The Crosspool community website run by Crosspool Forum
A £280,000 visitors centre is likely to be built in 2011 at Sandygate after a loyal fan left Hallam football club an unexpected donation in his will.
Long-term supporter Roger Bell followed the Countrymen home and away but never told anyone at the Crosspool club his plans to leave them a financial gift when he passed away.
The money will be used to fund ground improvements, including a visitors centre and new clubhouse.
Fan leaves fortune to non-leaguers (Sheffield Star report)
Hallam’s slump continued on Tuesday night with a 5-0 defeat to Tadcaster Albion, making it ten games without a win for the Countrymen.
The result leaves them second from bottom of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.
Hallam’s final league game of 2010 is away at Arnold Town on Saturday, before the big Boxing day friendly against local rivals Sheffield FC at Sandygate.
Plans are in place to host an Art Show in St Columba’s church as part of next year’s Crosspool Festival in July.
The organisers are appealing for artists who live in the Crosspool area or are involved in the Crosspool community to submit work for the show.
If you are interested in taking part, please contact Margaret Townrow on 0114 230 1098 or towniesrm@talktalk.net, or Judith Hanson on 0114 268 1505 or hasseandjudith@btinternet.com before 15 April 2011.
This festive event in Millhouses park on Sunday may be of interest to Crosspool residents.
The event has now been called off due to the threat of snow.
A local youth sports trust has offered its car park for the Boxing day match between Hallam FC and Sheffield FC in Crosspool.
The trustees of Crosspool & District Youth Sports Trust (CDYST) have agreed that the CDYST car park on Coldwell Lane can be used by fans attending the 150th anniversary Boxing day match at Sandygate.
On Boxing day 1860, Hallam FC played Sheffield FC in the world’s first inter-club football match. The 2010 rematch at Sandygate marks the 150th anniversary of this historical game.
Buy tickets online from theoldestfootballgroundintheworld.com
Meanwhile, Hallam earned deserved point against Dinnington on Tuesday 23 November to put a stop to their run of seven straight defeats in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division. The match finished 1-1, with Neil Longhurst equalising for the Countrymen in the 64th minute.
Two matches since then have been postponed due to the weather, with the game against Liversedge rearranged for Tuesday 18 January. The Countrymen’s next outing is away at Tadcaster Albion this Tuesday night (14 December), kick off 7:45pm.
Bus operator First has announced that the current discount fares on the 51 bus running from Lodge Moor to Charnock via town are to continue until at least March 2011.
The promotional fares, which were launched last June, mean that a single journey from Crosspool to town costs £1.60, compared to the previous price of £1.95.
The operator says that the 51 has seen encouraging growth in passenger number and the price reductions continue the company’s strategy of using promotions to stimulate passenger growth.
The promotional prices for route 51 are:
We meet Judith Hanson, author of two local history books about Crosspool and secretary of Hallam Art Group.
Her first book, Images of England: Crosspool, contains photos and text exploring the suburb’s development over time.
Follow-up title Crosspool Through Time features many more contrasting images of Crosspool.
How long have you lived in Crosspool and what do you like about the suburb?
I have lived in Crosspool since 1979. I am originally from Hunters Bar but have also lived in Bingley, London, Cyprus and Sweden. I like Crosspool as it is so close to open countryside, it is a very friendly community and a very pleasant place to live.
Tell us about your 2003 book on Crosspool. What made you decide to write it?
My first book came about through my being a bit of an amateur artist; I am secretary of Hallam Art Group. I wanted to paint pictures of the pubs in Crosspool and it was about the time that the King’s Head was to be demolished.
I worked in the post office and asked several people if they had photos of the King’s Head in its prime – to paint from. I realised that we were losing our local History and it needed to be recorded.
I had bought the Tempus Publishing book on Ecclesall so I wrote to them and asked if a book on Crosspool was in the pipeline. They said “No, how about doing one”. So I did.
How did you go about researching the content for your books? Was it hard work?
Because I worked in the post office and knew so many people I managed to acquire a lot of info and photos. Sadly some of these original photos have already been lost on the deaths of their owners.
My first book took over my life for several months and apart from talking to people, visiting them and listening to their stories I did a lot of research in the Local Studies Library.
The first book must have sold quite well, as you produced a follow-up book in 2010. How is the second book different?
For my second book, which I said I would never do, I also took a lot of photographs. The second book shows contrasting views of now and then.
A lot of my original contributors were no longer around so I had quite a difficult job finding new photos and of course I no longer had my contacts through the post office.
Do you have plans or material for any further books about Crosspool?
I have no plans for a future book but I am sure there is scope for someone else to take up the mantle. I wish there were some books on Fulwood and Broomhill too! 
I did do one more project. I was asked after my first book if I would do some guided walks which I declined.
However, I did do a guided walk booklet which was sold at GT News. The proceeds went towards a new bench in Lydgate Green at the bottom of Lydgate Hall Crescent.
If you’re struggling for a Christmas gift idea, then have you considered Judith’s books? They are available to buy from local shops, direct from the author or online:
1. From local shops: both books are available at GT News and Crosspool Through Time is also available at Craft Angels.
2. Direct from the author: signed copies can be purchased from Judith at 25 Lydgate Hall Crescent, Sheffield S10 5NE.
3. Online, from retailers such as Amazon:
Images of England: Crosspool (2003) by Judith Hanson on Amazon
The Yorkshire Post and Sheffield Star report that from next year, the council will allow Crosspool householders to select how they use their blue bin and blue box for recycling.
With the current system, residents must use the bin for bottles and the box for paper. But from April, you will be able to choose which you use for which type of item.
The news will come as a relief to elderly residents, some of whom found the boxes cumbersome to move when full of paper and also susceptible to windy and wet weather due to the detachable lid.
The four local Crosspool churches have announced their programme of services for the Christmas season:
12 December 4pm Christingle Service
19 December 4pm Carol Service
24 December 4pm Candlenight Nativity Service; 11.30pm Midnight Communion (joint service with Stephen Hill at Stephen Hill church)
25 December 10am Christmas Day Family Communion
26 December 10am A Simple Celebration
12 December 2.45pm Church Anniversary
19 December 2.45pm Candlelit Service
25 December 10.15am Christmas Day
26 December 10.15am Boxing Day
24 December 10am Mass; 4pm Children’s Nativity Service (not Mass); 8pm Christmas Night Mass
25 December 10am Christmas Day Mass
26 December Feast of the Holy Family 9am Mass; 11am Mass
19 December 3.30pm Carol Service
24 December 4pm Children’s Service with Christingles; 11.30pm Midnight Communion (joint service with St Columba at Stephen Hill church)
25 December 10am Worship For All Ages
9 January 10.30am Covenant Service
Earlier on today, volunteers and the Crosspool Forum committee met to put up illuminated Christmas trees above shops in the precinct.
It is the sixth year that Crosspool shops have been decorated with Christmas trees. As the photos below show, thankfully the team was blessed with fine weather compared to last year’s driving sleet!
Crosspool News - crosspool.info 