Jump to content

Hollinsend Recreation Ground


DaveH

Recommended Posts

Madannie/Touche

My aunt is married to one Mr Iosson's sons. You'll be pleased to hear he's still alive - 5 years off his century not bad for a chap who flew sorties over Arnhem 60 years ago! :)

And it must be later than 1946 because my aunt says he was out in Burma in 1946!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sadly not very safe places any longer !

http://www.thestar.co.uk/headlines/Boy-14-...city.5378125.jp

Unfortunately and even more sadly this is not an isolated incident.

At least 2 of the parks 4 entrances cannot be closed off at night and gangs of youths regularly congregate in the park near the childrens playground. The path which I have previously described as a short cut from Ridgeway Road to Ridgehill Avenue is certainly NOT safe to use at night.

A few years ago some locals playing in the park found some discarded hypodermic needles which is even more disturbing about what must have been going on in there.

Finally, I am sure this is NOT a localised problem and that things like this are happening in ALL our parks across the City.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello DaveH, now, as far as I can think back.....! If you stand on Hollinsend Road facing the school, the gennel is on the left, just about where you took the above photo (left one). The plaque was on your right on the school wall. I think it was brass, with an engraving or lettering saying that Mr Spurr, headmaster, was killed outside the school. It may have been....the late sixties is the best I can do I'm afraid. If it was brass, especially nowadays, it would have been stolen ages ago, sadly. I think he was a very tall thin person with a bald head. Something tells me somewhere that this was the reason for having the lollipop lady on Hollinsend Road at the junction with Jaunty Lane. The 'orchard' as we called it, was across the road before the middle school was built. We used to go across there for science lessons and make clay dams and waterwheels in the stream that ran through it. If you need any more I'll dredge the old brains. Thanks for the photos you posted, I enjoyed seeing them. Its all changed now. It was unimaginable that the bowling greens would have to be completely fenced off for their own safety! Back to the gennel by the school, 'Little Plum' lived on the first house to the left of it (if you are facing the park). He'll be long gone by now. Thanks.

I intend doing a similar thread on Jaunty Park as I promised Stuart0742 that I would. Jaunty is the area on the other side of Hollinsend Road where the orchard was and the Juniour School now stands. When I go down to do this park I will look out for the memorial plaque and report back here in the Hollinsend thread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to Pauline Shearstone's book Old Gleadless, Mr Spir (spelt that way twice in the book) was killed on 30th October 1964. There is a picture in this book, thought to be from 1946 (and certainly before 1949) of the school staff, one of whom is Mr Iosson. No wonder he seemed old to me when I was there in the early seventies!

Many thanks to Touche, madannie and Dunsbyowl for their contributions here.

When I brought up the subject of Gleadless School previously in a thread called "those Gleadless pictures" I didn't get that many replies about it, but now that the same subject as been raised again as an aside to Hollinsend Park we are starting to get a bit of information about the history and characters that worked and attended the school over the years. As I am also keen to do a "Sheffield Schools" thing for Sheffield History this is just the sort of thing we need, - not just for Gleadless but all the Sheffield schools, information which actually gives you a feel for what the place was actually like in the past.

Again, thanks for all contributions to the topics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I intend doing a similar thread on Jaunty Park as I promised Stuart0742 that I would. Jaunty is the area on the other side of Hollinsend Road where the orchard was and the Juniour School now stands. When I go down to do this park I will look out for the memorial plaque and report back here in the Hollinsend thread.

Been down this morning to get some pictures of Jaunty.

No sign of any memorial plaque on the school walls.

I can't even see signs of one being there (screw holes, rectangular discolouration on stonework or green verdigris stain from brass)

However the wall into the park shows lots of evidence of graffiti and vandalism.

Perhaps it has been stolen for its scrap metal value.

At best it has hopefully been removed to a safer and more secure place inside the school as it would represent an important part of the schools history.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest skeets

Not only is there the stream but other areas of the park are notorious for becoming muddy and marshy and staying that way for a long time after the weather has improved, a major reason for not building on it.

At the southern (Hollinsend Road) end of the park which is the lowest part of the hills gradient there is evidence of drainage not for the stream but for run off from the land.

