Active8 issue 206 April 2020

Active8 

I s s u e 2 0 6 

A p r i l 2 0 2 0 

A f r i e n d d r o p p i n g i n s i n c e 2 0 0 2 T e l : 0 7 7 3 8 9 6 0 4 2 8 

STAY HOME 

SAVE LIVES 

S8 teacher gets 

back her smile 

Keeping busy on 

the Home Front 

Couple return home 

after cruise drama 

The strange tale 

of tragic Eagle Star 

Please forward 

this online edition 

to friends and 

family members 

C o r o n a v i r u s P a n d e m i c - E m e r g e n c y E d i t i o n 

Woodseats, Meersbrook, Norton Lees, Norton, Beauchief, Meadowhead, Greenhill, Upper Bradway, Batemoor, Jordanthorpe, Lowedges and beyond

KEEP IT LOCAL 

Six great reasons why you should take 

your car to Meersbrook Service Station 

1. Fully guaranteed servicing, repairs and diagnostics 

on all vehicle makes and models using the very 

latest diagnostic and test equipment 

2. MOT testing for all cars, Class 7 vans and 

campervans 

3. Main dealer level support which does not affect 

your vehicle’s warranty 

4. All the convenience of using a garage close to 

where you live…. and at prices below those of 

main dealers 

5. We are a family-run business offering an honest, 

reliable, high quality service… and free advice on 

all aspects of motoring 

6. Customers have the comfort of knowing that every 

job is supported by the strength and resources of 

the Tavern Group 

“I’m Richard from Meersbrook Service 

Station and I know that when you 

need an MOT, Service or Repair to 

your vehicle, you have a choice – the 

main dealer, a big garage group or 

your local garage”. 

So why spend more than you have to? 

Do what our customers do... bring your 

car to us. All our six garages offer the 

same quality service. 

1–7 Meersbrook Road 

Sheffield S8 9HU 

Tel: 0114 2557755 

To book a service or MOT call us on 0114 2557755 or 

you can book online at www.taverngaragegroup.co.uk

Emergency edition of 

E 

XTRAORDINARY times call for extraordinary action. 

The coronavirus pandemic has changed all of our lives, 

threatened the health and welfare of everyone, battered 

businesses both large and small and taken our children out of 

organised education for the forseeable future. 

Needless to say, the S8 community has rallied to help the 

needy and the vulnerable. From people running errands and 

checking on the welfare of neighbours, through to stirring 

doorstep rounds of applause for our health and welfare workers 

and children posting support through rainbow displays. 

Here at Active8, we’ve published your community magazine 

every month for the past 18 years and feel we should continue 

to serve you throughout these dark days. We can’t send our 

distributors to your letter-box right now, but we hope you enjoy 


I s s u e 2 0 7 

A p r i l 2 0 2 0 

A f r i e n d d r o p p i n g i n s i n c e 2 0 0 2 T e l : 0 7 7 3 8 9 6 0 4 2 8 

STAY HOME 

SAVE LIVES 

S8 teacher gets 

back her smile 

Keeping busy on 

the Home Front 

Couple return home 

after cruise drama 

The strange tale 

of tragic Eagle Star 

Please forward 

this online edition 

to friends and 

family members 

C o r a n a v i r u s E p i d e m i c - E m e r g e n c y E d i t i o n 

Woodseats, Meersbrook, Norton Lees, Norton, Beauchief, Meadowhead, Greenhill, Upper Bradway, Batemoor, Jordanthorpe, Lowedges and beyond 

Enterprise House, 179 Chesterfield Road, 

Dronfield, S18 2XE. 

Telephone: 077389 60428. 

www.heronpublications.co.uk 

info@heronpublications.co.uk 

To advertise call 

077389 60428. 


reading this ‘virtual’ publication. 

Businesses have happily teamed up with Active8 down the 

years and this is an opportunity for us to support them in their 

hour of need. Therefore all advertisements booked into this 

April magazine appear here without charge. 

As ever, we urge everyone to support all local businesses 

as and when they can and look forward to launching a 

‘ReActive8 S8’ campaign once we beat this virus. 

For now, it is vital that we take on board all the instructions 

and advice being given to us. Stay at home and stay safe. 

And you can do your bit to help local businesses by sharing 

this Active8 on line with your friends, family members and other 

contacts. Also check out the Active8 facebook page. 

Mike Firth, Editor 

Not connected with any other publishing group. Material is 

copyright and should not be reproduced without permission. 

Views expressed by individual contributors and advertisers 

are not necessarily those of the publishers. 

ACTIVE8 

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3

ACTIVE8 

Keep busy on the Home Front 

Remaining occupied at home is essential to help 

you stay positive during these uncertain times. 

Deborah Wain has a few suggestions 

S 

4 

tep back in time: 

Remember the days before Netflix, smartphones and Xbox 

when families came together to play board games? 

Why not dig out some of your old favourites from the loft and have 

a games night? 

Scrabble offers timeless fun and is a way of getting the kids to 

practise their spelling. Or how about a card game? There are some 

simple ones that young children can join in too. Other retro pasttimes 

perfect for a reboot include jigsaws and Lego. 

Evoke musical memories: 

How long is it since you went 

through your collection of vinyl 

records or CDs? 

Although streaming services 

allow you to listen to many 

songs, some tracks, especially 

those recorded by small or 

obscure bands, aren’t available. 

If you’ve got the means to play 

them, nothing takes you back to 

school or student days like your 

favourite old tunes; jumps, 

scratches and all! 

Sort out your photographs: 

Play your old favourites 

With hundreds of images stored on devices, precious memories 

are in danger of being lost. Go through pictures, delete and save 

accordingly, and get the best snaps ready for printing. 

You’ll free up storage and, when Christmas comes around, you’ll 

have a head start with prints to frame. 

Keep a diary: 

We’re living through unprecedented 

times and everyone’s lives are 

taking new courses. 

Jot down your experiences and 

thoughts in a diary format for future 

generations of your family to read 

and learn from. You could be the 

next Samuel Pepys, Ann Frank... or 

Bridget Jones! 

Samuel Pepys 

Research your family history: 

There are millions of documents online to use to piece together 

your family tree. 

Start by gathering as much information as you can from relatives 

(an excuse to check on their well-being). 

Be warned, genealogy is addictive and will keep you absorbed for 

hours! 

Learn something new: 

Ever fancied learning 

another language but 

never had the time? 

The prolonged period at 

home could provide just 

the opportunity to brush 

up on basic Spanish or 

French to try out on future 

holidays. 

Same goes for learning 

the guitar, or other 

musical instruments you 

bought but can’t wrestle a 

tune from. 

Head for the kitchen: 

Eating healthily has never been more important and, with time to 

cook from scratch, try out some new recipes. 

If you’ve got a bread or soupmaker that’s never been used, set it 

to work – or just make your own. 

Enjoy nature: 

Lavish some attention on your garden, or the containers on your 

balcony. 

Build a compost heap or start a compost bin to nourish your 

garden in the future and cut down on food waste. 

Put out food for your garden birds and keep a log of how many 

species you spot. 

Be a culture vulture: 

Our cultural institutions may be closed for the time being, but they 

are finding ways to engage with the public digitally. 

Take a virtual museum tour or watch a performance as it’s live 

streamed. 

If you don’t have the Internet, read one of the classics or start 

writing your own! 

Educate your pets: 

See how clever your 

cat or dog really is by 

teaching it a new 

trick or two. 

You’ll be surprised 

what you can achieve 

together and this 

could bring both of 

you a lot of joy, 

create necessary 

mental stimuli for 

your pet and deepen 

your relationship. 

Teach an old dog new tricks 

Get crafty: 

Channel your inner ‘Blue Peter’ and get the kids stuck into some 

painting, collaging and model-making. 

Put some bright drawings in your window for elderly neighbours 

to enjoy. 

Paint plant pots, create tags out of old birthday and Christmas 

cards, and make your own gift-wrap by decorating brown 

paper. 

For something a bit more permanent, upcycle an old table or 

lamp. 

Clean, tidy and mend: 

Make the most of the lighter days and the extra time by powering 

through your ‘to-do’ list. 

Clean out cupboards and wash cushions, curtains, pillows and 

small duvets. 

Touch up paintwork with those left-over tins in the shed. Give your 

lawnmower or bike a service. Valet your car. Sew on detached 

buttons and darn holes in your socks! 

Pamper yourself: 

Turn your home 

into a spa and use 

some of those 

gorgeous toiletries 

given by friends and 

family. 

Do your own minimanicure, 

pedicure 

or facial or treat a 

loved one. 

Find out those festive toiletries 

Use your imagination: 

Try to forget your worries for a while and play with the young 

children who, live with you or your pets. They’ll love all the 

attention you give. 

Turn everyday items into an obstacle course in the garden, set up 

an Easter Egg Hunt, build a den or a fairy garden.

861 CHEStERFIELD ROAD, 

WOODSEAtS, S8 0SQ 

0114 2746400 

info@stavesestateagents.co.uk 

212 White Lane, Gleadless 

SHEFFIELD S12 2GL 

0114 3992777 

gleadless@stavesestateagents.co.uk 

34 Chesterfield Road, 

DRONFIELD, S18 2XB 

01246 419993 

dronfield@stavesestateagents.co.uk 

www.stavesestateagents.co.uk 

So proud of what we do 

we put our name to it! 

Here at Staves we care passionately about our clients and aim to excel 

and surpass expectations on a daily basis. We are proud to boast a 

plethora of fantastic testimonials on our website, as well as numerous 

glowing 5 star Google reviews. 

Here is just a couple examples of some recent customer feedback. 

We are also acutely aware that whilst customer feedback and client 

satisfaction is hugely important, ultimately we will also be judged on 

results! We are proud to say that year to date we have listed and sold 

more houses in S8 than any other agent. We have now achieved this 

feat for the last four years running making us the agent of choice within 

your area. 

So if you are thinking of selling, use the agent you can trust to provide 

you with a truly exceptional service and achieve the results needed to 

get you moving. 

