Grenville’s ‘grand old lady’
To Grenville, Park Hill is a grand old lady who has “come on hard times. She just wants to wash her face and put on a new frock, and she’ll be out there!”
He affectionately calls the place his mistress: “She’s the only lady that’s called me from the marital bed at two in the morning and made demands,” he says.
Famed for his poetry, tv and radio appearances, and recently immortalised in a portrait by Urban Splash’s resident artist Gary Hindley, Grenville lived on the estate as a resident caretaker for 22 years and brought up his family there.
He retired as caretaker in January 2010 after 28 years service, and has many anecdotes – including saving the life of a resident who had collapsed against the inside of his front door and catching an escaped parakeet by climbing through the toilet window of a vacant flat.
Now settled in Manor Park, Grenville will not be saying goodbye completely to the Park Hill he loves.
“I’ll come down and see the old girl because she’s a lovely old lass. I think the community spirit will come back because of the way the flats are built, with the decked access. Sheffield people will talk to someone at a bus stop who they’ve never seen before in their life.”
These are images i got due to him giveing me access thanks..