Day 94, Ponderosa

These photographs were taken just before the flats on Martin Street, Upperthorpe, were about to be modernised, some time in 1993 or thereabout.

Looking out over the Ponderosa.  


It's original name was Port Mahon but it appears to have picked up the new name in the 1960s.

Most of the Ponderosa had houses on until after the war.  There was always a recreation ground at the top.  The steep slope on the left hand side at the top had large tenement houses on it.

At the top right of the Ponderosa, near the recreation ground, there was a fountain at one time.  That may have been less glamorous than the word 'fountain' implies.  There was a meeting for women's suffrage held there in 1910 where Adela Pankhurst was one of the speakers.  Adela Pankhurst lived not far away in Broomhill at 45 Marlborough Road.  Apparently there were 5000 people in attendance.

This is a view from another flat, looking up the Ponderosa towards Crookes Valley Road.  The recreation ground is at the top right just above the white blob (a caravan).


Once walking home late at night over the Ponderosa I noticed there were long stretches of dead grass.  From my window the next day I could see a giant cock and balls had been drawn on the Ponderosa using weedkiller (or something else that killed the grass).  It was a very reasonable 'back of pub door' depiction, not bad for an effort presumably done late at night in the dark.  A shame about the grass but it did make me laugh at the cheek of it for a while.  Not having any film at the time means this scene was not recorded.