A very interesting post Dave,l lived a stones throw from here just up Norton Ave, but you have told me much more than l knew existed there, Cheers Skeets.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A very interesting post Dave,l lived a stones throw from here just up Norton Ave, but you have told me much more than l knew existed there, Cheers Skeets.

Thanks skeets, glad you enjoyed the posts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks skeets, glad you enjoyed the posts.

A nice floral border display on the driveway from Ridgeway Road to the bowling greens.

This picture was taken from roughly the same place as those in post #2

The council depot for parks and recreation is just on the other side of the path (see post #3) so we always get a good display here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some advertised activities which still take place in the park sports pavillion

Of course theirs the local bowling club (BC) which has been there since 1932, about the time the estate, and possibly therefore the park itself, first appeared.

A pre school play group and creche. Now how many parks have one of those?

Noticed all these signs at the Ridgeway Road entrance near the church.

Also noticed they call it Hollinsend Park rather than Hollinsend Recreation Ground as was questioned in an earlier posting in this thread.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As the weather has been rather wet this week and it has rained to the extent that wayneybabes who works under the Wicker Arches is in fear of another 2007 flood I decided not to go out on a "where has DaveH been this week" tour of Sheffield as it was still slinging it down with rain.

Instead, when it finally stopped raining for a short while I decided to take the dog for a walk around Hollinsend Park.

The ground was well saturated with water. Certain areas of the park can remain like this even in dry spells due to those underground streams.

Interestingly there was so much ground water that the stream, which can dry out completely, was full and spilling out onto the footpath making it like a little river to walk through. This flowing water was following the path of the stream, even along its hidden, underground route so revealing the exact path of a stream which is not even there in the summer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fortunately today is the first day of the school Christmas holidays.

Fortunately because of the heavy snowfall yesterday I could have been facing the prospects of having to drive through it into the middle of Derbyshire.

I had enough of trying to do that last February spending hours just to go a few miles.

This morning I took the dog out around Hollinsend Park instead.

Six months after my original postings, taken in the height of summer last June the park now looks very different.

Main entrance near church, Ridgeway Road

Bowling green

View across field towards Ridgehill Avenue

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some views of the childrens amusements for comparison with the summer ones.

Note that its the school holidays, its freezing cold, its about half past ten and theres not a kid in sight lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Note that its the school holidays, its freezing cold, its about half past ten and theres not a kid in sight lol

Kids around our way were out and about though, near their homes rather than the park.

And some of them were pretty good at building these excellent snowmen.

Bearing in mind that the total amount of snow was paerhaps only 2 or 3 inches they did well to get these built within a few hours of it falling.

A snowman and his snowdog on Ridgeway Road

Brilliant snowman built by some young children, - NOT their parents!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

regarding the stream that runs through the park, I have a feeling that it was some form of old boundary line before the park was built. I may be totally wrong, this is just a spur of the moment feeling after reading this latest post. Please excuse any innacuracies!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

regarding the stream that runs through the park, I have a feeling that it was some form of old boundary line before the park was built. I may be totally wrong, this is just a spur of the moment feeling after reading this latest post. Please excuse any innacuracies!

Depends what sort of boundary we are talking about Touche

Up until the 1930's when the estate was built all this area was farmland anyway.

The stream could easily have provided the boundary between 2 farms or even 2 fields on the same farm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was wrong about the stream being a boundary.....I'll get my coat.......however, the footpaths are old ones, particularly the one that runs below the old pavillion area as is shown on this map. It runs from Ridgeway Road across to Ridgehill

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was wrong about the stream being a boundary.....I'll get my coat.......however, the footpaths are old ones, particularly the one that runs below the old pavillion area as is shown on this map. It runs from Ridgeway Road across to Ridgehill

Don't know how old your map is touche but it doesn't seem to have Gleadless School (1884) on it. The stream runs along the western side of it.

