Dore to Door internet edition

Local history - Autumn 2004

Oral History Collection - Letters - Jean recalls

Oral History Collection

In conversation with Sydney Hoffman, founder member of the Dore Village Society and chairman for 20 years.

Sydney Hoffman was born in Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1924. His great-grandfather came to England as an immigrant from middle Europe in the 1870s and worked as a slipper maker in Norwich. His grandfather became a professional comedian and through the stage connection met his grandmother who sang in the chorus of the D’Oyley Carte Opera Company. Although his grandfather’s name was Isaac he was always known as Tommy Hoffman and so was his father Haldane. Syd explains "My father was not a studious boy at all, but he was clever, and he was the only boy who’d ever been chosen from his council school, Bath Lane Primary, in the west end of Newcastle, to go to Rutherford College , which was the sort of secondary school of the time."

Syd himself owns up to being "quite a bright lad although rather lazy" according to some of the teachers at High Heaton Grammar School for Boys. He was in the fifth form (Y11) when in 1939 war broke out and recalls "I was dispatched, among the oldest of the evacuees, with the rest of my school to the west coast of England to get us out of harm’s way. We went to Whitehaven in West Cumberland and I was billeted on various families for the next three years". Syd remembers enjoying a tremendous amount of freedom and the undivided attention of clever teachers who spotted in him something to cultivate.

After Higher School Certificate (A Levels) Syd was awarded a State Scholarship and £100 per year which helped him to study English at Christ Church College, Oxford. Syd modestly remarks "The college was very empty, you know; lots of people had been called up into the services. There was plenty of room so they were only too glad to have me."

So, what was it like at Oxford during the war? Syd replies with a laugh "Oh, it was wonderful for me; lots of girls and not very many men." Thus, he met and fell "madly in love" with a vivacious History undergraduate called Hazel Gill. He sighs wistfully. "It was all idyllically beautiful; sometimes the war seemed a long time away." And he adds "I was actually punting one day up the Cherwell when the news sped along the bank that the war was over."

A year later Syd took his finals and the university appointments board suggested that he might like to be a teacher. He had posts at Cheltenham College and Netherthorpe Grammar, Staveley and then at Bradford Grammar School to be near Hazel who was teaching at West Leeds. They married in 1948 and when Hazel inherited her parent’s house, Newfield, Brickhouse Lane, they decided to come and live in Dore. So, by 1954 they had a small child and Syd was teaching at High Storrs School where he became Head of English for many years.

Syd reflects "By this time I knew quite a lot of people in Dore and I was fascinated by it, because I’d never lived in a village before or anything remotely like a village. I had grown up in entirely urban surroundings, the kind of places that had no sense of community." Syd was amazed to find that Hazel had an astonishing number of relations in the village whereas his own family was small. He explains "I felt that, having no roots of my own, I discovered some by coming to this house and living here. And that was one of the reasons that I was attracted to the idea of a Dore Village Society". Syd then recounts how this all came about. "The original germ was sown by Michael Bassey, a lecturer at Totley College, who lived on Rushley Road. The idea arose in discussion of forming some sort of society with – it’s still branded on my memory- the aim of protecting and enhancing the amenities of Dore."

Thus, at a public meeting in September 1964 the Dore Village Society was founded with an elected committee of eight. Michael Bassey became the first Secretary and Sydney Hoffman the Chairman, a post he held for 20 years! There was much to do and a large number of local issues were examined, from the redevelopment of the centre of the village (several gritstone cottages had been demolished) to the preservation of the village green, the repair of pavements and footpaths and the possibility of creating a community centre in the recently vacated Old School. Many of the proposals made by the early committee were quite visionary for their time and included a one-way traffic system with a leafy pedestrian precinct in the village centre. Contact with the growing membership was maintained through regular newsletters and, reading old copies of these, there is a realisation that many concerns of 2004 were already being voiced by the people of Dore in 1964.

The Village Society also wanted Dore to be placed firmly on the historical map of England and commissioned the Stone commemorating the Treaty of Dore of 829 A.D. It was unveiled on Sunday 7th July 1968 by the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Alderman Patience Sheard at the annual Well Dressing Service. Thereafter, the Wyvern of Wessex was adopted as the insignia of the Dore Village Society. The following year the first of their publications appeared – King Ecgbert and the Treaty of Dore written by Hazel Hoffman, then Head of History at King Ecgbert School.

However, a real battle was looming, one that would make local and national headlines throughout 1970s. Sheffield City Council wanted to build a huge housing estate on 100 acres of Ryecroft Farm. Syd remembers well "We launched a campaign to raise money and we hired the services of a distinguished barrister who was skilled in planning law and we went to battle about it – the siege of Ryecroft Farm – anyway, we presented our case before the Minister’s inspector and we won, amid great rejoicing."

