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Norton Aerodrome


DaveH

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Len, the pub you mention (Bagshawe Arms) is still there, and the site is relatively untouched/neglected, but its a great site for wildlife. Although the buildings are gone, you can still make out the original layout of the site today. A small section of the original road is still there, from before they made the dual carriageway, that section survives as a curved lay-by where I've marked the arrow. I believe this is where the original main entrance was?...

 

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Thanks LeadFarmer , it's closer to the old main gate than I thought , very handy after a few jars. ! From your picture  I would say the main entrance was at the top of the long stretch of road that runs through to the far side of the site , just where the old road returns to the new carriageway . I remember getting a ' hard stare ' from the station warrant officer when I turned up there in civvy clothes early '61.  I sometimes l have ' nightmares ' seeing  myself out of uniform ie. no trousers !!

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5 minutes ago, Len Smith said:

Thanks LeadFarmer , it's closer to the old main gate than I thought , very handy after a few jars. !

Todays view of the Bagshawe Arms

 

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There a very old barn type building behind it that still stands today, and used to be used as a court.

Rear of Bagshawe Arms. Steps lead to a long room, over the stone built stables, which was formerly the petty sessions court. There is a stone in the south end of the gable bearing the initials F.W.B. 1859 (Francis Westby Bagshawe)

 

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2 hours ago, rover1949 said:

Good stuff.

Does the Group Captain explain how the two jets were taken to and from Norton?

I haven't read it all to be honest, I must do soon.

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Some posts by various people who were based there, made on Sheffield Forum back in 2009 ....

 

I was stationed there oct 54 june 57 worked in officers mess was the last building on the site nearest  to lightwood lane the building still standig brick built witch has just lost its roof was the station sick quarters Aproblem with the site was that it sat on the yorkshire -derbyshire boundry the officers mess dinning room was in derbyshire the antiroom in yourshire the m t section in derbyshire  the gaurd room in yorkshire
rather confusing if civil police -fire  people were called on site
Sorry dont know any thing about COAL ASTON except what i have read on thread
A s well as signalls and radar section on camp there was a terriorial  R.A.F.regiment C.O in my time were F/L AMES-F/T STUBLEY ALSO A A.T.C SQUADRON  i believe this is still in being some where in the district  

 

I was stationed at RAF Norton from 1955 to 1957. I was a cook. The station was then used for, as far as I can remember, the Aerial Riggers school and also 3GRSS which was to do with radar. The base was still open when I left in '57.
We used to catch the bus outside the camp on a Saturday to go and watch Sheffield Wednesday, I think the bus route was called 'The Circular'. Another favourite haunt was a pub called 'The Nailmakers' which was not far from the camp. I also vaguely remember a dance hall in Gleadless which was named 'The Azena' or something like that.
When I left the Airforce I went back to Sheffield and worked for a firm called Davies which was in Paternoster row. I was there for about 12 months before I went back to Scotland.
My fondest memory of Sheffield was when I arrived. I came in at Midland station in Pond St at about 2am and did not have a clue where to go. There was a bus garage nearby and I asked for directions. The mechanic looked at me and all my gear and he said " I don't care how fit you are but you won't get to Norton with all that stuff, it will kill you". Lucky for me he had to test a bus and he ran me up to the RAF station. When I saw how long and steep Duke St was, and the long trip down from Manor Top I realised what he meant. After that experience I did enjoy my time in Sheffield.

 

I was stationed as R A F Norton with the RAF Police for 2 years
from 1952 to 1953  along with Corporals Peter Lowe from Liverpool,Cpl John Baines from Inverness, and Cpl Alf Seddon from Lancashire looking after the Guardroom and Station Security until being demobbed from there in Sept 1953 (after the Coronation.)
The Station Adjutant at that time was a Flying Officer Terry who was in overall charge.
During that time it was No. 3 GRSS ( Ground Radar Service )
and also a Motor Pool.  I would be interested to hear from anyone
else who was stationed there around that time.


