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Firth Park


mickjj

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An early picture of Firth Park bowling green from Petanque.org. Not sure about the Petanque bit though

looks like they are playing bowls to me though! Although I am no expert in either pastime.

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In what year .... (full date appreciated)

It's been bothering me that.

From a 1905 guide

"The Formal opening took place on Monday August 16th 1875. The park is much admired for it's undulating slopes, its fine park-like timber, and its general picturesque character" ie rubbish for a game of football!"

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Guest Broakham

As no-one else has mentioned them, I'll throw in Rotherys, the other wet-fish shop where my dad used to work, and Revills, the newsagent up the gennel next to Wilds. I think the shop was Fred Revill, and his brother Harry sold newspapers from a barrow. In the morning he was on the church corner and in the evening the Yorkshire (Penny) Bank corner.

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As no-one else has mentioned them, I'll throw in Rotherys, the other wet-fish shop where my dad used to work, and Revills, the newsagent up the gennel next to Wilds. I think the shop was Fred Revill, and his brother Harry sold newspapers from a barrow. In the morning he was on the church corner and in the evening the Yorkshire (Penny) Bank corner.

I delivered the papers for Harry for about three years. He never missed a day sick despite being stood there in all weathers.

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Ever spend any time in here?

Sure did. About 18 months as a pinspotter mechanic. Tending to knackered old machines with little or no safety guards. The health and safety folk would have a field day now. I climbed into machines that had bits going round and round, another bit going back and forth and another going up and down. All the while someone was trying to chuck a ball at you that weighed about a stone. Nuts or what.

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Firth Park 1902 - must have been quite nice ?

Looking at the map to the SE of the bottom of Bellhouse Road there are a cluster of buildings called the "Bellhouses". Anyone know what they would be or where the name would originate from. If it is the obvious of housing bells then what bells would they be ???

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Might have something to do with this family, or not!!

The son who stayed in England was Edward Lloyd Wynyard Bellhouse (1858 – 1947).

His early education reflects his father’s move to the continent. Edward was educated in Germany

and traveled extensively in Switzerland and Belgium.

When he returned to England he settled in Sheffield where he became a “well-known industrialist.”

His work was related mainly to the

manufacture of steel tools and other hardware products. In 1881 he began working for the

Sheffield firm of Sanderson Bros, later known as Sanderson Bros and Newbould when it took over

the firm of Samuel Newbould in 1900. Later he worked for Thomas Firth and Company. These

companies were all crucible or cast steel toolmakers.

Probably when he was between positions at these two companies he worked for smaller firms that produced steel tools and other products.

In the late 1880s he was Managing Director of Joseph Ashforth and Company.

It was at about this time that Edward began to obtain a series of patents for his work. His first invention, pat-

ented in 1887, was related to improvements to machines that cut the teeth of files and similar

objects. The patent was granted to Bellhouse and to John Thomas Hill whose occupation in the

patent specification was described as “manager.” A second patent, this one from 1903,

was for automobile tires. A major problem with pneumatic tires at that time was that it was difficult to

fix a flat. Bellhouse’s solution was to come up with a tire with a detachable tread that would ex-

pose the tube without removing the whole tire from the wheel. A few years later, in 1907 and 1908,

he obtained three patents for improvements to the design of steam driven rock drills.

The final series of patents, in 1920 and 1921,

relate to improvements to gears that were comprised of laminated plates of metal with the teeth on each plate staggered. Based on this work he formed a company, Laminated Gears Ltd. It was subsequently taken over by Laycock Engineer-

ing Company, a company that produced mainly railway furnishings.

By the end of his career,

Bellhouse held a directorship in the Hallamshire Steel and File Company, which was founded in

1873 to produce a variety of forged and rolled steel products. He also held a directorship in

Messrs Martin Hall and Company and was involved in local politics, sitting on the West Riding

County Council.

This from a history of the Bellhouse family

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Firth Park 1902 - must have been quite nice ?

Hi Dunsbyowl, Do you have the parts of the 1902 map you posted that cover 1) the Page Hall area (inc Hinde House Lane/Firth Park Rd/Owler lane areas) and 2) the Grimesthorpe area ( Upwell Street/Upwell Lane) ?

John

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Hi Dunsbyowl, Do you have the parts of the 1902 map you posted that cover a) the Page Hall area (inc Hinde House Lane/Firth Park Rd/Owler lane areas) and B) the Grimesthorpe area ( Upwell Street/Upwell Lane) ?

John

Yes!

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John - Unfortunately Grimesthorpe seems to be the cross roads of about 4 maps which I do have so here is the 1st. I lived on Ellerton Road near the hospital which on here has just been laid out. I also never knew that is where "Hinde House" was - is that still there?

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John - Unfortunately Grimesthorpe seems to be the cross roads of about 4 maps which I do have so here is the 1st. I lived on Ellerton Road near the hospital which on here has just been laid out. I also never knew that is where "Hinde House" was - is that still there?

Thanks Dunsbyowl, I grew up on Hinde House Lane and I see on the map you have shown our houses weren't built in 1902. I finished up going to Hinde House School which is a bit of a confusing name as its nowhere near Hinde House Lane . It was built off Shiregreen Lane overlooking the cemetery. When I got married I lived not far from there on Maple Croft Road just off the top of Newman Rd.

My interest in Grimesthorpe is that is where my mum was born on Rothay Rd and my grandparents lived until they died and we all went to Grimesthorpe Reform Chapel at the junction of Upwell street and Upwell Lane. I also went to Grimesthorpe Junior School at the bottom of Grimesthorpe Rd.

