Monthly Archives: August 2024

Record of FHG meeting 15/8/24

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Record of FULWOOD HISTORY GROUP MEETING 15th August 2024

Present: D.A., J.B., A.C., M.L., K.P.

August’s meeting was to take the form of a walk-through of the Heritage Open Days tour but due to the wet and chilly weather, it took place under cover at the Rising Sun.

We produced a plan for this year’s guided walk – Sporting Fulwood (14th September):

  1. Old Fulwood Road:
    1. AC historical background
    2. 4/Blacksmith’s Arms/Hammer & Pincers – bowling green?, location for sporting competitions – pigeon shooting and venue for Hallamshire Hunt annual dinner in April 1863
    3. Before construction of ‘new’ section of Fulwood Road – field behind pub used for sports
    4. 1854 ‘capital cricket club’
    5. 1860 Hallam FC
    6. Willow Football Club 1886
    7. Porter Valley sports at Forge Dam, Wire Mill Dam, Jacob’s Ladder: boating – e.g. 1963 rescue Neville Haigh & Dick Hill (DM), model boats (F. Soc newsletters), swimming. skating (see 1938 film footage Yorks. Film Archive) & Sheffield Independent 5th February 1912 .  skiing (Yorks Film Archive footage from 1938 & F. Soc newsletters from 1970s/80s and C.M. recollections)
    8. Health Authority Sports facilities, tennis courts, old hut
  1. Move onto Fulwood Road, near to Guild Hall for view across road of site of former sports fields:
    1. Works grounds: Joseph Rogers (cricket ground), Cornish Works, Dixons 1920s, DA’s recollection re great grandmother’s brothers playing cricket at Round Stubbin – could have been within current churchyard? DM’s aunt – hockey
    2. Transport provided by firms
    3. Motivation for this – avoid Communism, drink and preparation for war
    4. FC&SSCC: Fulwood Church & Sunday School Cricket Club
    5. Key roles of church and pubs in supporting participation in sports
    6. Brooklands Avenue tennis club
  1. Cross road to verge at bottom of Stumperlowe Hall Road to walk between two former sports grounds and note former Bowling Green House

Google Maps 2024

  1. Turn left into Slayleigh Lane and to Fulwood Sports Club
  2. Walk up to Hallam Grange Lawn Tennis Club: ML
  3. Review – incl. social/political aspects:
  4. Changes over time: reflecting changes in demographic/population as Fulwood moved from rural community into suburban – inclusivity/exclusivity
  5. Handouts? Maps? Laminated images to show/share?
  6. Next meeting 19th September: meet at Broomhill Library for debrief and plan ahead – walks, meetings, projects and events

 

 

 

Fulwood Skiing

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During years when there was adequate snow, Jacob’s ladder, South of the Porter Brook, was a very attractive skiing slope and probably the best in Sheffield. I became a member of The Hallamshire Ski Club, which was formed in 1969, and enjoyed several years in the mid’ 1980s before lack of snow became the norm.

There was a surge in development of equipment which was a great boost for the sport; lace up leather boots, wooden skis and cable bindings were superseded with modern plastics and clip bindings.

Portable tows such as the Bimbo or Britton, that fitted into a car boot, provided a practical advantage, compared to modifying a car or tractor engine that involved considerable work and expense.

To set up the tow, a pulley was anchored to a tree at the bottom of the slope, the rope went round the pulley and back up to the engine. It was possible to hold on with gloved hands, but someone made a clever alloy hook that saved destroying your gloves. It was essential to disengage before the cut-off point. Several runs were needed to create a reasonable piste and remove stones.

I remember one year when there were three tows – the Hallamshire Club, Sheffield University and a club from Doncaster, plus the tobogganers, often out of control. With good snow and glorious sunshine for several weeks, the Norfolk Arms Ringinglow became quite Continental with Glühwein flowing. Eventually the snow became thin, and in the end, it was more frozen grass, but we adapted!

The Hallamshire built a hut at the top, on the East side, to permanently house the tow, but lack of snow and probably onerous health & safety requirements, resulted in it being dismantled in 2008. However, the club is still active, finding snow elsewhere.

Chris Massey – 3rd February 2024