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How young and how far could you travel in Sheffield ? Which Year ?


Digger

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How far were you allowed to travel from your home (with mates) all say under age 9 (and return home perhaps for a telling off if late). And, as likely, went further than allowed. Please add year.

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There were probably restrictions when I was too young to remember but I can't recall them at any age. I always found my way home again however far I roamed.

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I was born in 1944  & was allowed to go a mile or so to Firth Park around 1952.  By 1955 I went trainspotting to Retford by train & to Warrington  in 1957 by train via Manchester Piccadilly , walk to Manchester Exchange & Liverpool train  to Warrington, Mum & dad were trusting !

Lots of young lads did similar trips back in those days !!

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I was passed over the heads of an almighty crush of people trying to get into Bramall Lane. Father forgot to say wait at turnstile X. So, I never met up with him in the ground. Age 7 I think I waited patiently in the queue after the match at the bus stop outside M&S - the one with the Chinese dome- Locarno - several buses went past full - eventually made it home to be met by big sister on bike searching for me.

This would be 1947 possibly 1948 when professional footballers were paid £10 a week !

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Slightly outside Digger's age range, but I can remember being put on a train at a London terminus and told to sit tight until Sheffield at age 11.  Dad met me at the Midland Station.  I'd been provided with a packed lunch.

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One thing I remember very clearly was that at age 12 my dad gave me his Raleigh 'Lenton Sports' bicycle and I would just go off cycling around everywhere. What an incredible feeling of freedom!

At age 13 I asked a friend whether he wanted to cycle to Lincoln with me. It was 55 miles away! I remember we made very good time, arriving at lunch time ('dinner time' as we said then) and, after a packed lunch, turned round to cycle home. It was then we realised we'd screwed up as we faced a killing head wind. It took us 7 hours to ride home to Crookesmoor. I've never been so tired in all my life and went straight to bed and slept 13 hours solid. That was a mistake I never made again!    

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Aged 10 ,in 1958, I took myself off to cycle from our house in Totley to Darnall sheds to do some train spotting after tea , one summers evening 

Didnt think a thing of it and didn’t actually realise how far it was 

Freed myself from the tramlines when I got stuck in them at Millhouses and managed to arrive back before dark after a short visit and no questions were asked 

I think they thought I was just playing in the park till dusk as was the norm 

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As a young child in the 50's I don't remember any restrictions as long as you were home before dark.  We were blissfully unaware of the dangers in those days and so it seems were our parents. 

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I was sent for a trip on the outer circular when I was twelve, a bottle of Jusoda and a packet of crisps, when I arrived back home my family had moved without telling me, if you believe that you will believe anything.

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My mother was very protective and it always seemed to me that the “ end of the road” was the limit of my roaming.All of this ended when I passed the 11 plus and ,as a result,my horizons expanded dramatically. Aged 13 I became a teenage rebel…..something which ,65 years later, I consider myself still to be….a rebel against stupid regulations and a teenager  but with aching and creaking joints.😏

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During my junior school years I walked from Gleadless Avenue to Gleadless County School, walked the other way to play in the woods at the top of Gleadless, and that was about it.

   Like Lysanderix, I was allowed to go further after I passed my 11-pus, as my journey to King Ted's involved catching a 101 or 102 'bus into town and then catching a 55 or 60 up to school. When I was 12 (1961) I made a great step forward, as my parents allowed me to go on the train to Doncaster with my school friend, so that we could spend the day train-spotting at Donny station. I've been wandering about ever since.

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At age 7-8 (1962-63) I used to walk alone from Ravenscroft Road, Stradbroke to St Joseph's school Handsworth every day, through the Smelter woods, onto Bramley avenue then up to St Joseph's road as my mum worked. I had the key to the door at 7. In teenage years, I could go anywhere on my bike, ending up cycling to the Norfolk Broads twice age 16 & 17 with a couple of friends. I think everyone was more trusting then; there was no 'sensationalist' reporting as there is today; far less traffic and a sense of adventure, probably present in all boys and girls.

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