Sheffield & Ecclesall Co-Op, Ecclesall Road, Sheffield
Photo taken circa 1950 of the Moorfoot Co-operative Store
The Sheffield Telegraph dated 10th November 1989
I remember the old building very well, as I used to pass it on my way to Bramall Lane. It did have a very distinctive facade and was a bit of a landmark. However the Conservative Government of Margaret Thatcher were not noted for their aesthetic tastes especially. when it came to appeasing local and national property developers and so down it had to come. They did of course choose to ignore a variety of different groups who wanted to conserve the building. And then to worsen matters, once the building was demolished, the Labour controlled council in Sheffield announced that they were looking for a "quality development" on the site. They decided that a Safeway supermarket with a adjoining car park would meet their searching criteria. Enough said!!
The next time I am in the area I will take a picture of the development - it has now become a Waitrose supermarket after the demise of Safeway. The Council's insistence that a row of large ornate fruit vases be saved from demolition and used in the new development was met by the developers.
A contributor to The Sheffield Forum noted in June 2008
".... the three giant polychrome faience rosettes that toped the columns on the building. They were on display in the entranceway to the supermarket when it was a Safeway, then disappeared during the changeover to Waitrose"
I have made a few enquiries but have not been able to locate the whereabouts of the ornaments. Given the nature of the company involved, I fear the worst has happened.
This page was last updated on 17/10/11 13:03