Richard A. Wesley

I read with great interest the article by Mr. Andrew Russell in the July/August edition of the Totley Independent. Like Mr. Russell, I was a Totley child. My parents Stanley and Kathleen Wesley ran the newsagents at Green Oak with initially my father's parents for almost 35 years until 1968. Oddly enough I also went to Totley County School (TCS) and lived in Main Avenue (No.9) so doubtless our paths have crossed. 

I started TCS in September 1951 in the infant class under Miss Grendage. I can remember so many things about that school at that time. Certainly Miss Clareborough was headmistress with Mrs. Freeman her secretary. We had a general purposes classroom,, little used, which some of the Sheffield City Schools used to 'borrow'. When my parents owned the shop at 187 Baslow Road, as Mr. Russell says, the land at the front between the shop and the road created a very nasty corner at the top of Mickley Lane, and I recall many accidents there as a child though, that apart, I always felt that the arrival of the dual carriageway bisected Totley and spoilt some of its character. 

Many of the older residents will recall Pearson's Green Oak Nursery with the long driveway, also my late father's friend Eric Bryers who for many years ran a small restaurant and 'deli' on Totley Rise. Also Grattons the off-licence. Marstone Garage, Evans shop on Hillfoot Road and Totley Grange on Baslow Road demolished in 1964/65 when Wimpey moved in, all now sadly gone. 

Highfield as it became known was the original Totley Hall Training College of Housecraft and I believe opened about the same time as Totley County School in 1951. The 'College' became a very good customer of my father's, though I felt it was spoilt when the Lowfield site was added in 1965. The Winter of 1963 will be long remembered. I believe the snow arrived on Boxing Day and stayed until mid-March; having a newspaper delivery business my father and I took SEVEN HOURS to deliver papers on foot to Old Hay and round The Bents!

High level Baslow Road shops including Evans and National Provincial Bank

I finally left Totley to join my parents in 1969 and at that time R.Orme and Sons owned the business Mr. Russell describes at the foot of Bushey Wood Road, which caught fire some years after; they also had a shop in Bakewell which subsequently became Pricerite and Somerfield. National Westminster Bank (or was it National Provincial?) was on the hill, you were able to drive around Aldam Road and there was still a plaque on the wall of what had been Tinsdales' shop at the top of Main Avenue which said 'Main Avenue, New Totley'! Green Oak Hall was an English Electric domestic appliance service centre and Green Oak View the new library and Shepley Spitfire were not yet to happen. 

My father passed away twenty years ago, though thankfully my mother still enjoys relatively good health into her 80s. Inevitably the need to visit Totley diminishes as time goes by but I shall always recall with great affection the times, places and people who played such an important part of my early life. Thank you for your excellent publication.

Wimborne, Dorset.
November 1998