Matthew Staves - Company Director 

Having been born and raised within the local 

area Matthew has a passion for selling houses 

in S8, an area which he knows inside out. 

He proudly boasts over 23 years of estate 

agency experience and looks forward to 

celebrating 10 years in January since the 

inception of Staves Estate Agents. 

Gail Green - Sales Negotiator 

Gail’s drive, boundless energy and enthusiasm, 

as well as her friendly and approachable 

manner and understanding of the local property 

market, makes her a real asset to Staves. Gail 

is a very driven individual who likes nothing more 

than to match suitable buyers to properties. 

William Staves - Lettings Manager 

Will is in charge of our ever growing lettings 

portfolio and has been with the company since 

we opened the doors for business. Wills 

enthusiasm and work ethic is a major 

contributor to the company enjoying the success 

and reputation that we enjoy today. 

Used Staves for both letting and buying. Professional and 

understanding team. As it was my first time buying Ben helped 

me a lot with understanding the process. He was very efficient in 

chasing things up and kept me updated throughout the lead up 

to the exchange. Would like to thank them for all their help when 

both letting and buying. Would definitely recommend to others. 

G Holmes” 

Staves are a truly independent estate agent with expert knowledge of the local property market and 

pride ourselves on our enthusiasm and pro-active approach to selling houses. All of our staff are 

professionally qualified, live within the local area and are hugely passionate about the local community. 

“ 

“ 

Meet the team! 

I sold my house through Staves earlier on this year and was 

really impressed. Not only did they agree a sale within 2 weeks for 

more than I was expecting, but the aftercare that I received once 

the house was sold was second to none. I was kept fully up to date 

and nothing was too much trouble. 

Would highly recommend! Miss Bellamy 

” 

Robert Oakley - Sales Manager 

Robert has worked within the local housing 

market for over 15 years and is very well 

respected within the estate agency industry. 

Robert is an enthusiastic and committed 

individual who is always prepared to go the extra 

mile for the good of his clients. 

Ben Willis - Sales Negotiator 

Ben first started working at Staves over 5 years 

ago as an apprentice and has subsequently 

proved himself to be a very able and important 

member of the team. 

Ben is a very approachable, friendly and 

hardworking individual who’s natural enthusiasm 

and commitment is infectious. 

Wendy Moffatt - Mortgage Advisor 

Wendy has a great deal of knowledge and 

experience within the mortgage market and will 

take the time to understand the clients situation 

and needs to enable her to provide the 

soundest advice. Wendy is an independent 

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available deal depending on your circumstances. 

Specialising in Residential Sales and Lettings

ACTIVE8 

School’s out for summer 

The interruption to our children’s education 

is nothing new to editor Mike Firth and his 

family. He recalls two previous occasions 

when schools had to turn away their pupils 

D 

AUGHTER Olivia has worked hard towards the 

GCSE examinations she should be taking shortly. 

Plenty of homework, after-school study groups, revision 

for her mocks... she has been conscientious throughout. 

She’s disappointed all her hard work has come to an 

abrupt end, even though she is confident the showing she 

has put in over the past 18 months will lead to decent 

estimated grades. 

However, there is no hiding from the fact that the phrase 

“school closure” is a dream come true for any young 

person sitting in a classroom day after day. It certainly 

was for me. 

Way back in the early days of 1974, I was trying to come 

to terms with my own secondary education, displaying 

nowhere near as much diligence and dedication as Olivia. 

In between completing occasional pieces of homework, 

I was vaguely aware that the news programmes on TV 

were repeatedly mentioning the phrase “three-day week”. 

Miners worked to rule due to proposed pay caps so, by 

the end of 1973, coal reserves had run extremely low. 

This forced the government into action. 

The nation limped along as commercial users of 

electricity were limited to three consecutive days' 

consumption each week. And our local evening paper 

listed timetables showing which houses could expect their 

power supplies to be curtailed in the days ahead. 

It was already an exciting era for us schoolkids. Times 

were glam as we bopped along to the outrageous 

performances of Slade, Sweet and T Rex on ‘Top of the 

Pops’, but the really big news came one morning when 

the headteacher summoned us all into the hall. 

The school electricity was off, the boiler wasn’t working 

and there was no heating - cue pretend shivering from the lot 

of us - so as there was no way of knowing when power might 

be restored, regrettably, we would all need to collect our coats 

and return to our homes. 

I had just removed my school tie, zipped up my anorak and 

made it out of the school gates when there was a gasp from 

all my mates. The street lights had come on. Teachers were 

chasing after us, their leather elbow patches glinting in the 

World War II evacuees carrying their boxed gas masks 

Homework by candlelight during the dark days of early 1974 

early morning sunshine. 

So did we turn around and file back into maths, physics 

and chemistry lessons? Not a chance and I made it home in 

record time. 

But school absences for the Firth family go back a further 

generation. Mum Margaret and dad Arthur both grew up in 

Sheffield and when Herr Hitler threatened the city in World War 

II, schools were immediately disrupted. 

Mum struggles to remember her first day at Woodseats 

School, for it wasn’t spent at school at all. The threat of 

bombing saw small groups of children taken into people’s 

homes to begin their education. She was due to start on 

September 5th, 1939 - the week the war began. So instead of 

learning in a classroom at her local infants school, her first 

lessons were taught in a front room on Aisthorpe Road. 

She remembers the ‘Home Front’ school service days with 

fondness, recalling children were given slate boards and chalk 

to write with. 

Dad, who was slightly older, was taken out of both Pye Bank 

School and his family home when war was declared and he 

and his gasmask were despatched by bus to Balderton, near 

Newark-on-Trent, as an evacuee. 

He attended some lessons in a schoolroom there, but chiefly 

remembers the thrill of living in the countryside and being able 

to go fishing whenever he liked. 

So school closures are nothing new - ask my family! 

6

• contemporary 

• traditional 

• modern 

www.supafituk.com 

info@supafituk.com 

CHANGES IN OPERATION DUE TO COVID-19 

Here at Supafit we are working remotely to Government instructions, 

but that does not stop us from helping you design your dream bedroom! 

We can put together a design and quotation based on your requirements 

and the measurements that you provide*. Call or email us for more details. 

*subject to final measurements being taken prior to fitting. 

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ACTIVE8 

How does your garden grow? 

What would it take to make Sheffield selfsufficient 

in growing its own produce? 

A team at The University of Sheffield tells us 

W 

HAT do you grow in your garden? 

Growing fruit and vegetables in just 10% of Sheffield’s 

gardens and other urban green spaces could provide 15 per cent 

of locals with their ‘five a day’, according to new research. 

In a study published in Nature Food, academics from the 

Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield 

investigated the potential for urban horticulture by mapping green 

spaces and grey spaces across the city. 

They found that green spaces including parks, gardens, 

allotments, roadside verges and woodland cover 45 per cent of 

Sheffield. 

Allotments cover 1.3% of this, while 38% of green space 

comprised of domestic gardens, which have immediate potential 

to start growing food. 

The interdisciplinary team used data from Ordnance Survey and 

Google Earth to reveal that an extra 15% of the city’s green space, 

such as parks and roadside verges, also has potential to be 

converted into community gardens or allotments. 

Putting domestic gardens, allotments and suitable public green 

spaces together would open up 98m2 per person in Sheffield for 

growing food. This equates to more than four times the 23m2 per 

person currently used for commercial horticulture across the UK. 

If 100% of this space was used for growing food, it could feed 

approximately 709,000 people per year their ‘five a day’, or 122% 

of the population of Sheffield. But even converting a more realistic 

Tavern Garage Group 

- on call to help 

I 

N the current crisis and with the Government’s advice 

to cut out all non-essential travel, probably the last 

thing on your mind is the state of your car. 

Nevertheless, for many of us the car is vital to get us to the 

supermarket, pharmacy or travel to work if you’re a key worker. 

The staff here at the Tavern Garage Group have, in line with 

Government guidance, been listed as key workers. This means 

we can carry out the vehicle maintenance, repair work and MOT 

testing so critical to keeping everyone safe on the road and the 

road transport network moving. 

All our garages - including the local Meersbrook Service 

Station at 1-7 Meersbrook Road - remain open to provide you 

with as much support as possible. We have, however, 

implemented a range of additional precautions to prevent the 

spread of this virus and protect the health and wellbeing of our 

teams, our customers and the wider community. 

To book your vehicle in for repair, service or MOT, call your local 

garage below or book online at taverngaragegroup.co.uk 

To thank them for the important work they are doing, our longstanding 

offer of a 10% discount to NHS and other emergency 

workers still applies. 

If you are anxious about contact or need special assistance, 

please call your local garage manager and he will be happy to 

provide whatever help he can. 

Thank you to all our staff and customers for their continued 

support. We wish everyone well. 

• Call Meersbrook Service Station on 0114 2557755. 

Sean Murphy, Tavern Garage Group 

Could your back garden look like this? 

10% of domestic gardens and 10% of available green space, as 

well as maintaining current allotment land, could provide 15% of 

the local population – 87,375 people – with sufficient fruit and 

veg. 

With just 16% of fruit and 53% of vegetables sold in the UK 

grown domestically, such a move could significantly improve the 

nation’s food security. 

The study also investigated the potential for soil-free farming on 

flat roofs using methods such as hydroponics, where plants are 

grown in a nutrient solution, and aquaponics, a system combining 

fish and plants. These techniques could allow year-round 

cultivation with minimal lighting requirements, using greenhouses 

powered by renewable energy and heat captured from buildings, 

with rainwater harvesting for irrigation. 

Flat roofs were found to cover 32 hectares of land in Sheffield 

city centre. 

Dr Jill Edmondson, environmental scientist at the University of 

Sheffield and lead author of the study, said: “At the moment, the 

UK is utterly dependent on complex international supply chains 

for the vast majority of our fruit and half of our veg – but our 

research suggests there is more than enough space to grow what 

we need on our doorsteps. 

“Even farming a small percentage of available land could 

transform the health of urban populations, enhance a city’s 

environment and help build a more resilient food system.” 

The Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield 

brings together multidisciplinary expertise and world-class 

research facilities to help achieve food security and protect the 

natural resources we all depend on. 

8

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ACTIVE8 

The Celebrity Eclipse liner 

Pacific pair back home 

after 15-day delay 

Most people would regard a cruise around 

South America to be the trip of a lifetime. 

And it was beginning to seem like a lifetime 

for one local couple, Howard and Margaret 

Borrell, when Coronavirus restrictions took 

hold. Here Howard recounts their story: 

W 

HEN we set off on our eagerly anticipated holiday on 28th 

February, the UK was still seven days away from its first 

coronavirus death and there appeared no serious cause for 

concern. How quickly things changed after our cruise on the 

Celebrity Eclipse departed. 

We followed the worsening global situation via BBC news, but 

continued to enjoy our itinerary which included the vibrant Buenos 

Aires, the Uruguayan seaside resort of Punta Del Este and Ushuaia - 

officially the most southerly city in the world - which has now very 

successfully branded itself as “The end of the world”. There was also, 

of course, Cape Horn itself. 

The weather ranged from scorching in Buenos Aires to distinctly 

chilly in Chile as we ventured further south, but it warmed up again as 

we got closer to the Equator. 

After a great South American tour, we were on schedule to dock at 

6am and disembark at San Antonio, to fly home from Santiago on 

Sunday, 15th March. However, at 6.30am the captain’s voice came 

over the tannoy, explaining: “The port of San Antonio is closed. Due to 

coronavirus fears, the Chilean government has closed all ports to 

cruise ships.” 

This began two days of intensive 

talks that failed to gain agreement 

for us to disembark 

It was eventually announced that 

we would be allowed to set sail for 

Valparaiso to refuel and obtain 

essential supplies, including 

medical items, as many 

passengers - including us - had by 

now run out of their medication. 

The plan was also to transfer 65 

Chilean nationals to shore. 

And guess what beer 

was poured on board? 

Howard and Margaret: ‘We followed the worsening 

global situation via BBC news’ 

However, we were advised that no other South American ports would 

allow us to dock so we would have to set sail for the United States. 

The refusal to allow our ship to dock meant the replenishment took 

three days, rather than the usual four hours, as everything had to be 

transferred from small barges. 

Two more days on and we tendered off-shore at Manta, Ecuador, to 

allow a man with a serious heart condition to be moved to shore and 

be subsequently airlifted to hospital. We also obtained further medical 

supplies for the passengers that had not received their needs in 

Valparaiso. 

The long nautical trek to San Diego began, where we had already 

obtained clearance to dock. 

Over the next ten days I came to realise that: 

• The Pacific Ocean is huge. Imagine getting lost on Dartmoor; then 

imagine being adrift in a small boat on a stretch of water 190,000 

times bigger than Dartmoor. In fact, it's bigger than the entire earth 

landmass, so the enormity is beyond comprehension. Whichever way 

you look, the horizon offers up nothing more than more sea... and yet 

more sea. 

• So many Americans have still failed to master the art of eating using 

a knife and fork. 

• Having quite a few days at sea isn’t the horror I’d assumed. Just 

everyone at home have had to, you create a structure, a routine to 

build the day around and it becomes more than bearable. 

• That despite all the recent climate change focus, the sea isn't in as 

big a mess as I expected. We didn't witness one tiny bit of pollution. 

10

ACTIVE8 

Chile, where the Celebrity Eclipse 

was refused permission to dock, 

and (below) one of the barges 

which took three days to ferry vital 

supplies on board from Valparaiso 

• I’m actually quite good at bean-bag 

throwing! 

• I can survive okay without normal TV (we 

had access to the BBC news channel). 

The cruise company had the mammoth job 

of arranging the return home of 2,700 

passengers and tackled the task in country 

order. Just two days before we were due to 

dock we received our flight details home. 

A flight had been chartered from Los 

Angeles (a two-hour coach journey from San 

Diego) to get the British back to Heathrow. 

Not surprisingly, until our Virgin Atlantic 

flight had actually taken off, we were 

nervous about another refusal. However, the 

process that included a questionnaire, visual 

assessment and temperature health check 

went smoothly and we landed ahead of time 

at a deserted Heathrow. The airport 

resembled a scene from a science fiction 

movie. 

Looking back, things could have been so 

much worse. For example, 200 other 

passengers of mainly South American 

nationalities had been refused permission to 

disembark and were to be transferred by 

ship to Acapulco to await further subsequent 

transfer. 

A group of Australians on board were all to 

be flown to Sydney and transferred under 

military guard to a two-week isolation at an 

arranged hotel. 

At least 50 Colombians looked like having a 

long stay in Mexico as their border was 

closed to Colombian nationals and 

foreigners. 

Our intention had always been to selfisolate 

once we reached home and, after 

weeks at sea, it didn't prove to be too 

difficult a task. We had felt fine since our 

departure but we continued to monitor our 

condition and temperature with regular 

checks throughout the isolation. 

We're just glad to be back safe and sound, 

albeit 15 days late ! 

Some of the highlights of the cruise 

before the unscheduled - but very welcome - 

arrival in San Diego, below right 

11

ACTIVE8 

And the winner is.... 

Before pubs and clubs discovered karaoke, 

stand-up nights and tribute acts, a sure-fire 

way to fill their premises was to stage a 

beauty contest. An S8 engineering company 

also got in on the act. Mike Firth explains 

W 

ORKINGMEN’S clubs had them, pubs loved them, 

businesses ran them and newspapers couldn’t get 

enough of them. No carnival was quite complete without one 

and the grandest all were screened on prime-time TV, 

attracting more viewers than the World Cup! 

I’m talking about beauty contests and you probably remember the 

small competitions in your locality just as much as the huge Miss 

World showpieces run by Eric Morley. 

While as many as 27.5 million Britons sat unblinking in front of 

their black and white screens to see who George Best would be 

dating next, on the local scene, pubs and clubs saw beauty 

pageants as a quick way of filling their premises and boosting 

takings. 

At this stage, I must make a confession: I was a beauty contest 

judge, not once, but twice. The first time was over in Rotherham 

where the local 'Advertiser' newspaper’s annual search for a 

‘stunner’ attracted hundreds of entries. 

So many local lasses entered each year that heats were staged at 

four local clubs, followed by a grand final at Tiffany’s. The crowning 

was usually carried out by a major celebrity. Or sometimes Radio 

Sheffield’s Tony Capstick. 

Over in Chesterfield, I had the dubious honour of being on the 

judging panel for a Miss Whittington Moor event. Hundreds of folk 

were crammed into a pub lounge to spectate, with a dozen-or-so 

bikini-clad ladies waiting to be called through in turn from the tap 

room. 

Contestant No. 19 quickly deduced that 

something had gone wrong, so she jumped in 

a taxi, disappeared back home to Bolsover 

and was soon on the phone to ‘The Sun’ 

They rather put the pub’s pool players off their game. With no 

connecting door, the contestants had to leave the premises, walk 

around the perimeter of the freezing cold car park and then parade 

in through the main door of the lounge. A growing band of 

disbelieving men at the bus stop across the road appeared oblivious 

to all the double-deckers passing by. 

I seem to remember a close relation of the organiser won that 

particular contest, but there was an even bigger controversy at the 

crowning of another Chesterfield beauty queen... or rather someone 

who wasn’t the queen. 

Organised by the ‘Derbyshire Times’ and staged at the old 

Aquarius club, the Miss Chesterfield contest was particularly 

prestigious as the winner went through to represent the town in the 

Miss England event (Or was it Miss UK... or perhaps Miss Great 

Britain?). 

All was going well and the excitement mounted as the late-night 

show reached its climax. The runners-up were announced and the 

audience held its breath as yet another Radio Sheffield 

“personality”, Peter Crabtree, stole the limelight. 

“The winner is...” he announced. “And the new Miss Chesterfield...” 

he continued. “Number... nine... teen!” 

Somewhat unfortunately, his announcement was so drawn out 

that in between him saying “nine” and “teen”, a young lady wearing 

No. 9 stepped onto the stage, accepted a crown, received a bouquet 

of flowers and had a couple of pictures taken sitting on the throne. 

Miss Laycock 

1953, Pat Ward 

Hazel Petty was Miss 

Laycock in 1972 

1974’s winner, 

Jackie Palmer 

Karen Crookes was 

successful in 1973 

Contestant No. 19, who clearly had brains to match her beauty, 

quickly deduced that something had gone wrong, so she jumped in 

a taxi, disappeared back home to Bolsover and was soon on the 

phone to ‘The Sun’ which delighted in reporting how organisers of a 

beauty contest had contrived to crown the wrong girl. 

I’m certain there were never any such mishaps whenever one 

particular S8 factory, Laycock, hosted their big night of the year. 

Active8 was presented with a collection of old company magazines 

which feature more glamour than you might expect to find in an 

engineering firm’s newsletter. 

The Archer Road factory’s Miss Laycock contest offered wonderful 

prizes including folding umbrellas, toilet holdalls and travelling 

clocks, so it is perhaps easy to see why so many female employees 

decided to don their mini-skirts and hot-pants and parade around 

the Social Club in front of a local GP and the company personnel 

manager. 

The first “pin-up” from the Archer Road factory was crowned in 

1953. Pat Ward worked in the comptometer section of the wages 

department and her prize was ten bob, plus the honour of featuring 

on the front page of ‘Laycock’s Magazine’. 

In the 1970s, employees not only took part in their own “Miss 

Laycock Safety Queen” contest, they also competed for the much 

lengthier “Miss Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds Transmissions” title 

(You should have seen the size of the sash!). 

Active8 hopes that any of the lovely ex-Laycock ladies who spot 

themselves in these pictures will, once they have picked 

themselves up from the floor, get in touch to tell us what it was like 

being a 1970s beauty queen. 

We really want to know if you still own your folding umbrella and 

travel clock. 

