Tag: South Yorkshire

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Heron Foods and The House of Curls

fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

This is a somewhat unassuming picture of the building that currently houses Heron Foods, a frozen foods store, on Haymarket in Sheffield. The structure managed to survive the ravages of The Blitz that destroyed much of Sheffield’s old city centre architecture during World War Two.

What I find more interesting is the faded sign that can be seen in the middle first floor window. This advertises The House of Curls, a hairdressing salon that was in business during the 1970s and 1980s, but which has been closed now for the best part of forty years I believe. Apparently, the salon housed a number of booths on the upper floors which were rented out by the operator to individual hairdressers.

It pleases me that the signage remains after this time. There’s something strangely comforting about ghost signs such as this. Things change, but the memories remain.

Heron Foods

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 22 April 2024

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Street light

fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

Do you know that old Randy Crawford song, Street Life? Yes? Well, no matter how many times I hear it, I always sing it as “Street Light“. A bit like Neil Diamond singing about “The Reverend Bluejeans“.

Street light, you can run away from time
Street light, for a nickel, for a dime
Street light, but you better not get old
Street light, Or you’re gonna feel the cold

Streetlit

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 22 April 2024

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Porter uncovered

fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

The River Porter is one of several rivers flowing through Sheffield and it’s surrounding area. It’s source is on Burbage Moor and the river descends over one thousand feet as it flows into the city. This descent enabled the construction of water-powered industry in the city’s past.

When the river gets closer to the city centre, so it’s passage is hidden more and more by a series of culverts which take it beneath buildings and roads until it eventually joins the River Sheaf beside Midland Station.

There are plans to reveal Sheffield’s covered rivers, including the Porter, and this has taken place in some areas, such as the section in the photo below where, just beyond the bridge in the picture, a section of the culvert collapsed where it went beneath the car-park of the Decathlon sportswear store. Decathlon were persuaded to keep the newly revealed stretch of the river uncovered.

A little further downstream from this location, a pocket-park has been constructed to allow people to sit and enjoy the riverbank.

River Porter

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 24 April 2024

35mm · Film photography · Photography

Four canal bridges in Attercliffe

fishyfisharcadeLeave a comment

I posted some other photos of bridges spanning the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal recently – those shot with my Zeiss medium format folding camera. The ones here were shot on the same day with my Olympus XA3 along the same stretch of water in Attercliffe, Sheffield.

Sheffield and Tinsley Canal bridges #1

I think I said in the earlier post that this is now a pleasant stretch of the can to walk along. It has a high embankment on both sides which shields it from what is otherwise quite an industrial part of the city. The spring foliage also brings a pleasantly arboreal feel to the place.

Sheffield and Tinsley Canal bridges #2
Sheffield and Tinsley Canal bridges #3

When I was much younger the canal was horribly polluted. I remember crossing it on the bus route that took me into the city centre and the water was a vivid orange colour, presumably due to pollutants from the steel industry in the area. Now the water is clear and sustains fish and other wildlife.

Sheffield and Tinsley Canal bridges #4

Olympus XA3 & Ilford HP5+ (@800asa). Ilfotec DD-X 1+4 10mins @ 20°

Taken on 7 April 2024