Dear Messenger
I live in Australia, but for the first 20 years of my life I lived at 160 Petre Street, which was the post office at the corner of Lyons Street. Today the only reminder is the post box which stands where the post office was. Even though I have lived longer in Australia than in Sheffield I still have fond memories of the area where I grew up.
My wife and I visited the UK last year and drove around the Pitsmoor area. I have to say that because of warnings given by relatives we did not stop and walk around, although I would have loved to have walked in the wooded area that now seems to have grown up below Petre Street. This area was my play ground, Edgar Street, Thorndon Road, Earsham Street etc. Reading your paper has made us realise that at least some one is trying to make this area very pleasant.
The wood, better known to us as Smiths Field was always quite a pleasant playing area, especially on Saturday afternoons when the cricket matches were played. How that cricket club managed to have a cricket pitch on the side of a hill was quite amazing. The last time I walked on that field was in 1982 to visit my father who had a pigeon loft. By this time the slum clearance had begun and not many people used the field, so it was overgrown more than I had ever seen it before.
It was sad to see All Saints’ church had gone under the hammer, I was a choir boy there for about seven years and thought it would last for generations to come. The 76th Sheffield Boy Scouts used to march from the Institute at the top of Carwood Road, with a full band playing, every fourth Sunday. After the service they would then do a lap of the block Sutherland Road, Petre Street, Lyons Street and then back up Grimesthorpe Road to the Institute.
I trust my ramblings have been informative and would be only too happy to supply any info that you may be requiring regarding the Pitsmoor area post war.
Regards Gordon Lawton