Ron Clayton is a professional Sheffielder, wit and raconteur and local historian (a phrase he hates).
Being the son of a fishmonger and being allergic to fish himself he spent 37 misspent years in HM Home Civil Service before escaping in 2010.
With an Honours Degree in History from the University of Sheffield, a penchant for speaking his mind and 59 years of Sheffield life running through him Ron became a well-known local speaker on most every Sheffield monument and landmark.
Over the years he’s been a regular on BBC Radio Sheffield, a contributor to Sheffield Environment Weeks walks and a sometimes acerbic but humorous regular correspondent to the Sheffield Press.
Until recently he produced the Calling Time Feature on Sheffield Public Houses for the Sheffield Star Newspaper. Author of three books on Sheffield local history, he’s been the subject of several features in the Sheffield Star and Telegraph. Previously, Ron has written for BBC Radio 4 on Sheffield’s WW2 Women of Steel from Kelham Island Museum. Ron’s played the ghost of villainous Sam Garvin of the infamous Park Brigade gang, Friar Tuck, as Robin Hood was born in Loxley Sheffield and Cardinal Wolsey.
These performances will never win him an Oscar but have seen him acclaimed as a proper Sheffield barmpot.
Ron in full swing during “Blitz Walk – Operation Crucible”. Part of the 70th anniversary commemorations.
Currently he’s the leading campaigner for the opening up of the remains of Sheffield Castle when the Castle Market is demolished and shown below presenting a computer generated reconstruction of the Castle gateway [courtesy of the University Of Sheffield] to the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Councillor Sylvia Dunkley.