12

Recently Sold 

SOLD 

SOLD 

SOLD 

SOLD 

West House 

Becket Crescent 

Abbey Lane 

Fraser Road 

Terms and conditions may apply

ACTIVE8 

Remember those 

who depend on 

local foodbanks 

Louise Haigh, MP for 

Sheffield Heeley, says 

conditions imposed 

due to the coronavirus 

pandemic have put 

added strain on 

services trying to help 

the neediest members 

of our community 

Mon-Fri 9.30am-1.00pm and 1.30pm-5.00pm. Sat 10.00am-3.00pm 

01709 878227 

14 

Gardening and tools 

Plumbing/electrical 

Painting and decorating 

Key cutting 

Pet supplies 

Cycle sales and servicing 

Free local delivery of heavy items. 

GREENWOODS DIY 

We are open Monday - Saturday 

14-16 Abbey Lane, S8 OBL. 

Tel: 0114 2747177 

A 

S the coronavirus spreads, many people have seen 

their incomes drop sharply as they’re forced to stop 

working and self-isolate. 

As a consequence, foodbanks will be under unprecedented 

pressure in the weeks and months ahead. 

Even before the coronavirus outbreak, foodbanks were 

seeing increased demand due to the rollout of Universal 

Credit. 

I’ve seen first-hand the devastating effects of Universal Credit 

as payment delays and sanctions have pushed local people into 

debt, destitution and even homelessness. 

As is so often the case, local people have come together 

to help each other through trying times and lots of 

Sheffielders have asked me what they can do to support local 

foodbanks. 

Foodbanks rely on regular donations so, if you can, please drop 

supplies off at: 

• Gleadless Foodbank, Gleadless Valley Methodist Church, 

Blackstock Road, S14 1FT - Friday, 12.30–2.30pm. 

• S2 Foodbank, The Salvation Army, Duke Street, S2 5QP - 

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10am-12noon. 

• Spires Foodbank, 600 East Bank Road, S2 2AN - 

Wednesday and Friday, 9.30am–2pm. 

• Grace Foodbank, The Michael Church, 124 Lowedges 

Road, S8 7LD - Monday, 11am–12:30pm. 

Foodbanks especially need people to donate: toilet rolls, soap, 

sanitary products, nappies, baby wipes, pasta, tinned fruit, 

tinned vegetables, tinned fish and meat, instant potatoes, jars 

of pasta sauce, rice, cereals, snacks, UHT milk (blue or 

green). 

If you’re interested in volunteering at a local foodbank, please 

fill in my volunteer form: tinyurl.com/sheffieldfb 

Please do what you can to support those in our community 

who are struggling to make ends meet during this difficult 

period.

Coronavirus and our 

business operations 

- Temporary closure 

As of 8.30pm Monday 23.03.2020, all our services are 

temporarily suspended to prevent the spread of Covid-19. 

We apologise for this situation, but hope you understand it 

is unavoidable. 

If you have already placed an order, please be assured it is 

safe with us. Although we do not have a time frame for 

delivery or installation any more, we will be in touch as soon 

as we know anything. 

On a personal note, we would like to thank every customer 

who we have called to cancel appointments. Your 

understanding and kind words have meant more to us than 

you realise. 

You can contact us below for information on all things 

window covering-related, and we keep updating our social 

media with ideas for your home. 

Take care and stay safe, we’ll see you on the other side! 

Maxine and Neil 

You can contact us in the following ways: 

Email: info@sheffieldblinds.co.uk 

Phone: 0114 236 3100 

Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter 

6 Hutcliffe Wood Road Beauchief Sheffield S8 0EX 

Tel 0114 2363100 

www.sheffieldblinds.co.uk 

The showroom is open Tuesday - Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 9am-4pm

ACTIVE8 

Why S8’s 

Gillian 

has so 

much to 

smile 

about 

Part of a bone from her leg 

has enabled primary school 

teacher Gillian Wood, right, 

to tackle an aggressive 

tumour discovered in her 

jaw. Deborah Wain reports 

A 

LOCAL teacher is recovering after undergoing surgery 

to create a new jaw from a bone in her leg. 

Gillian Wood underwent the procedure after a rare tumour called 

Ameloblastoma was discovered in her lower jawbone. Although 

not cancerous, it was aggressive and affecting tissues in the 

surrounding area. 

During the intricate 13-hour operation at Sheffield’s Hallamshire 

Hospital, surgeons removed part of Gillian’s jaw and used bone 

taken from her fibula for reconstruction. 

Four months on, Gillian is recovering well and looking forward to 

being back with pupils at Greenhill Primary School once it 

reopens. She said she wanted to tell her story to raise awareness 

of the disease and recognise the treatment she has received. 

Gillian, aged 46, lives in Woodseats, and has a husband, Rob, and 

children Joe and Erin. She was first seen at the Charles Clifford 

Dental Hospital last August for a suspected impacted wisdom 

tooth with a possible cyst in her jaw. 

Gillian explained: “I'd had earache, pain and tingling in my jaw 

for a few months and had noticed a lump behind my molar. The 

CT scan showed a mass in my jaw that had eaten away quite a lot 

of jawbone. I had a biopsy and had to wait ten days to see if it 

was cancer or not, which was as awful as it sounds 

“Then I was told it was Ameloblastoma, thankfully benign but 

locally aggressive and it was happily munching its way through 

my jawbone, or right mandible, and soft tissue.” 

Led by Mr Muzzammil Nusrath, three surgical teams, 

specialising in head and neck, plastic surgery and dental work 

were involved in Gillian’s operation - a fibula free flap jaw 

resection. 

The procedure involved taking bone from the fibula - the outer 

and smaller of the two bones between the knee and the ankle - 

along with an artery, vein and soft tissue. The bone was shaped to 

match, as closely as possible, the piece of the jaw that was 

removed. 

Once this was complete, the artery and vein from the leg were 

attached to an artery and vein in the head and neck area under a 

microscope. The new jawbone was fixed in place with plates and 

screws and covered with the soft tissue. Skin, soft tissue and 

muscle from Gillian’s leg were also used to rebuild her gum and 

parts of her mouth. 

After the surgery, Gillian was taken to intensive care overnight 

before being transferred to the ward. 

Communicating 

Due to swelling, she had both a breathing tube and nasal feeding 

tube for ten days and during that time could not speak, 

communicating only by writing notes. 

Gillian said: “I was looked after by nurses, doctors, surgeons, 

physiotherapists and speech therapists whilst in hospital and the 

care I received was outstanding. 

“Taking my first breath naturally after breathing through the 

tube made me cry as it felt so good. 

“I had to learn to swallow and eat with a mirror in front of me as 

I wasn't quite sure where my mouth was and I dribbled a lot! 

Nothing was too much trouble and everyone was so kind. I 

thought I knew how hard nurses worked, but I had no idea! 

“Everyone was just so fantastic and I made excellent progress. 

Tomato soup was the first thing I tasted properly after being tube 

fed and it was heaven!” 

16

ACTIVE8 

Gillian was well enough to be discharged 

after 12 days, when after she had expected to 

be in hospital for a month. 

On returning home, she had to inject herself 

with blood-thinning drugs for six weeks at 

home, and is still doing exercises for her leg, 

ankle and jaw. 

She continued: “I will be scanned regularly 

for years now as there is a 10% chance of the 

tumour returning, but they will catch it if it 

does. I am still very tired and only started 

driving again recently. Talking is painful and, 

of course, I completely overdo that so I am 

learning to be quiet! 

“All in all, the expert care and support I am 

still receiving from Mr Nusrath and my family, 

friends and colleagues has made this 

experience a lot better than it could have 

been. 

“It has been very scary but I have found a 

strength I didn't know I had and, in many 

ways, it has been a really positive thing as it 

does make one take stock and I am very 

lucky to have the support system around me 

that I have. 

“Most of my nerves in my jaw were left so I 

should get feeling back in my lips, teeth, 

gums and cheek over time but part of my 

tongue will be numb forever. I am still on a 

soft diet and chewing is painful but I am 

learning to love soup, smoothies and lots of 

mashed potato. Eventually, I will be able to 

chew properly and I can't wait to eat without 

it hurting! 

“My main motivation for sharing is to raise 

awareness. My tumour is very rare but if I 

had known about it could have been caught 

earlier. Also, staff at Charles Clifford and the 

Hallamshire have been absolutely amazing 

and I'd really like to let people know how 

lucky we are to have such amazing medical 

facilities in our wonderful city.” 

Gillian in hospital a 

few days after her 

operation 

X-ray of work done 

to reconstruct her 

jaw and scar 

following the 

removal of bone 

from Gillian’s leg 

17

ACTIVE8 

A load of old cobbles 

We feature all aspects local 

life in Active8 and here’s an 

article which has been 

carefully cobbled together 

by John Firminger 

A 

SCOURGE of today’s local roads 

and streets are, of course, the 

many holes which have appeared in 

abundance over recent years. 

Without wanting to exonerate them in 

any way, many of them have revealed 

earlier times in Sheffield with some of 

the old cobbles beneath the layers of 

Tarmac. 

At one time, most of our streets - 

especially here in S8 - would have been 

cobbled and, indeed, there are many of 

them still visible and located around the 

city, Tarmac-free. 

To actually record all these would 

probably be quite time-consuming, not to 

mention costly in petrol consumption, 

and then there would also be the issue of 

finding somewhere to park. 

This task would also perhaps result in 

people questioning our sanity if they saw 

us taking photos or even bending down 

to inspect them. 

But for Active8, it’s not a case of sanity, 

it is a case of local history and to us, 

such things are worthy of researching. 

The word “cobble”, first appeared in the 

15th century and meant a small stone 

What memories do you have of S8’s old cobbled streets? 

rounded by the flow of water; essentially, a large pebble. These 

smooth “cobbles”, gathered from stream beds, would have 

represented the first “cobblestones” laid down in the streets. In 

Sheffield’s case, these probably came from the beds of the Rivers 

Sheaf and Don, still set in fairly rural land. 

Replacing ruts in dirt roads, the construction of these streets 

must have been a long and laborious job, especially in making 

sure they were as level as possible, although they probably 

weren’t! One thing they would have done was eliminate some of 

the mud in wet weather. 

