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Arbourthorne Playing Fields


DaveH

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Another photo I found in my collection of the pond in 1980.

Thanks for posting that History Dude.

Nice to see the 2 Guildford tower blocks in the background, - makes me feel at home.

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I love the photo of the Abourthorne pond it looks good and although I lived on the Norfolk Park estate for five years I can't remember ever having seen it.. Richmond pond was never that good, I can remember in the 50s it was fenced off completely and I can never remember seeing any fish in it.. Lots of frogs though and in mating season they used to jump across the road to the Richmond. Later on they opened up the fencing so that you could walk through then it got lots of rubbish dumped in it so sad really. I only wish that I had taken more photo's though when I was younger I must see if my brother has any he was a photographer.

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I love the photo of the Abourthorne pond it looks good and although I lived on the Norfolk Park estate for five years I can't remember ever having seen it..

The Arbourthorne pond is right at the top of Arbourthorne fields and in a hollow on the south side of Eastern Avenue and would not be visible from the Norfolk Park Estate unless you were very high up. Perhaps the 15th floor of the Guildford blocks at the bottom of Northern Avenue / Spring Lane junction would have been hoigh enough some years ago when the tower blocks were there, but otherwise it would be hidden by the terrain and lay of the land.

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Richmond pond was never that good, I can remember in the 50s it was fenced off completely and I can never remember seeing any fish in it.. Lots of frogs though and in mating season they used to jump across the road to the Richmond. Later on they opened up the fencing so that you could walk through then it got lots of rubbish dumped in it so sad really. I only wish that I had taken more photo's though when I was younger I must see if my brother has any he was a photographer.

We drove past Richmond Pond today on our way to the "HAVE YOU" Supermarket at Handsworth

TRANSLATION NOTE ;-

SHEFFIELD DIALECT = ASDA

POSH ENGLISH = HAVE YOU

I had my mobile phone with me to get a picture, but seeing that the grounds around the pond was inhabited by youths in hoodies up to no good I thought better of it!

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We drove past Richmond Pond today on our way to the "HAVE YOU" Supermarket at Handsworth

TRANSLATION NOTE ;-

SHEFFIELD DIALECT = ASDA

POSH ENGLISH = HAVE YOU

I had my mobile phone with me to get a picture, but seeing that the grounds around the pond was inhabited by youths in hoodies up to no good I thought better of it!

Sign of the times it was closed off when we were kids and all we would have done was fish for tadpoles with a jam jar. I used to go to Birley pond to do that wonder I didn't drown I was such a titch. Like your ASDA quote but when I clicked on like it said I had marked my quota of likes for today ????? not done any :wacko:

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Sign of the times it was closed off when we were kids and all we would have done was fish for tadpoles with a jam jar. I used to go to Birley pond to do that wonder I didn't drown I was such a titch. Like your ASDA quote but when I clicked on like it said I had marked my quota of likes for today ????? not done any :wacko:

By "Birley Pond" do you mean the one that I call "Frechville Pond" which is behind Frechville Community Centre?

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Regarding Arbourthorne Pond, some of you may be interested to know that it was owned by Sheffield Parks Department in 1963 and used for Fishing / Recreation of Parks department staff at that time.

I believe that members of the public could buy a licence to fish it.

I was a Park Keeper at that time and we were all issued with a key to the pavilion which contained facilities for Parks Department employees to mash tea & make simple meals etc.

There was also a piano in there and I remember playing on it and generally acting the fool when I went there with some of my workmates.

Not a bad little perk at that time although I wasn't an angler or I would have spent a lot of time there.

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Regarding Arbourthorne Pond, some of you may be interested to know that it was owned by Sheffield Parks Department in 1963 and used for Fishing / Recreation of Parks department staff at that time.

I believe that members of the public could buy a licence to fish it.

I was a Park Keeper at that time and we were all issued with a key to the pavilion which contained facilities for Parks Department employees to mash tea & make simple meals etc.

There was also a piano in there and I remember playing on it and generally acting the fool when I went there with some of my workmates.

Not a bad little perk at that time although I wasn't an angler or I would have spent a lot of time there.

Having worked for the Parks department in the late 70's early 80's it wasn't as 'fun' as that sounds. :mellow:

Staff were busy trying to just the right amount of work to ensure a bonus of around £15 to £20 on top of the normal wage. You had to measure the work done and write it up on a sheet of paper with codes for the work. If you did more than that figure an inspector was sent out to confirm it, which was a hassle and in the work time, so you lost an hour or two going over what you had done with him.