Hi there Mark I too was stationed there the same time as yourself. Was Cpl Baines know by the nickname of "Isiah" Who was the AFP Cpl who put the 303 shells in his pants to hold them sown over his puttees?
 

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And the post made by Derek Reed in 2009, I doubt he monitors that email account anymore..

 

I have just completed a non-commercial illustrated book on the history of RAF Norton. There is a copy in the Local Studies Library of Sheffield City Library. However, if anyone would like a pdf copy to download, please let me have your e-mail address. You should send it to nortonfacts@gmail.com

This is the e-mail site I used whilst compiling the book and I now only look at it occasionally. The further your request is from today's date (6th July 2010) the longer you may have to wait. There is absolutely no charge for this document.

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The plaque/coat of arms on the cover of that pdf document  my earlier post was on display at the aviation museum in Doncaster when I went there a few years ago

 

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I lived near Gleadless Townend from birth in 1951 up to 1976 and remember going to the  RAF Norton At Home displays during the 1950s . I still have the programme from the 1958 event, which took place on the 20th September.  I can't remember a lot of details of the day, but looking at the flying programme, there were a lot of flypasts and aerobatics during the day, including Meteor, Hunters, Valiant, Vulcan , Victor, Shackleton, Provost, Javelin, Vampire, Comet, Canberra, and others.

There were also static displays of a number of engines.I just wish I could remember more of the day itself.

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Quite a few of my classmates at Charnock Infant and Junior School were the sons and daughters of parents stationed at Norton RAF base. Most had travelled with their parents through posting after posting, I was quite envious of the foreign postings, however they just took it in their respective strides, knowing that the next move was only around the corner, it sort of made them a lot more grown up than the rest of us, or so it appeared.

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At that time, I used to have my haircut at Stans, which was above some garages at the bottom of Briarfield Road, and he used to cut the RAF mens hair, so no matter how you wanted it cutting, you came out with an RAF short back and sides! Stans is now a dance studio. !

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12 hours ago, BobN said:

I lived near Gleadless Townend from birth in 1951 up to 1976 and remember going to the  RAF Norton At Home displays during the 1950s . I still have the programme from the 1958 event, which took place on the 20th September. 

I have a vague recollection of attending a display at the aerodrome in the 70's, but I have been unable to confirm if this was actually the location. I seem to recall a racing car whizzing up and down a make shift track, and a police Range Rover being on display. I have no memories of any RAF themed display, which make me wonder if it was at the aerodrome at all.

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On 02/01/2009 at 20:24, DaveH said:

 

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All down pulled down. I walked along the dual carriageway yesterday and took a few snaps, couldn't get any decent photos due to having to take photos through the green metal fencing.

The building in the photo above now looks like this..

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And the building that acted as the reception when entering from the Lightwood Lane entrance now looks like this..

 

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As a Balloon Barrage it’s been somewhat underemployed since the end of WW2, it did see some activity during National Service and as a Cadet centre, but for many years it’s been about as much use as a proverbial in a space suit.

IMHO it would be best used for housing, however most folks interpretation of  ‘housing’ would differ greatly from that of the Sheffield Kremlin. 🤨

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With a shortage of housing, both locally and nationally, I should have thought that any "affordable" or social housing would be welcome...whether it be designed by the "Kremlin" or by some multi- million development corporation.

 The site is a disgrace and, surely, housing would be an improvement! ☺️

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Any type of housing, for any type of person, in any type of design is what Sheffield council property currently suffers from. My family origins are terraced housing in Heeley, council housing in S2 and S12, my first property purchase was in S2 and I have fond memories of living amongst good honest and descent folk, I wouldn’t savour living in any of those areas these days.

No multi-million development corporation would touch this with the proverbial barge pole, unless they had total control, private site policing alone would make it a none viable project, I’ve noticed the precautions taken on small sites in good areas. The latter relates to building sites, god only knows how a completed and occupied development would be policed, the only police activity that I see in and around my South West Sheffield domicile is ‘after the event’ policing.