The kind of cobbles that many of us grew up with, those of the 

rectangular variety, were originally laid down in Sheffield streets, 

lanes, alleys, crofts and courtyards around the mid-to-late-1700s 

as the town expanded. They were able to stand heavy use, initially 

mainly by horse-drawn vehicles, hand-carts and pedestrians, all 

of whom must have probably had mixed feelings for the cobbles. 

They did have an advantage, however, as they would also act as 

a warning system to pedestrians as a vehicle approached, 

clattering down the street. 

The mind boggles to think about how many millions of them have 

been laid down in our city’s streets - or even just here in S8. 

Whilst some were laid one way across the width of the road, 

others were laid diagonally - possibly to get a better grip? - 

especially on some of the city’s steep inclines. 

With the advent of tramcars, tram-lines were laid in conjunction 

with the cobbles. Whilst many streets and roads have long since 

been covered in Tarmac, both completely and partially, there are 

still plenty of original cobbled streets in Sheffield that would 

probably be too costly to re-surface. One city centre area that has 

18 

Do you have 

special memories 

of your old 

cobbled street 

here in S8? 

retained a distinctive Victorian look is Paradise Street, leading 

down past Paradise Square, with its cobbled street along with 

vintage street lighting, Victorian buildings and the cobbled square 

itself. In recent times, the road-marking crews, must really have 

cursed them when attempting to paint double-yellow lines. 

Unfortunately, along with the cobbles, today we have speed 

ramps, bumps and those dreaded pot-holes, all contributing to the 

wear and tear of our vehicles. Whilst we may look at them with 

more disdain than affection, in defense of the cobbles, they do 

represent an integral part of our past. 

Whilst there are many who may simply take these kind of things 

for granted, looking on the internet, it appears there are quite a 

few Sheffielders who also look upon the cobbles with some 

affection. 

Displaying some of that to a further extent, one of my friends, 

Albert Clayton of Ridgeway, laid down some original cobbles from 

Lovetot Road, Attercliffe, in his back garden, along with an old 

cast-iron stump from Aldine Court, plus a gas-lamp, converted to 

electricity. 

Cobbles have been restored to some of our city centre streets 

and various pedestrianised areas. One such is the length of High 

Street, where Supertram smoothly glides over them without any 

disruption to passengers. Norfolk Street and Surrey Street, by the 

side of the Town Hall, also have a look of days gone by with 

smooth and precisely laid cobbles, all of which certainly enhances 

the city centre. 

What’s your opinion? Do you like them and have special 

memories of your cobbled street here in S8, or are they really just 

a load of old cobbles?

Ex display 

wardrobes 

for sale 

chris fields design ltd 

kitchens ~ bedrooms ~ 

studies 

Chris Fields Design Ltd a family 

business designing for family living. 

If you are considering interior refurbishments our family-run business offers a 

bespoke service whatever your style.... Contact Chris & Jen on 01246 292155 

Unit 8, Callywhite Business Park, Callywhite Lane, Dronfield, S18 2XP 

Email chris@chrisfieldsdesign.co.uk Website www.chrisfieldsdesign.co.uk 

The above images are from installations by Chris Fields Designs Ltd

ACTIVE8 

What a 

beautiful 

world 

During these dark days for us all, photographer Claire Davison spreads a little 

brightness by sharing these two spectacular Peak District images with us. They remind 

us of how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful part of the world. They show the 

stream in Lady Clough Woods (above) and a spectacular Curbar sunset. Why not email 

your favourite local pictures to us? Send them to mike@heronpublications.co.uk 

20

ACTIVE8 

Try this chocolate 

cupcake recipe 

Meadowhead Secondary 

School pupil, Grace 

Marsh, brings a little 

Easter cheer for Active8 

readers with stories 

behind some of our 

traditions and an easy 

recipe for you to follow 

in your kitchen 

F 

OR this month’s feature, I thought it would be fun to do 

an article about Easter. 

When I think of Easter, the first thing that comes to mind is 

chocolate. The whole reason for celebrating and eating lots of 

chocolate is the Easter eggs. So I got thinking and decided to 

look into the meaning behind Easter eggs. 

I know the Easter eggs resembles new life. In Christianity, it’s 

said to represent Jesus emerging from the tomb, and the 

resurrection of him. The empty shell is his tomb. 

We also think about the Easter bunny, a story which was told by 

German immigrants who introduced Americans to the tale of an 

egg-laying hare. 

In this country we do Easter egg hunts, a tradition which also 

comes from Germany and dates back to the 16th century, when a 

Protestant reformer named Martin Luther organised an egg hunt 

for his congregation to find eggs. 

As a child, the future Queen Victoria made Easter egg hunts 

popular. Her mum was German born and brought the tradition to 

Buckingham Palace. After she was crowned, Queen Victoria 

continued this tradition with her own family. 

When I was five, a film called ‘Hop’ came out and the plot was 

set on Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean. 

The story is about a talking rabbit, ‘EB’, who lives on the island 

and is going to be the next Easter bunny. 

I was wondering why is Easter Island called that? Is it related 

to Easter? The island was discovered by a Dutch explorer Jacob 

Roggeveen on Easter Sunday, 5th April, 1722. He was searching 

for Davis Land and came across the island and named it Paasch- 

Eyland which means Easter Island in 18th Century Dutch. 

On the island there are almost 1,000 statues called Moai. These 

represent the Polynesian people’s ancestors. The statues face 

away from the sea, towards the old village to watch over their 

people. 

Finally I would just like to share an easy Easter cupcake recipe 

with you, I hope you enjoy making them. Happy Easter! 

Chocolate Cupcakes 

(Makes about 30 cupcakes) 

Gas Mark 6 for 22-25 minutes 

Ingredients: 

3 eggs; 

6oz margarine; 

6oz sugar; 

6oz self-raising flour; 

1 rounded tablespoon of cornflour; 

2 rounded tablespoons of drinking chocolate; 

Few drops of vanilla essence; 

3 tablespoons of warm water (part boiled). 

For the topping 

200g of milk chocolate; 

4 Shredded Wheat; 

A packet of mini eggs. 

Method: 

Using a mixer, cream together the margarine and sugar, then add 

the vanilla essence. 

To the mixture, add the eggs and beat again. Finally add the rest 

of the ingredients: cornflour, drinking chocolate, flour and water 

and beat until smooth. 

Using individual cupcake cases, divided the mix into the cases, 

place in the oven on gas mark 6 for 22-25 minutes, checking as 

every oven is different. 

When the cupcakes have cooled, they are ready for decorating. 

To make a nest for Easter, melt the milk chocolate using a double 

boiler or microwave. 

Crush the Shredded Wheat into the chocolate and stir until it’s 

covered in chocolate. Carefully make a nest on each cupcake, 

leaving a hole to place your mini eggs in. 

Leave to dry and enjoy. 

21

Our showroom is temporarily closed... 

Whilst our showroom is temporarily closed due the current Covid-19 lockdown situation 

why not take a look at our FABULOUS new website? Or take a showroom tour via Google? 

Frustrating isn’t it?.. Being stuck indoors! Why not get a head start on planning that 

‘ROOM MAKEOVER’ you’ve being promising yourself? Well, we can help! Simply email 

photos of your old fireplace to us. In return we can send you some ideas, suggestions and 

prices for suitable options, we can even link you to our partner websites too... what are you 

waiting for? 

We can’t wait to see everyone back in our showroom when we have beaten this virus! 

Stay safe! 

WE OFFER 

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Electric Fires 

Woodburning Stoves 

Fireplaces 

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No pushy sales 

HETAS & Gas Safe 

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Friendly Advice 

Personal service 

Home visits 

NO SMOKE WITH OUR FIRES 

Our range of Stoves comply with smoke control 

regulations that apply to many Sheffield areas. 

FREE HOME vISITS 

(SERvIcE NOT avaIlablE aT THE pRESENT TIME) 

If required, we will come out to your home so we 

can see exactly how you want your new fireplace 

to fit into your room and what will suit your 

decor. This personal service really sets us apart 

and is just one of many examples of how we go 

that extra mile to make sure our customers will 

be happy with the finished product. 

CHESNEY’S 

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be familiar, famed for excellence in design and 

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STOVE CENTRE SHEFFIELD 

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5 aizlewood Road, (off abbeydale Road), Sheffield, S8 0YX Tel: 0114 255 5794 

info@fireplacefactoryoutlet.co.uk www.fireplacefactoryoutlet.co.uk

T’S closed for now, of course, 

but 2020 is a big year for 

Beauchief Pre-School. Not only 

is it 50 years old, but in January 

it received a ‘good’ rating in all 

areas in its Ofsted inspection. 

Based at Beauchief Baptist 

Church on Hutcliffe Wood Road, 

Beauchief Pre-School was 

established in 1970 and has been 

providing pre-school care to 

generations of children in the local 

area. 

Ofsted report praised it for 

encouraging the progress of each 

child, good behaviour and manners, 

the commitment of staff, 

communication with parents and 

relationships with local schools. 

ACTIVE8 

Pre-school’s golden anniversary 

I 

Children celebrating World 

Book Day at Beauchief Preschool. 

Sarah Cousins, deputy 

manager who is shown reading 

a story to children, has a long 

association with the 

pre-school having attended 

herself as a child, as well as 

her own children attending 

With heartfelt thanks to 

all health and care workers 

and our area’s other 

dedicated staff who are 

reporting for work in 

order to look after us all. 

ACTIVE8 

23

Wills, Probate, Tax & Trusts 

Helping you plan 

for the future 

Our specialist solicitors deliver 

the highest quality legal advice 

to families across the region. 

Quote when you book 

your free 30 minute consultation 

with our wills and probate 

specialists. 

Contact: 

Chaanah Patton 

We’re here for you... 

