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Salmon Pastures


RichardB

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Guest plain talker

As an aside, I seem to remember the first Sheffield Youth Theatre group activities being done htere - about 1977ish??

I was a member of Sheffield Youth theatre, too, in the late 70s.

When I was a member, the venue was the Ex-Walkley Junior School, just above the (then) brand-new langsett estate.

(I remember cutting across the newly laid field between langsett road and the school, past the new Walkley School at that time. probably just about where the tram stop is today)

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Guest cranders76

I attended a Heating and Ventilation course at Sheffield College between 92-94. We were originally told we would be studying from the big Parkwood college at Shirecliffe which appealed to us because of the amount of female students that would be there.

Our hopes were dashed on the second day when we were told we would be moving and would have to spend the next 2 years at Salmon Pastures!!

It was old, dark, dingy and cold but we had some good times.

The only thing that got us through the week were the girls on the flower arranging course on a Tuesday! lol

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I was a member of Sheffield Youth theatre, too, in the late 70s.

When I was a member, the venue was the Ex-Walkley Junior School, just above the (then) brand-new langsett estate.

(I remember cutting across the newly laid field between langsett road and the school, past the new Walkley School at that time. probably just about where the tram stop is today)

ah, PT, i think the walkley adventure was the second (or maybe third) summer event, if memory serves me correctly. and, to be fair, it might not! Where IS meg jepson when you need her?!

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Guest plain talker

ah, PT, i think the walkley adventure was the second (or maybe third) summer event, if memory serves me correctly. and, to be fair, it might not! Where IS meg jepson when you need her?!

I remember the Greek tragedy one (summer 79?) being held in the new Walkley school (for some reason, rather than the old school)

(**thinks..... Greek tragedies.. my memories of Meg are that she was very fond of the classics! :D )

I have an excellent photo, from the Star and Telegraph, of the SYT "mob" in the old Walkley school, from Easter/ Whitsuntide (I forget exactly) 1979, when we did the mummers plays at Abbeydale Hamlet. Wonder if you're on it, Sheffworker?

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I remember the Greek tragedy one (summer 79?) being held in the new Walkley school (for some reason, rather than the old school)

(**thinks..... Greek tragedies.. my memories of Meg are that she was very fond of the classics! :D )

I have an excellent photo, from the Star and Telegraph, of the SYT "mob" in the old Walkley school, from Easter/ Whitsuntide (I forget exactly) 1979, when we did the mummers plays at Abbeydale Hamlet. Wonder if you're on it, Sheffworker?

I don't think so, PT - I only remember the two summer events reasonably clearly - the first at the Merlin Theatre, Nether Egde. the first was called "overtures", and was a series of sketches on the interpretation of that word. I played a guy getting ready for a sauna, and opening the door to the steam room, dropping the towel and finding myself in a chip shop. Well, it got a laugh then..........

the second in the crucible studio, was based in the future, when the theory was the world was going to get colder (and i think some yoof "resigned" from the production partly because they thought that that premise was spurious.......... spooky!). I think it was in two halves - and i remember opening whichever half I was in with the far more talented Shaun (became shaun d'elier (!) in a fledgling recording artiste in another life - don't know how that went!) as two petty thieves (or freedom fighters, or something tribal) who'd secreted themselves inside a building, slept until all was clear, and then awoke to start thieving! There were some great songs (or they seemed it at the time!) written by a guy called chris.......................and beyond that the memory is truly fading!

oh, hang on - "Once A Catholic" was in the main theatre, and we shared the green room with the proper actors!

oh, hang on #2 - there was another event - two plays, at the merlin again, so probably the second in my personal trilogy - the bit i was in was called "what's going on here" and was about a girl under pressure to have "relations" with her boyfriend. it ended with us all around her, whispering "frigid, frigid" then building to a crescenndo of "FRIGID, FRIGID, FRIGID". charming, eh?! quite powerful, at the time!

i remember doing research at Park Hill (hyde park?) Flats, where (i) i picked up on the graffitti in the playground that named the piece (although the original said "Jesus christ, what the hell is going on here" - meg kinda backed away from the uncensored version!) and (ii) i fell into infatuation with the girl i went there with - she was older, more sophisticated (or so i thought!) and had a boyfriend who looked about 30!

So were you in any of those, and does this need it's own thread?!!

happy times!

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I remember the "future-world " thingie, but not the other two you mention, Sheffworker.

ahh, the "overtures" one was the very first, i think, so maybe i pre-dated you a bit! 'SCUSE THE DELAY, MAN-FLU!

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Salmon Pastures, where was it please ? Any pictures, old or modern gratefully received. Are there any Salmon there these days ?

George Hutchinson farmer Salmon Pastures near Attercliffe White's 1833

George Hutchinson Farmer Salmon Pastures White's 1849

George Hutchinson Farmer Salmon Pastures White's 1852

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Guest Falls

in ancient times Salmon Pastures was an area where salmon abounded so much so poor people were tired of them hence the name, skeets

Hi,

My metal work teacher at Burngreave School remembered being shown salmon in the Don as a child, presumably at Salmon Pastures. Making a guess at his age at the time, this would have been a century ago, give or take a five years.