Thanks again, John

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John - Unfortunately Grimesthorpe seems to be the cross roads of about 4 maps which I do have so here is the 1st. I lived on Ellerton Road near the hospital which on here has just been laid out. I also never knew that is where "Hinde House" was - is that still there?

I was so taken with your 1902 map of Firth Park/Page Hall I have bought a set from Alan Godfrey maps ! They are a great set of maps and not expensive.

I have no idea what "Hinde House " was . I think it must have been demolished by 1944 as that area was covered by allotments ( and some "prefabs") when I was a lad in the late 1940's.

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I was so taken with your 1902 map of Firth Park/Page Hall I have bought a set from Alan Godfrey maps ! They are a great set of maps and not expensive.

I have no idea what "Hinde House " was . I think it must have been demolished by 1944 as that area was covered by allotments ( and some "prefabs") when I was a lad in the late 1940's.

Yes John they are great aren't they. My Grandad's family lived around Grimesthorpe for many years. Before the war they lived on Hawke Street and then on Rectory Terrace. They saw out their days on Skelwith Road. His father worked at the Colliery which I can only assume is that one off Upwell Steet. I was also interested to see that stream (Bagley Dyke) actually had a name. Interesting about Hinde House - my sister went to the school which as you say is miles away!

cheers

Paul

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Yes John they are great aren't they. My Grandad's family lived around Grimesthorpe for many years. Before the war they lived on Hawke Street and then on Rectory Terrace. They saw out their days on Skelwith Road. His father worked at the Colliery which I can only assume is that one off Upwell Steet. I was also interested to see that stream (Bagley Dyke) actually had a name. Interesting about Hinde House - my sister went to the school which as you say is miles away!

cheers

Paul

Hi Paul, I started my working life at English Steel on Brightside Lane in 1960. I remember going up to the Hawke Street Planing shop many times - it had really good equipment. Also the shop we got all our supplies of Fussles milk , tea etc was on the corner of Hawke St & Brightside Lane.

My grandma lived on Rothay Rd and we went to Grimesthorpe Reform Chapel so I spent lots of time in that area and at Brightside Station trainspotting. Grandad worked at the Gas works.

Great memories !!

Cheers, John

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Guest Ducksfeet

The wet fish shop was Walter Wild's and they had another at Ellesmere Road. The manager of the Firth Park shop was Jack Eades who lived opposite the Methodist Church above Hobson's butchers. Revill's were the newsagents and I used to get the Eagle, Dandy and Beano comics along with frozen Jubblies from there.

The electrical shop was Barrons and was set up by two ex-RAF men. Next th that was Mortimer's Army Stores run by another ex-military type called Jim who always wore a brown smock.

There was a grocers called Gowers and Burgins who sold everything from marble slabs and Danish butter from wooden barrels. We used to beg the old barrels and make bows from the staves. The arrows came as dowel from Richardsons DIY and the feathers from the pigeons in the chuch.

Does anyone remember the Paragon cinema being demolished to make way for the bowling alley and Woolworths.

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The wet fish shop was Walter Wild's and they had another at Ellesmere Road. The manager of the Firth Park shop was Jack Eades who lived opposite the Methodist Church above Hobson's butchers. Revill's were the newsagents and I used to get the Eagle, Dandy and Beano comics along with frozen Jubblies from there.

The electrical shop was Snelsons and was set up by two ex-RAF men. Next th that was Mortimer's Army Stores run by another ex-military type called Jim who always wore a brown smock.

There was a grocers called Gowers and Burgins who sold everything from marble slabs and Danish butter from wooden barrels. We used to beg the old barrels and make bows from the staves. The arrows came as dowel from Richardsons DIY and the feathers from the pigeons in the chuch.

Does anyone remember the Paragon cinema being demolished to make way for the bowling alley and Woolworths.

I certainly do and don't forget the "Fine Fare" supermarket also. What about the mobile clinic being parked there for all the kids to get their polio shots. There were kids qued up around the block.

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i grew up on bolsover road. & remember whe page hall was the owned by the coal board & was flats or something. that was before it came to be a nursing home. it was a really scary building.

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i grew up on bolsover road. & remember whe page hall was the owned by the coal board & was flats or something. that was before it came to be a nursing home. it was a really scary building.

Welcome to the site Locket. Hope you will become a regular visitor and share your memories with us all.

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Guest eightbelow

My dad's mom lived on Sicey Avenue and I went there every other Friday as a kid. I spent the first 10 yeras of my live living on Brook Terrace in Grimesthorpe, behind the church and near the Bowling green pub. On eof my earliest memories was the dyke that ran in front of our house flooding in 1972. By 76 the whole lot had been demolished and we moved to Wensley Close with indoor plumbing.

Interesting enough my house in Canada was built in 1959 and it was built with two bathrooms both indoors! What was going on in England!

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My dad's mom lived on Sicey Avenue and I went there every other Friday as a kid. I spent the first 10 yeras of my live living on Brook Terrace in Grimesthorpe, behind the church and near the Bowling green pub. On eof my earliest memories was the dyke that ran in front of our house flooding in 1972. By 76 the whole lot had been demolished and we moved to Wensley Close with indoor plumbing.

Interesting enough my house in Canada was built in 1959 and it was built with two bathrooms both indoors! What was going on in England!

What part of Canada are you in???

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Well before it was "Firth Park" I assume it was known as "Bellhouses" - anyone ever seen a photo of them? And when did they go?

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The best part, Kelowna.

I was there a few weeks ago golfing "Gallaghers Canyon" how are you finding the new bridge?

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