City of Sheffield walkabout - a photo tour (photos)

20 04 2008

A collection of images comparing 1970s Sheffield and the city centre in 2008

I previously wrote about the fascinating 1970s council publication that I got my hands on a few months ago. Produced by the Sheffield City Promotions Committee, it offered visitors a guided tour of the town centre featuring commentary, photos and a map, all for just 25p (around £2.50 at today’s prices).

Though all black and white, the photos give an insight into how the city used to look and I thought it would be an interesting exercise to take comparative shots in the present day and put them side by side.

The photos are below. I’ve tried to frame the 2008 shots as closely to the originals as possible, although I think a wide angle lens was used on some. The modern-day shots have also been converted to black and white.

The shot of the registry office, or “wedding cake” as it was nicknamed isn’t here, and due to the BBC outside broadcast units, the image of the Crucible isn’t really a fair comparison. I will revisit Tudor Square when the snooker is over and also when the theatre has been redeveloped.

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Categories : architecture, development, history, photography, photos, planning, regeneration, sheffield, walking

Victoria quays and the Sheffield city centre masterplan

17 04 2008

An updated version of the masterplan details plans for how one redeveloped but undervalued corner of the city may finally be properly integrated with Sheffield city centre

The other day I downloaded a copy of the Sheffield city centre masterplan executive summary (1.5Mb, PDF) - the full 122-page, 3.2Mb PDF is also available if you fancy some hefty bedtime reading.

It begins by looking at what has been achieved since the original masterplan was unveiled in 2000, which by all accounts is impressive. In the last 10 years, parts of the city centre have changed almost unrecognisably, with the creation of several world-class urban spaces of which Sheffielders can be proud.

As the updated masterplan recognises, there is still plenty to do though. One of the projects that caught my eye was the continuing plans for the Victoria quays canal basin area.

From 1992–1994, this area was redeveloped, with warehouses restored, offices built and a marina created on one side of the basin. Shops, pubs, restaurants and hotels set up business and a number of residential developments have also since been located there.

The problem is, although the regeneration of Victoria quays is impressive, hardly anyone I know actually bothers to go down there. Other cities such as Newcastle, Liverpool and even Salford have redeveloped their quay sides to create leisure destinations for the day and night, but for some reason Sheffield’s canal basin has never properly caught on as a place to spend significant time and money.

I think one issue is the perceived distance of Victoria quays from the city centre. Although not actually that far, unless you shop in the markets area, the canal basin doesn’t really appear on your radar. Plus of course it is on the other side of Park square roundabout, which doesn’t help.

The good news is that with the new masterplan, it looks like planners in the city are recognising the importance of integrating this waterside area with the centre of town. It is proposed that a new pedestrian spine route will connect Victoria quays and Fargate to form part of a “new pedestrian axis” through the city centre.

What’s more, a new destination is to be created, which will include Victoria Square, a park around the ruins of Sheffield castle, contemporary architecture and existing heritage buildings.

All this bodes well and suggests that Victoria quays may yet become a place that is no longer considered too far out of the way for people to visit, and one that contributes further to the regeneration of the city.

Map of proposed Victoria Quays/Castlegate development, Sheffield


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Categories : city centre masterplan, council, development, drink, pubs, regeneration, restaurants, sheffield

Goodbye Monkey Swallows the Universe; hello Nat Johnson

11 04 2008

The Sheffield-based popular acoustic indie troupe may have called it a day, but thankfully lead singer-songwriter Nat Johnson is going solo

I was gutted when Sheffield-based band Monkey Swallows the Universe announced last December they were to go on ‘indefinite hiatus’.

The acoustic folksters released two beautiful albums, 2005 debut The bright carvings and last year’s follow-up, The casket letters, both of which were critically acclaimed and won them legions of fans.

They band first caught my attention in 2006 when I heard the quirky and beautiful Sheffield shanty (the song that spookily describes the city being flooded) on BBC 6 Music and I’ve been a fan ever since. Lead singer Nat Johnson’s fantastic songwriting and beautiful voice - reminiscent of Beth Orton - combine with melodic, folk-pop arrangements into mouth-watering blend.

Live shows were always a treat, too. The various other band members (Kev, Cate, Andy and Rob) would swap between a variety of instruments including guitar, cello, drums, violin, recorder, mandolin, glockenspiel, penny whistle and melodica. Gigs would sometimes verge on the shambolic, but the strength of the songs and the band’s humble charm meant that they got away with it - and actually, you loved them even more for it.

Publicly, it was never quite fully explained why MSTU was put on hold. Kev becoming a father and Cate moving back to the Midlands could have been factors, but as groups of this genre don’t often break into the mainstream, I think they probably realised that existing and touring as a five-piece was never going earn them all a living.

The good news is that the talented singer-songwriter Nat has embarked upon a solo career, and is sounding as good as ever. I was lucky enough to see her play live recently and in place of a full band she now uses a sample pedal to build up layers of vocals, backing vocals, hand claps and guitar to create waves of sound. “It’s witchcraft!” someone shouted, which wasn’t far out considering just how magical the lush musical orchestrations were sounding.

