Sheffield Cathedral events: Blitz marked 81 years on from two of the worst nights of war in the city

The devastating attacks changed the face of the city forever and flattened much of the city centre.Sheffield Cathedral – the venue for a nine-hour anniversary event this week – amazingly survived almost unscathed.

The commemoration event itself, however, had to wait for a year to take place because of the pandemic and was originally meant to mark the 80th anniversary.

The event included the screening of a rare Sheffield Blitz film and a remembrance service, when Coun Terry Fox, leader of Sheffield City Council, laid a wreath.

On the cathedral forecourt there were World War Two reenactors and a display of vintage military vehicles and memorabilia, plus a performance of popular wartime songs.

Local writer Neil Anderson, one of the event organisers, also spoke at the cathedral about the launch of the 10th anniversary edition of his book, Sheffield’s Date With Hitler.

Neil recalled: “On the 70th anniversary 10 years ago I wrote Sheffield’s Date with Hitler. The BBC picked up on it and made a documentary called Sheffield – The Forgotten Blitz.

"Ever since that moment I thought, ‘right, I don’t want it to be the forgotten Blitz’.

"It’s the reason so much of the city centre looks like it does, over 2,000 people were killed and wounded, a tenth of the city population were made homeless on those two nights in December 1940.”

Neil said he had decided to bring out a new edition of the book because so many people came forward to share more amazing stories after it was published.

What is happening at the National Emergency Services Museum this weekend?

Richard Godley worked with Neil as project manager for Sheffield Blitz 75th anniversary events. They won National Lottery funding to create a phone app for a city centre Blitz walk and establish a permanent Blitz exhibition at the National Emergency Services Museum on West Bar.

Richard said: “It’s still one of those subjects that still enthuses people with a lot of memories and emotions as well and they’ve still got stories.”

He is now looking for memories about Blitz kids – Sheffielders who were children at that time.

Vice Dean of Sheffield Cathedral, Rev Canon Keith Farrow, said: “This is really the place to hold this because it survived. It had very little damage. A lot of people think that the 1960s extension was built because of bomb damage, it was not, but it was at the very heart of the Blitz.

“The top of The Moor, Fargate and Campo Lane got hammered. Imagine standing there in the smoke and bombs and flames – that was the place that people gathered for centuries when things have been difficult.

"People in Sheffield see the cathedral as their place, so it’s good we hold this event here.”

*The National Emergency Services Museum has a Wartime Christmas event this weekend, which will include costumed characters, living history interpreters, Father Christmas and children’s activities, as well as a 1940s pub. For details and tickets, go to visitnesm.org.uk/wartimechristmas

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