LOOKING BACK
LEFT: Mark Smith, 1981 BELOW: Prize-winners and bronze medal winner Mark Smith congratulated by Light Products GM Michael Webber, 1981
Following in his father’s footsteps... MEMORIES ON THE HISTORY OF THE FOX VALLEY SITE HAVE BEEN FLOODING IN... HERE’S JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT YOU CAN REMEMBER ABOUT THE FORMER STEELWORKS. ast month we celebrated the launch of Fox Valley, Stockbridge’s new retail development, by looking back at the site’s history as a steel manufacturer. Samuel Fox established a wire-drawing business in 1842, before Samuel Fox & Co. formed the United Steel Company in 1918 and for the next 50 years, specialised in producing steel springs, alloy and other stainless steel. We asked you to write in if you had any stories or memories of working at Fox Springs. Clarence Smith wrote in to tell us that he worked in the Spring Mill from 1964 until its closure in 1985. He said: “I was still there when they were taking everything out. It was going to Tinsley and there were only three of us cleaning it out; John Wright – the manager at the time, the foreman of the machine shop and me. I used to regulate the springs and was a forklift driver.”
L
24 Pulse | www.sheffieldvibe.com
Following in his father’s footsteps, Smith’s son Mark went to work for the Light Products wire department, after receiving a bronze medal for his performance in the Related Steel Processes examination at Stocksbridge College during the 1980/81 academic year. If you have any stories relating to Light Products wire department or recognise anyone in the prize-winners photo, please get in touch. Call Phoebe Seymour on 0114 250 6300 or email phoebe.seymour@rmcmedia.co.uk and we will print your comments in the next issue.
*
If you have any old pictures that you would like to share, please send them, along with your name and a short description of the photograph, to Pulse Looking Back, 6 Broadfield Court, Broadfield Business Park, Sheffield S8 0XF. Or you can email them to phoebe.seymour@rmcmedia.co.uk. If you would like us to return your photographs, please include your address with the images and we will be happy to post them back. @PulseRMC