These notes about a worthy Sheffield Character, Herbert L. Cole, recollected by his friend, Hubert Harrison, formerly a member of the editorial staff of the Sheffield Independent (between 1922-1930), now in old age (85) living at 2 Newburgh House, Highworth, Swindon, Wilts. Sergeant Herbert L. Cole, of the Hallamshire Rifles (York and Lancs Regt. Territorials) was in many ways an eccentric genius. He was a member of the Cole family of musical instrument dealers in Sheffield, his father having been Bandmaster at Kneller Hall Army School of Music. Herbert was apprenticed to the Berlin firm of piano manufacturers, Steinway, living in Germany and speaking the language so well that he could assess the locality from which enemy troops came when he served in France with the Hallamshires in the 1914-18 war. After a spell in the piano trade he lived at The Grange, Dronfield, managing the malleable castings business for its owner, Dr. Fletcher. The foundry was at Callywhite Lane, Dronfield. The public life of Dronfield was enriched by Cole's activities, including his founding of the Dronfield Small Bore Rifle Club, a successful Racing Pigeon Club, a Social Club, among others. He put Dronfield on the map in rifle shooting at Totley range, at Little Matlock range, Sheffield and at Bisley. In France during the war he was a skilful sniper, but was seconded to return to Britain to join the Sheffield University team of metallurgists trying to outmatch the German monopoly in High-power industrial magnets in which they excelled. They solved the magnet secrets, even excelled them. After the war Mr. Cole lived at Endcliffe Hall, as caretaker for the Teritorials who had their headquarters there. Latterly he lived to a great age at 35 Bingham Park Crescent, bequeathed to him by a friend of his family. For a time he travelled Britain and the Continent with his famous trio of Russian musicians, Mark (piano), Boris (cello) and Jan (violin) Hambourg, his task being to check grand pianos at halls where they were to give concerts, for tone, pitch and action. He also acted in this capacity for Dame Adelina Patti (Baroness Cederstrom) and as a raconteur had some humerous anecdotes about them. Herbert Cole was a Sheffield character who deserves to be recorded in the historical archives of Sheffield as a notable citizen of his time. He was a personal friend of Mr. H.L. Cooper, for many years Editor of the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star. He frequently figured in his Notes by the Way column. Note, The chief problem of the magnet research was to temper the steel horseshoe-shape magnet to maximum hardness to retain magnetism without making them so brittle as to shatter to fragments on the slightest impact. This was acomplished after countless experimental tests. (Date not recorded for these notes)