Author: Patrick James

I was born James Patrick Crothers on May 14 th 1953. A Sheffi eld lad from the Firth Park area, where we lived with my maternal grandparents until 1956 when my mum and dad bought a house in Eckington, N. E. Derbyshire as it was very diffi cult to acquire a home in Sheffi eld at that time. No high rise fl ats then. I started school at the age of 5. Camms School Eckington, as it was then known. At the age of 11 I moved to Westfi eld Comprehensive lower school at Halfway, now sadly gone. The last year was spent at the upper school in Mosborough which I believe is still going. I left school at the age of, 15 on the 27 th July 1968 and embarked on a career as an apprentice plumber in Sheffi eld which was pleasing as I hated my life in Eckington. It was an entirely different place to live back then. If you weren’t a collier, or the son of one you were a bit of an outcast. Don’t worry people, I understand it has vastly changed since I left more than 30 years ago. After gaining my City & Guilds at the age of 21, I realised there was no money to be had and left to join the then thriving steel industry. After 25 years at two different steel foundry’s, I contracted occupational asthma and was advised by my doctor and one or two specialists to leave as it could only get worse. By now I was well established in Sheffi eld and had so many friends in different areas that I didn’t worry to much. I was off on the sick for 9 weeks before being offered a job in security on the 13 th September 2000 and this job eventually led me to Hallam FM. It is a job I am still doing at the time of writing this book. I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have writing it.