All posts in category celebrities

Grin up north 2009

England’s biggest comedy festival (1-31 October 2009)

In a previous post I picked out some of the highlights from this year’s Off the shelf festival of reading and writing. Running during the same month is Grin up north comedy festival, so you are sure to find something to brighten up the autumn evenings as the nights pull in.

Again, I asked a comedy writer friend what they recommend from this year’s festival:

Rhod Gilbert (Lyceum, Sunday 4 October) is excellent – definitely worth seeing this year’s show (click on the ‘review’ section) as his last one was brilliant
Alun Cochrane (Lescar, Saturday 31 October, Lescar) is highly recommended (click on the ‘review’ section)
Lady Garden (City hall Memorial hall, Thursday 8 October) are a entertaining 6-piece female sketch group
Tom Wrigglesworth (City hall Memorial hall, Thursday 1 October) was nominated for the Edinburgh comedy award and lots of friends who saw him said he was great
Tim Minchin (City hall Oval hall, Saturday 17 October) is very good musical comedy – a bit Bill Baily-ish
Also Simon Amstell (City hall Oval hall, Sunday 18 October) and Rich Hall (City hall Memorial hall, Tuesday 13 October) are always very good

From a Sheffield point of view, the legendary John Shuttleworth performing his Southern softies show will be a real treat (Showroom, Wednesday 21 October) and BBC Sheffield’s breakfast show presenter and regular Last laugh/Lescar performer Toby Foster is booked for a show at the City hall Oval hall on Thursday 15 October.

The line-ups for both festivals look good this year and I hope to go to events at each. It did make me wonder whether it would be mutually beneficial to move one of the festivals to November in order to avoid any clash of dates and spread out the entertainment for a full two months?

Off the shelf Sheffield 2009

The festival of reading and writing (10-31 October 2009)

Two of the city’s biggest cultural festivals return this autumn and by the look of the programmes, the line-ups this year are better than ever.

Off the shelf is 18 years old and features the usual selection of readings, workshops, exhibitions, storytelling, talks, walks and poetry. Looking over the festival programme, I’d defy anyone to find something that wasn’t of interest. Here are my picks:

Martin Bedford – an illustrated talk from the artist behind the iconic Leadmill poster artwork of the 1980s and 1990s, plus highly-tipped Sheffield band the Crookes are also playing
Vic Reeves – an insight into the mind of the comedian as he takes you through his latest book, a surreal encyclopaedia called Vic Reeves’ vast book of world knowledge
Peter Hook – Hooky, whose distinctive basslines were at the heart of both New order and Joy division’s distinctive sound tells the story of infamous Manchester nightclub the Hacienda. He is DJing afterwards too (hopefully not just pretending)
Stuart Maconie – broadcaster and writer who passed through Sheffield for his Pies and prejudice: in search of the north book and may further expand on his evaluation of the city, which was basically that we produce great pop music but bad pop music museums
Tony Benn – even if you don’t agree with his politics, you can be sure that the former Chesterfield MP will spark plenty of debate and perhaps offer insight into how Sheffield has changed from the socialist stronghold that it was for so long
Marina Lewycka – local author and Sheffield Hallam university who shot to fame with her debut novel A short history of tractors in Ukranian and I expect will be reading from her new book, We are all made of glue

The festival website is much improved this year (compared to last year’s token putting the festival programme online as a PDF) and there is a Twitter feed for the event, @otsfestival.

I’ll look at the picks from Grin up north in my next post.

1 Comment

by Sheffield blog on 11 September, 2009 • Permalink

Posted in arts, bands, celebrities, festivals, live, music, sheffield, websites

Posted by Sheffield blog on 11 September, 2009

http://sheffieldblog.com/2009/09/11/off-the-shelf-sheffield-2009/

Sheffield on Twitter – update nine

August 2009 update

Here are this month’s additions to the list of Sheffield people and organisations of interest on Twitter. The full directory can be found on the Sheffield Twitter users page.

