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Crookesmoor Recreation Ground


Guest Desy

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Yes the old prefabs were the extension to the schools classrooms. My mother said that in the war it was a station for the local Barrage balloon.

Know when I was at the school what was classed as the middle pitch that was covered in black ash was the school football pitch.

It was great in the winter when the sledging run was at the bottom down under the tiered bank.

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I keep hearing the word 'ponderosa'

What is it ?

Is it an official name or just a local slang nickname ?

Also - there's an underground barrage balloon storage tunnel under wicker arches too

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When the old houses and factory was demolished from Fawcett Street to Netherthorpe Road, taking out wentworth street over to the bottom of Mushroom lane became a grassed area which in the 60's was few and far between. The cowboy Bonanza was on and seeing that was the biggest expanse of green anyone round had seen. Hence the kids to which I was one gave it the name of the Ponderosa.

In recent years some people and I think possibly the council have roped in Crookesmoor Recreation ground into it which it never was part of it.

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Just found it on Flashearth - http://www.flashearth.com/

I know where you mean now

So was the grassy area all factories previously ?

Looking with your backs to the flats to the left of the path down (RED HIll because it use to be red cinders before being tarmac) there was one large factory(don't know who owned it) surrounded by houses.

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Guest nosy nellie

:P nosy nellie

When the old houses and factory was demolished from Fawcett Street to Netherthorpe Road, taking out wentworth street over to the bottom of Mushroom lane became a grassed area which in the 60's was few and far between. The cowboy Bonanza was on and seeing that was the biggest expanse of green anyone round had seen. Hence the kids to which I was one gave it the name of the Ponderosa.

In recent years some people and I think possibly the council have roped in Crookesmoor Recreation ground into it which it never was part of it.

hi. before it was named the ponderosa in the fifties when us kids from hammond street and watery lane played on it,it was simply called.the tip. anyone remember.we played on two playgrounds.

the tip and st stevens playground near st stephens church.

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True yes I remember at least one playgound that was at the bottom end level with Crookesmoor school were was the other?

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Guest nosy nellie

:rolleyes:

True yes I remember at least one playgound that was at the bottom end level with Crookesmoor school were was the other?

The other playground we used to go to was the one near St Stephens school I think it was near the bottom of Mushroom Lane.Also on our wanderings we would walk over to the one on Lambert street flats.When we were kids we used to wander all over,never stayed in,no tv. no computers.

no electronic games.but we could, it was a lot safer then.

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Didnt one of those playgrounds have a big pipe you could get into - I seem to remember it was near St Stephens Church.

In my early years (1953 to 1962) I lived on St Phillips Rd - opposite the White Hart pub, so evetually was moved out to make way for what became the Ponderosa.

but I can remeber playing on the demolished houses among all the rubble (gawd, they never would allow it now) and climbing a wall and seeing this huge (at least it seemed huge to a young kid) factory. The thing that stayed in my mind was the row of 'mushroom' ventilator thingies that were on the roof of the building.

I have asked my old Mum if she can remember the name of teh factory but she cannot.

When the Ponderosa was finished we had moved to Addy Street and what used to Hammond Street now became a great hill for home made go karts etc. I remember hurtling down there once on my kart lying flat on my belly - one of the front wheels hit a stone and the bl**dy thing overturned with me still hanging on - next thing I recall was waking up with a doctor seeing to me - my mates had run down to the Infirmary casualty and the medic ran up to attend to me - luckily it was literally seconds away. Few bumps, scratches and bruises and back home for tea. Great days

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Guest nosy nellie

Didnt one of those playgrounds have a big pipe you could get into - I seem to remember it was near St Stephens Church.

In my early years (1953 to 1962) I lived on St Phillips Rd - opposite the White Hart pub, so evetually was moved out to make way for what became the Ponderosa.

but I can remeber playing on the demolished houses among all the rubble (gawd, they never would allow it now) and climbing a wall and seeing this huge (at least it seemed huge to a young kid) factory. The thing that stayed in my mind was the row of 'mushroom' ventilator thingies that were on the roof of the building.

I have asked my old Mum if she can remember the name of teh factory but she cannot.

When the Ponderosa was finished we had moved to Addy Street and what used to Hammond Street now became a great hill for home made go karts etc. I remember hurtling down there once on my kart lying flat on my belly - one of the front wheels hit a stone and the bl**dy thing overturned with me still hanging on - next thing I recall was waking up with a doctor seeing to me - my mates had run down to the Infirmary casualty and the medic ran up to attend to me - luckily it was literally seconds away. Few bumps, scratches and bruises and back home for tea. Great days

The pipe you are talking about on St Stephens playground we used to call the windy tunnel.

I know we never had any money,or all the games and all the modern electronic gadgets the kids have now and are always complaining they are bored ,but I think we had the best of times using just a tin can,a skipping rope.a piece of slate to play hop scotch.whip and tops.five stones,

We would run errands for coppers and take bottles back to the shop to get money for the pictures.

The Roscoe.The Oxford.The Weston.

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:rolleyes:

The other playground we used to go to was the one near St Stephens school I think it was near the bottom of Mushroom Lane.Also on our wanderings we would walk over to the one on Lambert street flats.When we were kids we used to wander all over,never stayed in,no tv. no computers.

no electronic games.but we could, it was a lot safer then.

Was it in a bit of a derelict area with a pathway round it leading to a gennel

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Guest nosy nellie

Was it in a bit of a derelict area with a pathway round it leading to a gennel

Yes, if I remember correctly the gennel between Mushroom Lane and the playground was called

Daisy Walk.and at the other side of the playground at the top of a small hill was Bramwell Street leading to down St Philips road.

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Fantastic picture of the Tip it really brought back memories.

same here - brilliant pic.

Just out of shot - bottom left - would be the "Parkies" Hut. The buildings there were used as extentions to Crookes moor School - I learned basket weaving in one of them.

The path you can see running diagonally from bottom left to about the middle of the picture turned into one of the best sledging 'runs' when the snow came in winter

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If I think rightly that path that went from the left at 45 degrees was the sledging nursery slope when it snowed.

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Guest tsavo

Yes the old prefabs were the extension to the schools classrooms. My mother said that in the war it was a station for the local Barrage balloon.

Know when I was at the school what was classed as the middle pitch that was covered in black ash was the school football pitch.

It was great in the winter when the sledging run was at the bottom down under the tiered bank.

What your mother told you was all true. Picture of an RAF barrage balloon station being set up.

Link to Picture Sheffield photo

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