Story by Mark Lankshear
Lloyd has been part of Burngreave for over forty years, serving behind the bar in The Catherine, enjoying ‘blues’ and giving time to help set up the Walter Rodney Housing Association. He looks back on the house parties that used to be so prevalent and says they were ‘uplifting’ – a community thing where people could meet, have a dance and enjoy themselves.
Lloyd had been a qualified builder in Jamaica, but when he came to England in ’61 no-one recognised his qualifications. He ended up doing odd jobs until his work was spotted by a local businessman who offered him a permanent job. He worked his way up until an accident tore a muscle in his shoulder, putting him out of action for more than a year. He never went back to building but helped set up The Catherine in 1976 with Mr and Mrs Issacs.
“Believe me, people from all over Sheffield came to that pub, there was community spirit, we used to do the ‘Pram Push’ to help raise money, we won trophies all the time.”
“In those days the Vestry Hall used to be open for dances and social events. When it closed at 10pm people were looking for somewhere to go, house parties were the only venues. It was a mixed crowd, mature people and good support from the white community.”
Lloyd explained that ‘keeping a blues’ was a thing many people did, it was even approved by the council.
“They allowed a house on Burngreave Bank to be adapted, the cellars knocked together and have air conditioning fitted. People showed a lot of respect and there’d never be any fuss.You might have the odd scrap but there weren’t people cutting people up and things.They were clean places where you could go, have a dance and have a drink. All the people were people you knew.”
Beer used to be sold but drugs weren’t tolerated, “It wasn’t in the open,” people were asked to leave if they were smoking cannabis. He looks back on the time with great fondness and says he’d still go now but he feels it’s all for young people and he’d fear for his safety. “It’s a shame, you take a chance now if you go out, you can’t be sure you’re going to come out alive.”
Lloyd blames people coming from outside Burngreave and the rise in drugs, “A lot of people deal and don’t want to work.” The Catherine pub got a bad reputation in the late ’80s under a different management, “It became overrun with drugs and things, but I was long gone.” In the mid ’80s SADACCA was set up to provide an alternative place for people to go.
Lloyd has lived all over Burngreave and bought his first house on Fox Street. He remembers how everyone used to know and look out for each other. They’d even keep the street, polishing each other’s steps, until the council moved people in from other estates. A spate of robberies and break-ins forced him out.
“I’m still in the area now and it’s a very respectful place. Even when the youths are being boisterous they’ll still respect people they know. It’s not the people who grow up here who are causing the problems, it’s some of the people coming in from other areas. Not everyone, some people are genuine.”
“It hurts to see the way things go, but I can see efforts and plans being made. I hope it works.What I’d like to see is more community projects – get people working together. The Vestry Hall re-opening again for a cultural purpose – that will help the young ones, as suggested by New Deal.”