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Winter 1946/7


lysander

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With the Press forecasting a hard winter this year I wonder how many of us remember the worst winter on record...that of 47. I was a  very young lad but clearly remember the never ending snow on the ground, having to go to the Gas works on Upwell Street ( a fair old yomp from Firth Park) with Mum to fill up a battered pram with coke....and .power cuts as well as...chillblains.:o

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Hi Lysander,

oh yes I remember that Winter. We lived on Timmons Road, Wybourn and I remember my Auntie Maisie who was in the ATS having to go back to camp after being on leave. Everyone had to dig out a path down the hill to get her through the snow. Not sure how she got in from there, but my wellies were full of snow and then got chilblains and chapped legs. Thanks for bringing that memory back.....Chaz

 

ps do you know how I could trace information and location of Franks fishing tackle shop on Attercliffe Road in the mid to late 50’s ??

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Not old enough to remember 1947, but I have seen some of the posted videos of that winter on you-tube.

Can't find any specifically relevant to Sheffield, the nearest, geographically, being Halifax, so I've posted the link to that.

Danny - Woodhouse is a terrible place to get in and out of in a bad winter.

 The routes in and out, whether by way of Normanton Springs, Station Road-Furnace Lane, Beaverhill Road, or Beighton Road all have their steep bits and they used to be treacherous and impassable to vehicular traffic in bad weather. Stradbroke Road, once you negotiated the bit past the cemetery could sometimes be passable, but there always used to be a lot of drifting on the fields once past the Sevenside Estate.

 I remember once, with several others, helping to push an ambulance all the way to the top of Normanton Hill, which would have been around 1973, I think. We were all nearly wiped out by an erratic, oncoming, out-of-control no.23. It seems that he had started descent, realised his mistake, tried to back-off, and lost all traction. Went past us like a bullet. Came to a halt, eventually, by ploughing a snowbank.

 

 

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Totally agree about Woodhouse being terrible when it snows, born and bred down the Mill I thought that was bad enough I now live on the Sevenside/Hardcastle estate and vehicles can't even get off the estate when it snows

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17 hours ago, danny1958 said:

Totally agree about Woodhouse being terrible when it snows, born and bred down the Mill I thought that was bad enough I now live on the Sevenside/Hardcastle estate and vehicles can't even get off the estate when it snows

Before the Sevenside - Hardcastle estate was built, those fields were known locally as the "fairy dells".

I recall being told that this was because that area was renowned for its prolific production of wild edible mushrooms.

Something to do with the numerous springs that used to surface along that particular hillside.

I remember that in exceptionally wet weather that some of those springs still used to surface, even after the estate was built. Is that still the case?

Picture of cows grazing on what is now Hardcastle Gardens.

http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s09667&pos=7&action=zoom&id=12766

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Hi Unitedite,

just got round to reading your reply dated 22nd and really enjoyed your link to the snowy 1947. Pity there is nothing relating to Sheffield like the Halifax film. It did however bring back vivid memories and confirms my recollection of the time. Nice to know it wasn’t a figment of imagination. I look forward to showing it to my Grand kids who would otherwise have thought it was the Olde one losing it.

Its even better that the contact is with a United Fan, I go back to the days of Jimmy Hagen etc and travelling on the bus to all the local towns for away games, Doncaster, Chesterfield, Barnsley etc to watch the games on my own when I was about 10 (imagine that now) carrying my rattle (painted red and white) and being lifted over the heads by the men to a place at the front railings, being a little lad. No trouble or problems at all. Wonderful. There is a Rosette in my house in North Wales with “Sheffield United Greatest Fan” although you would probably say the same.

you look as though you know your way around the Web and I wonder if you can point me in the direction regarding any information about Franks fishing tackle shop on Attercliffe Road around 1955 or so. I was the lad who got the shop going and was making rods and tackle etc to order, mainly for the men who worked in the steel works near there. Further along Attercliffe Road, I think near a store called Banners was another fishing tackle shop called Stamford’s (?).  I still have one or two rods that I made back then and would love to find anything at all about it to just rekindle my memory of a time before I wad Called Up. Any thoughts? In the meantime stay warm. Cheers, Charlie

 

 

 

 

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Hi Chaz, Thank you for your posting.

I am afraid that I have very little experience of fishing, or fishing tackle shops, so, I may not be able to help you as much as you might think.

I have looked through several telephone directories covering the period that you remember and I have listed below, what I think might be the relevant entries.

I cannot find anything specific to Franks Fishing Tackle Shop, the nearest geographical listing that I can find in that area is Franks J.E., Newsagent, at 423, Attercliffe Road, and later-on, at 208, Whitham Road also. Could that be the same guy?

It might be worth posting an enquiry on the Sheffield Forum website, which might bring up a couple of memories.

By way of this posting, I would ask if any of our other readers possesses a Kelly's Trade Directory from the 1950's and 1960's and if so, could they look up Franks Fishing Tackle Shop for you?

