)

1925 for Mansfield Road

and at a guess 1935 for Manor Top rather than Elm Tree

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About 1900 then for City Road (in nice round numbers)

1925 for Mansfield Road

and at a guess 1935 for Manor Top rather than Elm Tree

When did they stop putting "Via Elm Tree" on the buses?

I'm sure they still called it that unofficially when I was young.

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When did they stop putting "Via Elm Tree" on the buses?

I'm sure they still called it that unofficially when I was young.

Come to think of it when I was young they still had via Elm tree on the buses, - but at the time everybody called the Elm Tree bus stop "Manor Top".

Elm Tree was so called because there used to be a large Elm Tree there.

There isn't a tree there now, - so when did the tree that gave this location its name disappear?

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When did they stop putting "Via Elm Tree" on the buses?

I'm sure they still called it that unofficially when I was young.

Looking through old timetables and photos, it was always called Elm Tree, as recently as 1989. It seems to have changed as far as bus timetables are concerned in the early 1990s. The tram stop is still sitting on the fence, as it were, with the name Manor Top - Elm Tree.

I remember being confused when young (not as confused as I am now, though) because it was always Manor Top to me, my family & friends , and I couldn't understand why it was Elm Tree as far as the buses were concerned. Did anyone call the area Elm Tree?

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Looking through old timetables and photos, it was always called Elm Tree, as recently as 1989. It seems to have changed as far as bus timetables are concerned in the early 1990s. The tram stop is still sitting on the fence, as it were, with the name Manor Top - Elm Tree.

I remember being confused when young (not as confused as I am now, though) because it was always Manor Top to me, my family & friends , and I couldn't understand why it was Elm Tree as far as the buses were concerned. Did anyone call the area Elm Tree?

We called it Elm Tree when I was quite young, but later Manor Top became more normal.

I assumed it was called after The Elm Tree Pub but I suppose really it was the other way round.

Google street View.

One for Closed Pubs. - I'll PM

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We called it Elm Tree when I was quite young, but later Manor Top became more normal.

I assumed it was called after The Elm Tree Pub but I suppose really it was the other way round.

Google street View.

One for Closed Pubs. - I'll PM

Yes the pub was named after the tree.

Not only a picture for the closed pubs but if their sign is still hanging outside there will be one for the old pub signs as well.

Not suprisingly the pub sign shows a large elm tree.

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Yes the pub was named after the tree.

Not only a picture for the closed pubs but if their sign is still hanging outside there will be one for the old pub signs as well.

Not suprisingly the pub sign shows a large elm tree.

So where was the Elm Tree?

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So where was the Elm Tree?

I think looking at old maps it was roughly where the Elm Tree boozer is, perhaps a bit further back on the site of roughly, -

Fred Hartleys / Netto / Kiosk ? existing public toilets / Manor Top Supertram stop.

In that general corner between Mansfield Road and Ridgeway Road.

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Theres a house on Greystones Drive with allsorts on the side and in the back garden,the houseowner was a scrap dealer but now retired.When the snow goes I will try and get a photo.

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