. . . just me then ?

No, not just you, Kitty. Very interesting. I used to work and live in Sheffield for a short while, and your post explains a lot! However, some recent good works around Winter Gardens etc. It's getting there!

I never realised for years, and it is mainly from visiting football grounds round the country that I noticed that the city centre in Sheffield is a lot different to other big cities.

There have been a few 60's buildings that never lasted the course - what was once the "New" Town Hall, locally known as "The Egg Box", was one such concrete monstrosity. I know it's not the most picturesque city, but being centrally located in England it is never more than a 4 hour drive to anywhere, and on the edge of the Peak District - which is a beautiful part of Britain.

Some local historical societies have been trying to bring the Sheffield Blitz to the forefront of WW2 British history and for us to remember the sacrifices made by brave local citizens and our armed forces.

If you've ever been to Sheffield centre and wondered why there are no really old buildings compared to cities like Liverpool and Manchester etc, this is the reason why. The city centre was demolished and the rebuilding went on well into the 60's.

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It wasn't just Sheffield. Coventry got completely flattened (but for a different reason) and so did poor old Salford, adjacent to Manchester.

I knew about Coventry, but not about Salford.

It seems that Manchester and Salford copped it a few weeks after Sheffield. The following from Wiki:

Raids on Manchester

Air raids began in August 1940, and in September 1940 the Palace Theatre on Oxford Street was bombed. The heaviest raids occurred on the nights of 22/23 and 23/24 December 1940, killing an estimated 684 people and injuring 2,364.[1] Manchester Cathedral, the Royal Exchange and the Free Trade Hall were among the large buildings damaged. On the night of 22/23 December, 270 aircraft dropped 272 tons of high explosive and 1,032 incendiary bombs; on the second night, 171 aircraft dropped another 195 tons of high explosive and 893 incendiaries.[1] [German] propaganda claimed that the entire city had been burned to the ground.

Salford and Stretford

Neighbouring Salford and Stretford were also badly damaged by the bombing. It is estimated that more than 215 people were killed and 910 injured in Salford, and more than 8,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.[1] Seventy-three were killed in Stretford, and many more were injured.[2] The following month Old Trafford was hit during an air raid that lasted 3 hours. In June 1941 German bombs damaged the original Salford Royal Hospital on Chapel Street, killing 14 nurses.

Further raids

On 11 March 1941 Old Trafford football stadium, the home of Manchester United F.C., was hit by a bomb aimed at the industrial complex of Trafford Park, wrecking the pitch and demolishing the stands. The stadium was rebuilt after the war and reopened in 1949, until which time United played at Manchester City's Maine Road.[3]

In June 1941 German bombs damaged the police headquarters. Manchester continued to be bombed by the Luftwaffe throughout the war, and was in some danger of being hit by V-1 flying bombs. On Christmas Eve 1944 the Germans launched flying bombs at Manchester. The attack failed but 27 people in neighbouring Oldham were killed by a stray bomb. The city was beyond the range of the V-2 rockets.

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The fact that it mentions Old Trafford and Maine Road just about qualifies it as being football related!

Oh yes, I did know that Man Utd played at Maine Road during the war, I've forgotten more than I remember . Thanks for making the article 'on topic'

West Bromwich was also heavily bombed. Fortunately, it didn't make any difference.

. . .

Kitty-

Just read this with great interest.
My mother who is 93 is a survivor of the Jan 12th blitz. She was a young girl of 18, and that particular eveing was watching a film in THe Hippodrome. She remembers the officials stopping the film and asking everyone to go to the air-raid shelters as quickly as possible. THe Luftwaffe dropped thousands of incendiary bombs that night which set the City ablaze.
My mother recalls the bravery of many young men, who as wardens ran out into the streets to knock the incendiary fire bombs off the air raid shelters with huge wooden poles. When the all clear had been signalled after several hours, Sheffield was ablaze, and my mother said she burst into tears at the sight of such devastation, destruction, panic and fear.
She remembers trams upside down, big holes in the roads, buildings, houses, shops all burning, and The Wicker arch having been hit and badly damaged.
Even now at 93, she says she has a vivid memory of that night, the bravery of many and the huge Sheffield spirit of compassion, support and defiance. My dad survived the war. He was already abroad. He fought in North Africa with the 8th Army as a desert rat. He was demobbed in 1946, and married my mother in 1947

Heavenly !! I thought I was the last wo(man) standing.

How fantastic that your mother is still around to share memories of the Sheffield Blitz with you . It must have been terrifying for a young woman of 18 years old to live through it. I love to hear the old 'uns reminisce and am in awe of their bravery and defiance.

Thanks for sharing with me, and don't stay away so long next time.

Happy Christmas to you and yours