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Jack Clare´s


Guest SuzyC

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If I remember rightly Jack Clare´s driving school was at St Mary´s Gate, opposite the cross roads at the bottom of Shrewsbury Road. (I have Googled this and it is all too confused now, the church looks to be gone completely, is this right??), Anyway they had a little road scene in the grounds to get people started before they took off on the highways and byways. I loved it as a kid, only looking, but what a good idea don´t you think... before letting learners on the real roads. When people became more proficient they went on a sort of treasure hunt, which was popular in those days and ended up having tea and buns somwhere in wildest Derbyshire. Then had to drive all the way back again, ha :huh:

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Blimey - I remember seeing that little "road network" It had a zebra crossing I think.

I'd forgotten all about it, and I certainly wouldn't have known where it was.

I've just given my daughter-in-law her first couple of lessons. We've been using a little industrial estate, early evenings when there's hardly anyone around. It's got a roundabout, hill-start, junctions - everything you need to get started before venturing out into the traffic.

It's a pity they closed Lightwood driver training center. That was ideal.

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I'm sure that I have posted this elsewhere on the forum ..

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Thanks vox,

I don't know why I was searching for that,

as having the YouTube vid in this Topic is better than adding a link to a link.

Yes, I thought that as well but I added the link in case there is anything else mentioned in the other topic.

I was too lazy to check it all.

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If I remember rightly Jack Clare´s driving school was at St Mary´s Gate, opposite the cross roads at the bottom of Shrewsbury Road. (I have Googled this and it is all too confused now, the church looks to be gone completely, is this right??), Anyway they had a little road scene in the grounds to get people started before they took off on the highways and byways. I loved it as a kid, only looking, but what a good idea don´t you think... before letting learners on the real roads. When people became more proficient they went on a sort of treasure hunt, which was popular in those days and ended up having tea and buns somwhere in wildest Derbyshire. Then had to drive all the way back again, ha :huh:

I learned to drive with Ted Black S.O.M. and was taught by Ted Black himself.

At the time he was quite elderly and fast approaching retirement.

He lived at Gleadless Townend and living nearby thats how I got to know him and basically he was working from home.

BUT, I seem to remember as a kid he had business premises in one of the arches of Midland Station on Sheaf Street.

Is this just a vague rememberance confused with something else or can anyone else remember it?

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I learned to drive with Ted Black S.O.M. and was taught by Ted Black himself.

At the time he was quite elderly and fast approaching retirement.

He lived at Gleadless Townend and living nearby thats how I got to know him and basically he was working from home.

BUT, I seem to remember as a kid he had business premises in one of the arches of Midland Station on Sheaf Street.

Is this just a vague rememberance confused with something else or can anyone else remember it?

Yes he did have an office in the arches on Sheaf St.

Courtesy of google SV

Not sure which arch

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Yes he did have an office in the arches on Sheaf St.

Courtesy of google SV

Not sure which arch

No, I'm not sure which arch it was now but that is the exact location I was thinking of.

I didn't imagine it then!

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Blimey - I remember seeing that little "road network" It had a zebra crossing I think.

I'd forgotten all about it, and I certainly wouldn't have known where it was.

I've just given my daughter-in-law her first couple of lessons. We've been using a little industrial estate, early evenings when there's hardly anyone around. It's got a roundabout, hill-start, junctions - everything you need to get started before venturing out into the traffic.

It's a pity they closed Lightwood driver training center. That was ideal.

What a great father in law you are Vox. Are you teaching her in the van??? B)

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No, I'm not sure which arch it was now but that is the exact location I was thinking of.

I didn't imagine it then!

I worked in the last arch furthest from Midland Station,

at the time Ted was in one of the others,

but I can't remember which one.

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What a great father in law you are Vox. Are you teaching her in the van??? B)

It was considered. Either mine or my sons. On the grounds that, by the time she got round to proper lessons, in a real car, it would be easy.

In the meantime they got themselves fixed up with a normal family car as well as his van so we decided to use that for starters.

Having sad that, it's one of those big people carrier things. Not the easiest of vehicles to start off in, but she's coping very well.

We ventured onto the real roads for the first time last night.

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If I remember rightly Jack Clare´s driving school was at St Mary´s Gate, opposite the cross roads at the bottom of Shrewsbury Road. (I have Googled this and it is all too confused now, the church looks to be gone completely, is this right??), Anyway they had a little road scene in the grounds to get people started before they took off on the highways and byways. I loved it as a kid, only looking, but what a good idea don´t you think... before letting learners on the real roads. When people became more proficient they went on a sort of treasure hunt, which was popular in those days and ended up having tea and buns somwhere in wildest Derbyshire. Then had to drive all the way back again, ha :huh:

Can anyone remember the driving school that was based in the little kiosk that stood in Sheaf Street in front of the Midland Station. It must have been there in the mid to late fifties. It was certainly still there when they were demolishing the properties at the back of the station.

I remember as a lad looking around an empty pub with a school pal, it was situated on Granville Street and still had the old mirrors and beer pumps on the bar. Afterwards I remember we left an old pair of brass postal scales that we had found, on the door-handle of the kiosk, presumably because we had got tired of carrying them around. Anyone remember what the driving school was called ?

hilldweller

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Can anyone remember the driving school that was based in the little kiosk that stood in Sheaf Street in front of the Midland Station. It must have been there in the mid to late fifties. It was certainly still there when they were demolishing the properties at the back of the station.

