Hello, being born during the
Second World War in Sheffield, Yorkshire in England, I was brought up at Bents
Green and attended Ecclesall
Church of England School, which was built in Ringinglow Road during the
19th century as a National School. During my time it catered for children of
both sexes aged five through to fifteen. However, at the age of ten pupils were
entered for the eleven plus (or scholarship) examination and the majority passed
and went onto do their secondary education at a grammar or secondary school
catering for the age range eleven to sixteen, or up to age twenty. My education
in the junior section at Ecclesall, due to overcrowding of the premises, was
conducted in various other premises in the city. The second year at Banner
Cross Methodist Church Sunday School, where the senior section were also
taught. For part of my third year, we were bussed daily to the then new Totley
County School, and the fourth year, in Mrs Booth's class, we were taught in the
Ecclesall Church Memorial Hall at the bottom of Ringinglow Road.
I was fortunate and passed the
'scholarship' and furthered my education at the single sex High Storrs Grammar School for Boys,
although the sister girls grammar school was housed in the other half of the
1930's art deco building, which is now grade II listed. In the first year here,
through the activities of the Junior School Society, I was introduced to the
joys of rambling and made excursions into the Derbyshire countryside on
Saturdays. The pleasures of the
out door life was also fostered through my membership of the 20th Sheffield
(Ecclesall) Scout Troup, and attendance at camps at Ashford in the Water
(Derbyshire), Seaton (Devon) and Ventnor (Isle of Wight). During my later years
at High Storrs, I was introduced to classical music, initially through an
afternoon 'Schools Concert' given by the Halle Orchestra in the Sheffield City
Hall. Although I have never mastered any musical instrument, I do enjoy
listening. Along with a group of friends, we took advantage of subsidised
tickets through the school and regularly attended concerts at the Sheffield City
Hall. These were in the main given by the Halle, although there were many
leading visiting orchestras.
In latter years, I recommenced
partaking of these interests. The musical pleasure by
attending
Huddersfield Town Hall for the
Kirklees concert
series, with many visiting orchestras, including the Halle, and for concerts by
the excellent local amateur orchestras of
Huddersfield and
Slaithwaite.
Since retirement, now that the lunch time is my own, I enjoy listening to
Gordon Stewart and others playing
the magnificent Father Willis Organ
in the Huddersfield Town Hall. The walking interest, was kick started by an
acquaintance to celebrate his retirement. He had the ambition to walk the
Pennine Way, but a mutual friend was worried about him tackling this on his
own. My interest in the Pennine Way began in my twenties, when I had attended
an illustrated talk by someone telling of this experiences, stimulating my
ambition to do it some day. Well
in 1998 we achieved the 256 mile Pennine Way, followed by the 212 mile Southern
Upland Way in 1999, the 179 mile Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in 2000. Due to the
foot and mouth outbreak we missed out in 2001, but then in 2002 walked the 182
mile Offa's Dyke. In 2003 we enjoyed Wainwright's famous 190 mile
Coast to
Coast, and in 2004 we combined the West Highland Way
with the
Great Glen Way, making a total of 166 miles from the edge
of Glasgow to Inverness via Fort William. 2005 saw us walking The Macmillan Way, a 290
mile walk from Boston in Lincolnshire across to Abbotsbury near Weymouth.
in 2006 we had an easier time walking the mere 84 mile coast to coast
Hadrian's Wall Path and walked the
Dales Way this year 2007. Since my own retirement in 2000, we partake of a weekly ramble into
Derbyshire or Yorkshire. These outdoor activities provide the opportunity for
photography in perhaps some of the more remote places.
I also like travelling to
various corners of the world and my photo albums depict
many of my trips.
I suppose I am a bit nostalgic
by nature, and have become interested in things of the past. Tramways, which
were rapidly disappearing from streets of Britain in my youth, also with other
mechanical items of the past, such as steam engines, fairground organs, steam
railways and old vehicles have a place in my interests. Finding myself a
beneficiary in the will of a relative, whom I had never heard of, stimulated a
desire to find out more about my relations and hence spawned my interest in
tracing my family tree.
This page was last modified on
Monday March 17, 2008