It was harsh for new workers too as they were given 6 months trials, which just happen to coincide with the grass growing season. ;-) Lots of workers set on in March/April and ended in September. However some of the managers were more ruthless than that. And it was a done thing for a person that survived a six month trial and for some reason didn't get on with the local manager, to be transfered to the furthest part of the city in order to get them to leave. This was often succesful as most Recreation workers went to work on the bus or walked. You can imagine someone who lived or worked in the Arbourthorne, not being too happy at going to work in Rivelin :(

I hope they are better these days for staff and I know the six-months trials are gone :mellow:

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By "Birley Pond" do you mean the one that I call "Frechville Pond" which is behind Frechville Community Centre?

I sometimes called it Birley Pond too. Wasn't it one of the ponds that dried up in the summer of 1976?

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Having worked for the Parks department in the late 70's early 80's it wasn't as 'fun' as that sounds. :mellow:

Staff were busy trying to just the right amount of work to ensure a bonus of around £15 to £20 on top of the normal wage. You had to measure the work done and write it up on a sheet of paper with codes for the work. If you did more than that figure an inspector was sent out to confirm it, which was a hassle and in the work time, so you lost an hour or two going over what you had done with him.

It was harsh for new workers too as they were given 6 months trials, which just happen to coincide with the grass growing season. ;-) Lots of workers set on in March/April and ended in September. However some of the managers were more ruthless than that. And it was a done thing for a person that survived a six month trial and for some reason didn't get on with the local manager, to be transfered to the furthest part of the city in order to get them to leave. This was often succesful as most Recreation workers went to work on the bus or walked. You can imagine someone who lived or worked in the Arbourthorne, not being too happy at going to work in Rivelin :(

I hope they are better these days for staff and I know the six-months trials are gone :mellow:

Shame about the changes on the Parks Dept - It was a much better dept to work for in the sixties.

The only drawback was that, apart from a skeleton staff, most left their park and went onto the gangs for the winter - that being the reason why I eventually decided to leave.

After many years of improvements to the working man's terms & conditions, it seems the clock has now wound back again.

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Regarding Arbourthorne Pond, some of you may be interested to know that it was owned by Sheffield Parks Department in 1963 and used for Fishing / Recreation of Parks department staff at that time.

I believe that members of the public could buy a licence to fish it.

I was a Park Keeper at that time and we were all issued with a key to the pavilion which contained facilities for Parks Department employees to mash tea & make simple meals etc.

There was also a piano in there and I remember playing on it and generally acting the fool when I went there with some of my workmates.

Not a bad little perk at that time although I wasn't an angler or I would have spent a lot of time there.

Welcome to Sheffield History organgrinder and thank you for your input into this topic.

It's not often we come across people who have actually worked in the locations we are discussing and may have "inside knowledge" about them.

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By "Birley Pond" do you mean the one that I call "Frechville Pond" which is behind Frechville Community Centre?

No it was near birley spa somewhere near Hackenthorpe ? I am going to have to find a map now unless anybody from that area remembers it I am after all going back 60 years. I do remember the one at Frechville though and men fishing there.

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No it was near birley spa somewhere near Hackenthorpe ? I am going to have to find a map now unless anybody from that area remembers it I am after all going back 60 years. I do remember the one at Frechville though and men fishing there.

Birley Spa is down near Hackenthorpe.

Perhaps Stuart0742 and Vox will know more about that one than me.

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The football field nearest Northern Avenue.

This pitch was sometimes used by our school, Norfolk which is only 2 streets away. I don't know why we did this as we had a good field on site.

The Northern Avenue pitch once had its own pavillion and changing rooms with a small car park. Sadly these too have gone due to crime.

The "top pitch" on Eastern Avenue is used by a Sunday League team called "Arbourthorne EA" (I assume the EA stands for Eastern Avenue). Once went to watch them with my dad one Sunday morning in the late 1960's only to see them lose 32 -5

The lowest pitch was also used by a Sunday morning pub team from the Fellbrigg, just off the north west corner of the field. I still have a silent 8mm film of them playing a match one Sunday morning in 1984,- great views of Norfolk Park estate tower blocks in the background. Anyone know how to convert and upload an 8mm film all within our 2Mb limit?

Ironically all of these pictures were taken on a Sunday morning.

OK so its out of season for football, but even so, not a soul in sight.

Perhaps everyone had gone to one of the many "boozers turn church" just down the hill on the Norfolk Park Estate.

Taken today,

A football match in progress on Arbourthorne Field.

I don't know which teams were playing and there seems to be only a few spectators, but at least the field is still being used for its intended purpose.

i didn't stay around to watch the match. ask questions or take more pictures as it had been a very cold frosty night, and the wind blows very cold across the upper Arbourthorne field, even more so now that the prefabs and maisonettes higher up have gone.

