Leaderboard

I don't know whether it's to do with the lockdown & Covid precautions and we are mainly staying at home but much of the site recently, has been taken up with photo's, videos etc of what's happening in the city centre now. Others may feel differently but I personally am not the slightest bit interested in today's modern Sheffield because I feel that the council and planners have ripped the heart out of everything this city meant to me. There was a bit of chat about the old Coles Bros etc but many seem not to care too much about the resulting demise of John Lewis and think it was too expensive anyway. As Debenhams has suffered the same fate, the result is that If you like wandering around department stores, then apart from Atkinson's (long may they survive), there is no point in going to town at all. In my early days of marriage, I was lucky enough to get the tenancy of the house next door to where I was born. It was left full of very good quality but quite old furniture. The first thing I did was chop it all up and buy modern, early 60's furniture throughout (the thought makes me shudder now) and only in later years did I realise my stupid mistake. I don't think Sheffield Council have had that realisation yet but, as in my case, it's now too late to rectify it. I view lots of old videos and photos of old Sheffield and it brings one close to tears when you see all those MASSIVE crowds of people scurrying about like ants in the old city centre, and compare that with the lifeless and soulless scenes of today. You would think we had endured a nuclear holocaust and the end of the world was nigh. I remember crossing the footbridge, (never seen any photos of this) to the old Castle Fish market with my Grandma in the early 40's and enjoying cockles or mussels or, better still, chips, pie & peas from a stall which I still took my family to more than half a century later and basked in the nostalgia of those poor but happy days. The old Rag & tag market was equally as much loved. What will younger generations get nostalgic about in years to come but a dead city centre which will look nice although soulless until it's covered in graphiti, beer cans and litter.

Well Fairthornroader, long time no see, hope you're still enjoying retirement. Sorry I'm not Gwenda. Last time we met was when you were visiting from Canada aged about 14. You must have attended for a brief time the boys part of my Grammar School and broke strict ranks from the boys dinner queue, daring to come to speak to an extremely shy teenager. Looked for you again but saw you only the once, you charmer! Mr Clarke, our teacher spotted me in a crowded department store in the 70's, with a smile and speaking with a much softer tone. He'd replaced Mr. Garner and then Mr. Smillie (who used to slipper the boys) retired so Mr. Clarke joined us in J4. Remember learning 20 spellings a week and the threat of being caned if you got too many wrong? Miss Roberts, headteacher made sure she got her way when the class voted for Head girl/boy and prefects. Remember the outside toilets? Smelly in summer and frozen in winter. Sadly tall girl in the centre, Glenis White (a number of years ago) and standing in front of you, Pat Constantine (quite recently) are no longer with us. Paul standing behind me in the photo, I believe has lived in South Africa for a number of years. Some of us in PE kit were also having photos taken of our very successful girls rounders team and think it was the boys rounders team as well. The plays we performed were an opportunity for this Ponytail to overcome her shyness and pretend to be someone else. Tony in the striped jumper sitting crossed legged, was Baby Bear to my Mummy Bear in the reception class production. He lived not far from us and my dad always referred to him as Baby Bear right up to us leaving in the 70's.