Paul Scriven – leader of Sheffield city council
@Paulscriven

Jon McClure – Reverend and the Makers front man
@JonMcClure

Cocoa – chocolate shop on Eccy Road
@Cocoasheffield

Our Cow Molly – locally-made ice cream
@OurCowMolly

Seth Bennet – BBC Sheffield sport presenter
@Sethb45

Oktoberfest Sheffield – beer festival
@OktoberfestShef

Popolo – restaurant in Leopold square
@PopoloSheffield

Eliot Kennedy – songwriter who has worked with the Spice girls, Bryan Adams, S Club 7 and 5ive
@EliotKennedy

Robin hood airport – Doncaster-Sheffield international
@RobinHoodAirpor

Graduates Sheffield
@GradSheff

Oxjam – music festival
@OxjamSheffield

Sheffield unsigned – music directory for artists in and around Sheffield
@sheffunsigned

Crookes forum – community group
@CrookesForum

Hillsborough forum – community group
@hillsbroforum

South Yorkshire fire and rescue
@SYFR

Apple admin – professional virtual admin services
@AppleAdmn

Benchmark recruitment – recruitment agency
@BenchmarkRec

Sheffield university real ale society
@RealAleSociety

C21 creative – web and graphic designers
@C21Creative

VT music – music publisher
@VTmusic

Sheffield big – support programme to help residents set up in business
@sheffieldbig

Roundabout – homeless youth charity
@rndbt

South Yorkshire music – local music news
@syorkshiremusic

Little white book – wedding planners
@LWBwedding

Wath festival – music festival
@wathfestival

Sheffield law society – supporting and representing Sheffield’s legal profession
@SheffieldLawSoc

3 squared – web, print and software
@3_Squared

Sorby nano – leaders in micro and nano scale investigation
@SorbyNano

SYPTE – South Yorkshire passenger transport executive
@SYPTE

City church – local church
@CityChurchShef

Sheffield craft collective
@Craft_Candy

LCPU – NAVCA’s local commissioning and procurement unit
@lcpu

Mookau – gift boutique
@mookau

Abbey joinery
@AbbeyJoinery

Training foundry – computer trainers
@trainingfoundry

Platinum blind – band
@platinumblind4u

Dead world leaders – band
@DWL_Official

Sheffield liberal youth
@ShefLibYouth

Sheffield Labour students
@sheflabstudents

Extension match – brick and stone supplier
@ExtensionMatch

Atweb – band
@atewb

Geeks in the peaks – rural getaway for geeks, 4-6 September 2009
@geeksinthepeaks

Harry Gration – veteran Look north presenter
@gratih46

Sheffield latest – automated news
@sheffieldlatest

If you want to be listed on it then follow @sheffieldblog, get in touch or comment below.

1 Comment

by Sheffield blog on 12 August, 2009 • Permalink

Posted in arts, bands, beer, celebrities, council, digital industries, festivals, food, football, live, marketing, media, music, promotions, restaurants, sheffield, sport, technology, television, university, websites

Tagged 3 squared, 5ive, abbey joinery, apple admin, atweb, bbc, bbc radio sheffield, beer, benchmark recruit, bryan adams, c21 creative, city church, crookes forum, dead world leaders, eliot kennedy, extension match, five, geeks in the peaks, graduates sheffield, harry gration, hillsborough forum, jon ncclure, lcpu, leopold square, little white book wedding planners, look north, mookau, navca, news, oktoberfest, our cow molly, oxjam, paul scriven, platinum blind, popolo, real ale, reverend and the makers, robin hood airport, roundabout, s club 7, set bennet, sheffield big, sheffield city council, sheffield craft collective, sheffield labour students, sheffield law society, sheffield liberal youth, sheffield university, sheffield unsigned, sorby nano, south yorkshire fire and rescue, south yorkshire passenger transport executive, spice girls, SYFR, sypte, training foundry, vt music, wath festival

Posted by Sheffield blog on 12 August, 2009

http://sheffieldblog.com/2009/08/12/sheffield-on-twitter-update-nine/

Sheffield on Twitter – update eight

July 2009 update

Here are this month’s additions to the list of Sheffield people and organisations of interest on Twitter. The full directory can be found on the Sheffield Twitter users page.

