Norfolk School, Arbourthorne

[DaveH]

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread...1482&page=6

post #110 says there was Talbot AND Shrewsbury (this was around 1970 so must have changed when i went)

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread...482&page=22

post #433 they where all different in 1958-61

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread...482&page=19

post #363 all four from the 50's named here

Some interesting extra confusion in these links.

The houses seem to have changed over time and one of them quotes these as being the secondary school houses rather than the six steel works ones.

Looks like there could previously have been a Talbot up to about 1961 - 63 but that this changed to Shrewsbury, - or even the whole set of 4 names changed to the ones we knew.

Also interesting that there is so much good local history stuff on Sheffield Forum.

I don't use the Forum very much as I thought it was a "keeping in touch" type of site, a sort of Friend Reunited for Sheffielders (Sheffielder's Reunited ) but clearly I will have to have a look through their pages more often and put links to suitable bits of it on here, - especially when they are discussing the same sorts of things and have a bit of different information or a different angle on something.

[DaveH]

Keep trying wayneybabes - the hopes of the ex-junior school pupils rest with you - No pressure then!!!

Do you know if the quadrangle survived at all?

That quadrangle had a small pond and one of those white slatted box on legs things which kept weather recording apparatus inside.

Me and Crooksey (Stephen Crookes) had the job of going out into the quad and taking the weather readings and then recording them on a large graphical chart on display in the corridor outside the classroom.

The quad MUST have survived, - it's a feature of the building, - if the building is still there then there must still be that quadrilateral hole in the middle which the building encircle.

The pond MAY have survived, - this depends on health & safety regulations and may depend upon how many students tripped, slipped, fell or were pushed into it and what happened to them afterwards.

I bet our little weather station didn't survive though :(

[DaveH]

Link to a history of the Lovetot family

Lovetot

Along with a short family tree is a rather poor, black & white line drawing of the Lovetot shield.

Not quite as I remember it but I do remember it had that large prancing lion in the centre.

Makes it look a bit like Lovetot owned a Peugeot lol

[DaveH]

Link to a history of the Lovetot family

Lovetot

Along with a short family tree is a rather poor, black & white line drawing of the Lovetot shield.

Not quite as I remember it but I do remember it had that large prancing lion in the centre.

Makes it look a bit like Lovetot owned a Peugeot

Same for Furnival

Furnival

With the shield upright rather than angled I remember it as having birds on.

I don't know what that other bit is above the shield though?

[DaveH]

Same for Furnival

Furnival

With the shield upright rather than angled I remember it as having birds on.

I don't know what that other bit is above the shield though?

Doesn't seem to be as much on the Neville family, although there are bits and pieces.

No shield or armourial bearings given though

Neville

[DaveH]

Doesn't seem to be as much on the Neville family, although there are bits and pieces.

No shield or armourial bearings given though

Neville

As Bayleaf said earlier, Shrewsbury and Talbot are one and the same

Shrewsbury / Talbot

[Guest wayneybabes]

I am sure I went to watch a sports day in either 1985 or 1986 and the annexe had gone but the tennis courts were still there so I would have put the date of the annexe demise at the beginning of your quoted period or just slightly before, - mid 80's anyway.

I went up to the seniors in 1986, and remember for at least a couple of year going into the annexe to do Graphics with Man Cooke so it must have been around 1988 when they flattened them

[Guest wayneybabes]

Been past on the tram today and from the tennis courts all the way up to the fence on spring lane it is fenced off and there are diggers digging up the ground where the old bridge was located. They have also finally cut the grass on the school field (the horse was still on there though!).

if i get chance on the way home i will take a photo and upload tomorrow

Was too misty to take a photo this morning and didnt have my camera phone on me yesterday. I'll see what i can do later

[DaveH]

I went up to the seniors in 1986, and remember for at least a couple of year going into the annexe to do Graphics with Man Cooke so it must have been around 1988 when they flattened them

Were they demolished while you were there and if so did they unearth the old air raid shelters?

