Sheffield blog

…and so does the Sheffield Telegraph

The council’s approach to Twitter has come a long since its fledgling first steps where #almost #every #word #was #inexplicably #hashtagged. They seem to have got the hang of it now and have certainly discovered its value, particularly during times of crisis such as our occasional floods.

I was thinking about how they might further improve what they are doing and for me the username they have chosen, ‘SCCPressOffice‘, is not very good. You might hope that after being on Twitter for a year or two, they would realise that the could change it to a name which would work for them much more effectively.

Here’s why Sheffield city council needs to change their SCCPressOffice Twitter username:

• It doesn’t contain the name of the organisation that it is supposed to represent
  Sheffield city council is called Sheffield city council, and none of those words are included in the name. Instead, they have chosen to use an abbreviation that no member of the public would really choose of using (SCC) and also the name of the department providing the tweets. To me, this seems quite inward-looking: why base your name on meaningless local government internal jargon and the name of an internal department? By all means use your Twitter biography to explain who is running the account on behalf of the organisation, but not your username
• It doesn’t contain the name of the city it is supposed to represent
  The council’s primary interest, and the reason it exists, is the city of Sheffield. Although it may not always be demonstrated with swagger, the people who live here love their city and have plenty of civic pride. Why wouldn’t the council choose to include the word Sheffield when representing itself online?
• It doesn’t help search engine optimisation
  When choosing names for things like this, it is good to pick a name that is also the kind of thing that people will put into Google or the Twitter search box to look for it. Who on earth would search for SCCPressOffice? Perhaps someone wanting to get in touch with the press office. But everyone else would type ‘Sheffield council’ or ‘Sheffield city council’
• It doesn’t read very well
  I’ve got used to it now, but to someone unfamiliar with the name, SCCPressOffice doesn’t scan very well and isn’t particularly easy to read. Their Twitter biography also doesn’t make sense: “Sheffield City Council, Sheffield where everyone matters”
• It isn’t really on-brand
  I’m guessing that the council doesn’t have a very developed set of brand guidelines. If it did, referring to itself externally as SCC would surely not be encouraged

It seems to me that when setting up this Twitter account the council has made the classic mistake of naming it based on the internal set-up of the organisation, instead of their audience’s needs. As I said, few people call the council ‘SCC’ and no-one really cares that the press office update it. To the outside world, that Twitter account is Sheffield city council and the name should reflect that.

I’m not out to slag off the council or the people running the account, I just want to see the prominent users of digital services like Twitter in Sheffield use them to their maximum potential. They offer an opportunity to engage with hard-to-reach people and are a great way for the public to feed back on council services. Getting the name right is a good start and a platform on which to build.

As a footnote, the Sheffield Telegraph has also not chosen a very good Twitter username in ‘shftelegraph‘. It isn’t easy to remember what it is (I should know, as I type it every week), it doesn’t mention Sheffield or Telegraph and their Twitter name (different to username) is Sheffield Newspapers. When looking for the paper on Twitter, who would type the name of the parent group instead of the newspaper title?

Come on council and the Sheffield Telegraph: no matter how much red tape is in your organisation, the power is in your hands to make this easy change. You won’t lose any users and it can be done in two minutes. What do you say?

Making the most of a weekend of free live music

So Sheffield’s busiest weekend of the year is here in the form of Tramlines. If you haven’t already then have a look at the listings to find out who is performing and when.

There are 70 venues so there is plenty to see, however it is likely that some will be running at capacity during busy periods and for the most popular bands.

My advice based on previous years would be to get there in plenty of time and be prepared to queue to get in. In the past, when one band finished playing, lots of people would leave the venue, giving other people the opportunity to move inside and get a good spot for the next one.

Remember that the festival isn’t just based around Devonshire green. The Tramlines footprint for 2011 is even bigger than last year, and the list of participating venues stretches as far as Heeley, Greystones, Sharrow vale and Kelham island. This should help spread the crowds out and ensure that you get see your share of live music.

If you use Twitter then keep an eye on the #TramlinesTraffic hash tag. The organisers will be using it to keep people updated about the queues and business of venues and they are hoping that people will join in to keep everyone informed.

Finally, if you haven’t been on the busker bus then you have missed out. As well as being a practical (and free) means of getting around, it is a venue in itself, with a programme of acoustic and unplugged performances running Saturday and Sunday.

Last year I overheard one old couple on there sat behind me discussing whether they should go round and do another circuit of the city. They were loving it.

You won’t have heard of every artist playing, but nearly every major genre of music must be catered for at some point over the weekend. And it isn’t just about seeing big bands: for me it is as much about mooching around town, stumbling upon some new music and supporting what is becoming one of the most high-profile events in Sheffield’s calendar.

The weather forecast looks OK, so have fun and soak up the atmosphere on the one weekend of the year when Sheffield feels like a completely different place compared to at any other time of year.

Free fundraising festivals this weekend

Keep your fingers crossed for good weather this weekend as there are two good outdoor events to look forward to, and both are raising money for good causes.

On Saturday, Peace in the park (also on Facebook and Twitter) takes place at the Ponderosa in Upperthorpe. This annual community festival is now in its eighth year and donates any money raised to nominated local and international charities.

Expect live music across various stages, a cabaret bar, DJs, a kids area, cycling activities, the healing and learning area and you can even get involved in a world record attempt.

And the following day just up the road in Weston park is the second Weston party (Facebook).

Last year, this post-Tramlines afternoon of live music took place over August bank holiday weekend. This year, the organisers Driftrun have moved it to June, but the idea is still the same: a chance to see local bands play outdoors while you relax in the park with your picnic.