• Administration of estates 

• Drafting & updating wills 

• Inheritance & trust disputes 

• Inheritance tax 

• Long term care issues 

• Powers of attorney 

• Residential care 

• Wealth management 

• Will disputes 

Chaanah.Patton@tayloremmet.co.uk 

 

 

www.tayloremmet.co.uk

Protect your 

disabled child 

for life 

ACTIVE8 

Nichola Barnes, a wills and probate specialist at 

local solicitors, Taylor&Emmet, warns that if you 

are the parent of a disabled child, it is important to 

seek legal advice as early as possible 

W 

HEN children come along, we hope to raise them to be 

independent, so they won’t need to rely on us in adulthood. 

Sadly, parents of disabled children face a very different reality. 

They have to contemplate the prospect that one day, they will not 

be alive to provide essential care and protection. So, who will? 

I often help parents of disabled children plan their estates, 

putting measures in place to ensure they will be adequately 

provided for and protected throughout their lifetime. 

It is very important these issues are dealt with early, to avoid 

your child inheriting large sums of money they cannot manage and 

that may impact on their entitlement to claim state benefits. 

We can draft wills that incorporate trusts, to prevent children from 

inheriting your assets outright. This will ensure they do not exceed 

capital limits for means tested benefits, allowing them to claim the 

financial support that should be theirs by right. 

Trusts also protect the vulnerable from themselves and 

unscrupulous third parties, who might otherwise take advantage. 

There are different types of trust that can be included in wills, 

depending upon your needs and those of your children. For example, 

a life interest trust will give a named beneficiary the right to live in 

your property for a set period of time, or even for life, and receive an 

income from the fund. When the beneficiary dies, the trust then 

determines what happens to the remaining money. 

Alternatively, a discretionary trust can be included in your will that 

provides for a number of beneficiaries at the same time. The trustees 

are given wide ranging powers to decide who to give money to and 

when, whilst crucially, the beneficiaries cannot demand payments. 

If you are the parent of a disabled child, it is important to seek 

legal advice as early as possible, so recommendations can be made, 

based on your unique needs and specific circumstances. 

To find out more about making provision for disabled children, 

telephone Taylor & Emmet’s Ecclesall Road branch on 0114 

2184360, visit www.tayloremmet.co.uk or follow the firm on Twitter: 

@TaylorEmmet. 

My Kind of Town 

If you’re looking for something to 

read in the days ahead, a 

publication to whisk you back to 

the ‘good old days’, why not order 

a few copies of our award-winning 

Sheffield nostalgia magazine, 

‘My Kind of Town’? 

You could treat yourself, or we 

will post to a loved one anywhere 

in the UK. Issue 36 is our latest, 

but we also have back issues 

available of most other editions. 

You can order copies for only 

£5.50 each (includes postage) 

via our website at 

www.heronpublications.co.uk. 

25

ACTIVE8 

My S8 police station placement 

I am Kate, a second-year psychology student 

who has been on placement from Sheffield 

Hallam University with South Yorkshire Police 

F 

OR four weeks I have been at Woodseats Police Station 

with the Neighbourhood Team. It has provided me with a 

range of experiences and understanding on a breadth of 

issues that are dealt with and the different ways in which 

they are. 

The thing I found most interesting during my time at Woodseats 

was the relationship that has been built up with the local schools; 

there are a lot of systems in place to ensure the best for the 

young people in the area. 

These include community speed-watches with Y6 students, 

highlighting and explaining the dangers that speeding can present. 

Students can then keep an eye on their parents’ speed and keep it 

in mind for when they themselves start driving. 

There is also the Life Wise Centre which engages students with 

the use of role play and interactive learning. This enables them to 

better understand how young people can end up involved in drugs 

and carrying knifes, as well as what makes up a hate crime and 

also the signs of child criminal exploitation. This is important as in 

means that the children are more aware of how they or their 

friends/siblings can be exploited and find themselves in these 

situations. By being aware of the signs, hopefully they can avoid 

becoming involved. 

There is a relationship directly between a schools officer and the 

local school. The school gets in touch with the officer if they are 

having trouble with students, the officer visits the school and has 

a meeting with the student(s), explaining to them the potential 

seriousness of what they are doing. 

He or she explains the consequences that their actions can have 

on them for the rest of their life if they continue the way they are. 

This is designed to advise young people that what they are doing 

is in fact a crime and under what legislation. 

As well as working with the local schools there are also good 

bonds with local businesses through the use of pop-in police 

stations in places like local shops and the City Farm. These 

provide local people with a chance to talk to an officer and get 

information and crime prevention techniques that they may not 

otherwise have had access to. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my four weeks based at Woodseats. 

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26

WE DESIGN. 

WE SUPPLY. WE FIT. 

In line with current Government guidelines, our 

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at A61 Bathrooms Ltd would like to send our 

warmest wishes to all local residents at this time. 

Why choose A61 Bathrooms? 

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760 Chesterfield Road - Woodseats - Sheffield - S8 0SE

ACTIVE8 

Sheffield’s tragic Star 

It is almost 130 years since The Wild 

West set up camp in Sheffield, with 

tragic results. Active8 editor Mike Firth 

reflects on how a native American 

Indian came to die in a city hospital 

R 

EPORTS of the death of a young Sicangu 

Sioux Indian, Paul Eagle Star, in the 1890 

Massacre of Wounded Knee, were greatly 

exaggerated. It is likely he wasn’t even at the 

final battle of the American Indian Wars, but 

he did die the following year as the result of a 

riding accident here in Sheffield. 

Paul Eagle Star grew up on the Rosebud Indian 

Reservation in South Dakota and was taken in by 

an Indian boarding and industrial training school 

in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This off-reservation 

school was one of a series of 19th-century efforts 

by the United States government to assimilate 

more than 1,000 native American children from 39 

tribes into the majority culture. 

Some were kept as paroled prisoners there, 

others were listed as “hostile” but Eagle Star was 

there of his own freewill and learned the skills of 

a blacksmith, earning $10 per month. 

When William "Buffalo Bill" Cody brought his 

Wild West Show to Europe in 1891, Eagle Star 

was part of his entourage of performers who 

demonstrated riding, shooting and gun-slinging 

skills and re-enacted famous battles. The tour 

allowed audiences a glimpse of the fading 

American frontier. 

That August, Buffalo Bill's show came to 

Sheffield with a 200- strong company, including a 

reported 90 Sioux Indians. The circus arrived in 

three trains and within hours they had pitched 

their tepees on a marshy site at Owlerton Green, 

close to the confluence of the Don and Loxley 

rivers. 

They built their own arena and set up a field 

kitchen, cooking chops and steaks for breakfast. 

The arena was a third-of-a-mile in circumference. 

You can imagine the excitement that must have 

spread throughout Sheffield, but tragedy was to 

strike at the end of the final performance on Friday, 

August 14th. 

Eagle Star was a powerfully-built, fit and healthy 25- 

year-old, who was married with children. By all 

accounts, he was one of the most popular members of the 

performance team. Riding his horse outside the arena, his mount 

slid, fell and trapped him beneath it. With his right foot squashed 

under the horse’s belly, his ankle was dislocated and fractured. 

Although the accident was not at first thought to be a serious 

one, within ten days Eagle Star had died. Taken to Sheffield 

Infirmary for treatment, for a while he seemed to be making a 

steady recovery, but tetanus set in and he agreed to the 

suggested amputation of his leg in an attempt to save his life. 

Col Cody visited him several times in the Infirmary and also 

sent Lakota interpreter George C. Crager to the hospital with 

instructions to “spare no expense, secure the best care, and save 

his life.” 

While Crager was in Sheffield, telegrams from Col Cody arrived 

28 

Paul Eagle Star shown wearing traditional dress and the star 

of the Indian Police. The photograph was taken during his 

ill-fated 1891 tour with the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show 

at frequent intervals, asking for news of Eagle Star's condition, 

and he was also visited by Short Bull, one of the Indian chiefs. 

However, his condition worsened and he passed away on 

Monday, August 24th, 1891, with Mr Crager at his hospital 

bedside. 

A newspaper report from the time said that when Mr Crager 

caught up with the rest of the entourage in Nottingham, he found 

the camp in a condition of gloomy depression. Squaws and other 

Indians walked among the tepees, chanting a requiem for their 

dead comrade. 

The subsequent inquest into Eagle Star’s death was like no 

other ever staged in Sheffield. Wearing their brightly-coloured 

native garments and trinkets were Chief Kicking Bear, Chief 

Black Heart and Chief Lone Bull. Also in attendance was 

Bull Stands Behind, a cousin of the Eagle Star, and as an

ACTIVE8 

A copy of Paul 

Eagle Star’s 

death 

certificate 

indication that he was mourning he wore around his head a band 

of white silk. 

A report says that when he saw the body of his late cousin, Bull 

Stands Behind burst into tears, being consoled by one of the 

other chiefs who told him with what exceeding kindness the 

deceased had been treated at the Infirmary. 

Explained a report in the ‘Sheffield and Rotherham 

Independent’ newspaper: “Throughout the inquiry the four 

Indians maintained their accustomed stolidity, the only time 

when they showed more than ordinary interest in the proceedings 

being when the members of the jury were sworn in and kissed 

the testaments. Probably the ceremony puzzled them as much as 

some of their ceremonies 

puzzle the white people. 

“They were accompanied by 

Major Burke, the general 

manager for the Buffalo Bill 

Wild West Company; Mr 

William Laugan, supply agent; 

Mr George C. Crager, Sioux 

interpreter who has charge of 

the Indians; and John 

Shangren, a native interpreter. 

Mr B. Folsom, United States 

Consul, at Sheffield, also 

attended. 

“Mr Crager identified the 

body, and said he had known 

the deceased about six 

months. He was a healthy man 

and had been with the 

company about five months. He 

did not see the accident occur, but he saw the deceased 

immediately afterwards, and he was brought to the Infirmary 

within an hour. 

“The accident happened while the deceased was riding a horse 

out of the arena. He had ridden the horse daily for a considerable 

time. The horse slid with all his four feet out, and then fell, and 

slid on its belly. The deceased’s right foot was under the horse’s 

belly and his right ankle was dislocated. This was the explanation 

given by the deceased, who did not blame anyone.” 

