Friends' Gallery Picture of the Month - October 2020

[Reckless Rat]

Howard, if it's any help this photo was probably taken from the Sheffield Telegraph and Star offices, looking up Fargate towards the Goodwin fountain and the Town hall on Pinstone St (the tower in the distance). If you can remember The Hole in the Road roundabout and subway from the Full Monty days, the Sheffield Telegraph office was opposite Walsh's department store just up the hill from the hole in the road.

[Tony Griffiths]

I just love that photo Mike. You are not kidding Bob, in the 1960s I ran a RN saloon and became quite used to it's handling, participatory on a local roundabout, then mother got a Ford Pop which on one occasion I had to collect and I nearly lost on that roundabout, their handling was diabolical.

The only car in which I have ever been frightened was a Ford Pop, that the driver of which was attempting to press on. Unsuccessfully. I remember as a child in the 1950s thinking, "I can't believe that people actually buy those ancient-looking things."

[Howard Wright]

Thanks Reckless

I can remember the hole in the road roundabout (although it was not a place to be caught out in late at night!). So I’ve got my bearings.  I remember the city hall fountains and the rag week trick of tipping a bag of potassium permanganate in the water to turn them blue  .

Cheers

Howard

[Tony Griffiths]

Most notable of all is the available parking, free and probably with no time limit!.

In Sheffield, until the very early 1970s, if I recall, one could just park on "The Moor", go into a shop or restaurant and just not be bothered about a time limit. In those days we probably spent 80% of our disposable income in the city centre. Today, 0%.

[Mike Costigan]

... What is the car behind the Seven? Is it an Austin 8? Looks post war.

I agree, it could well be an Austin Eight, or a Ten or Twelve, all were introduced in 1939 under Leonard Lord's regime, but enlarging the original, I think it's actually a 1937/8 Hillman Minx.

[Bob Culver]

Yes Mike, the Minx was my first reaction but always considered them post war. Always struck me as very neat car whereas the previous Minx's always seemed scruffy.
Appears little activity to warrant police direction; very rarely seen now and neither the cops or the drivers know the conventions. Now I would be terrified of being deliberately run down. They used to note number plates of miscreants by chalking on the road. Trams were a worry for motorists as never sure where they were going. If a very busy route perhaps his function. In narrow streets here oncoming trams would in selected places switch from the other side of the road; very disconcerting. My father used to tell of following a tram; at points the front went one way and the back the other, nearly tipping it. The driver called them over to witness a tennis ball wedged in the points.

[Mick Hobday]

There was a man with the same message on a similar sandwich board still hanging around there in 1967!
No one has come up with date for this photo. On the evidence of the cars on view I'm guessing it to be post war, about 1949?
Tony, Sheffield city centre's streets were lined with parking meters from about 1965 but there was no charge to park after 6pm.

[Dave Wortley]

Tony,
Can’t make out the reg number on my ipad and we will never know possibly unless someone clever (hint) who can improve the quality. My dad worked in town and used to park in the middle of a narrow lane outside his workplace. Can you imagine that now? The tram coming down Fargate could be the same one in which I travelled to school as they were still in use up to 1960. We schoolboys used to love swapping the seats round to face backwards as we alighted from the tram. When we went to the school field on the tram another naughty trick was to jump on the warning of approach floor mounted bell push as we got off. The conductor would put his foot over this to stop us but then he usually got his foot trodden upon. Oh happy days!

[Parazine]

PS my first car was a 1956 Ford 100E prefect and as I recall it’s handling (with Macfearsome struts) was acceptable so things had obviously moved on by then!

I think it's the Ford 8 model Y derived cars that had diabolical handling, with transverse leaf springs front and rear. These included the model Y, model CX 10, 7Y, 7W, E93A, E493A, E04A, E494A and 103E. All basically early 1930's designs, in continuous production up to 1959!
The 100E, although retaining the 1172cc sidevalve Ford 10 engine (with modifications) and 3 speed gearbox, was essentially a post war car. Finally got a modern OHV engine in 1959, I remember one of my fellow apprentices had one that had a 1500cc Cortina engine installed and went like the clappers!

I'll take off my Ford anorak and go away......

[Mike Costigan]

... No one has come up with date for this photo. On the evidence of the cars on view I'm guessing it to be post war, about 1949?

Do any of you Sheffieldites recognise the buildings on the left along Fargate?



  14_14_01_18_12_14_59 copy (2).jpg (Size: 54.33 KB / Downloads: 111) I believe this very ornate Victorian building was destroyed during the war - certainly the replacement buildings (Marks & Spencer?) went up in the late 1940s or very early 1950s, in which case this photo must date from the late 1930s.