The air raid shelters predated the annexe and ran directly underneath them, although they did zig zag back and forth along their run, with right angled corners, both to create more space underground and to create "blast bends" in case the shelters themselves took a direct hit.

Me and Pete Harrison went down there in the summer of 1971 with a view to running a telephone cable through it to try to get an internal telephone line out to the gym. Our reconnaisance found that this would not be possible as the shelters more or less started and ended exactly where the annexe were.

When the annexe were built a sewage pipe and other services (water and electrics) were fitted underneath them and this cut straight through the shelters after every 2 blast bends, and as the sewage pipe had a natural drain gradient you had to duck under it at one end, climb over it at the other and had the greatest difficulty getting past it at all in the middle.

I feel sure that if they demolished the annexe in the late 1980's all of this would have been uncovered, - unless of course they just dismantled them and resurfaced where they had been!

[DaveH]

I remember for at least a couple of year going into the annexe to do Graphics with Man Cooke

When I was there Man Cooke taught Metalwork in the downstairs room, boys toilet end looking out into the playground. As you looked at the old school facing it from in front of the new glass tower from under the bridge it was on the left.

Graphics (then called Technical drawing) was taught by Man Piercey (mainly) and Man Longland. The "drawing office" was in the large corner room of the old school on Brimmersfield Road which looked out onto both Brimmersfield Road and into the upper playground of the Junior School.

The annexe had a funny set of teachers who seemed to live down there and they were the form rooms of all the "thick classes", at the time we had 5 forms in each year from 1 to 4 (now called Y7 to Y10) but not in 5 (Y11) as school leaving age was 15 at the time. The 5 forms were lettered A (brainiest) to E (thickest) and the forms who registered in the rooms were 1E, 2E, 3E and 4E.

The end room nearest the Gym was the exception to this, this was Lass John's room and she was the main RE teacher until she left, after which RE became something of a none-subject for a while (don't know how we stood on the 1944 Education Act with that one as RE was supposed to be as compulsory as English and Maths)

After we became comprehensive and we got some good teachers from the Wyborne Man Tanza set up Lass John's old room as a new music room and also had the room next to it with Man Bull as a music practice room. It wasn't until these 2 arrived that music lessons were anything more than an hours singalong to someone (Lass Moore / Lass Grant) playing the piano.

One notable annexe teacher was Man Wrenshaw (Renshaw). Realising he was dealing with bottom band lower ability students he adjusted his lessons and teaching to them and came as close as the 1960's and early 70's could offer to what we would call Special Needs teaching and Learning Support in schools today.

[Guest wayneybabes]

When I was there Man Cooke taught Metalwork in the downstairs room, boys toilet end looking out into the playground. As you looked at the old school facing it from in front of the new glass tower from under the bridge it was on the left.

Man Cookes usual room was the one you suggested but for some reason when he took us for Graphics we used the room on the opposite end of the annexe block you mentioned (on the 'dead easy' film when the youths are standing against the annexe wall as the van drives past the tennis courts).

IIRC, was'nt the entrance to the air raid shelters in front of that very classroom that the kids where leant against?

[Guest wayneybabes]

Were they demolished while you were there and if so did they unearth the old air raid shelters?

The air raid shelters predated the annexe and ran directly underneath them, although they did zig zag back and forth along their run, with right angled corners, both to create more space underground and to create "blast bends" in case the shelters themselves took a direct hit.

Me and Pete Harrison went down there in the summer of 1971 with a view to running a telephone cable through it to try to get an internal telephone line out to the gym. Our reconnaisance found that this would not be possible as the shelters more or less started and ended exactly where the annexe were.

When the annexe were built a sewage pipe and other services (water and electrics) were fitted underneath them and this cut straight through the shelters after every 2 blast bends, and as the sewage pipe had a natural drain gradient you had to duck under it at one end, climb over it at the other and had the greatest difficulty getting past it at all in the middle.

