Crookes, Crookes

Image: © Dave Hitchborne Taken: 26 Aug 2008

This block of shops, at the corner of Crookes and Toftwood Road, once incorporated a bank and it was there as far back as 1925, at least. At 239 Crookes, where F.A.B.L.E. is now, there used to be the Sheffield Savings Bank, with a nine–roomed flat overlooking Springvale Road. In later years, the flat was numbered as 239A. When I lived in the flat with my parents and brother, the corner shop at 235 was Peat’s, Butchers Shop, run by Jack, Ron and his wife Betty. Oddly, the 1965 Kelly’s Directory does not list the shop at all. The frontage was faced with cream and black glass tiles, very similar to the livery worn by the old tramcars. In drab dark green, was Melias, Grocers Shop at 237, which later became Joe Winter & Son, Plumber and Building Contractor. Then came the varnished Sheffield Savings Bank, followed in white by Hancock’s, Confectioners, but when we moved here in 1949 it may have belonged to someone else. Back in 1925 it was owned by John Steven Abbey, so it may have been back then. The next four shops were Mountain, Baker’s Shop – Priestley, Fishmonger – then came a Food Specialists Shop, which was another shop belonging to Peat’s, and then not surprisingly with a fishmonger nearby, was Haines, Fish and Chip Shop at 249. We used to get three penneth (3d) of chips with scraps on and a fish. The scraps were small pieces of batter, scooped out of the hot fat and put one side for those that wanted them and if you wanted to take them home to eat, they would wrap them in a few layers of newspaper. The shops are now, from left to right, A & K, Butcher’s Shop – Pisa Pizza, Burger, Kebab and Pizza Shop – F.A.B.L.E., Charity Shop – The Cutting Edge, Hair & Beauty Salon – Saxton Mee, Estate Agents – Bolehill Fisheries, Fish & Chip Shop. The whole block of shops have back yards, but are divided at 239 by a high wall. This drawing, http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a303/escafeld01/DSCF2001f.jpg which is mine, and I retain the copyright; shows the block as it was back in 1968.

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