Castmaster Roll, Sheffield

History

A Sheffield manufacturing firm that collapsed into administration with the loss of nearly 80 jobs owes more than £500,000 to creditors, it has been revealed. More than 140 local and national companies are owed money in the wake of the collapse of Castmaster Roll, based at the Eagle Foundry in Attercliffe. The business went into administration in October and as no new buyer could be found, all 78 workers have lost their jobs and the firm’s assets are being sold.​

The firm had reported a trading loss for three years in a row before going into administration, including a £400,000 loss for the year ending January 31, 2014. Details included in the papers of administrator KPMG show £502,353 was owed to different companies at the time of administration.

The report said delayed and non-payment of invoices had put the company under ‘significant pressure from its creditors’ in the months prior to administration. A report also reveals that between KPMG’s appointment in October and December 5, it claimed costs of more than £324,000 for handling the administration.

KPMG said it is uncertain how much money – if any – will be returned to unsecured creditors as a sale of assets is yet to be concluded. Administrators have also said they are ‘continuing to assess the causes of the company’s failure’. It comes after Sheffield MP Clive Betts called for a ‘thorough investigation’ into how Castmaster Roll failed. The Sheffield South East MP said staff had told him the company appeared to be in good shape before it went into administration. He said: “I’m calling on the administrators to undertake a thorough investigation into how a company with good order books and more orders coming through the door has sadly managed to get into such difficulties.”

The firm produced iron and steel quality rolls, discs and sleeves for the manufacturing and food processing industry. The Stevenson Road site began making gas lamps more than a century ago and became a roll maker about 95 years ago. It was known as the Davy Roll company but, after going into receivership, it was reborn as Castmaster Roll in the mid-2000s, taken over by new owner Mel Farrar.

 

Source:

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/castmaster-roll-sheffield-august-2015.t98887

 

Esoteric Eric

 

 

Rutland Hall, Sheffield

History

The Helen Wilson Settlement was founded in 1896, moving to Rutland Hall, Hicks Street in 1906. It promoted cultural, recreational and educational activities in the area and laid a strong emphasis on temperance. It closed in the early 1970's due to population change.

Afterwards the building was home to the South Yorkshire Printers company, becoming the Rutland Print Works.

For more information on Helen Wilson visit:
http://archiveshub.ac.uk/data/gb106-10/29


Source:
http://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y02384&pos=2&action=zoom


Esoteric Eric.

Kirklees College, Huddersfield

History

The first buildings on the now 6.1 acre site were home to the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary in 1831. By 1929 the hospitals special features included Turkish, Russian and medicated baths and an electro-medical department. The infirmary was also approved for the treatment of Venereal diseases.

 

The former Ramsden Technical College paid £105,000 to move to the site in 1967 and it September 1968 the first students began their lectures. The first new building on the site opened in 1969 with the main new block being built in 1971, the year the college became the Huddersfield Technical College. The 10 building site had more than 8,000 students studying there by 1978 and by 2008 the Huddersfield Technical College merged with the Dewsbury College to form Kirklees College.

 

In 2013 the college moved to its new site at the Waterfront Quarter and the New North Road site has been sold to Oldham-based Wiggett Construction Group for an undisclosed sum. Plans for the future of the site were expected to be unveiled early in 2015 but the developers are expected to create a mixed use site featuring residential, retails and leisure uses.

 

Source:

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/former-site-kirklees-college-sold-8302402

 

Esoteric Eric.

 

 

Wharncliffe Works, Sheffield

History

The Wharncliffe Works is a Grade II listed building consisting of workshops and office space which was originally used for ironworks in the 1920's, making stoves & grates etc.

 

The building is currently owned by Mr Gerald Duniec of Gerald Duniec & Co, Chartered Surveyors, the same company which owns the nearby George Barnsley & Sons, Cornish Works.

 

In recent times it looks to have been split for use by several different companies, such as a BMW car parts distributor.

 

Esoteric Eric.

 

 

 

 

Albert Works, Sheffield

History

Little history is available for this site but it looks to be have been the home to several Silversmiths over the years as part of Sheffield's thriving metalwork industry.

There is currently work being undertaken on the site and a planning application to demolish the works along with the nearby Niche nightclub and the adjacent Speedwell Works, which can be viewed here:

http://publicaccess.sheffield.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=NZ588DNYFY000

Esoteric Eric

Park Hill Flats, Sheffield

History

Park Hill is a council housing estate in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It was built between 1957 and 1961, and in 1998 was given Grade II* listed building status, the largest listed building in Europe. Following a period of decline, the estate is being renovated by developers Urban Splash.

For an extensive background history visit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Hill,_Sheffield

Esoteric Eric