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I don't know which teams were playing and there seems to be only a few spectators, but at least the field is still being used for its intended purpose.

i didn't stay around to watch the match, ask questions or take more pictures as it had been a very cold frosty night, and the wind blows very cold across the upper Arbourthorne field, even more so now that the prefabs and maisonettes higher up have gone.

A bit of research on the Internet shows that both Arbourthorne EA and Arbourthorne Hotel are in the Meadiowhall and Sheffield District Sunday Football League.

The home ground of Arbourthorne EA is, suprisingly, the University sports ground!! (Seems a long way from the Arbourthorne, and doesn't EA stand for Eastern Avenue, which is where Arbourthorne Playing Fields is?)

However, the home ground of Arbourthorne Hotel IS Arbourthorne Playing Fields.

I can't find an up to date fixtures list though, the most recent offering on the Internet seems to be a couple of seasons out of date.

It's a challenge now to find out who were playing on the field today.

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I noticed that the Home Page of that Jade Orient site has some interior shots of the restraunt.

That's the interior of the old Vulcan to you and me.

I suppose those pictures will please Suzy so that I won't have to go around there with a camera pretending to buy the place!

Dont you believe it! OK - so you dont have to pretend to go and buy the place anymore but have you been in and tried the food yet and taken some internal shots of the establishment? B)

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Dont you believe it! OK - so you dont have to pretend to go and buy the place anymore but have you been in and tried the food yet and taken some internal shots of the establishment? B)

Not been in and tried the food yet.

It may be a while as most closed pubs around here seem to turning into restraunts these days.

As for pictures of the internal decor, I'll stick with the professionally done pictures on their website for now.

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Not been in and tried the food yet.

It may be a while as most closed pubs around here seem to turning into restraunts these days.

As for pictures of the internal decor, I'll stick with the professionally done pictures on their website for now.

And are all the restaurants thriving then?

I couldnt see any internal shots when I went on a few days ago, but will have another look (probably having a blonde moment). :wacko:

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And are all the restaurants thriving then?

I couldnt see any internal shots when I went on a few days ago, but will have another look (probably having a blonde moment). :wacko:

You are right suzy.

Since I posted that link to the JADE ORIENT restauraunt (aka "The Vulcan") last April they have redesigned their site and the interior photos seem to have been removed.

The link does still work though

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You are right suzy.

Since I posted that link to the JADE ORIENT restauraunt (aka "The Vulcan") last April they have redesigned their site and the interior photos seem to have been removed.

The link does still work though

Thank goodness for that - thought it was me going crazy :wacko: Seems strange that they would want to remove the internal shots though. If anyone out there visits, can they please get some internal photos - I am intrigued as to what it looks like now on the inside.

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Thank goodness for that - thought it was me going crazy :wacko: Seems strange that they would want to remove the internal shots though. If anyone out there visits, can they please get some internal photos - I am intrigued as to what it looks like now on the inside.

No plans to go there for a meal at present.

I think the fact that they have updated the site to include more menus and business details indicates that they are doing quite well.

The internal shots previously on the site showed the place pristine and new, clearly taken early on probably before it opened to the public.

I seem to remember it showed tables with that large angled viewing window that looks out over Arbourthorne playing fields in the background.

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No plans to go there for a meal at present.

I think the fact that they have updated the site to include more menus and business details indicates that they are doing quite well.

The internal shots previously on the site showed the place pristine and new, clearly taken early on probably before it opened to the public.

I seem to remember it showed tables with that large angled viewing window that looks out over Arbourthorne playing fields in the background.

Good to hear that a business is doing well these days :) Its good that the viewing window has remained - remember looking out of that on many an occasion. When I am next visiting Sheffield I will try and make a point of going and having a look but if anyone is there in the interim please post some pics.

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Good to hear that a business is doing well these days :) Its good that the viewing window has remained - remember looking out of that on many an occasion. When I am next visiting Sheffield I will try and make a point of going and having a look but if anyone is there in the interim please post some pics.

Wouldn't like to say exactly how well their business is doing.

To me it is in the wrong location for a restraunt, - but they do do take aways as well and that may be a big part of their sales.

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Its good that the viewing window has remained - remember looking out of that on many an occasion.

It seems that the viewing window over Arbourthorne playing fields has actually gone and been replaced with 2 smaller windows.

View from Northern Avenue

View from Algar Place

This "refurbishment" (loss of the window) may be why that particular interior shot is no longer on their website.

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It seems that the viewing window over Arbourthorne playing fields has actually gone and been replaced with 2 smaller windows.

View from Northern Avenue

View from Algar Place

This "refurbishment" (loss of the window) may be why that particular interior shot is no longer on their website.

Oh what a shame :( I would have thought the viewing window over the playing fields had it remained, would have been a talking point for those of us who remember it from The Vulcan days and something different for newcomers. Seems really boring replacing it with those windows shown in your pic.

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