Friday, January 19, 2024

A Raid on Dore

In the News: Sheffield's Cunning Plan?

Derby Daily Telegraph - 3rd of October 1927.

The title of this article suggests violence afoot but in actuality the ‘raid’ was on land in Dore. The article predates the inclusion of Dore into Sheffield. Dore was still firmly within Derbyshire until the mid-1930s. To quote directly from the newspaper this is what was said :

‘Most people know that Dore is a Derbyshire suburb of Sheffield, to which the well to-do classes of that city resort for residential purposes. Dore is rather exclusive, and, it is said, somewhat inclined to give itself airs. But a cold shiver has been sent through the place by the rumour that the City Council contemplate building a large number of houses for the working classes on land they have acquired there for this especial purpose.

If that be true, it will be a great blow to the Dore that has grown up in the last generation, and that prides itself on its social amenities and general attractiveness. The point is of some interest to Derbyshire, for Dore is, of course in our County. What is threatened is that when the new block of working-class houses is completed, Sheffield will go to Parliament for an extension of boundaries that will wipe Dore off the map of Derbyshire once and for all.’

And as they say - the rest is history.

Monday, January 15, 2024

Toy Sunday - 1931


Reverend Saxelby-Kemp

The Rev. Saxelby-Kemp took up his appointment as vicar at Christ Church, Dore in October 1931.

One of his first decisions was to announce that the first Sunday after Christmas was to be 'Toy Sunday'.

Toy Sunday was something he had introduced at his last parish in Scropton, Derbyshire. The donated toys were given to a poor parish in Derby.


In the News: Linking Dore and Attercliffe

Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Tuesday 5th January 1932

Three Hundred Donations

On Sunday 27th December 1931, at the first event of its kind held in Dore, the generous children of the parish donated 300 toys and books. After a discussion among the Dore parishioners it was decided that the Attercliffe parish of Canon S.T.G. Smith should benefit.

Parish Room, Attercliffe

Just one week later, on the Monday evening, Mrs Kemp, the wife of the vicar, was 'Father Christmas'! The toys and books were distributed to 300 of the poorest children of Attercliffe parish by the Sunday school teachers.