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Redgates


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The sign for Beatties was Yellow, Black and White as far as I can remember

As for redgates - I'm trying to think of what the sign was like

I'm sure it was a huge red farm gate logo on the front of the store about halfway up ?

errrrr......Admin........perhaps you ought to take a look at the Photo that YOU put up as the start off to this thread

This is a picture of model train wagon....with the Redgates sign and logo clearly seen (Incidentally a photo I originally downloaded from Ebay and sent to the 'other' Sheffield Forum)

Get a grip lad....

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ha ha ha !!

I should slow down - I'm flying at full speed at the moment flicking between websites like this one, sheffieldreviews.co.uk, and sheffielders.co.uk

I wouldn't make so many errors if I chilled out a little !

The picture above is the exact Redgates sign - doh !

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Hello I love all this nostalgia!

Being from Rotherham, my brother and I were allowed to come 'Up Sheff' and spend our birthday/Christmas/Easter money in Redgates-for us it was a complete day out! This was the mid-80s and so Transformers and Sindy dolls were the order of the day. I think the prospect of coming up to the city was more exciting than Christmas itself! Now that I live in Sheffield I go past Sunwin House trying to figure out exactly how it looked so the sooner someone finds an old photo the better!

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Guest sheffsteel

This thread is bringing a smile to my face.

I must agree that Redgates (logo was a red gate) was a magical almost mythical place.

There wasn't really any specialist toy shops in them days. You would just find small toy sections

in department stores or in the market.

However Redgates had a similiar stock to the current ToysRus shop.

Basically Redgates was 20 years before its time and the sheer level of choice just blew you away.

I remember Subbuteo being really big in the late 70's.

Suggs used to have a decent stock/ choice, but when you went to Redgates they had the whole catalogue.

They had just about every single football team in stock and all the extra's (floodlights, stadiums etc).

As a child you could spend almost a hour just looking around Redgates.

It was probably the most famous and best known shop to children.

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What was it about Redgates that created the magic though ?

I'm sure kids won't remember Toysrus as fondly

Was it that there were loads of smaller items at Redgates that you could pick up and play with that didn't cost a lot ?

I remember things like marbles, plastic spiders, cap guns etc - none of them in packets - just in big drums or clear plastic containers that you could rummage about in

Also - staircases, other floors and other aspects of the Redgates layout would have helped create the magic..

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Guest sheffsteel

I agree ToysRus will never have the same magic because children are now use to higher levels of choice.

Also the presentation of ToyRus is pretty drab and unromantic.

Its basically a single floor warehouse with everything on view and piled high.

Its somewhere just to buy goods, the shopping experience is irrelevant these days for most busineses.

Redgates use to tease you because only little bits of the shop were introduced at a time.

The shop had a basement, ground, first and second floor (although I remember the 2nd floor only sold

bikes and prams and hardly any toys, it had a different atmosphere compared to the other floors)

I also agree the shop used to sell weird novelty style toys every now and then, so it was somewhere

that was worth visiting on a regular basis just to see if they had any new toys.

It was definately worth visiting the place even if you had no intentions of buying anything and you cant

say that about many shops.

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Has anyone asked The Star and/or the Archives about photos of Redgates ? (obvious really, just asking the question)

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It was also Quadrant Stationers, but don't know whether that was before or after Universal. One of them had a large poster department - downstaoits and to the left, that took up nearly the whole side of the shop.

OK, so replying to my own post ...

but I think it was Lonsdale Universal, not Universal Stationers, and that would then have been before Quadrant.

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Guest shezza91

I always used to get my subbuteo from there.

If I remember correctly all board games, subbuteo etc. were on the lower floor, and sportswear, footie boots etc was on the top floor.

Redgates was the best thing about going into town.

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Guest tsavo

There is one of the Redgates that was on the Moor, following it being bombed, on Picture Sheffield.

As I remember the history of Redgates (I once read a load of info about it somewhere on the net) it started on The Moor and moved once or twice before settling where Sunwin House now is?

I'll try and find more info..

It would seem that Redgates has had 3 locations:

1) Bottom of Ecclesall Road (when Ecclesall Road met The Moor, London Road, Cemetary Road and St. Mary's Gate with a roundabout - Redgates was a little way away from the junction)

2) Near top of Moor (Where Sports Soccer currently occupies, opposite Debenhams)

3) Furnival Gate (Where Sunwin House now occupies)

It was a family business for some years until a gentleman bought it in the 30's - he was the chap responsible for it moving up the bomb-damaged Moor during the rebuilding process and turning it into the much grander scale that is remembered by many a kid-at-heart now.

I'll try and find out more...

This is Redgates, 5 to 7, The Moor after bombing. Sorry it's not the one we're all looking for but will keep on searching.

Picture Sheffield Image

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You know, on this forum and the other one (Sheffield Forum) whenever the topic of this store is raised it attracts no end of comment.

I think I am right in saying that when the other forum asked for memories of Sheffield, Redgates came out on top by a long way, and yet, no-one has managed to show a decent photograph, of either of the two well remembered sites (top of Moor and Furnival Gate) and I think I may know the reason.......

Shoot me down in flames please if you don'tr agree, cus I am just as eager to see a pic - especially one of the Moor shop.

IT WAS A TOY SHOP!!!

Not a historic building - or a landmark - or a park - or a railway station - or department store - or a cinema/theatre - public building - museum etc etc etc

It was toy shop for kids - kids who at the time probably never owned a camera and anyway would not realise how special this shop would become later in life, as far as memories are concerned.

.....and how many dad's or mum's would be carrying a camera when taking their children to the place, and if they were - would they waste a precious (and in those days relatively expensive) shot on a toy shop?