However, looking at those field boundaries, that one with a bend in it instead of being dead straight which is just to the right of the word "common" in Gleadless common would be at the location of the stream.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest stradlad

I'm pretty sure that during the 1950s Sunday Schools used to gather there on Whit Sunday. I can remember as a young lad walking in a procession from Richmond Methodist/ Wesleyan Church all the way down Richmond Rd along Woodhouse Rd, Mansfield (Birley Moor) Rd, along Newlands rd to Ridgeway then down to Hollinsend Rec. Not bad for someone who'se been living in Canada for the last 40 yrs, eh? Two Sunday School students holding a banner led the procession, pastor alongside, kids and parents two abreast behind them. When we got to the Ground, we were joined by other Sunday School contingents. Same thing used to happen in Norfolk Park. Anyone else recall the Hollinsend Whit Sunday gatherings? Happy New Yr everyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm pretty sure that during the 1950s Sunday Schools used to gather there on Whit Sunday. I can remember as a young lad walking in a procession from Richmond Methodist/ Wesleyan Church all the way down Richmond Rd along Woodhouse Rd, Mansfield (Birley Moor) Rd, along Newlands rd to Ridgeway then down to Hollinsend Rec. Not bad for someone who'se been living in Canada for the last 40 yrs, eh? Two Sunday School students holding a banner led the procession, pastor alongside, kids and parents two abreast behind them. When we got to the Ground, we were joined by other Sunday School contingents. Same thing used to happen in Norfolk Park. Anyone else recall the Hollinsend Whit Sunday gatherings? Happy New Yr everyone.

Probably right stradlad.

As a kid I can remember being in my dads car being driven past the park to visit my grandad at Herdings for a Whit Bank Holiday visit and noticing large crowds at Hollinsend Park. This would have been in the early 1960's when the park really was a park with plenty of attractions and sporting activities still taking place on a regular basis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

what a wonderful and memory provoking post, thank you! Jigink, I remember those prefab huts as classrooms, we were taught by Mr Iosson, always dressed in a tweed suit it seemed. Back to the park, I remember playing up at the top of the park in the wooden hut. Probably around '67-'70. The main Pavillion was wooden and always reeked of wood preservative each summer. When it was hot we'd queue round the water fountain around the back. There were two bowling greens, one slightly higher than the other, one being a crown green pitch I think. In hot weather spectators sat all around the greens wearing hats made up from newspapers. There was one particular bowler who was 'legendary' to us little 'uns. Little Plum was our nickname for him, I think he lived just by the entrance to the park on Hollinsend Road next to what was then Gleadless County School. DaveH, is there still a plaque on that entrance to commemorate the death of the Headmaster, Mr Spurr, who was killed there after being knocked down by a car? As for the portacabin type classrooms in the park, I remember a particularly violent teacher called Mr Thraves. He would belt you at a moments notice! We used to call him 'Ralph' as he had a remarkable resemblance (or so we thought back then) to Ralph Coates who played for Burnley then Spurs and had a shock of red hair in a comb over. I'm rambling on now, but good to hear about the park. Its probably much worse for wear now sadly but we had happy days there. Many thanks

Well it's taken some time but I have found a photo of the prefab class rooms pity about the boy in the way (yes it's me) It looks like a hedge between me and the path round the building.

jiginc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The childrens playground has consisted of, for many years

A set of Juvenille swings

A small slide

A set of swings

So, new for 2010, Hollinsend Recreation Ground gets some new attractions

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, new for 2010, Hollinsend Recreation Ground gets some new attractions

So lets have a look at what we have got now, -

A walking treadmill, - walk all day and get nowhere

A novelty see-saw, with proper seats

Don't know what this is, but clearly designed for you to fall off and hurt yourself

Another treadmill walking thing

Amazingly this little collection DOUBLES the number of childrens amusements in the park in one go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So lets have a look at what we have got now, -

A walking treadmill, - walk all day and get nowhere

A novelty see-saw, with proper seats

Don't know what this is, but clearly designed for you to fall off and hurt yourself

Another treadmill walking thing

Amazingly this little collection DOUBLES the number of childrens amusements in the park in one go.

Of course the original amusements are still there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course the original amusements are still there.

I noticed in the picture of the original amusements rhat the roundabout was missing.

Probably removed for reasons to do with health and safety.

However, no longer a roundabout it has now been replaced with this raised, inclined soft ring thing :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...