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The Hole In The Road Sheffield


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I feel sure that Tandys took over the same shop as Bunker and pratleys and they were definitely there well before the 80s. My husband used to be an electrician for the council and worked on the lighting when the Hole in the road was built and he also took it all out again when it was filled in. The fish tank was installed when the hole was first built and was maintained regularly then. Also whoever worked nights used to have to check the tank to make sure that the pump was working and that there was a spare one ready to replace it if it wasn't. Then whoever worked mornings checked it again when the escalators were turned on etc.. He thinks that whoever used to clean it out must have left and never been replaced because he said he remembers it having algae and getting in a terrible state it was reported but I suppose they didn't have an employee with that job description so good job Ukelele's brother volunteered.

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I feel sure that Tandys took over the same shop as Bunker and pratleys and they were definitely there well before the 80s.

Tandy's / Radio Shack was certainly there in the early part of the 1970's

One of the few places where you could get a dedicated short wave communications receiver at that time.

They had their own brand of shortwave receivers called the Realistic DX range.

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In that case then they must have been next door to each other then. he he Also the YEB had an entrance that came into the ramp from near the claymore that went into the hole could Vox have seen his TV there ?

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Best I can recall is that it was between the exit to Fitzallan Square direction and the exit to Arundel (whatever it was called then)

In that case then it would be Bunker and Pratleys who were there in 1967. The YEB was on the Arundel Gate entrance and I got my first cooker from them in 1967. I can remember my kids looking at colour TVs in awe when we went past shops I think that if I had left them outside while I did my shopping they would still be there when I went back. lol

Just thought the first colour programme that I saw in colour was Play School on BBC 2.

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Best I can recall is that it was between the exit to Fitzallan Square direction and the exit to Arundel (whatever it was called then)

I thought Tandy / Radio Shack was on the tunnel that exited the hole in the road towards Angel Street. :unsure:

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I thought Tandy / Radio Shack was on the tunnel that exited the hole in the road towards Angel Street. :unsure:

As a keen electronics enthusiast (as well as it being my job) I remember Tandy opening in the HITR.

They also had a shop in the Hillsborough Precinct. I too remember them as being in the tunnel that led out of the HITR towards the Castle House Co-op.

I never bought much from them, I thought the stock cheap rubbish.

The store with the TV's (Bunker & Pratleys) was across the other side of the HITR and was on two stories with a tiny one-man lift between the floors.

As kids we used to visit the shop just to ride in the lift, It was so tiny as to be claustrophobic.

HD

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As a keen electronics enthusiast (as well as it being my job) I remember Tandy opening in the HITR.

They also had a shop in the Hillsborough Precinct. I too remember them as being in the tunnel that led out of the HITR towards the Castle House Co-op.

I never bought much from them, I thought the stock cheap rubbish.

The store with the TV's (Bunker & Pratleys) was across the other side of the HITR and was on two stories with a tiny one-man lift between the floors.

As kids we used to visit the shop just to ride in the lift, It was so tiny as to be claustrophobic.

HD

I agree fully with your memory of the location of these 2 shops hilldweller.

..and also on the quality of Tandy stock (well, - they are an American company)

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Was there a TV shop next to Tandy or were there TVs in Tandy's window?

Either way I think that it was in the window of a shop in the "Hole" that I saw colour telly for the first time.

(A long time before the 80's though.)

It was my first time also `vox`. The TV sets were Finlandia .There was always a crowd in the evening and it must have been in the late 60s. Could have rubbed shoulders, who knows ? W/E.

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It was my first time also `vox`. The TV sets were Finlandia .There was always a crowd in the evening and it must have been in the late 60s. Could have rubbed shoulders, who knows ? W/E.

Aha - That's why you looked familiar when we met last year.

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Guest Fairange

We have been to the Local Studies Library to get the low-down on the opening of the Hole and the tank as we are writing up an article in connection with our Sheffield Jungle Project (thanks to ukele-lady for her help so far in learning about the fish). Here is our paragraph on the opening of the tank

"The fish-tank was built as part of the project and was marketed as a centrepiece to the occasion. The plaque commemorating the opening of the Hole in the Road was alongside the tank. The opening reports from the Sheffield Star suggest that the aquarium cost £2000 and was the biggest tank in the UK outside of examples in London and Belle Vue zoos. Mr John Mitchell, a local aquarist, is named as the man in charge of the tank. Things don’t get off to an ideal start for the opening ceremony as there are no fish in the tank, the water and grounding not being settled. This is in part due to a design fault – the tank has a stealthy access point for feeding and stocking, however the base of the tank cannot be reached from the cramped confines of the access space without the attendant physically having to get inside the tank, water and all."

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We have been to the Local Studies Library to get the low-down on the opening of the Hole and the tank as we are writing up an article in connection with our Sheffield Jungle Project (thanks to ukele-lady for her help so far in learning about the fish). Here is our paragraph on the opening of the tank

"The fish-tank was built as part of the project and was marketed as a centrepiece to the occasion. The plaque commemorating the opening of the Hole in the Road was alongside the tank. The opening reports from the Sheffield Star suggest that the aquarium cost £2000 and was the biggest tank in the UK outside of examples in London and Belle Vue zoos. Mr John Mitchell, a local aquarist, is named as the man in charge of the tank. Things don’t get off to an ideal start for the opening ceremony as there are no fish in the tank, the water and grounding not being settled. This is in part due to a design fault – the tank has a stealthy access point for feeding and stocking, however the base of the tank cannot be reached from the cramped confines of the access space without the attendant physically having to get inside the tank, water and all."

