William Norris Ordish

This fish and chip shop was run by my great grandfather, William Norris Ordish.

The shop was on Aston Street in Sheffield, at the junction with Bernard Road (near where the city's waste incinerator stands today). This row of buildings was demolished many years ago.

I'm not sure who the man in the doorway is - it doesn't look like the proprietor, but it might be one of his sons (Willie or Albert... or possibly Fred, who emigrated to Canada).

I think this picture probably dates from around 1910. According to the old street directories, William Norris Ordish moved from South Street to Aston Street in 1906 or 1907. He was still in business in 1919, but by 1922 he had retired to Maltravers Road. He died about 15 years later.

When you look at this image in close-up you can pick out some extra details, such as the pots of aspidistras in the window and the sign on the door which I think reads "Try our fish - direct from Hull and Grimsby".

Since I first posted this picture on my blog in July 2006, I have been contacted by no fewer than three 'long-lost' relations:

• Margaret, who is descended from my great grandfather's brother;
• Ian, who is descended from my grandmother's sister;
• Judy, whose husband may be descended from my great great grandfather's brother.

Thanks to my mother, I now have a large collection of old family photographs. I have posted some of them on Flickr. For privacy, viewing is restricted to people on my "family contacts" list. If you would like to view the pictures, please get in touch.