Mr Crager stated that the treatment Eagle Star had received 

had been perfectly satisfactory. Wherever he went, he would 

always think of the Sheffield Infirmary with feelings 

of intense gratefulness. He told the inquest that the manner in 

which the surgeons, nurses and all connected with the institution 

had cared for a stranger and a foreigner had so impressed him 

that his command of words entirely failed him in his efforts to 

give expressions to his feelings. The deceased was a favourite in 

the camp, and the news of his death had made Col Cody ill. 

Paul Eagle Star is shown here in 1890, 

second from left on the back row 

In a further acknowledgement of the treatment the deceased 

had received at the Infirmary, Mr Crager said he could not have 

received more attention had he been a king. The doctors and 

nurses had spared no pains in ministering to his comfort, and 

thought nothing of leaving their beds in the middle of the night to 

grapple with any symptom that threatened him with suffering. 

He spoke of the generosity and courtesy with which he himself 

had been treated in Sheffield by all with whom he had come in 

contact. He had travelled in all sorts of countries, and had mixed 

with almost all grades of society, but in Sheffield he had received 

kindness which had quite taken him aback and which he 

previously thought did not exist in this world. He intimated that a 

bust and pedestal of Col Cody 

in white marble and ebony 

was being made at Munich, 

and that Col Cody intended to 

present it to the staff at the 

Infirmary. 

The coroner, Mr D. 

Wightman, replied that in 

Sheffield they were proud of 

the Infirmary, and he was 

pleased to hear its excellence 

had been appreciated. 

Once the inquest had 

reached a verdict of 

“Accidental Death”, Eagle 

Star’s body was transported 

by Messers Tomlinson and 

Sons to the Midland Railway 

Station, the Indians and others 

connected with the show 

following in carriages. The funeral party was met by Mr Wheen, 

the station master. The presence of the Indian chiefs on the 

platform in Sheffield caused much interest amongst other people 

at the station and the train for Nottingham departed at 11.35am. 

Other members of the show, including Col Cody, met the train at 

the station, with a cowboy band, which played appropriate music. 

The coffin was unscrewed and each person was allowed to have 

a last look at their comrade. The body was then taken forward to 

West Brompton, London, by train, to an Indian burial ground 

there. He was buried in the same plot as Surrounded, an Indian 

who had died in Manchester during the show's fist visit to the UK 

in 1887. 

More than a century later, Paul Eagle Star’s unmarked grave 

was located and contact was made with his surviving 

grandchildren, both of whom were elderly by this time. His 

casket was exhumed and in March, 1999, his body was 

repatriated across the Atlantic and a reburial took place on May 

31st that year. 

29

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ACTIVE8 

With Uni 

studies 

suspended, 

Ellie sits 

back with 

a cuppa 

Coronavirus: How to selfisolate 

without getting 

bored, a quick guide by 

Active8’s student 

correspondent, Ellie Colton 

O 

KAY, so if you are told to self-isolate for seven days, 

then a week later you’re told its 14, and you’re 

anticipating that number getting higher and higher, you’ll 

probably start to feel very isolated in general. 

In order to keep everyone safe, you have to isolate when you 

think necessary/ when you are told to. But I’m sure most people 

will agree, you might start to get a bit restless after a while, and 

need to fight the urge to make unnecessary trips out. So how can 

you keep yourself entertained? Well, no family game of 

Monopoly can last 14 days, so it’s important to have a few things 

in mind. 

Think of all the films you could watch, the books you could 

read, the stories you could write. Start a new series, or pick 

up a book off your shelf that you’ve never looked at before. Or, 

if you’re like me and you love planning things, start planning 

what you want to do when we finally stop hearing about this 

virus! 

I’m supposed to finish my degree at Sheffield Hallam at the 

end of April, and nobody knows if that will happen or not. So I’ve 

begun to plan what I want to do after university, and that is 

keeping me entertained for now. 

I’ve also started to pick up cook books more and look at recipes 

online. Sometimes people panic-buying actually does you a 

favour meaning you pick out things you wouldn’t usually buy. 

Why not see what is in your cupboards and try whip up 

something new? You might surprise yourself! 

Not only that but I’ve become more creative; I found some felt 

round the house and I am half way through making a sock 

monkey! 

If you’ve got some paints, why not tackle a canvas? You could 

become the next Picasso whilst in isolation. 

And remember, your family, friends and work colleagues are 

only a skype/phone call away – don’t feel lonely at this time. We 

will get through this! 

Anton and his team welcome 

you to the Phoenix Fish Bar 

WE NOW DELIVER!!! 

Order now at 

www.phoenixfishbar.co.uk 

Lots of offers online. 

See our facebook page. 

Delivery available on orders over 

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Deliveries available 5pm-10pm 

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FREE 2l bottle of lemonade 

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Opening Times 

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Monday to 

Saturday 

Closed Sundays 

823 CHESTERFIELD ROAD 

WOODSEATS S8 0SQ 

Tel 0114 274 9482 

31

ACTIVE8 

Dogs use their loaf 

to entertain owners 

Our canine correspondent, Harry Basset, files his monthly report 

I 

IT’S been a weird 

time for us pets as 

we try to entertain 

all our owners who 

are suddenly 

spending so much 

time with us at 

home. 

Here’s one craze 

which I discovered on 

facebook. What do you 

think? 

I reckon food is for 

eating, not for 

wearing! 

However, I’ve been 

performing one of my 

own party pieces to 

keep my household 

amused. Visit Active8’s 

facebook page to see 

me singing. 

And do email me your 

amusing pictures to 

harry@heron 

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32

2000 - 2020 

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ACTIVE8 

End of the track 

W 

ELCOME to Woodseats in the late 19th century and an era when this was the end 

of the road as far as Sheffield’s tramcar service was concerned. 

Before the tramlines were extended further south to take in Abbey Lane and Meadowhead, 

the terminus was right here at the junction of Chesterfield Road and Chantrey Road (right). 

Note that the tramcars pictured display letters, not numbers, to identify their destination. 

Shops shown on the left, close to the top of The Dale, have survived, but across the road the 

large gabled doctor’s surgery was demolished in 1964. 

ESTABLISHED OVER 30 YEARS 

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Please call John on 0114 255 9688 

www.fireplaces-in-sheffield.co.uk 

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and 

35

Thinking of 

selling your 

property? 

Contact us today for your free valuation 

Call Blundells Woodseats: 0114 345 0623 

or visit: blundells.com

ACTIVE8 

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37

ACTIVE8 

Cheers for Caped Crusader 

Families in lockdown couldn’t believe 

their eyes when they peered through their 

front windows to see Batman running 

through the streets. John Winter reports 

A 

NORTH Derbyshire newsagent is taking 

unusual strides to raise the spirits of his 

village's residents in these difficult times. He 

dresses as his favourite superhero and runs around 

the streets waving to children! 

Batman, alias James Cutts, of Parkland Drive, 

Wingerworth, donned his outfit to raise a laugh, but made 

such a tremendous impact that parents asked him to 

repeat the run and make sure he visited their road so the 

kids could clap him as he went past. 

The first time he went out, his reception was so great 

that he ran 12 miles around village streets, far more than 

his usual exercise as a keep-fit jogger. 

That day - and for subsequent runs - the village website 

has been full of praise. One said: “Just managed to grab a 

glimpse of you running through Eden Street and Lydgate... 

thank you for putting a smile on our faces,” and another: 

“Well done James, the kids loved seeing you this morning 

on Wrenpark!” 

James, 40, responded: “Great to see lots of smiling faces 

whilst I chalked up a steady seven-and-a-half miles. Your 

gardens are looking lovely, keep up the good work. 

38 

“Nothing but positive vibes, both kids and adults smiling wherever I 

travel, so stay home, stay safe and keep smiling. Much love, 

Batman.” 

James, who in normal times runs the newsagents at Chesterfield 

Railway Station, said: “I usually run about five-and-a-half miles, 

twice a week, and I was just going to wear 

the Batman suit for a laugh. Then I wanted 

to see if anyone wanted me to run past 

their house. 

“To be honest, I didn’t think people would 

be bothered, but loads of people 

commented which I didn’t expect. 

“I’ve had to close my business, like many 

others, so it’s nice to see people smiling 

and see something positive happening 

which distracts people from everything 

else which is going on. I will try and get 

out again as much as my body will let me.” 

His family, James added, were used to 

him dressing up “and doing stuff like this”. 

Batman strides out through his 

village, left, and the man behind the 

mask is James Cutts

Due to Covid-19 Apollo Interiors showroom is closed until 

further notice as we are following government guidelines. 

If any customers would like to get a head start on a new kitchen or bedroom then 

please email you measurements and requirements to Apollo.interiors@outlook.com 

and we can start the planning process via email and calls. When we come out the 

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Our aim is to make your project an enjoyable one! 

12 Meadowhead 

Sheffield 

S8 7UD 

Telephone 

0114 274 6977 

apollo-interiors.co.uk

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Affordable prices 

All work guaranteed 

SafeNet Alarms Ltd 

Family Business - 20 years of Experience 

Andy Slowther 

Plasterer: 

07947 644362 

Woodseats, Sheffield 

http://aslowther.wix.com/plasterer 

aslowther@hotmail.com 

N E Double Glazing Repairs 

UPVC SPECIAlIST FOR OVER 30 yEARS 

Nigel Emmingham 

Repairs on windows, 

doors and conservatories 

UPVC conservatory 

guttering repairs 

Misted units, handles 

and locks replaced 

Anti snap door cylinders 

supplied and fitted 

Free quotes. No job too small 

Email: nemm29@gmail.com 

Tel: 0114 2391879 07786575685 

Town & County 

Decorators 

Quality interior and exterior 

commercial and domestic 

painter and decorator 

Over 20 years experience 

Phone Steve on 07532 131150 

CARL GALE 

PAINTER & DECORATOR 

CITY & GUILDS QUALIFIED 

35 YEARS EXPERIENCE 

INTERIOR & EXTERIOR DECORATING 

FRIENDLY PERSONAL SERVICE 

HELPFUL PRACTICAL ADVICE 

HIGH STANDARDS OF WORKMANSHIP 

FREE NO OBLIGATION 

QUOTATIONS 

COMPETITIVE RATES 

FULLY INSURED 

0114 2646458 

07957 915143 

enquiries@cgale-painter-decorator.co.uk 

Prestige Driveways 

Drives . Paths . Patios 

Tarmac - Concrete - Block Paving 

FREE Quotations - OAP discounts 

Tel: 0800 858 9744 Mobile: 07758 307859 

email: leechapp@hotmail.co.uk 

A professional and prompt service with 

over 30 years experience in pest control. 

