Strange goings on in "Sheemings Yard"
Memories of John Reardon
Have you ever heard of “Sheemings Yard”? Does anyone know the proper spelling? If you have heard of it then you were probably brought up in Caldewgate before 1930 and especially in Rigg Street or Queen Street because it was the space between these two streets that was Sheemings Yard. The yard was divided cross ways, from street to street by two rows of lavatories or closets as they were known, which were built back to back. Although these streets consisted of poor working class people, hawkers and potters, there was further distinction.
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The closets facing south, looking towards Shaddongate were the posh ones with doors, locks and keys. These were for the people in the better houses at that end of the street, whereas the ones facing north towards Caldewgate were for the poorer houses. Very few of these had doors because they were situated directly behind the goals where football was played in the yard. It was very dangerous to use these closets while a football match was being played. There were about sixteen closets to the two streets of families, and some of those families were very large.
Anyone who walked through the yard after dark was considered very daring, because all manner of ghosts were said to haunt the place. We could run the streets well after dark playing all the games we did those days such as “Jack shine the lamp”, “kick the block”, “Widdy, widdy way” and “leeso” but no one would dream of venturing into the yard.
There were numerous tales about ghostly happenings. At the time, traders barrows were kept in the yard overnight and often people complained that during the night, while in bed they had been wakened with the noise of the barrows running up and down the yard, but whenever a party of brave men ventured into the yard they always found the barrows chained up in their normal positions.
There was also the superstition about the big black dog seen in the yard just before dark. This signified a death related to the person seeing it.
The tale that frightened me most was the card players. Four men had a few pints in the Pheasant every Saturday night. After closing time they went to one of their houses to play cards until the early hours. On this particular night they had been playing for some time when there was a knock at the door. On answering it there was this man whose face seemed familiar to all of them, but they couldn’t put a name to it. He asked if he could join them. Being fuddled with drink they agreed and he sat down. Right from the start, the stranger began winning every hand until all their money had gone. It was then that the stranger said he would play them for their lives and, the state they were in, they all agreed, thinking it a bit of a joke. While one was shuffling the cards, some fell to the ground and when he bent down to pick them up, he saw the cloven hoof! “My God.” He shouted. “It’s Old Nick,” and made the sign of the cross. Immediately there was a flash of fire, a strong smell of burning and the stranger was gone…
Every sport was played in Sheemings yard by adults and children alike, but the highlight of the year was the annual bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night. It was the largest in the district and nearly everyone in the two streets contributed.
John Reardon was born in 1914 and grew up in Caldewgate. He fought in the Second World War, was shot, wounded and taken prisoner by the Italians. With three comrades he escaped from the Prison Camp and made it back to England. He was awarded the Military Medal.
Anyone who walked through the yard after dark was considered very daring, because all manner of ghosts were said to haunt the place. We could run the streets well after dark playing all the games we did those days such as “Jack shine the lamp”, “kick the block”, “Widdy, widdy way” and “leeso” but no one would dream of venturing into the yard.
There were numerous tales about ghostly happenings. At the time, traders barrows were kept in the yard overnight and often people complained that during the night, while in bed they had been wakened with the noise of the barrows running up and down the yard, but whenever a party of brave men ventured into the yard they always found the barrows chained up in their normal positions.
There was also the superstition about the big black dog seen in the yard just before dark. This signified a death related to the person seeing it.
The tale that frightened me most was the card players. Four men had a few pints in the Pheasant every Saturday night. After closing time they went to one of their houses to play cards until the early hours. On this particular night they had been playing for some time when there was a knock at the door. On answering it there was this man whose face seemed familiar to all of them, but they couldn’t put a name to it. He asked if he could join them. Being fuddled with drink they agreed and he sat down. Right from the start, the stranger began winning every hand until all their money had gone. It was then that the stranger said he would play them for their lives and, the state they were in, they all agreed, thinking it a bit of a joke. While one was shuffling the cards, some fell to the ground and when he bent down to pick them up, he saw the cloven hoof! “My God.” He shouted. “It’s Old Nick,” and made the sign of the cross. Immediately there was a flash of fire, a strong smell of burning and the stranger was gone…
Every sport was played in Sheemings yard by adults and children alike, but the highlight of the year was the annual bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night. It was the largest in the district and nearly everyone in the two streets contributed.
John Reardon was born in 1914 and grew up in Caldewgate. He fought in the Second World War, was shot, wounded and taken prisoner by the Italians. With three comrades he escaped from the Prison Camp and made it back to England. He was awarded the Military Medal.