Apparently, the Don still had quite a bit of life early last century but it was the MASSIVE industrialization during WorldWar One that did it in.

I did the Five Weirs Walk three years ago and never thought I would ever see ducks on the Don in my life time. To someone who grew up in the Wicker, the improvement in the whole river system is almost beyond belief and there is no reason why it can't be even better. The tragedy is a lot of people lost their livelyhood in the process.

Regards

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Guest Gramps

A couple of maps to show the transition from farmland to industrial gloom, - George Hutchinson was probably the last farmer there.

Salmon Pastures was virtually an island surrounded by the Don and the Royds Mill race.

1850

1905

Although with the blast Furnace at Park Iron works across the river going 24/7 it might not have been as idyllic as we might think.

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Guest Falls

A couple of maps to show the transition from farmland to industrial gloom, - George Hutchinson was probably the last farmer there.

Salmon Pastures was virtually an island surrounded by the Don and the Royds Mill race.

1905

Although with the blast Furnace at Park Iron works across the river going 24/7 it might not have been as idyllic as we might think.

Hello,

There are a couple of things on the 1905 map that jogged my memory.

The building at the bottom of the map, identified as "Bone Works" was a company called Meggits. My Father worked there after leaving school (1921-22) but left to learn a skilled trade elsewhere.

They made buttons from the bones and two Great Uncles and my Fathers Cousin worked there as bone cutters. I think Meggits went out of business in the mid to late 1940's. At that time it was run by a Mr. Clements who was also a well known local preacher.

The other thing is your comment about Park Iron Works. I worked there, periodically, during my apprenticeship (1952 -57). In 1905, the foundry would still be at Park Iron Works (I believe it was the first department to move to the new Darnall Works some time in the early 1920's). On the map, it would be the building that is to the right of the other buildings, along side the river, connected to the rest of the works by rails and shown with the BM 163.5.

In my day, what had been the foundry was used as a steel stock yard. The old foundry walls were still there. Most still had window frames minus the glass and the roof had been removed. You could climb out of some of the old windows onto the the river bank. At the downstream end of the river bank, it was just one solid piece of iron. This must have been where they dumped the waste iron from the cupolas at the end of the day or a melt. I often wondered if the iron is still there.

Regards

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Guest Gramps

Hi Falls, some interesting recollections there.

I imagine by the time Davy's came to the site the blast furnace would have been long gone and they would have been using open hearth furnaces for steel production.

My point about the 1850 map is that although Salmon Pastures looks to be idyllically rural, just upwind across the river was this monster belching out smoke and fumes day and night.

I saw a picture recently, - perhaps here on the forum, of some commercial enterprise recovering scrap iron from the river. there must be tons in there !

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my mum (Rose) worked at the little garage that was there in the front about where the rocks are now in the 60's

she served Roger Moore (simon templer then) on his way to some do in town.

she said he was very handsome and very tall.lol

Also the other part of the garage the main bit was across the road

Blue Star Garage. where she worked there in the 60s

its still there

A few years ago it was A Bakery.

Then a car sales.

its vacant now.

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Guest Tollbar  Jay

I fish the Don regular and you are not about to see a Salmon at Salmon pastures any time soon :D The Ea got one at Doncaster a few years back if my memory serves me right .....problem with the Don and salmon is they just calt get up or round the man made obsticals

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I fish the Don regular and you are not about to see a Salmon at Salmon pastures any time soon :D The Ea got one at Doncaster a few years back if my memory serves me right .....problem with the Don and salmon is they just calt get up or round the man made obsticals

I remember that, and the Environment Agency (EA)

caught the Salmon below Sprotbrough weir.

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Guest neilpeachey

Salmon Pastures was where the City of Sheffield Music & Drama Centre was based before it moved to Langsett Road, Hillsborough (Burton Street actually, but it was called Langsett Road Music Centre). The 'best' kids at music from each school in the City came to Salmon Pastures to play in Brass Bands, Orchestras, Concert Bands, Jazz Orchestras during the week, and a few to have music schooling on Saturdays.

I remember racing across Sheffield to Salmon Pastures in a friend's Dad's car (a Marina TC !) every Tuesday evening in the mid 70's to play in the City of Sheffield Concert Band and getting up at the crack of dawn on Saturdays to get there for 8:30. On those Saturdays you were allowed to roam all over the school in the periods when you didn't have a lesson and I remember the buildings as rambling with interesting nooks and crannies - and turrets.

Salmon Pastures did seem in the middle of a wasteland, and at the time its name could not have been further from the truth. When the Centre moved to HIllsborough (1977 ?), I could catch a bus instead of taking 'Dad taxis', and I could walk to see Sheffield Wednesday after the Saturday school had ended.

The teachers were all characters and instilled a real love of performing music to the kids. The ones I remember were Dorothy Lathom, Stan Roocroft, Rod Kirkham, Jim Shaw. I hope they knew how much they were appreciated.

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