I remember as a lad looking around an empty pub with a school pal, it was situated on Granville Street and still had the old mirrors and beer pumps on the bar. Afterwards I remember we left an old pair of brass postal scales that we had found, on the door-handle of the kiosk, presumably because we had got tired of carrying them around. Anyone remember what the driving school was called ?

hilldweller

I don't remember the the drivig school kiosk HD,

but I remember BR's Enquiry Office

The pub you mention sounds like it could have been the Granville Inn

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I don't remember the the drivig school kiosk HD,

but I remember BR's Enquiry Office

The pub you mention sounds like it could have been the Granville Inn

You can see the driving-school kiosk at the other end of the island behind the Enquiry Office in the photo.It seems to have closed down by the time of the photo. Not sure about the Granville Inn, perhaps it was higher up than Granville Street. It seemed to be on a south corner of a junction and clinging on to the hillside as it were.

HD

PS Now established it was the Norfolk Hotel, South Street, Park, the picture is No. S07009 on Picture Sheffield

HD

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It was considered. Either mine or my sons. On the grounds that, by the time she got round to proper lessons, in a real car, it would be easy.

In the meantime they got themselves fixed up with a normal family car as well as his van so we decided to use that for starters.

Having sad that, it's one of those big people carrier things. Not the easiest of vehicles to start off in, but she's coping very well.

We ventured onto the real roads for the first time last night.

I remember being told when I was learning to learn on the biggest car I could, as it was easier to do that then downsize than start on a mini and move up the scale. In the end I learned on a BSM Escort, so I was somewhere in the middle!

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I'm sure that I have posted this elsewhere on the forum ..

I see the this was another Mottershaw production!

(And not a seatbelt in sight!)

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Can anyone remember the driving school that was based in the little kiosk that stood in Sheaf Street in front of the Midland Station.

Given the location you quote here hilldweller, is it possible that this was also part of Ted Blacks driving school which I mentioned a few posts back?

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Given the location you quote here hilldweller, is it possible that this was also part of Ted Blacks driving school which I mentioned a few posts back?

I think it's quite likely, the kiosk probably sat on railway land and the arches certainly would be.

Possibly it transferred when the island disappeared in the early sixties.

If I ever get down to the local studies I'll have a look in the 60's Kelly's.

HD

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I think it's quite likely, the kiosk probably sat on railway land and the arches certainly would be.

Possibly it transferred when the island disappeared in the early sixties.

If I ever get down to the local studies I'll have a look in the 60's Kelly's.

HD

Here is 1965,

not sure if number 53 was in the arches or not?

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Here is 1965,

not sure if number 53 was in the arches or not?

I can confirm that numbers 53/57 Sheaf Street are the shop-fronts in the railway arches.

I had a look on the council planning applications to confirm this. I think the kiosk would have gone by 1965. Wasn't there a cafe in there at one time, called something like the Copper Kettle ?

HD

It wasn't the Copper Kettle, that was at the bottom of Granville Hill, I'm sure that there was a small cafe in the arches at some time.

HD

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I can confirm that numbers 53/57 Sheaf Street are the shop-fronts in the railway arches.

I had a look on the council planning applications to confirm this. I think the kiosk would have gone by 1965. Wasn't there a cafe in there at one time, called something like the Copper Kettle ?

HD

Yes I remember the Copper Kettle, and it did have a large copper kettle in the window,

it is shown in 1965 as #41 'Oasis Cafe'

I remember a mate and myself once going in and we both ordered a drink and an iced cake, we had just been in the nearby fishing tackle shop for some maggots.

The buns were a bit on the dried out side,

so I stuck my finger in it and then pushed half a dozen or so maggots into the hole.

We then scarpered off up Sheaf Street as fast as we could.

lol

The cafe can be seen here on the L/H side .. picturesheffield

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Yes I remember the Copper Kettle, and it did have a large copper kettle in the window,

it is shown in 1965 as #41 'Oasis Cafe'

I remember a mate and myself once going in and we both ordered a drink and an iced cake, we had just been in the nearby fishing tackle shop for some maggots.

The buns were a bit on the dried out side,

so I stuck my finger in it and then pushed half a dozen or so maggots into the hole.

We then scarpered off up Sheaf Street as fast as we could.

lol

The cafe can be seen here on the L/H side .. picturesheffield

I don't know Steve, even ignoring that other incident involving a window in the Rodley Inn it appears that at one time you were a really naughty boy.

Tricks like that at school would have got you a few whacks off Curly Whitham! lol

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You can see the driving-school kiosk at the other end of the island behind the Enquiry Office in the photo.It seems to have closed down by the time of the photo.

HD

Now that the winter is fast approaching I've been down to the library for a few more books about old Sheffield. One of the books is "Now & Then with Terry Gorman", the then views are his excellent paintings. The "then" view of Sheaf Square shows the smaller kiosk as a news-stand which makes sense. It must have had only a short life as a driving school. Another book by David Richardson and entitled Sheffield Pictorial contains a photo which solves a transport topic which was popular last year. It shows a Rotherham trolleybus No. 39 on loan to Sheffield Tramways in 1912 stood at the junction of High street and Haymarket.

One trolley pole is in use and a skate has been fastened under the front wheels for the return connection. So we did have a trolleybus in Sheffield then !

HD

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It shows a Rotherham trolleybus No. 39 on loan to Sheffield Tramways in 1912 stood at the junction of High street and Haymarket.

One trolley pole is in use and a skate has been fastened under the front wheels for the return connection. So we did have a trolleybus in Sheffield then !

HD

But did I see one in the fifties, or was it all a dream ?

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