It is only in later life, those kids who now remember Redgates with all these fond memories want to see it again - my guess, cruel as it may be, is that there is'nt one....at least not from the publc domain. It may be possible that the 'Star' has one in their archives or the council, for some reason.

Don't often play devils advovate but what do others think? - please tell me my train of thought is wrong, because, like I said I would dearly, dearly love to see just one pic of the shop at the Top of the Moor

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Guest tsavo

You're probably right, Docmel. Makes sense to me. I don't have access to my 'Old Sheffield' books from here and assume they've already been checked anyway. Certainly Googling has failed as I've spent hours trying that along with everyone else. Maybe if we nipped into the old Town Hall police box.....?

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I don't think anyone would particularly have just stood and taken a shot of Redgates as like Docmel says it was just a shop.

My hopes is that either an advertising photograph exists where maybe a shot was taken for an advertisement, flyer, poster etc or even that it is featured in a picture of something or someone else in the background ?

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Guest transit

I don't think anyone would particularly have just stood and taken a shot of Redgates as like Docmel says it was just a shop.

My hopes is that either an advertising photograph exists where maybe a shot was taken for an advertisement, flyer, poster etc or even that it is featured in a picture of something or someone else in the background ?

I have a book with the Redgates shop by the side of two trams (THE shop on the Moor!) but dont know how to submit as regards copyright ect.... Also found another showing the hexagon display cabinet just outside the main doorways- which ,like most stores, were set back from the main"display windows" either side ----- going on to the next store on Arundel Gate-(now Sunwin House) ((late 70s?)) can anyone remember the Ferrari replica which was in the window prior to Christmas costing back then around 10 Grand! It was around 8 foot long and a a perfect copy of the real thing,but smaller, and like the real car-out of reach for the general public, but again, drew in the crowds for weeks ,- WHICH MAKE LIFETIME MEMORIES -something which the" today " toy shops (Toys r us!!!!!!!) would,nt even think about!

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Guest cheekymonkey

I have a book with the Redgates shop by the side of two trams (THE shop on the Moor!) but dont know how to submit as regards copyright ect.... Also found another showing the hexagon display cabinet just outside the main doorways- which ,like most stores, were set back from the main"display windows" either side ----- going on to the next store on Arundel Gate-(now Sunwin House) ((late 70s?)) can anyone remember the Ferrari replica which was in the window prior to Christmas costing back then around 10 Grand! It was around 8 foot long and a a perfect copy of the real thing,but smaller, and like the real car-out of reach for the general public, but again, drew in the crowds for weeks ,- WHICH MAKE LIFETIME MEMORIES -something which the" today " toy shops (Toys r us!!!!!!!) would,nt even think about!

what is the name of the book? it should have the photographers name somewhere in it? If we have this then posting the pictures shouldnt be a problem as we can credit the photos to the photographer.

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Guest cheekymonkey

meanwhile here it is finally a photo of redgates........

please excuse the very very bad photoshopping he he

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Could this be "The Photo" most of use are waiting for?

It's good, very good, I thought the sign was underneath the balcony ....

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Guest transit

Found the tram picture in the book - can someone please tell me how to post it on this site! thanks.

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Guest cheekymonkey

Found the tram picture in the book - can someone please tell me how to post it on this site! thanks.

ok I presume you have a scanner? if so scan the picture save it to a file etc (and remember where you saved it lol)

Then you will have to go to a website called photobucket just click there.

create an account its free and easy.

once you have done that you upload pictures from your pc to the site.

once you have done that the pictures will be stored in "your album" from here you can copy and paste the web url into the add pictures tab in a text box.

confused?

if all else fails pm me and I will send you my email adress for you to send me the pic whicj I will upload for you

cheers

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Guest transit

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_04_2007/post-157-1176455789.jpghttp://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_04_2007/post-157-1176455789.jpghttp://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_02_2007/post-1-1171227183.pnghttp://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_04_2007/post-157-1176455789.jpghttp://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_04_2007/post-157-1176455789.jpg

ok I presume you have a scanner? if so scan the picture save it to a file etc (and remember where you saved it lol)

Then you will have to go to a website called photobucket just click there.

create an account its free and easy.

once you have done that you upload pictures from your pc to the site.

once you have done that the pictures will be stored in "your album" from here you can copy and paste the web url into the add pictures tab in a text box.

confused?

if all else fails pm me and I will send you my email adress for you to send me the pic whicj I will upload for you

cheers

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Guest transit

http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_04_2007/post-157-1176455789.jpghttp://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_04_2007/post-157-1176455789.jpghttp://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_02_2007/post-1-1171227183.pnghttp://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_04_2007/post-157-1176455789.jpghttp://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_04_2007/post-157-1176455789.jpg

Hows that! photo sourced from Sheffield Corporation Tramways by Kenneth Gandy. page 106. Now to find the other photo..........i may be a while!

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At last!!

The first picture I have seen that stirs a memory - thanks to the pic including woolworths next door. It brings back now how busy the moor used to get.

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Guest Noise Heat Power

what is the name of the book? it should have the photographers name somewhere in it? If we have this then posting the pictures shouldnt be a problem as we can credit the photos to the photographer.

WARNING: As I understand it, just crediting a photographer's name doesn't automatically make it OK to post their photographs. The photographer in question may think it's fine, but that's up to them. (Though in practice, they'll probably never know anyway). I just mention it so that people can be aware of the fact - copyright belongs to the photographer until they decide to assign it to someone else, and technically, they are the only ones who can decide how and where their pictures appear, credit or no credit.

If any lawyers on here know better, please feel free to correct me! :rolleyes:

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