The Arnold family, 6 Moor Oaks Rd

Bernard Stanley Arnold and his wife Lilias lived in this house between 1923 and 1948. They were an interesting couple with contrasting personalities; Bernard was very conventional and worked as a bank manager, whereas Lilias had an artistic temperament. She was an elocutionist and a teacher of dramatic arts. They had two sons, Stanley and Richard, who inherited their parents’ diverse personalities. Stanley followed in his father’s footsteps and eventually became Lord Mayor of Sheffield in 1972. But Richard was destined for a life in show business, starting off in music hall where he met his wife Dorothy. They formed a double act as ‘Dickie and Dottie’ and pursued a very colourful career in cabaret, working in famous nightspots such as Raymond’s Revue Bar in the West End. Their act attracted quite a bit of notoriety as it included nude scenes and was distinctly ‘risque’ for its time. As the music hall and cabaret scene declined they hung up their fig leaves and went ‘straight’ as character actors during the 1980’s. Dickie Arnold’s career spanned the theatre, including the Royal Shakespeare Company, television, and even cinema. For example he appears in the 1985 film ‘Santa Claus’ starring Dudley Moore. He died in 1990.