Another clash with the Council was fought over a proposed Dore by-pass which was going to leave the Baslow Road and come sweeping down around the village, cutting across Ryecroft land and out into a redeveloped Limb Lane. Once again D.V.S. took on the planners and won. Syd concludes "Winning the Ryecroft battle was very important, our most important achievement. The world is full of greedy developers who lie in wait for every opportunity to nibble away at the edge of the Green Belt where land values are highest."

Dore owes a great debt to Sydney Hoffman and the founders of the Village Society for their visionary aims, which 40 years on, are still firmly upheld by the present members. Let us hope that we can fend off today’s greedy planners and win the battle to save the character of Newfield Lane!

Maureen Cope,

Dore Oral History Group.

Letters

Dear Sir,

It was very nice reading Elva Hogsons letter in the Dore to Door. I remember her well, she was in the same class as my sister Janet. The man she talks about chatting to in the churchyard, as he worked, must have been my father Edgar Taylor. He was a monumental mason and there’s a lot of gravestones in there with my dads name on them. He made all the headstones and lettered them all by hand, no power tools in those days.

I remember Chris Fearnehough very well as we lived next door to him at 96 Townhead Road. I also followed Dore football team all over in the 50s they had a first class team in those days. Chris used to run on with his sponge and cold water when anyone was hurt, it worked wonders.

He mentions the fields opposite Townhead cottages but not the bomb that dropped in them one night during the war. We should have been in the Anderson shelter round the back but we were under the table as it whistled down. Luckily it dropped in the field and left a big hole, 30 yards or so nearer and we wouldn’t be here now. It shook the houses but didn’t even break any windows.

Elva talks about Miss Dobbs, Miss Palmer, and Miss Davies. There was also Mrs Watts and the headmaster in my days at Dore school was Mr Clark. There was no school rat run, you walked. Some pupils walked from Fox house, Stoney ridge, Ringinglow, Totley Brook, and Totley Rise. You had to leave Dore school at 11. The clever ones passed the 11 plus, others had to go to either Hunters Bar or Totley schools. I was one of those who walked it to Totley. I agree with Chris that Dore isn’t Dore any more but I suppose that’s what is called progress.

If anyone would like to contact me my e mail is Taylorbuck2@aol.com

J S Taylor

Jean recalls

Todays’ postal deliveries may leave much to be desired, but during my childhood they could, always be relied on. I remember my mother telling me that the day I was born, at 3 in the afternoon my father sent a postcard to mothers eldest sister who worked at Smedleys Hydro, this she received the following morning.

Mr Stan Mace and his wife Hilda ran the post Office here in Dore. This was then part of the Hare and Hounds building. I remember it always smelt most odd. Mr Pybus was the mail man. He did his round on foot twice a day. Mrs Mace used to fly round the village morning and evening delivering the morning papers and the Star.

Mr Mace had been a footballer, for Sheffield Wednesday I think. I remember that when the Birtles had the paper shop they had a clock in the back which had been presented to Mr Mace when he retired from the game.

At this time milk was delivered twice a day round the village, mostly by horse and cart. We got ours from Mr Barber at Roundseats farm. The milk was in a churn with a brass tap and was measured into your own jugs. The milk did not seem to keep very long, especially in summer. Todays’ Super Market stuff seems to have a sell by date way ahead. Most cart horses in this area seemed to go by the name of Dick.

I will reserve judgement on the mess the Council are making of the pavements here. But I think the planning department must be blind. Don’t they ever look at the monstrosities they allow to happen. The dwelling below the lamplighter’s Cottage sticks up like a Tower and dwarfs the surrounding area. I don’t think half the planners ever visit the sites they approve of. I very much regret that Dore can no longer term its self a village. It’s becoming an eyesore.

Can’t anything be done about the hedges which overlap the pavements. I’ve nearly had my eye poked out on more than one occasion. Dodging branches and speeding especially on Rushley is making life very difficult for an old bird like me.

Are builders entitled to have their building materials and skips on the pavements and grass verges. They seem to commandeer the whole area when they start their work. Is there no legislation to cover them. Who is responsible if there is an accident.

I wonder if some parents have a death wish for their children. They seem to allow them to ride motorised scooters and bikes without head gear. Who is liable if they knock you for six. I don’t suppose any of them have insurance.

Jean Dean

Ed. Residents have a responsibility to cut back hedges and branches overlapping pavements. The Dore Village Society will write to property owners asking for cooperation in particularly bad cases. In the final resort the Council can undertake the work themselves and then charge the resident. There is an item elsewhere in this issue on skips.