The Antics – improvisational comedy troupe
@TheAntics

Toby Foster – comedian and BBC Radio Sheffield breakfast presenter
@TobyFoster

Nat Johnson and the figureheads, former Monkey Swallows the Universe singer’s new project
@natjohnsonband

Bloc projects – contemporary art space and studio complex
@blocprojects

Flags PTA – campaign to keep Abbeydale grange school open
@FLAGS_PTA

The Boardwalk – live music venue
@boardwalklive

The Harley – live music venue
@Harleylive

Eat Sheffield – eat and drink in Sheffield
@eatSheffield

The Milestone – gastropub
@TheMilestone

Magic enterprises magic dealer
@MagickWords

New Start – NS+ ltd, interested in regeneration and sustainable communities
@newstartplus

BullsEye – car parts
@BullsEyeCarPart

Shield – peak of fitness swimathon
@PeakOfFitness

Saved by sound – Sheffield-based charity gig tour
@SavedBySound

Sheffield and Hallamshire FA
@SHCFA

SheffieldCityUK – automated feed of Google alerts mentioning Sheffield
@SheffieldCityUK

Hillsborough hotel – hotel
@HillsboroughBar

Copthorne hotel – hotel
@CopthorneHotel

Spoon juice records – record label
@spoonjuice

Spice Yorkshire – adventure and social club for adults
@YorksSpice

The wedding daze – wedding planners
@WeddingDaze -

ask4 – broadband provider
@onlinelifestyle

Prism – programme of contemporary art events commissioned by the Showroom
@prismsheffield

Midas copy – copywriter
@midascopy

S24SU – Sheffield United community
@s24su and @2in3

Websell – web design company
@websell

GoldDigger – girl band
@GoldDiggermusic

If you want to be listed on it then follow @sheffieldblog, get in touch or comment below.

Sheffield on Twitter – update seven

June 2009 update

Here are this month’s additions to the list of Sheffield people and organisations of interest on Twitter, with perhaps the most notable being the addition of the council (@SCCPressOffice). The full directory can be found on the Sheffield Twitter users page.

Sheffield city council press office – the council’s press office
@SCCPressOffice

Art Sheffield – Sheffield contemporary art forum
@artsheffield

Sheffield Hallam university – the university’s central Twitter account
@sheffhallamuni

Quba new media – web agency
@quba_nm

Sheffield live – community radio station
@Sheffieldlive

Fuse – show on the university’s Forge radio station
@FUSE_forgeradio

Celluloid screams – Sheffield horror film festival
@sheffhorrorfest

SSiD Sheffield – University of Sheffield student services
@SSiDSheffield

Vox Sheffield – Volunteer-led organisation that exists to nurture, encourage and showcase creative expression and experimentation
@voxsheffield

Sheffbookclub – Twitter-based book club on Sheffield
@Sheffbookclub

The Earl – Queens Road pub
@EarlPub

SCCWeb – Sheffield city council web team
@SCCWeb

Sheffield university Japan society – University of Sheffield student Japan group
@shefjapansoc

ELR auctions – Antique and fine art auctioneers and valuers
@ELR_AUCTIONS

teamNomad – digital agency
@teamnomad

Becky Hayes – Hallam FM presenter and former High street honey
@Bhorhais

PH weddings – wedding photography and planning
http://twitter.com/PHWeddings

Shane Rounce – designer and photographer
@srounce

Martin Field – photographer
@martinfield1

Team Cooper – Flash developers
@tim_cooper_uk

BFFS – British federation of film societies
@_BFFS_/

PHS Sheffield – Psychological health website updates
@PHSsheffield

Sheffield alumni – University of Sheffield alumni department
@SheffieldAlumni

CAaD – contemporary art as dialogue blog
@CAaDSheffield

Bex knitwear – hand knitter and designer of knitwear
@bexknitwear

If you want to be listed on it then follow @sheffieldblog, get in touch or comment below.

3 Comments

by Sheffield blog on 6 June, 2009 • Permalink

Posted in arts, blogs, celebrities, council, design, digital industries, drink, film, live, media, photography, pubs, radio, sheffield, websites

Posted by Sheffield blog on 6 June, 2009

http://sheffieldblog.com/2009/06/06/sheffield-on-twitter-update-seven/

Sheffield on Twitter – January 2009 update

Is Twitter going mainstream in Sheffield?

