Retro: Cheers to the happy years!

Retired Sheffield pub landlady and author, Joan Lee, is treating Retro readers to some memories of Christmases past.
Pavilion Cinema, Attercliffe Common.
20  August 1971Pavilion Cinema, Attercliffe Common.
20  August 1971
Pavilion Cinema, Attercliffe Common. 20 August 1971

Joan, who lives in Darnall, is the author of a book called Behind Bars, still available on Amazon for £4.99.

The book tells the story of how she shocked her teetotal, chapel-going Handsworth family by marrying the love of her life, Fred Lee, a pub landlord.

Attercliffe Road
12th May 1980Attercliffe Road
12th May 1980
Attercliffe Road 12th May 1980
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It tells of the characters she met in Attercliffe and the many adventures of a family behind bars in the area’s booming heyday.

Here she looks back to Christmas in the 1950s and 1960. Merry Christmas, Joan!

Christmas 1954

The shops are overflowing with goodies, everyone is excited that Christmas is looming: Attercliffe has come alive.

Adelphi Cinema, Attercliffe
October 1967Adelphi Cinema, Attercliffe
October 1967
Adelphi Cinema, Attercliffe October 1967

Horace Boldock has his shop front filled with turkeys and geese, a joy to behold.

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Stenson’s the pork butcher has a wonderful display of pork pies, pork joints and roasted gammon.

Baltic Bakeries have also done all their festive treats like Christmas cakes, mince pies and other lovely stuff.

Across the road, Duffield’s have a huge display of Christmas trees covered with garlands and the window of the fruit shop is trimmed to perfection with holly and mistletoe, tangerines, dates and every kind of fruit imaginable.

Littlewoods have done their best with offers on selection boxes, crayon boards and Christmas cards.

And on to the place of dreams – Banners!

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Santas is in his grotto and everything you could ever wish for is on display.

The Dog and Partridge 
public house

Attercliffe Road
12th May 1980Attercliffe Road
12th May 1980
Attercliffe Road 12th May 1980

The had a gala line-up of artists for the festive season.

Jock and Johnnie, a singing duo, and a real trouper, Flo Midwood, who came one night to sing all the favourites.

We broke the bank one night when Ronnie Dukes and Ricky Lee came to entertain.

Lots of laughter and singing were abounding and, to top it all off, all the children from St Charles School came and sang all the old carols.

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What a privilege to have lived in these precious good old days.

Christmas 1960, The 
Wellington, Brightside Lane, Attercliffe

Adelphi Cinema, Attercliffe
October 1967Adelphi Cinema, Attercliffe
October 1967
Adelphi Cinema, Attercliffe October 1967

The public house was a busy place indeed, situated next door to English Steel with the forgemen and melters being most of our customers.

The locals ran a Tote which was a huge success on a Sunday night, a free raffle with a payout of not less than £100, a lot of money in 1960.

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Christmas was on its way: what about a party for all our customers’ children?

I asked the secretary of the club, Mr Charlie Turner, and he agreed we could have the money to fund the party and to ‘make it a good one’.

So it was arranged.

All the wives and families made goodies and jellies, all the Christmas trimmings, with fairy lights and lots of balloons.

Father Christmas arrived at 5pm with a present for each child plus a selection box.

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We sang Christmas carols while we all waited for the coaches to take us on a tour of Sheffield’s Christmas lights.

When the coaches returned to The Wellington 
at 8pm, it was time to go home.

I often remember the children walking up Brightside Lane singing Away in a Manger.

Happy days.