I feel sure that if they demolished the annexe in the late 1980's all of this would have been uncovered, - unless of course they just dismantled them and resurfaced where they had been!

Yes, we discussed the shelters earlier in this thread. When i went down them, i got to the bottom of the stairs and IIRC, when you turned left there where a couple of tunnels leading towards the top tennis/football court (the one under the main senior school hall in the tower block), one straight ahead heading towards the dining room, one leading under the annexe towards the tennis courts and one, (now behind you as you would be facing towards the dining room) heading in the direction of the caretakers house?. The one i went down was the one heading towards the tennis court and i remember coming across some sort of obstacle (could have been a big pipe, possibly brick enclosed) that we had to climb over or duck under and see-ing as we only had matches we couldnt go very deep into it.

[DaveH]

IIRC, was'nt the entrance to the air raid shelters in front of that very classroom that the kids where leant against?

Possibly.

It was on the path that ran in front of the annexe and behind the new school extension and was outside one of the clssrooms.

You had to be "in the know" to know which paving slab to lift up to gain access to the steps down into the shelter.

[DaveH]

Yes, we discussed the shelters earlier in this thread. When i went down them, i got to the bottom of the stairs and IIRC, when you turned left there where a couple of tunnels leading towards the top tennis/football court (the one under the main senior school hall in the tower block), one straight ahead heading towards the dining room, one leading under the annexe towards the tennis courts and one, (now behind you as you would be facing towards the dining room) heading in the direction of the caretakers house?. The one i went down was the one heading towards the tennis court and i remember coming across some sort of obstacle (could have been a big pipe, possibly brick enclosed) that we had to climb over or duck under and see-ing as we only had matches we couldnt go very deep into it.

OK got you.

Over the years water and sludge had seeped into the shelters and they were angled slightly down so that it collected at the lowest point. This was the tunnel that went towards the dining room. You couldn't get very far along it before you would have been knee deep in mud and beyond that the tunnel became completely blocked before you got to the end so it is hard to say how far it went. To put a phone line in to the gym we didn't go this way very far as it was in the wrong direction but did give it a cursory reconnaisance as far as we could without getting completely muddy and wet through. As this was the lowest point in the shelter any intruding pipes were high up (so duck under) and they did eventually stop either because they only went to the end of the annexe or because they were eventually above the shelter roof.

The one we explored towards the gym was rising so the pipe gradually got lower as you went further towards the gym. When it was in the middle of the shelter, half way between floor and ceiling it was difficult to get under or over it. Eventually it was low enough, and now dry / mud free on the floor to continue to the end. All of this section had evidence of student visits over the years, - names and dates written on the ceiling in soot from candles! It ended just beyond the last tennis court, possibly where the old animal house and aviary (anyone remember that?) used to be. At the end of it was an electrical installation which provided lighting in the original shelter. It was too far short of the gym to run a phone line down there.

The tunnel which came back towards the new school originally went under the school playground but that had been bricked up part way along its length in 1965 when the foundations were laid for the new school extension which would eventually go on top of it. This seems to be the section of tunnel that you tried to explore.

The final bit of tunnel went out towards the school field. It didn't go very far. If it had done it would have burst out of that sports day grass bank onto the field, or at least would have a much reduced depth of earth above it once under the field. As far as I remember this part of the tunnel opened out into a sort of utility area with chemical toilets, sand bags and primitave catering facilities.

Like the rest of the school I don't suppose any of this is left either.

If you manage to get in to photograph the old Junior school have a try to see if you can do the same for any remaining shelters ;-)

[Guest wayneybabes]

the tunnel i was on about was the one leading under the annexe towards the school field

[Guest wayneybabes]

photo's as promised, sorry they are late;

I walked up to brimmersfield. the old school yard next to the dinner room has also been dug up (you cant see it on these photos and my phone was low on battery)

[DaveH]

the tunnel i was on about was the one leading under the annexe towards the school field

Both of the tunnels which ran across the annexe rather than along them were quite short. At least one of them was the service / utility tunnel as I described earlier but when we went down we didn't explore either of these 2 very much.