Since the start of 2009, the number of people following this blog on Twitter has increased noticeably. I was planning on commenting on this in a blog post, then of course over the last few days coverage of Twitter seems to have exploded, with mentions from Jonathan Ross, Stephen Fry and even Phillip Schofield on This Morning.

This will no doubt further encourage people to sign up, so I thought it was high time to update the list of Sheffield-based Twitter users with anyone new. Here are the additions:

Design Sheffield – Twitter account to accompany Design Sheffield blog
http://twitter.com/designsheffield

Plug – the music venue/nightclub
http://twitter.com/plugsheffield

Sheffield United news – goal alerts and aggregated news from Bramall Lane, part of the footytweets.com network
http://twitter.com/sheffieldutd

Another Wednesday news feed – also part of the footytweets.com network
http://twitter.com/sheffieldwed

Trinity FC – updates from matches
http://twitter.com/trinityfc

BarCamp Sheffield – unconference weekend events organised by GeekUp
http://twitter.com/barcampsheff

sheffieldgeeks – group of local tech-minded folk
http://twitter.com/sheffieldgeeks

Sheffparties – event organisers
http://twitter.com/Sheffparties

Pink Grease – Sheffield punk rock band (not updated regularly)
http://twitter.com/rorita

Identifying new users based on geography isn’t as easy as it used to be. The Twitter people search is now name not location-based and Twitterlocal is no longer a website application. However, now that more and more people are on Twitter, it is easier to naturally stumble across local people using it.

So if you are new to microblogging using Twitter and fancy finding some locals then why not visit the Sheffield-based Twitter users page and also scan through the people @sheffieldblog is following?

3 Comments

by Sheffield blog on 25 January, 2009 • Permalink

Posted in arts, bands, celebrities, design, football, marketing, music, promotions, radio, sheffield, technology, television, websites

Tagged barcamp sheffield, design sheffield, footytweets.com, jonathan ross, phillip schofield, pink grease, plug, sheffield unit, sheffield united, sheffield wednesday, sheffieldgeeks, sheffparties, stephen fry, trinity fc, twitter, twitterlocal

Posted by Sheffield blog on 25 January, 2009

http://sheffieldblog.com/2009/01/25/sheffield-on-twitter-january-2009-update/

Silversmiths Channel 4 date set

Ramsay’s Great British Nightmare comes to Sheffield

You will have no doubt heard by now about Gordon Ramsay’s visit to The Runaway Girl last summer, where he worked his ‘magic’ and turned it into Silversmiths restaurant.

Well in case you missed yesterday’s tweet, the broadcast date has been set for Friday 30 January at 9:00pm on Channel 4.

Radio Times describes The Runaway Girl as being run by ‘two best friends at war with each other’, so it will be in interesting to see the makeover unfold.

Understandably, the owners have said that they will be watching with intrepidation and a stiff drink from behind the sofa…

From Runaway Girl to Silversmiths

Gordon Ramsay and the relaunch of a city centre bar and restaurant

There was plenty of coverage last week of Gordon Ramsay’s stay in the city and the visit of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares to Runaway Girl on Arundel Street.

The celebrity chef even appeared in the Peace gardens to record a feature for the show and to give chance for Silversmiths staff to promote the relaunched business.

Although entertaining, I find Kitchen Nightmares a bit formulaic, and have no doubt that as usual, Ramsay’s revamp proposes a new menu serving “simple, seasonal dishes, made using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients”. We’ll find out when the show is broadcast.

