Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all

Anyone remember the former Kennings car showroom on Paternoster Row, Sheffield (near the train station?). It's now an independent cinema and creative industries business centre (called Showroom Workstation).

This year we celebrate 20 years of being open and we'd love to hear stories or receive images of when the building was used as a car showroom.

In particular, I own a Morris Minor 1000 1955 model and I recall an old copy of Minor Matters which featured an historic article and picture of who I believe was the Lord Major of Sheffield, sometime in the 1960's, and the story was about the 1000th Morris Minor 1000 being handed over to its new owner in the basement of the kennings building? Does anyone have any memories of this story, or other similar stories, that may be used as part of an exhibition/article/press release etc? Any images would be fantastic too? I hope people read and discuss this request and share with me their memories of this golden time and original use of our building. Thank you.

It was in relation to the search - by BMC in 1960/1 - for the oldest surviving Morris Minor. The winner was a Mr Cyril Swift of Sheffield who owned the first production car. He was presented with a brand new Minor Million (by BMC and the Lord Mayor of Sheffield) - a special edition of the car to celebrate becoming the first British car to sell more than 1,000,000 units. There were 349 commemorative 'replica' millions and then the actual millionth car. All were finished in the 'unique' shade of lilac with white leather upholstery!

If you care to send me a private message with your e mail address I can send you some scanned articles from the press of the day relating to this.

Try a google on 'picture sheffield ' then use the advanced search facility . I tried both paternoster_row and kennings . There are a few images on there where the building is seen and also some morris minors . You will see that it is part of Sheffield City Council archives dept . Pictures can be purchased .

Regards Andrew .

Thank you - will give it a go

I have some shots of Kennings in Hull taken in 1973. I was a member of Morris Register then and we put on a display of morris cars from 1913 to 1973. we then did a coast to coast run,Blackpool to Scarborough calling at all the Morris main dealers on the way, Regards smithskids.

Thanks for the memory, but we're specifically looking for the Sheffield Paternoster Row building as it opened as an independent cinema and creative industries business centre 20 years ago, so we're looking for images of the building pre-1990's for a nostalgic exhibition/article. Cheers though.