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The Hole In The Road Sheffield


Sheffield History

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On 11/02/2007 at 23:04, Sheffield History said:

 

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THE HOLE IN THE ROAD FISHTANK

 

 

 

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MEMORIES OF THE HOLE IN THE ROAD

The Shops:

A shoe repair shop

An entrance to Yorkshire Electricity

An underground entrance to C&A

Tobacconist

Sandwich shop ?

People who used to sell posters (laying them on the floor either round the edge or in the middle near the plants)

Stinky toilets

The Fishtank (of course)

The Escalators taking you down

South Yorkshire transport office(timetables)

The small island of plants right in the middle

Instant Images

SWFC Kabin

An entrance to bunker and pratley's TV shop

Tandys

'Decor8' - paint shop (fitzlan square side)

Fruit shop ?

The Hole In The Road was demolished and was filled in by the rubble created from the demolition of Kelvin Flats !

More Coming Shortly..
 

Does anyone remember the fish tank being cleaned inside ?. An old mate of mine, Eric Finbow, from our days on the fire brigade, Late 60s - 70s, he would get into the tank in his swimming trunks and give it a clean. I bet the youngsters thought it was some alien fish swimming about. Good old days !

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Appreciate I'm coming to this topic a bit late, but wanted to add my memories. Before the Hole was constructed you crossed with a policeman on point duty. Crowds gathering either side of the road until he stood to one side and signaled to cross. Such were the crowds it was hard to fight your way across against the surge from the opposite pavement. My first memories of the Hole in the Road started when going across town to Grammar School watching it being constructed. Getting off the No75 bus outside Walsh's as it was then and  negotiating the way across to Angel Street to catch the No 82 at first overground, but when the escalator went in, it was a voyage of discovery underground. No signage, getting disorientated and coming up the wrong slope, popping your head up like rabbit out of a hole. I loved seeing it develop and of course the fish tank, the meeting place. The shop windows all lit at night added to atmosphere. 

Police controlled pedestrian crossing, picturesheffield https://www.picturesheffield.com/Ref_No_s23250

My first proper job leaving education was a window dresser at Kendalls Ltd, rainwear and knitwear shop. Above us was Corkers greengrocer, further towards Arundel Gate a hairdresser, we were very convenient for the ladies who'd had their hair done and came out to a shower of rain and no brolly. Lost count of the umbrellas we sold to them, sometimes the same ladies. 😂🤣 Always had an uneasy, creepy feeling in our staff room in the basement. One of the older assistants took delight in saying there were ghosts from Marples when it was bombed. Left on my own to steam the brollies for display, I used to sing out loud for courage. 

Remember the tramp who used to frequent the subway, he came in through our subway door while we were busy, sat down and nodded off. Boy did he stink.... We had to get a strong armed man to get him out, then shut the shop while we got rid of the stink.

The 16year old junior was often entrusted with the days takings to walk underground to the bank. I was asked to accompany her once, we never gave a thought to how easy it would have been for one of the crowd to take the  money bag with the days takings and disappear into the rabbit warren. It certainly would not be allowed now. 

Don't know when the decline happened must have been mid 70's but I was sad to see it go from a thriving area to being an area that wasn't very pleasant. Very sad but progress, I suppose. 

 

Edit : link added

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Arguably ,it wasn’t progress…far from it.!  Rather, it  was the beginning of this once great City’s long term economic demise following the slow decline and final loss of its staple industries and with it the slow run down of its City centre. Of course, this was hastened by changes in shopping habits with the coming of impersonal internet shopping and, somewhat earlier, the opening of Meadowhall and other out of town shopping centres….with ample free car parking!

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As Mickjj posted in 2007, is how I remember the Hole in the Road. This image was on a 6 photograph letter card, must have been produced 1977 as the Eggbox (Town Hall extension) also features. 

IMG_20221206_110021.thumb.jpg.ddb2780f2312a51521d1aaf438a2e298.jpg

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two comments to add to the discussion -

1 This area of the city Centre took quite a pounding during the war with Marples Hotel on Fitzalan Square taking a direct hit and the old C&A building being bombed out.  That is why there was a row of single-story shops across the end of what was Change Alley.  It took many years' work to put that all to rights.

2.  The delays due to the old coal seam were due to the Coal Authority having "first dibs" on any coal found in excavations and they always took their time deciding whether they wanted it or not.

 

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