I liked the name Runaway Girl and was also a bit cynical about the new name until I walked past the relaunched restaurant yesterday. I originally thought he might have proposed it after unimaginatively linking a Sheffield restaurant to the city’s cutlery heritage, however given that the premises is actually a converted silversmiths works and it still features the George Ellis Ltd. livery on the façade, I think it works well. The subtle, highlighted silver name is also a nice touch:

The menu in the window gave a glimpse of the modern Yorkshire dishes on offer, I just need to pay it a visit now to taste the food:

7 Comments

by Sheffield blog on 5 August, 2008 • Permalink

Posted in celebrities, design, food, sheffield, television

Tagged arundal street, george ellis ltd, gordon ramsay, kitchen nightmares, menu, new yorkshire, peace gardens, ramsay's kitchen nightmares, runaway girl, sheffield silversmiths, silversmiths, silversmiths sheffield

Posted by Sheffield blog on 5 August, 2008

http://sheffieldblog.com/2008/08/05/from-runaway-girl-to-silversmiths/

Professional Yorkshiremen

Did ‘God’s own county’ cringe as the professional Yorkshireman picked up a knighthood?

There is nothing wrong with being proud of your roots. I was born in Sheffield and people I know regularly get bored with me going on about and talking-up my home city (as you can see I decided to start writing a blog instead.)

This post isn’t strictly Sheffield-related, but I am sure that Sheffielders get as annoyed as I do when Yorkshire folk in the public eye take it upon themselves to be official ambassadors for the county, over-egging their roots at every opportunity.

Former cricketer and now commentator Jeffrey Boycott has been accused of this in the past, but for me the biggest culprit of them all is Cudworth-born Michael Parkinson, who was knighted this week.

I wasn’t old enough to remember his TV show when it began in the 1970s, but in the programme’s final years on the BBC and then ITV it became almost unwatchable.

I have nothing personal against the host, but watching him cosying up to celebrities was painful viewing and left you crying out for him to dust down his journalism skills and ask just one probing question. Unfortunately this was a rare occurrence and his show became just another stop-off on the promotional treadmill for the stars.

Throw into the mix at this point the professional Yorkshireman routine and I would soon be reaching for the remote.

Sir Michael is now retired…and living in Berkshire.

1 Comment

by Sheffield blog on 5 June, 2008 • Permalink

Posted in celebrities, media, sheffield, television

Tagged bbc, berkshire, cudworth, itv, jeffrey boycott, knighthood, michael parkinson, parky, professional yorkshireman, professional yorkshiremen, sir michael parkinson, yorkshire, yorkshire pride

Posted by Sheffield blog on 5 June, 2008

http://sheffieldblog.com/2008/06/05/professional-yorkshiremen/

Recent Posts
Archives
@sheffieldblog tweets
- RT @SheffieldMkts: Love Your Very Local Market today and visit Sheffield Farmers' Market on Fargate from 9 am to 6 pm. 19 hours ago
- .@TheRudeShipyard people run the cafe. Forgot to take a pic of this vege hotpot and salad before it was half-eaten: http://t.co/eEUOCvyB6v 1 day ago
- The Motorway Service Station exhibition had some brilliant flyers from late-80s raves bankstreetarts.com/exhibitions/th… http://t.co/0o5nCHqe81 1 day ago
- Had a great visit to @BankStreetArts yesterday. Enjoyed the exhibition and the cafe food was delicious. Will definitely be back 1 day ago
- RT @thenorth: apparently starbucks are closing two cafes, while an independent coffee shop is planning to open its second shop... #sheffield 1 day ago
Follow @sheffieldblog

TOPICS
Site search

Search for:
Subscribe - email

Type in your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 105 other followers
Links
South Yorkshire news – BBC
Sheffield news – The Star

	Dan W on Night buses to return to …
	Sophie Hamilton on Suspended Coffee Sheffiel…
	offers complete solu… on Sheffield Twitter users
	Mark on Forgotten Sheffield bands:…
	harriet ottes on Sheffield blogs and community…

Sheffield blog

All posts in category celebrities

Grin up north 2009

Off the shelf Sheffield 2009

Sheffield on Twitter – update nine

Sheffield on Twitter – update eight

Sheffield on Twitter – update seven

Top posts on sheffieldblog.com

Sheffield on Twitter – January 2009 update

Silversmiths Channel 4 date set

From Runaway Girl to Silversmiths

Professional Yorkshiremen

Recent Posts

Archives

@sheffieldblog tweets

Recent comments

TOPICS

Site search

Subscribe - email

Links

South Yorkshire news – BBC

Sheffield news – The Star

Follow “Sheffield blog”