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Published: November 6th 2021
Fat As A Butcher's Dog - Street Art
Street Art by Colorarti on Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield We are 12 months on from our last visit to Sheffield. October 2020 and the country was at a turning point. TFB was still experimenting with the Tiers for Fears plan based on geography. South Yorkshire would soon join others in the Tier 3, closing all but essential retail and pubs. Christmas would eventually be literally scrapped. The vibrant area around Eccleshall Road was bizarrely quiet. The optimism that usually comes with an area full of student life was strangely absent 2021 and it was good to see it was back to something more akin to normal. The side streets still showed numerous To Let signs on the terraced properties, but there was plenty of footfall.
The Other Half suggested a coffee intake on parking up, but a close examination showed that the footfall recovery had come too late to offer a reprieve for the Cafe Nero near the Mark's & Spencer foodhall. Closed down and gone. This had potentially more impact than last year, due to the inclusion of our four legged companion. As new dog owners, we are literally adjusting our spending habits to support businesses that will cater for "all the family". There is no show without
punch or in this case, our Vera. A quick hunt for a website promoting "dog friendly" Sheffield soon revealed a good few alternatives to save the day. I read that a figure approaching 30% of all households in the UK now have a canine, so it will be interesting to see how the business community adapt to a whole new raft of pet owners out post-COVID and lockdowns. We were declined entry a well known charity bookshop the other day, but welcomed with open arms at a Waterstones 2 doors away. You can understand that food shops have some obvious legal and health and safety guidance, but is a small Norfolk Terrier really so threatening to a 2nd hand book? I think not! The dog friendly symbols were fortunately on display at the unsurpassed, up market off licence, otherwise known as Craft & Berry. A wide selection of craft ales, local beers and artisan gin great you on the inside. I admit to a weakness for all things Abbeydale and Bradfield. Who would pass on a Farmers Blonde? A cheeky purchase or three was made to savour later. The gin was left for others to enjoy. Don't walk past Number
Still Common - Street Art
Street Art by Bubba on Snuff Mill Lane, Sheffield 369 without paying attention.
The Other Half remains ever so impressed with the range of independent shops thriving here. How many other provincial roads can boast a "specialist Scandi Baby Store"? Snugg. The area is a haven for local Sheffield produce, whether it be hand-made cards or steel. There is a pride in the names. Sheffield Makers. The Famous Sheffield Shop. Vera on the other hand was keen to sample the pork pies on display in a local deli. She sat in the doorway and put on her "I am ever so cute, they're starving me" face for the shop assistants. Ever hopeful. We moved on, but she remembered the smell and would repeat the trick on our reverse walk. We passed takeaways catering to the late night students and an eatery with a Michelin star. The first phase of Eccleshall Road ends at Hunters Bar. The roundabout was originally the site of a toll house to collect the taxes on those using the road from Sheffield to Chapel le Frith. Last orders were called on the tolls on 31 October 1884. Vera had been patiently wandering up to this point and putting into practice all things learned at
Stocksbridge Park Steels v Marske United
Vera wraps up against the cold on Bracken Moor dog school. Kerb. Stop. Sit. Wait for the command to move on. She very much sees the poi t of employing her new found skills in a real world setting, but revels in being at the lower end of the ranking in the classroom setting. She leaves the glory to the Cockapoo and Labradoodle types. The last time I recall being at Hunters Bar was 25 years ago on the Lisburn Road in Belfast. On a side note, l see that has now turned from a pub into a 600 capacity "venue" and been re-christened Cuckoo. This Hunters Bar is the entrance to Endcliffe Park - an area of woodland and parkland, which follows the course of Porter Brook. The park opened in 1887 to coincide with the Jubilee year of Queen Victoria. An imposing statue of monarch stands near the entrance, which apparently was relocated here from Fargate in the city centre. The park is a combination of open grass on the western side and woodland trails climbing on the east side. It was described by Patrick Abercrombie and the finest example of a radial Park strip in the country. There is a view Abercrombie knew a thing or
two about urban planning and went on to play a major part in re-planning of post war cities after bomb damage, including Greater London. However he also had a hand in Harlow and East Kilbride, so there could be alternative opinions.
Endcliffe Park hit the headlines most recently, after it transpired to be the dog walking choice of a certain BBC Breakfast presenter who resides locally. Dan Walker and his canine companion, Winnie, take an afternoon stroll in these parts. Dan's face was plastered on posters down the road, wishing him luck in his current endeavour of learning to be twinkle toes on the current series of Strictly Come Dancing. He championed the efforts of Tony Foulds and his work looking after the Mi Amigo Memorial, which nestled among the trees. The Mi Amigo was a US Air Force B17 Flying Fortress bomber, based with 364 Squadron out of Chelveston, Northamptonshire. On 22 February 1944, Mi Amigo was badly damaged in a raid over Aalborg, Denmark and returning to base. It never made it. At 5 pm that afternoon, the bomber crashed into the trees with all crew lost. The pilot was later awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for
his actions in steering the stricken plane away from local houses and children playing in the park below. Tony Foulds witnessed the crash and expressed a wish to Dan to see a flypast in honour of the crew. The flypast, featuring the USAAF and RAF, took place on 22 February 2019 on the 75th Anniversary of the crash. Thousands watched from the grass below. The event was shown live on the BBC.
We crossed the Porter Brook and walked up to the Memorial. Two simple plaques were added to a large boulder in 1969. The upper plaque states:
Erected by
Sheffield R.A.F. Association
in memory of
the ten crew of U.S.A.A.F. bomber
which crashed in this park
22-2-1944
P-er Ardua Ad Astra
The lower plaque lists the names of the ten crew members.