[DaveH]

photo's as promised, sorry they are late;

I walked up to brimmersfield. the old school yard next to the dinner room has also been dug up (you cant see it on these photos and my phone was low on battery)

That yellow digger in the first picture could just about be at the end of the flooded, mud and silt blocked shelter.

Who knows, perhaps they could unearth it for us to get a better look. ;-)

[DaveH]

photo's as promised, sorry they are late;

I walked up to brimmersfield. the old school yard next to the dinner room has also been dug up (you cant see it on these photos and my phone was low on battery)

A very rapid change.

I only took threse 2 pictures (previously unposted as they are similar to some others we have) on 4th October, so just 1 month ago

[Guest wayneybabes]

That yellow digger in the first picture could just about be at the end of the flooded, mud and silt blocked shelter.

Who knows, perhaps they could unearth it for us to get a better look.

spot on 100%, it would have ended around there. I managed to get through to the school but they have relocated to spring lane college whilst this work is being carried out. the lady says that the school and grounds are being refurbished and they dont expect to be back in the building until september 2010. Someone is phoning me back today about gaining access inside the school but they are very doubtful anyone will be able to get in whilst the refurbishment is being carried out. will keep you posted.

[Guest suzy]

spot on 100%, it would have ended around there. I managed to get through to the school but they have relocated to spring lane college whilst this work is being carried out. the lady says that the school and grounds are being refurbished and they dont expect to be back in the building until september 2010. Someone is phoning me back today about gaining access inside the school but they are very doubtful anyone will be able to get in whilst the refurbishment is being carried out. will keep you posted.

Oh no!!! What are they doing digging up the yard and refurbishing You will need to put the whole weight of Sheffield History behind the reason you need to get inside pdq and take photos. Who knows, by the time its been refurbished the quadrangle and the corridors, etc., as we knew them could be gone :angry:

[Guest wayneybabes]

Oh no!!! What are they doing digging up the yard and refurbishing You will need to put the whole weight of Sheffield History behind the reason you need to get inside pdq and take photos. Who knows, by the time its been refurbished the quadrangle and the corridors, etc., as we knew them could be gone

They have just phoned me back and given me the number of the man in charge of the refurbishments but he is not in until this afternoon so i will try him later. I was told they were doubtful i would be able to get internal photos but its worth a try. They cant see a problem taking photos after the refurbishment but they are altering the inside of the place so it could be unrecognisable by then.

[DaveH]

spot on 100%, it would have ended around there. I managed to get through to the school but they have relocated to spring lane college whilst this work is being carried out. the lady says that the school and grounds are being refurbished and they dont expect to be back in the building until september 2010. Someone is phoning me back today about gaining access inside the school but they are very doubtful anyone will be able to get in whilst the refurbishment is being carried out. will keep you posted.

So having knocked about 80% of the school down to build a few houses on the site the remaining 20% is being done up

Don't quite see the logic in that but I suppose its better than demolishing the whole lot :unsure:

[DaveH]

Oh no!!! What are they doing digging up the yard and refurbishing You will need to put the whole weight of Sheffield History behind the reason you need to get inside pdq and take photos. Who knows, by the time its been refurbished the quadrangle and the corridors, etc., as we knew them could be gone

There are at least 9 ex Norfolk Students who are members of Sheffield History and have made their affiliation to the school known.

Currently that's more than any other school.

So "the whole weight of Sheffield History" is a fair few members.

[DaveH]

They have just phoned me back and given me the number of the man in charge of the refurbishments but he is not in until this afternoon so i will try him later. I was told they were doubtful i would be able to get internal photos but its worth a try. They cant see a problem taking photos after the refurbishment but they are altering the inside of the place so it could be unrecognisable by then.

Just makes me wonder if the works department / Sheffield Education Committee who own the building ever take their own internal shots for their own records, - and if so is there any way we could get to see them?