1961; Telephone Directory; Hull / Bradford / Leeds/ Lincoln / Sheffield

Franks J.E., Newsagent, 423, Attercliffe Road, Telephone No.41861

Franks J.E., Newsagent, 208, Whitham Road, Telephone No.65900

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 419, Attercliffe Common, Telephone No.42398

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 231, Newhall Road, Telephone No.42396

1959; Telephone Directory; Hull / Bradford / Leeds/ Lincoln / Sheffield

Franks J.E., Newsagent, 423, Attercliffe Road, Telephone No.41861

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 419, Attercliffe Common, Telephone No.42398

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 231, Newhall Road, Telephone No.42396

1957; Telephone Directory; Hull / Bradford / Leeds/ Lincoln / Sheffield

Franks J.E., Newsagent, 423, Attercliffe Road, Telephone No.41861

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 419, Attercliffe Common, Telephone No.42398

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 231, Newhall Road, Telephone No.42396

1954; Telephone Directory; Lincoln / Sheffield / York / Hull / Middlesbrough / Newcastle / Leeds / Bradford

Franks J.E., Newsagent, 423, Attercliffe Road, Telephone No.41861

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 419, Attercliffe Common, Telephone No.42398

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 231, Newhall Road, Telephone No.42396

1950; Telephone Directory; Lincoln / Sheffield / York / Hull / Middlesbrough / Newcastle / Leeds / Bradford

Franks J.E., - not listed in this directory

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 419, Attercliffe Common, Telephone No.42398

 

Best wishes.

U.R.

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We lived on Upperthorpe Rd then opposite the entrance to the royal Infirmary, now Tesco's and we went sledging on the tip, now the Ponderosa  in that winter, . I was very steep and scary, there was a brick wall at the bottom with just a doorways width gap. It's a wonder we weren't seriously injured.

We used to go down to the gashouse on Neepsend for coke. Only allowed 1 bag per person my Mother Grandma my sister and I used to queue for ages and then drag it back up the hill between us. Very hard times. My Dad was killed in Dunkirk so no money and we actually lived in my Grandma's cellar until August 1947.

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On 03/12/2017 at 12:10, Unitedite Returns said:

Hi Chaz, Thank you for your posting.

I am afraid that I have very little experience of fishing, or fishing tackle shops, so, I may not be able to help you as much as you might think.

I have looked through several telephone directories covering the period that you remember and I have listed below, what I think might be the relevant entries.

I cannot find anything specific to Franks Fishing Tackle Shop, the nearest geographical listing that I can find in that area is Franks J.E., Newsagent, at 423, Attercliffe Road, and later-on, at 208, Whitham Road also. Could that be the same guy?

It might be worth posting an enquiry on the Sheffield Forum website, which might bring up a couple of memories.

By way of this posting, I would ask if any of our other readers possesses a Kelly's Trade Directory from the 1950's and 1960's and if so, could they look up Franks Fishing Tackle Shop for you?

1961; Telephone Directory; Hull / Bradford / Leeds/ Lincoln / Sheffield

Franks J.E., Newsagent, 423, Attercliffe Road, Telephone No.41861

Franks J.E., Newsagent, 208, Whitham Road, Telephone No.65900

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 419, Attercliffe Common, Telephone No.42398

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 231, Newhall Road, Telephone No.42396

1959; Telephone Directory; Hull / Bradford / Leeds/ Lincoln / Sheffield

Franks J.E., Newsagent, 423, Attercliffe Road, Telephone No.41861

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 419, Attercliffe Common, Telephone No.42398

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 231, Newhall Road, Telephone No.42396

1957; Telephone Directory; Hull / Bradford / Leeds/ Lincoln / Sheffield

Franks J.E., Newsagent, 423, Attercliffe Road, Telephone No.41861

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 419, Attercliffe Common, Telephone No.42398

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 231, Newhall Road, Telephone No.42396

1954; Telephone Directory; Lincoln / Sheffield / York / Hull / Middlesbrough / Newcastle / Leeds / Bradford

Franks J.E., Newsagent, 423, Attercliffe Road, Telephone No.41861

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 419, Attercliffe Common, Telephone No.42398

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 231, Newhall Road, Telephone No.42396

1950; Telephone Directory; Lincoln / Sheffield / York / Hull / Middlesbrough / Newcastle / Leeds / Bradford

Franks J.E., - not listed in this directory

Stamford E., Fishing Tackle, 419, Attercliffe Common, Telephone No.42398

 

Best wishes.

U.R.

Unitedite, believe it or not I have just read your reply to me in 2017, come about due to the lockdown situation and i have started looking at things on my computer again. I do hope you are still on the site and are keeping very well. The J.E. Franks you have picked up is the Newsagents shop 2 0r 3 doors along from the fishing tackle shop I was a involved in and the owner was a Mr Franks. That is the fir st detail I have found since asking about it on this site. As time has moved on are there any other ideas or methods of searching. Take care, Charlie

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I wasn't born till the 50s, but my Mum told me how bad it was. Living in a Cottage just outside the village, they woke up to find snow half way up the kitchen window. When they opened the door, they couldn't see where the garden hut, hedgerow or wall was. They had to dig themselves out, finding where the steps were down to the path, they made a channel up the lane to the main road, hoping to get to the local shop for supplies. Thankfully a farmer had been and ploughed it. She said it took about 3 hours in total, they were wet and exhausted by the time they got back home.

My older cousin, walked with his Mum and Dad down their steep hill, accross the valley and up another steep hill to Gt Aunt's, where they put a full sack of coal on his sledge, then pulled it all the way back, which was hard work up the steep hill. He said being a child, he remembers he wasn't very happy as he couldn't sledge.

I've seen a photo of the top lane above our village, where the snow was up to the telephone wires. 

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Hi my recollections of 1947 when we lived at the top of Tummon road, Wybourn was having to help dig a path through the deep snow one morning from the top of the road to the bottom so my Auntie Maisie could go back to camp. She was in the ATS and needed to get back from leave. We generally wore wellingtons just about all of the time in those days and the snow was over the top and inside. You just got on with it, no choice...

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