The question is, will Nat get the recognition she deserves as a solo artist and prove to be even more successful than the band, at least enough to make a proper living? I hope so.


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Categories : arts, bands, live, music, sheffield

Sheffield sausages

6 04 2008

Debbie & Andrew’s delicious sausages make the mouth water - but are they from Sheffield?

There were stories in the media this week about how one sausage a day can increase the risk of developing bowel cancer by a fifth. But I have no plans for giving up bangers after tasting this particular range of sausage produced in Sheffield.

My colleagues were recently sent a sample selection the posh sausages in question, called Debbie & Andrew’s. Charitably, I offered to take a couple of packets home in order to try them out and report back on what I thought.

The two varieties I ended up with were the Sicilian and Pork and apple sausages. On studying the packaging, I was intrigued to see that the address listed on the design included a S13 9NP postcode. Made in Sheffield? They must be good! And they were.

The Pork and apple ones were delicious, but it was the Sicilian sausages that were most flavoursome, an intense, tasty mixture of lean pork shoulder, crushed garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. And I noticed afterwards that the grill pan was almost fat-free and barely needed washing, so despite what they may tell you in the press, it seems these sausages are good for you.

I was surprised I hadn’t heard more in Sheffield about them, so thought I’d do a bit more research about Debbie and Andrew. I discovered that following a re-branding and re-packaging exercise, the company (formerly know as Manor Born) increased their turnover from £50,000 to £2 million in just three years. A great product is clearly nothing without well-designed packaging.

But what of Debbie & Andrew’s link to Sheffield? The S13 postcode was listed on their packaging, but I’d read numerous references to North Yorkshire, too. It was time to email Andrew himself to find out what the score was. A couple of days later I got a reply:

We outgrew our production facility at Thirsk - so the sausages are based in South Yorkshire but we still have an office in North Yorkshire on the farm where Debbie spends most of her time, and I seem to be permanently on the road dashing between the two…

So although it looks like the meat is farmed in locations all around the county, the link to Sheffield is a strong one with the sausages made here.

I think it is time now to work my way through the rest of the range.

Debbie & Andrew's sausage packaging


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Categories : design, food, sheffield

The two towers and the two Toms

3 04 2008

As the date of demolition draws nearer, the lead pro-towers campaigners have pulled out of discussions regarding replacement exhibit

Yesterday’s Guardian featured article about the impending demolition of the cooling towers and the story behind the campaign to save them.

I hadn’t realised that Eon had agreed to host a temporary installation inside the towers by Turner prize winning artist Anish Kapoor before U-turning on this decision in favour of the permanent replacement work of art. This was a further blow that understandably left Cooling the Towers campaigners Tom Keeley and Tom James feeling tired and disappointed.

The debate continues over what exactly the replacement work of art might be and whether the council is capable of collaborating on something worthy to sit in place of the towers. I think the planning department has certainly delivered some stunning public spaces in the city centre, and elements of these (for example the cutting edge in Sheaf square and the spheres near the Winter gardens) could also be classed as art.

Obviously the replacement project for the Tinsley towers needs to be something on a much larger scale than these flashes of artistic inspiration in the city centre, so delivering this will be a massive challenge that needs everyone on board.

I can understand the frustration that the two Toms are feeling over their project, but it seems a shame they have pulled out of the planning process for the replacement exhibit. Described by the council as “instrumental and inspirational”, surely their involvement would give us the greatest chance to fully unlock the potential of the location and be left with a relic that captures at least a small part of their original vision?

Tom and Tom: your city needs you - please get involved again!


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Categories : architecture, cooling towers, council, development, planning, regeneration, sheffield

Forgotten Sheffield bands: Various Vegetables

2 04 2008

The young Sheffield band that split before they had time to mature fully and reach their flavoursome peak

I don’t need to mention here all the bands from Sheffield that have deservedly made a lasting impression in the world of pop music. But what about the ones that were on the cusp of something big, but for whom things never quite worked out?

I remember listening to university/community radio station Forge FM in 1992 (I think) while doing my homework and there was one record on quite heavy rotation that stood out due to its great hook. It was a three-chord pop-punk number called I’m Okay and to a 14-year old discovering indie music it sounded raw, youthful and exciting.

The song was a by a band called Various Vegetables, so I tracked down the CD single on Gift Records and also really liked the b-sides Shirk and Hate my valentine. The unique thing about the band was that one or more of the members were about my age, so we had one thing in common and I think they were at least partly responsible for me picking up and learning guitar.

The Veggies, as they were known (at least by my friends anyway), had a couple of follow-up releases including Some day in May and also a 10″ single that included Favourite enemy. They gigged quite a lot in the early 1990s, including a show at the City Hall sandwiched on the bill between Pulp and the Longpigs, and recorded sessions for BBC Radio 1, but they never really took off on a national level.

It seems you can’t keep a good band down though, as a bit of internet research shows that bassist Jody Wildgoose is now recording his own music again after being ill. And I was most excited to stumble on a reunion performance of I’m okay on YouTube from about a year ago (with tagged on acoustic ending fully intact). It certainly still sounds raw here, and although not perhaps as good as I remember, it is still great to hear after all this time:


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Categories : arts, bands, live, music, sheffield, videos