He helped to put Sheffield on the map

It was quite positive for The Star to feature the article last week. Dan Hayes’ article in the same paper, however I found somewhat biased on the negative side.

I personally felt some of the comments are somewhat unfair and insulting, but of course that is MY opinion.

One gentleman felt that all Peter cared about was making money, then leaving Sheffield. Not true.

Anyhow, I don’t think there are many business people who somewhere along the line find making enough money to continue in business fairly important.

One of the main reasons for Peter finally leaving Sheffield was actually because of being hounded somewhat by elements in the Sheffield Council. The City of Leeds welcomed the Stringfellows with open arms.

As for the remark of spending most of his life outside Sheffield, I am not sure past recipients of this award still all live in Sheffield do they? One thing that Peter’s family, friends and acquaintances do know is that Peter always spoke well of his home city and his early club-owning days here, and was always coming back home, especially when asked.

Someone else stated in Dan’s article that Peter “was not a hero”. Award recipient Sean Bean is a very good actor, but I am not sure he is hero either is he?

A comment left online says that Peter was a Tory ‘which is as low you can get’. Really? Someone’s life can be put in the dumper because of the way they vote?

The Walk of Fame is not a lifetime award, otherwise all the earlier recipients would no longer be with us.

But why Sheffield Council has now decided, seemingly with knowledge of the petition, to state that it can only be awarded to the living is one for them to answer.

I just ask why? What difference does that make?

The request and petition is based on the earlier part of Peter’s career, mainly the 1960s.

At that time, both musically and youth culture-wise, he helped to put Sheffield on the map.

Sheffield at the time was totally different animal.

Over much of that decade his influence, especially by the time of The King Mojo Club, would have been reaching thousands of teenagers.

As mentioned in The Star, Peter has always been proud of being from Sheffield.

Maybe its a blessing that he can’t witness being ‘turned on’ by some of his own city folk.

Paul Norton

60s survivor, Worksop