 

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So where should these, "any type of person" live? The information I have is that currently 58% of us own our homes...25% rent from the Council or Social landlords....the rest are renting privately, are sharing or are being housed in temporary accommodation....with too many being homeless. Against this is the fact that some  32,000 Council houses have been sold since 1980 under the "right to buy act". Currently, the Council has announced plans to build 3,100 homes over the next ten years ,or so ,after a change in the law

I have lived in some of the" leafiest and most desirable" parts of Sheffield where I have to say, I  have met more "well dressed, well spoken, well housed  ten bob millionaire, villains" than on any Council estate on which I have lived in the past. I have also been homeless, thankfully for only a short time.

Hypothetically, if housing is not your choice for the redevelopment of the Norton eyesore what  would you suggest?🙄

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On 11/02/2021 at 11:27, BobN said:

  I can't remember a lot of details of the day, but looking at the flying programme, there were a lot of flypasts and aerobatics during the day, including Meteor, Hunters, Valiant, Vulcan , Victor, Shackleton, Provost, Javelin, Vampire, Comet, Canberra, and others.

 

I was keen on aircraft as a boy (my Dad had been an officer in the ack-ack during WW2) and remember all those types of plane - except the Javelin. The only Javelin I know is a (Yorkshire-built) Jowett car. What sort of aeroplane was it?

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14 minutes ago, Lysanderix said:

So where should these" any type of person" live?

I have lived in  some of the" leafiest and most desirable" parts of Sheffield where I have to say, I met more "well dressed, well spoken, well housed  ten bob millionaire villains" than on any Council estate on which I have lived in the past.

Hypothetically, if housing is not your choice for the redevelopment of the Norton eyesore what  would you suggest?

What part of my post stating “IMHO it would best used for housing” didn’t you understand? Also your comment relating to ‘well dressed, well spoken, well housed ten bob millionaire villains’ speaks volumes about you and your political views, and before you start making assumption about me, I don’t do politics, however if I’m ever tempted I tune in to ‘Prime Ministers Questions’, only to cement my views that these clowns are incapable of running a tap, let alone a country.

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The Javelin was a twin engined, twin seat, delta winged, all weather fighter. It was a long time in development and hardly a success.

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2 minutes ago, Lysanderix said:

The Javelin was a twin engined, twin seat, delta winged, all weather fighter. It was a long time in development and hardly a success.

I've just found it on Wiki which says that "It was the last aircraft to bear the Gloster name". In view of your comment, I'm not surprised!

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Sorry Dave JC I seem to have touched a raw nerve!  We don't agree on this one, probably never will so let's call it a day! My views btw are as much to do with my religious opinions as with politics. Put simply, I try to "do unto others as I would be done by".🙄

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At the end of WW2 we had far too many aircraft manufacturers competing for far too few Government contracts. Our exports, in general, were disappointing .... and whilst world leaders in aviation development we, somehow, failed to back them up with sufficient funds ( the UK post WW2 was effectively bankrupt) or designed them around the national airline's (BOAC) requirements....this led to the potentially world beating VC10 airliner which because it was designed around BOAC's "hot and high" requirement no one else wanted...even BOAC changed their minds!

The Government encouraged a policy of merger and Gloster was swallowed up by the Hawker Siddeley Group,

The Javelin suffered from control problems leading to the resignation of Gloster's chief test pilot as a protest at the lack of urgency the manufacturers had in solving these problems! 

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The question is, who owns the huge site? On clarification services should be guaranteed eg:- a co -op or similar, a doctors surgery, a dentist, an opticians, a police sub-station, along with affordable units for small businesses. If the council owns the site and allowed private housing construction they would make a fortune in rates, so could afford to be a little generous with a developer, on the proviso that they do the same with buyers.

We shall have to wait and see.

 

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26 minutes ago, Lysanderix said:

Sorry Dave JC I seem to have touched a raw nerve!  We don't agree on this one, probably never will so let's call it a day! My views btw are as much to do with my religious opinions as with politics. Put simply, I try to "do unto others as I would be done by".🙄

No ‘raw nerves here’, by the way I don’t do religion along with politics, I’m happy in my skin.

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