As stated previously, I NEVER saw an attendant at the tank.

Wonder if that was because he was IN the tank! lol

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It was my first time also `vox`. The TV sets were Finlandia .There was always a crowd in the evening and it must have been in the late 60s. Could have rubbed shoulders, who knows ? W/E.

Threre's a wealth of information on the internet about the start of colour transmissions, there is a very good site called www.mb21.co.uk. According to links on this site colour transmissions to this area started officially on 1st July 1967, although there seem to have been test transmissions starting the year before.

The transmissions were only on BBC2 at first as this was the only 625 line station available.

Colour transmissions were only scheduled for a few hours each day as there was very little colour material available.

We bought our first colour set in 1973 when most programming was in colour.

I don't remember the Finlandia set being on general sale but it was the set that Granada TV Rentals supplied.

HD

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Threre's a wealth of information on the internet about the start of colour transmissions, there is a very good site called www.mb21.co.uk. According to links on this site colour transmissions to this area started officially on 1st July 1967, although there seem to have been test transmissions starting the year before.

The transmissions were only on BBC2 at first as this was the only 625 line station available.

Colour transmissions were only scheduled for a few hours each day as there was very little colour material available.We bought our first colour set in 1973 when most programming was in colour.

I don't remember the Finlandia set being on general sale but it was the set that Granada TV Rentals supplied.

HD

The trade test transmissions were shown regularly throughout the afternoon along with the new colour test card F featuring a young Carol Hersee with her toy clown and blackboard noughts and crosses.

Some of the trade test transmissions, like the one about how to set up and operate a colour TV set, and how to degauss it if the colours went funny had a cult following similar to the old black and white intermission transmissions (remember "The potters wheel?) and I wouldn't be suprised if they are not still available on the Internet.

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found it!!!!!

http://www.picturesheffield.com/jpgh/t01219.jpg

Well RichardB worked DOWN there at Tandy's and DaveH also remembers it being near the B&C store so we must assume that Tandy's were based in two different locations around the HITR at different times. They also had a shop in the Hillsborough Precinct when that first opened for a short while. When I had a look around they were definitely "Down Under".

HD

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Guest wayneybabes

Well RichardB worked DOWN there at Tandy's and DaveH also remembers it being near the B&C store so we must assume that Tandy's were based in two different locations around the HITR at different times. They also had a shop in the Hillsborough Precinct when that first opened for a short while. When I had a look around they were definitely "Down Under".

HD

the other Tandy's was across from the toilets IIRC, and was only a single floored shop. the one on my photo was two floors, one at ground level, one under the road

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the one on my photo was two floors, one at ground level, one under the road

Ground level was "general" stuff, home (clocks, batteries), electronics (little red packets of various components), toys etc etc.

Under the road - computers + rear was used as stockroom.

There was also a Tandy store half way down the Moor.

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Ground level was "general" stuff, home (clocks, batteries), electronics (little red packets of various components), toys etc etc.

Under the road - computers + rear was used as stockroom.

There was also a Tandy store half way down the Moor.

I was talking about the under the road shop (opposite the toilets) which Richard says was for computers and stock.

In the pre personal computer 1970's (or pre PC 1970's, - although this is now taken to mean pre Politically Correct, which probably also described the 1970's) the computer under the road shop was the shortwave radio shop.

As Richard has also previously said, Tandy and Radio Shack are owned by the same company, so the shortwave radio shop may have been called Radio Shack at the time.

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I was talking about the under the road shop (opposite the toilets) which Richard says was for computers and stock.

In the pre personal computer 1970's (or pre PC 1970's, - although this is now taken to mean pre Politically Correct, which probably also described the 1970's) the computer under the road shop was the shortwave radio shop.

As Richard has also previously said, Tandy and Radio Shack are owned by the same company, so the shortwave radio shop may have been called Radio Shack at the time.

Run by Rod Ames, who may, or may not have been involved in the 1960's Music Scene ... Rod also had a spell in the shop on The Moor.

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Run by Rod Ames, who may, or may not have been involved in the 1960's Music Scene ... Rod also had a spell in the shop on The Moor.

I also remember the Tandy shop on The Moor.

I seem to remember that The Moor shop was there until relatively recently, - the late 1990's or even early this century.

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That's good that you found the picture I remember Bunker and Pratleys being next door to a clothes hire shop mainly men's wedding attire. then the wallpaper shop which I see is Fads so is that Tandys next door to that? I can remember there being a Tandys on the moor , was there one at Meadowhall when it was first built or was that always Dixons?

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Guest wayneybabes

That's good that you found the picture I remember Bunker and Pratleys being next door to a clothes hire shop mainly men's wedding attire. then the wallpaper shop which I see is Fads so is that Tandys next door to that?

Thats Correct

was there one at Meadowhall when it was first built or was that always Dixons?

I am sure that was always Dixons

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