Friendly, quality service to domestic and 

commercial premises at competitive rates. 

For a rapid response 7 days a week 

call/text 07885 825904 

or call 0114 237 7359 

cometpestcontrol.co.uk 

For help with: 

Mice 

Rats 

Moles 

Garden Ants 

Animal Fleas 

Wasps 

Bed bugs 

Coackroaches 

Silverfish 

Bees 

Bird Nuisance

We Buy Houses Fast 

Get a Cash Offer with 48 hours! 

Any Price Range Divorce 

- Any Condition Behind on payments 

Suspended 

Tired of being 

Repossessions a landlord 

a speciality 

House in need 

Inheritance 

of repairs 

Call 07718 407 100 or email your 

circumstances to fasthousebuyers@yahoo.com 

www.groundforcepaving.co 

• Driveway resurfacing & widening 

• Patios, steps & paths TIMING BELTS • SERVICING 

• All types of walling Sheffield’s 

CLUTCHES • BRAKES 

Independent 

• Block paving, flags & natural stone 

MOT PREPARATION 

Peugeot Specialists GOOD GARAGE SCHEME MEMBER 

Call for a free quote: • Artificial grass 

01246 819451 • Fencing, decking & turfing 

07764 881744 Ashgate Road, Ashgate, Chesterfield 

27 THIRLWELL ROAD, HEELEY, SHEFFIELD, S8 9TE 

TEL: 0114 258 3673 

www.peugeot-service.co.uk 

Norton Highfield Ltd 

Chartered Surveyors 

Building Surveys, Home Buyers Reports, 

Architectural Services 

Paul Morrison BSc MSc MRICS 

Contact us now on: 07704 495936 

Email: nortonhighfield@gmail.com 

www.nortonhighfieldltd.com 

STAR 

ELECTRICAL 

SERVICES 

Call BEN on: 

07875 437153 

0114 438 0136 

DOMESTIC & COMMERCIAL 

All electrical work undertaken 

meeting BS 7671 (17th Edition) 

wiring regulations 

Inspection & testing 

Fully insured 

All work guaranteed 

Small jobs welcomed 

REASONABLE RATES 

FREE QUOTES - NO OBLIGATION 

SPRING SPECIAL 

Tongue & 

Groove Shed 

£299! (delivered 

& erected) 

MOT £30 

FULL SERVICE (WHEN BOOKED WITH MOT) 

£30+PARTS+VAT 

i.e. FULL SERVICE & MOT £60+PARTS+VAT 

WAGGON & HORSES GARAGE 

MEADOWHEAD (next to Morrisons) 

S8 7UG - Tel 0114 274 0074 

NIGEL’S HEDGE & CONIFER SERVICES 

• HEDGES TRIMMED 

• CONIFERS TRIMMED 

• CONIFERS TOPPED • WEEDING 

• SUPPLY & FIT FENCING 

• REGULAR GRASS & GARDEN 

MAINTENANCE 

• OVER 7 YEARS EXPERIENCE - 

• NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL 

I highly recommend - very reasonable and very obliging! 

John & Di Whitehead, Dronfield Woodhouse 

Call Nigel or Gav on 07718 983155 for your free quote

John Chatterton 

Coving & Plastering 

Restoration Specialists 

Coving All Plastering 

Specialist in One 

Coat Rendering 

01246 418221 

07702 388656 

Over 25 Years Experience 

SWIFTIES 

& POTTY 

PAULINE’S 

Architectural Salvage, Vintage, Retro & Antiques 

Reclaimed roofing, building materials, garden 

supplies, architectural features and collectables. 

Buy and sell reclaimed materials. 

422-428 Abbeydale Road • Sheffield • S7 1FQ 

Telephone: 0114 255 0310 

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8am-5pm, 

Saturday 8am-4pm, Closed Sunday 

Professional Joiner & Carpenter 

Est. 1972 

8 Charles Ashmore Road 

Sheffield S8 8GJ 

Tel: 0114 274 9671 

Mobile: 07946 752393 

Alfa Gas Services Ltd 

Heating and Plumbing Engineer 

Highly experienced, ex British Gas Engineer 

specialising in boiler fault finding and diagnostics 

Boiler servicing and repairs 

Central heating 

Power flushing 

Plumbing 

Dave Arnill - 07751399675 

info@alfagasservices.co.uk 

www.alfagasservices.co.uk 

Gas safety checks 

Landlord certificates 

Cooker and fire servicing 

Gas leak detection 

Affordable Luxury 

Motorhome: 

Servicing 

MOTs 

Warranty Work 

Annual Habitation Service 

Hire & Sales 

Tel: 0114 261 0522 

Family-Run 

Business

Fresh home-made 

Jamaican patties 

made each week in 

Meersbrook S8 

Beautiful 

patties for 

individual 

needs and 

special 

occasions, with 

a wide range of 

fillings. Vegan and halal 

patties also available. 

Please contact 

Sarah on 

07513200565 

Contact Mel on: 

Tel: 0114 258 9210 

Mob: 07775 938797 

Mel Oxley 

Cleaning Services Ltd 

Carpets • Curtains • Upholstery 

Don’t replace it, 

Clean it! 

Email: hello@meloxleycleaningservices.co.uk 

Established 

1999 

Fireproofing 

Property Cleaning 

Domestic & Commercial 

End of Tenancy 

Hard Floor Maintenance 

Garden Tidying 

Fully insured 

Friendly Service 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brambles Landscapes 

Quality Fencing Installed To Last 

10 Year Installation Guarantee 

Experienced. Insured. Licensed 

Karl Nuttal-Allsop 4 Stonelow Green S18 2ET 

07720 845 326 

veryhelpfulman@yahoo.com 

THE CLEANING SERVICE 

BELLE CASA 

9 Beautiful Homes & Offices 9 

Professional cleaning & ironing 

for only £11.75 per hour 

(minimum of 2 hours per week). 

We know how hard it can be to find 

a dependable and honest cleaner, 

which is where we can help. 

0114 4372363 

www.bellecasa.uk 

All of our cleaners are specially selected 

and insured, and you will receive the 

same cleaner each week.

D.S.M-PROPERTY SERVICES 

Qualified bricklayer with over 20 years 

experience - No job too small 

Brickwork 

Paving 

Pointing 

Patios 

Guttering 

Plastering 

Roof Repairs Kitchen & Bathroom Tiling 

Wrought Iron Railings & Gates 

Contact Dave on 

07896070810 or 01246 419445 

Essential Foot Care 

A home visiting practice 

Eleanor Harrison 

MAFHP, MCFHP, MICHT 

Registered Member of 

The British Association 

of Foot Health Professionals 

For further information 

and appointments call 

07979 416 298 

01246 391907 

LANDSCAPES & 

BUILDING 

SERVICES 

Tarmac Driveways 

Drop Kerbs 

Fencing 

Patios 

Brickwork 

Landscaping 

For your 

footcare 

needs 

including 

nail trimming 

removal of 

corns and 

calluses 

treatment of 

ingrowing toe 

nails and verrucae 

also reflexology 

Fully insured with 

references available 

For a FREE Consultation & No Obligation Quote 

Call Lewis 01246 380859 or 07960 204766 

www.whitepeakpaving.co.uk 

• 10 Years Experience 

• Full Packing Service 

• Dismantle and Rebuild Service 

• Local/Long Distance 

• Storage Facilities 

• Full/Part Removals 

Internal Vehicle Measurements 

19ft 5” long, 7ft 9” high, 7ft 4” wide 

Tel: Craig 

on 0114 274 5229 

or 07802 752429 

fireblade1762@gmail.com 

www.davisremovals.co.uk 

For all your domestic carpet cleaning 

needs, including end of tenancy cleaning. 

Phone Paul on 07432 030902 for friendly, 

professional help and advice. 

Fully insured and fully trained 

email: paulcurriecarpetcleaning@gmail.com 

Complete peace of mind with 

low-cost monthly cover plans 

Call freephone on 0800 08 555 18 

www.FlameCare.co.uk 

Flamecare (Homeplan) ltd, 

65-67 Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield, S40 2Al

MJLEE JOINERY 

By Martin Lee 

ALL ASPECTS OF INTERIOR & EXTERIOR JOINERY 

Door Hanging, Spindle Staircases, 

Kitchens, Worktop Replacement, 

Flat Pack Assembly, Pipe Boxings, 

Loft Ladders Supplied & Fitted, 

Laminate Flooring, UPVC Soffits & Fascias 

No job too small - Free quotes & advice 

5 Periwood Avenue, Millhouses S8 

Tel: 0114 274 5428 

Mob: 0785 431 4320 

Dean M Beatson 

Roofing Specialist 

STORM DAMAGE 

NO JOB TOO SMALL- ALL WORK GUARANTEED 

• Roof Repairs • All Guttering • UPVC Fascias 

• Soffits • Barge Boards • Chimney Work 

• Flat Roofs • Slating & Tiling 

Tel: 0114 255 7151 

Mob: 07795 976 259 

14 Essendine Cres., Sheffield S8 8PB 

The Household Skip Specialists 

Sheaf Skips Ltd 

Providing on time delivery & 

collections across Dronfield 

• Same Day Service Available 

• Professional & Efficient 

• Fast, Reliable & Affordable 

• Mini & Midi Skips Available 

• We Welcome Business 

• Account Customers 

If you need to tip it, SHEAF Skip it 

Tel - 0114 2583279 

Unit 5, Heeley Arches, Oak Street, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 9UB

Active8 issue 206 April 2020

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