Lt John Kriegshauser (Pilot)
Lt Lyle Curtis (Co-pilot)
Lt John Whicker Humphrey (Navigator)
Lt Melchor Hernandez (Bomb-aimer)
Sgt Robert Mayfield (Radio operator/log-keeper/photographer)
Sgt Harry Estabrooks (Flight engineer/Top-turret gunner)
Sgt Charles Tuttle (Lower turret gunner)
Sgt
Maurice Robbins (Rear-gunner)
Sgt Vito Ambrosio (Waist-gunner and assistant radio operator)
Sgt George Malcolm Williams (Waist-gunner and assistant flight engineer
Vera made friends with locals, as we skirted the lake. We turned back towards Rustings Road. The trees displayed their finest autumn colours. Children played, oblivious of the air disaster a few metres away in the tree canopy. Saturday morning Park visitors queued for the caffeine injection at the cafe housed in the Old Pavilion.
Hunters Bar was negotiated again and we detoured down Sharrow Vale Road. Street Art is still alive and kicking in the S11 postcode. Jarvis and his Pulp mates are "Still Common" on Snuff Mill Lane, as is the main Phlegm work. In the alley just past the Greedy Greek, Skism has added the Holy Cow. Colorarti has added the Fat As A Butcher's Dog on the adjacent wall. Vera refused to cooperate with a decent photo in front of the latter, given that she doesn't fall into the category. She is neither fat nor owned by a butcher. Mind, both are on the side wall of Ralph Thickett Butchers Shop. She sniffed the air with glee, as
Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield - Street Art
Street Art by Phlegm on Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield we strolled past. Phlegm and Colorarti have other works just along the road. We returned to Eccleshall Road and the car, chancing on Steel Road. All roads once pointed to steel in Sheffield. I wondered why this non-descript row of terraced houses merited the name. Vera was leading the "Real MUFC" Canine Crew at Stocksbridge Park Steels just north of Sheffield at 3 pm. Sheffield Wednesday were playing at home, so there was no time to lose.
The traffic was already building up, as we skirted the city centre. The Supertram criss-crossed the inner ring road, which didn't help. Progress speeded up passing the old barracks, but it was still tedious. Sheffield Wednesday even in their new found lowly status can still draw a crowd. Lincoln City were the visitors and making their first trip to Hillsborough in decades, had prompted thousands of Imps to make the trip to swell the overall attendance. They would go home relatively happy.
The congestion around Hillsborough negotiated, it was a steady journey to Stocksbridge. We arrived in Stocksbridge to find a stream of cars queued outside the car park of the Fox Valley Retail Park. It was a bit different to
Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield - Street Art
Street Art by Phlegm on Skismon Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield last year. The pent up retail demand was much in evidence. It was in stark contrast to the Liberty Steel plant on the opposite side of the roundabout. All quiet there. The world has changed since Samuel Fox established the steelworks in the mid 19th century. The former epicentre of the Paragon steel frames in umbrella mechanisms now pays homage to retail. A bronze statue of "Grandfather Fox", armed with his trusty trolley, points the way. The Other Half covered the retail requirements of the visit and I wandered back up the hill to photograph the Fox Valley Mural and the stainless steel cut out of Samuel Fox.
It was time for football. Marske United, the "Real MUFC", were in town. The recent weeks have been focused on FA Cup glory, which finally came off the rails in midweek at Gateshead just short of the 1st Round. The progress through the Qualifying Rounds had captured the imagination of a small seaside town with a population short of 8,000. Marske took an incredible 555 to the replay at Gateshead. I had not risked taking Vera to the home game for fear of her getting scared or worse, stood on. However,
she was back in situ today as the Lucky Dog - prior to kick off, she had her 100%!r(MISSING)ecord and not seen the team concede. We parked up outside the Eco-Power Environmental Environmental Stadium, aka Bracken Moor. Non League football showing the way ahead of COP 26. Vera looked suspiciously at the Stocksbridge mascot - a Fox - greeting the paying punters coming through the turnstiles. It was £8 on the gate and in a sign of changing times - cash or card was welcome. Non League Dogs were free. Vera settled on to one of the old seats from Hillsborough in the Jamie Vardy Stand for an elevated view. She snuggled into her blanket against the chill. Alas, the FA Cup run had taken a toll on the small Marske squad. They dominated the early exchanges before conceding. The correct order of things was restored with the obligatory goal from Adam Boyes and penalty. It looked like they would see out the game comfortably, but a dubious last minute penalty for handball allowed Stocksbridge to salvage an undeserved point.
Appendix 1 Pitching In Northern Premier League Division 1 (East) Stocksbridge Park Steels FC 2 Marske Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield - Street Art
Street Art by Colorarti on Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield United FC 2
Venue: The EcoPower Environmental Stadium, Bracken Moor Lane, Stocksbridge, Sheffield, South Yorkshire. S36 2AN
Date: Saturday 24th October 2021 @ 1500 Hours
Attendance: 161
Scorers: 1-0 Ruthven 41 Mins (Stocksbridge), 1-1 Boyes 42 Mins (Marske United), 1-2 Gott Penalty 68 MIns (Marske United), 2-2 Mangham 90 Mins Penalty (Stocksbridge)
Stocksbridge Park Steels: Hall, Lemon, Trench, Finlaw, MacFayden, Ludlam, Turner, Fielding, Goodwin, Mangham, Ruthven, Nodder Subs: Tinkler, Whitham, Fielding, Ring, Cooksey
Marske United: Catterick, Smith, O'Sullivan, Hopson, May, Wheatley, Fairley, Gott, Boyes, Tymon, Blackford Subs: Round, Butterworth, Watson, Dicicco, McTiernan
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Rainyb
Lorraine Brecht
Love the fall colors!