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Firth Park


mickjj

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My parents always talked of meeting on the "Monkey Run" down Stubbin Lane. That was back in the 30s. In the 50s there were still lots of places at the Terminus where lads and lasses met....with a quick snog in one of the shop entrances if you were lucky... until PC Plod came along with a " let's have yer...move on!" sort of thing. Serious "courting" and it was a trip on the back row of the Capitol ( Essoldo), Paragon, or a little further away ...the Roxy or Sunbeam....always hoping that with money so tight, the girl in question would go Dutch!

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Guest Barbara M

Your comment "not a place to hang around". What do you mean by that? When I was a lad, we used to play football in front of the Co-op and Barrons in the evenings until the coppers chased us off. Fortunately, they never caught us. Later, it was the meeting point for all the lads and their girlfriends. Even up to late evening, the was always some "action" there.

We went for a nostalgia trip to Firth Park this friday & I know what he mean't .......we called at Hartley Brook chippie ( ex Queenies )

& I felt deceidedly unsafe sat in the car whilst my hubby fetched the fish & chip's, it's horrible now as was the chips & we won't be going again in a hurry !!!

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We went for a nostalgia trip to Firth Park this friday & I know what he mean't .......we called at Hartley Brook chippie ( ex Queenies )

& I felt deceidedly unsafe sat in the car whilst my hubby fetched the fish & chip's, it's horrible now as was the chips & we won't be going again in a hurry !!!

I can understand what you mean. My brother is still over there and he says that there are "no go areas" around Shiregreen and Firth Park. Three years ago, he took my South African wife to where we were brought up on Horninglow Road ( I couldn't make the trip, business commitments) and he said he felt like crying when he saw the state that it was in. Is there no pride anymore?

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Self evidently, not a lot. I was brought up in my early years on Downham Road . I last visited the road back in 1996 and even then the area was becoming pretty rough....But I recall even in the 1950s some of it was rough even then!

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1 hour ago, Ponytail said:

The northern corner of the park has a gymnasium, next to the lodge.

At a council meeting in June 1880, the Town Clerk read out a memorandum from 300 ratepayers, asking for the park to have a gymnasium and swings provided. The request was referred to the General Purposes and Parks Committee. By August they had come to the conclusion that as there were few gymnasia in the public parks of nearby boroughs (8 out of the ten contacted) and Manchester had seen accidents related to their facility, Firth Park shouldn't have one. However the Police Band was granted permission to play in the park on one evening a week during the summer.

At Liberal Edwin Richmond's Brightside Ward candidature meeting at the Carlisle Street East Primitive Methodist Chapel in October 1883, he was aked whether he favoured swings and gymnasium for Firth Park - on his affirmative answer there was applause, and he undertook to press for the facilities if elected. He was not elected to the Council until November 1885, when the swings/gymnasium topic was re-raised, now with a bowling green added to the list.

In June 1888 the General Purposes and Parks Committee discussed a report by a sub-committee on the matter, and after lengthy discussion, including comparisons with other cities, it was agreed that swings and gymnasium would be provided. The following month there was dissent at the Council meeting regarding the costs , and whether the Council was allowed to make this sort of expenditure. This was £194 5s on the erection of swings, giant strides &c in Bacon Lane and Carlisle Street Recreation Grounds and Firth Park. The Town Clerk referred to powers under the Public Health Act allowing this sort of spending.  By 1890 the gymnasium with swings and giant-stride had been installed.

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When I first saw it, thought it was a "planned building" that didn't come to fruition. 

The idea perhaps wasn't dissimilar from the equipment designed for use by adults that is sometimes seen in today's local parks. 

My Grandad Smith who came to Sheffield for work in 1901 and at first lived on Vivian Road always said Firth Park was a park to Promenade in. 

I can't really imagine him being one who took advantage of the "gymnasium" After working all week at "Vickers" playing with his brass band or listening to another band in the bandstand and "promanading" dressed in his Sunday best suit and hat carrying his cane was his idea of exercise. 

s02995.jpg.d7e0a0298d7bb7a351a6002046b9fa0a.jpgs02995

Musical attractions at Firth Park. 1910. 

 

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In the late 40s/ early 50s my grandmother would often put on her Sunday Best and go for a stroll ….as she called it…,with friends ,on a summers evening down the Ravine. She was crippled and the Ravine was steep in parts so it might have been more serious exercise than a stroll and certainly not a promenade!

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We never bought a thing from Mr Spencer, being Sam Watson’s customers….probably because of registering with him during the days of rationing!

Richardsons was a God send….it’s opening saved a trip into town to buy DIY materials from Silverstones!

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Colourful flower beds in Firth Park with St Hilda's in the background left. 

IMG_20231115_185708.thumb.jpg.6d3d82f93b31767b5be64f90ba0d848f.jpg

Even In the 1950's and 60's there was always a good floral display spring and summer. 

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We had park keepers and gardeners in those post War years when we were emerging from years of rationing and austerity….and the result was well kept parks and floral displays. The bowling greens in Firth Park were immaculate and parks tennis tournaments were well supported. My uncle was playing competitive tennis in Firth Park , wearing whites, on his 60th birthday!

What has replaced those halcyon days ….or at my age am I just remembering the good times?

 

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Firth Park from Hucklow Road, the newly constructed entrance, looking towards the bowling green, tennis courts and Firth Park Road. May 1949. 

s11072.jpg.28d64040fbeefd844181c180377d6e36.jpgs11072

Photographer: H. Lovatt. 

The formal gardens beyond the Lodge were created at this time.

Information from: Sheffield Parks and Gardens, by Douglas Hindmarch. 

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The Royal visit to Sheffield - the Prince and Princess of Wales declaring Firth Park open to the public. 16th August 1875.

y11834.jpg.abefe6bd6b864d12300a5e175f05d380.jpgy11834

Image from The Graphic, 21 Aug 1875.

Sheffield Local Studies Library: MP 1838 L.

 

Illuminated scroll by E. Parker, in commemoration of the visit of their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales to Sheffield on the occasion of the opening of Firth Park the gift of Mark Firth Esquire to his native town. 16th August 1875.

y14547.jpg.57bbc542550d2521fbee5134454fc408.jpgy14547

Original at Sheffield Local Studies Library: MP 510 VL.

 

Mark Firth was Mayor of Sheffield 1874-75 and the Royal Party were guests of his at Oakbrook. They visited the works of Thos Firth & Sons; Charles Cammell & Co. and Joseph Rodgers & Son the next day. 

Firth Park was originally part of the Page Hall Estate which Mark Firth bought in 1873.

 

History of Firth Park. 

https://sites.google.com/view/firthpark/history

 

https://turningthepage459343338.wordpress.com/into-industry/

 

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1 hour ago, SteveHB said:

 

Drinking fountain

fountain.jpg

 

playground firth pk.jpg

It is possible when alterations were made after WWII it disappeared, somewhere!

I don't remember it at all, but that doesn't mean it wasn't relocated somewhere else in the park. The only drinking fountains I remember are the metal ones.

Surprisingly it doesn't feature in any of the photographs my Grandad took.

 

 

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2 hours ago, SteveHB said:

 

Drinking fountain

fountain.jpg

 

playground firth pk.jpg

Is this the fountain marked on the plan of Firth Park 1897, can't quite make out what it says. 

IMG_20231117_120147.jpg.7e2596ad4fb231c09fdba2cfdac18576.jpg

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