Dore to Door internet edition

News & Comment - Autumn 2003

Did you know - Letters - Aldine House award - Jimmy Martin calls time!

Did you know......

Everywhere you turn there seem to be more and more 4 wheel drive monsters on the roads (and pavements!) Not exactly essential in an urban environment or necessary for bad weather situations in our increasingly mild winters. So why the increase? Essential for the school run perhaps, providing an enhanced sense of security/safety to their drivers, or just pure status symbols? Now I suspect a possible new reason, namely the increasing number of pot holes in Sheffield Roads, with their destructive impact on the suspension of more normal cars!

Still the planning applications role in, especially for new flats, the latest on the site of the Totley Bridge petrol station. It used to be that we had far too many petrol stations, now we face the opposite scenario. This station serves a large area of Totley, Bradway and Dore as well as traffic entering the city from Derbyshire. If it goes, the next station, and the only one on the route into Sheffield, will be at Tesco. Inevitably closure will lead to more mileage for many existing users, with associated increased costs and pollution. Yet our planning system takes absolutely no account of wider community issues and needs.

Another example is the chipping away at areas of unique character within the village. Ashfurlong Lane was our last remaining rural style lane with a long history. Adjacent developments such as that at Blue Ridge and the massive extension of the end house on Cavendish, general tidying up and beautification of frontages etc are all destroying its character for ever. Surely we can come up with a better planning system than we currently have!

......... and what do you think?

Doremouse

Letters

Dear Sir,

The articles in Dore to Door on ‘pick your own’ farms, reminded me of an article in the Daily Telegraph some 3 or 4 years ago - an April Fool. The spoof was of a ‘PYO’ farmer who was incensed with anger at the produce his customers ate and had decided that he would weigh each one before and after to charge for the fruit ingested!

There were protests. Some customers complained that they always took sandwiches, others that there were many birds in the fields and the bird droppings must weigh something. That sometimes they went in without putting on coats and then it rained. So he decided to weigh them in their underwear before and after.

I sent this article to my brother whose delight and occupation was the English language and literature. He writes for a living. He sent me back this limerick, which I always thought would be nice to exhibit at the pay out tents:-

A fruit farmer noted, with hate,

All the produce his customers ate.

So he stripped nicking pickers,

Right down to their knickers,

And checked weighed them all at the gate. ( By David Fisher ).

I hope you enjoy this as much as I have over the years.

Margaret Lloyd

Dear Sir,

I think it would be worthwhile reminding people in Dore, through your useful yellow pages, that Devonshire Terrace Road is still two-way for the first several metres from the junction with Townhead Road to the Devonshire Arms car-park, as clearly indicated by the hatched white lines across the end of the road indicating Give Way.

Whenever I have occasion to visit the shops in that area I marvel at the number of drivers who sweep round the bend outside the Service Station on the wrong side of the road without a care that something might be coming the other way (e.g. out of the car park). It is not One Way until it says so.

E P Birtwisle

Dear Sir,

I am writing after yet another harrowing day on the roads of Sheffield.

As a daily commuter across the city, I never cease to be amazed at the latest ‘improvements and additions’ to our road network. Yes, I do refer to the numerous bumps and traffic island constructions we encounter on many of our roads, including busy main roads and bus routes.

The latest addition is situated on Abbeydale Road South at the junction with Abbey Lane. I am referring to the crossing which is currently being constructed on the city side of the lights. Prior to work commencing, traffic traveling along Abbeydale Road South into the city was able to use either of the two lanes at the approach to the lights, the nearside lane being a bus only lane between 8am and 9.30am. The offside lane could be used for straight ahead or for a right turn.

Since the construction, which completely blocks the centre of the road, the offside lane has now been converted to a right turn only into Abbey Lane, with all other traffic being forced to use the nearside lane (which, as previously mentioned, is a bus only lane between 8am and 9.30am - this is, in itself, a little confusing? Where are the cars supposed to go?)

In view of the fact that the biggest percentage of traffic traveling along Abbeydale Road South in the morning is going towards the city, the nearside lane is obviously much busier and, therefore, is resulting in lengthy tailbacks, due to the volume of traffic.

I have to ask the question: is this progress? This latest construction is only serving to create yet another traffic jam at one of the city’s busiest junctions. To add to this, the only lane for access into the city is also a bus only lane in the mornings - rush hour in fact!

It is a great pity that the council waste so much of our money on seemingly unnecessary constructions which only serve to obstruct the flow of traffic, instead of repairing the many potholes in our roads.

Sue Walker (a very disgruntled motorist)

Dear Sir,

I notice that in the Dore to Door, there are always a number of letters about local people not cleaning up their ‘dog dirt’.

As a local myself, I feel that everyone should clear up their own ‘dog dirt’. However, no-one ever comments about ‘horse dirt’ being cleared up, which at least once a week, a horse deposits outside our house. Also on Limb Lane there are always piles of it and sometimes you have to drive through it because of oncoming traffic.

I really do feel that the horse owners should clear this up, as it is just as bad as the ‘dog dirt’.

Jackie McCarney

Aldine House award

Workers from Aldine House, Sheffield City Council’s secure children’s home on Limb Lane, were celebrating recently, after their work with the young people who live at the centre earned them the award for ‘Team of the Year’ at the national Health and Social Care Awards. Winners of the awards, which are backed by the Department of Health, receive £15,000 towards further development of services.

Just three years ago the home was facing closure. Now the eight-bed, purpose-built unit is being hailed as a beacon of good practice.

Previously, as home to some of the country’s most troubled offenders, there were regular outbreaks of violence and management was described as weak. Following a dramatic turn around, the number of violent incidents has been cut by 85% and the young people have achieved examination successes far in excess of their teachers expectations.

Centre manager Francis N’Jie, who has played a key role in the turn around, attributed the success to a real team effort and the benefits of having a multi-disciplinary team.

Jimmy Martin calls time!

It was yet another break-in and a further smothering of graffiti that prompted the recent closure of perhaps the best loved shop in the area.

This was more than your run-of-the-mill retailer, it was also a mini counselling service, and information point. There was a genuine and friendly interest in the surrounding community ("how’s Pam and how are you?) was the standard greeting - not "what do you want". It was a chat show, customer introduction with a friendly smile and manner that endeared Jimmy Martin to all and sundry. His work out in the community and at the United Reformed Church will no doubt be described better by friends and colleagues.

It was 27th October 1949 when Jim’s dad Vic bought the shop. Martin junior was at school in Dronfield but was called upon to help in the business; more so when Vic had a heart attack and the 15 year old lad was given several months leave from school.

Nevertheless Jim passed his exams and started work at Cadbury’s in Birmingham where he worked as a factory trainee, (even showing Adrian Cadbury, who was to head this large confectionery empire, around the offices) until call-up papers arrived.

The young recruit trained in the North East as a radar operator up and enjoyed himself until a more important call for help came from the shop. His father was in and out of hospital with his heart problems and the stand-in, Jim’s sister Mary became pregnant. It was early discharge on compassionate grounds, goodbye to dreams of travel and a return to Abbeydale Road South.

With Vic’s death Jim began the marathon job of running the shop for over 50 years despite confessing to being "not business minded". There were long hours, hard work and not a holiday resort in sight for many a year.

Jimmy, thank you for what you have done for several generations of customers, we will all miss your cheery smile and service but do keep in touch, you know where we are. And this is an order Private James Martin (retd)! Go out, travel and reclaim all those lost holiday entitlements. Most of all stay happy and healthy.

Brian Edwards