Things I liked about Barnsley that have gone

Re: All those and......

Albert Hirst pork pies and Boveril.

 

The Cue Ball. Downstairs video games surrounded by spotty oiks who could make 10p last hours on their favorite machines - or at least it felt that way while you waited for your turn. Upstairs pool tables if you were brave enough to climb the stairs.

Used to get my £3 paper round money on a Saturday morning, bus to town and spend most of the day in there. Occasionally we'd be adventurous and go to the bright lights of Sheffield or Donny, where we invariably ended up in another arcade.

 

I was a regular visitor in there on a Saturday - both when it was next to Quasi's and before it moved when it was underneath what is now the Alhambra.

 

Re: All those and......

Sorry, Bovril.

 

The Tuesday market used to be the (non-footy) highlight of the week, especially looking through the Beatles bootlegs on Dave's stall. One of the many things I miss these days is record collecting. Once eBay started up it took no time to get what you wanted and took all the fun out of it. I bought the first Felt CD a few weeks ago and that was the last record I have been searching for years for.

And as for the big badges, I never got round to buying any and they never pop up on eBay. I keep telling Miriam that i'll be first in line for her collection if she ever hits on hard times!

 

You'll be pleased to know that the Chinese is still there and, what's more, they still seem to have the original sign up from the early 80's!

 

I am really glad I grew up with all those things, soul destroying seeing the town today.

 

The small black and white EMERGENCY EXIT signs on the back of the Yorkshire Traction buses. With a black marker pen and a bit of skill, turning it into VIRGIN. EXIT

Tip Exing the C & S off the Canal Street road sign!!!!

Asking the bus river in stand 7? If the bus was going to Jump...... you know the rest!! All hilarious in the early 80's as pre teen! Practically a Saturday ritual.

 

Going to the matches with my late Dad. We were only playing in the old Third & Fourth Divisions (ill health stopped him going in 1981), but I look back on that time with great fondness. Our games kicked off later than the vast majority at 3:15 on a Saturday & after the match we always bought The Star from the vendor stood at the railway crossing. This was because it had all the other results listed in the Stop Press section in the bottom right hand corner of the front page. Later that evening, we would then receive the Green 'Un delivered to our home.
Now where's my pipe and slippers???

 

Used to love going into Midwoods sport shop on Shambles Street and seeing that they had a new Subbuteo team in. I can't remember how many I bought but I had a collection of some sorts (still have!)

Going into the Co-op toy department before Christmas and seeing the model railway display. Always lots of people in there and the whizzing sound of those cash containers on the high wires from serving desk to the secure area. Seems bizarre nowadays to think that you had to pay for something then stand there and wait for your change to come back down the wire.

Going to get your new clothes before Whitsuntide from those shops up Sheffield Road all linked together (forgot the name for a minute). Your mother usually paying for them with some kind of coupon system. An early kind of credit I suppose - "paying on t'club" was it called? It was traditional to get dressed up and go out on Whit Sunday in your new clothes - maybe the only time in the year that you got any

 

The football team playing in the premiership.

 

Kitchens music shop and Park Road Art School. Red buses.

 

Going into the Co-op toy department before Christmas and seeing the model railway display.

I always remember Don Valley Sports. Probably stood where the top entrance to the Alambra is now where you go into Wilkos.

Long thin layout and they had scarletrix tracks and train setups at the back of the shop.

Going up to John Brittons aswell. Opposite library to check out the latest BMX bikes and accessories in the cycle section. Dice dust caps etc were where the pocket money went!

 

Upstairs in Chennels before they did it up.

Sid Tyas's sweet stall on the market.

Going to Dodworth pit canteen with my grandad and getting a custard tart.

Having at least half a dozen different places in the town centre where you could buy records.

Growing up on Shaw Street and having 8 shops within two minutes's walking distance where you could buy sweets with your pocket money, including one (IIRC) that only sold sweets.

BFC regular first teamers from Barnsley.

Video shops that would happily rent out all kinds of video nasty type horror films to 12 year olds.

Harry's chip shop on Racecommon Road.

 

Tracky Buses. Reight vehicles. Deep crimson with a cream stripe 'Rhubarb and custard' mi grandard used to call it

 

Aye strolling down from 6th form into town to look round Dave's and Amazing records on the Tuesday market. Even occasionally strolling back up.

Record collections I'm with you there still trying to get hold of a CD copy of One man Clapping by James and then I'm probably done.

Sometime in the early 90s Shirley from the club shop found loads of those big badges and they went on sale for 20 pence in the club shop. I bought Glyn Riley and the 2 players I don't recognise then thought to myself what the chuff and I gonna do with the other 10 or so I had in my hand so put them back down. Idiot...

How is Miriam haven't seen her in ages how is she?

 

I haven't seen her for a while myself. I bumped into her at a match a year or so ago, but I can't remember which one. We probably lost.

 

I could make 10p last for an hour on Commando or Ikari Warriors, it wor great in there.

 

Proper laughing at some of those

I remember stairfoot crossrooerds with great affection. Those old tracky buses barely getting round the corner and going up the hill.......gears crunching on the way...as a kid i always prayed we'd make it up the hill

 

Darn's fish and chips down Summer Lane - lovely stuff
Going back a bit further, growing up at the bottom of Cemetery Road, going across Donny Road to Sunderland Terrace, Osborne Street and then down Seth Terrace. There was a proper old fashioned chip shop where you could get chips for a few pennies (that would be OLD pennies by the way) and a bag of fish bits for sixpence to go with them. Oh, and not forgetting a pile of scraps - deep fried bits of fat that had fallen off the fish when frying. It's incredible to think that we ate stuff like that and yet it was very rare to see a fat kid. Oh, and there were no polystyrene boxes in sight. You got it all wrapped in plain white paper then newspaper on the outside.
Don't know why, but can't get Clive Dunn singing out of my head, reading all this