Artists playing include Alvarez kings, Playground mafia, Jon Windle (ex-Little man tate), Driftrun plus Steve Edwards. Once again, there will be a collection to raise money for Sheffield Children’s hospital.

At the time of writing the weather forecast looks pretty good for the weekend, let’s hope it is right.

More seventies Sheffield

This fly-on-the-wall-style documentary shows a day in the life of Sheffield in September 1973. There is no commentary, and the only real narrative is the progression of events, with the cameras returning to certain stories – such as a birth, a death and a marriage – throughout the day.

In terms of visual change, there is plenty to look out for. The cooling towers form part of the backdrop; Bramall Lane still has tall floodlights on the corners of the ground; the Peace gardens are the old layout; people are still using outdoor loos; the Black swan (aka the Mucky duck) was still open; and at one point I think you can spot the now-demolished Kelvin flats.

The local media also feature quite prominently. An audio clip announces that it is ‘Radio Sheffield breakfast magazine edition one’, although with the station going live six years previously, it presumably wasn’t the first incarnation of the breakfast show.

We also get to see behind the scenes at an editorial meeting at Sheffield Newspapers, where the front-page news is that the corporation is to halt council house building and a bread delivery lorry’s brakes have failed, causing it to crash into a Walkley house.

Some of the seventies background music makes scenes from All in a day reminiscent of City on the move. And I couldn’t help being reminded a little bit of the beginning part of Threads. Obviously, the turn of events in All in a day isn’t so tragic, but to a viewer who wasn’t born in 1973 and who was only young in 1984, they both have a similar old-Sheffield feel.

Oh and look out for the bizarre, symbolic juxtaposition of a priest leading communion, ‘This is my blood…shed for you and for many for the remission of sins’, which then cuts to a pig being slaughtered.

You can watch the All in a day documentary below.

Sheffield’s music legacy

Starting tomorrow on Sky arts is Made in Sheffield week.

At 9pm each night a TV programme relating to Sheffield’s musical legacy will be shown:

• Monday 1 November: Made in Sheffield documentary
• Tuesday 2 November: Jarvis Cocker: Songbook
• Wednesday 3 November: Pulp live from Brixton academy
• Thursday 4 November: The beat is the law part 1 documentary
• Friday 5 November: The beat is the law part 2 documentary

The documentaries, made by Sheffield vision film maker Eve Wood, are getting their UK TV premieres. They tell the story of the Sheffield music scene from the late 70s through to Pulp’s legendary appearance headlining Glastonbury in 1995.

Made in Sheffield focuses on the early electronic scene while the Beat is the law covers the 80s and 90s, including how Thatcher’s Britain influenced music from the city.

If you haven’t got Sky then you can also buy copies of the documentaries from sheffieldvision.com, Rare and racy and Record collector.

Made in Sheffield week on Sky arts

Were you involved?

Radio 2XS’s Jeff Cooper is working on a radio project focusing on the Sheffield music scene of 20 years ago.

The former Hallam FM presenter has loads of sessions and demos from the 1990s and is planning to involve as many of the bands’ members as he can find.

Forgotton Sheffield bands covered on this blog already include Various vegetables, the Dylans, Speedy (formerly Blammo), the Suncharms and Blameless.

Were you involved at the time, or can you help track down members of 1990s Sheffield bands? If so, email Jeff at studio@radio2xs.com.

Three new blogs for 2010

When I started this blog two years ago, the first question I asked was where are all the Sheffield blogs?

I soon discovered the Beginner’s guide to Sheffield blog and there were others that seemed like a good idea but didn’t get updated very often.

Since then, a trickle of Sheffield-themed blogs have appeared including the two restaurant review ones at the end of last year. 2010 has now brought us three new Sheffield blogs.

Run as a full time concern by seasoned journalist Russell Cavanagh, North west Sheffield news online (on Twitter too) is an excellent example of hyperlocal blogging. Its area extends from the northern edge of the city and west of the A61 (Halifax/Penistone road and beyond) so if you live on this patch then make sure you log on.

You’ll soon see how its independence, tight geographic focus and effective use of digital platforms means it can cover community issues in a way that a traditional, city-wide newspaper like the Star struggles to do.

Love Sheffield launched at the end of January and will be ‘scouring the city with a homegrown steel (city) scouring pad’. So far it has covered the comedian photograpahy exhibition at the Graves, City of sanctuary and a post about the slightly chilling story of Sheffielder Horatio Bright.

Finally, Seven hills blog documents ‘random thoughts, hidden gems and why the city is so great’. Sheffield favourites the Rude shipyard and Record collector have already been blogged, as well as the ongoing Sheffield verses Leeds rivalry.

If there are any others out there then why not make yourselves known? And if you’re thinking about setting up a Sheffield-themed blog then do it. The tools are out there for free – all you need is a bit of enthusiasm to get going.

Who’s new

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.

There is also a Twitter list of people and organisations in Sheffield in Twitter.

First e11even – regional football magazine
@first_e11even

Louis Louis – electronic music DJ/blogger/promoter
@louis_louis

Fairy communications – PR/communications agency
@fairycomms

Judith David – copywriter
@JComCopy

Safe at last – charity
@safeatlast

Mark Howe – illustrator
@howiehowe

Sheffield start-ups – encouraging people to create internet start-ups in Sheffield
@sheffstartups

Sheffield snow – everything you need to get you through the snow
@SheffieldSnow

Sheffield weather – a two-day forecast tweeted every morning and weather warnings
@SheffWeather

City magazine – Regional magazine company magazine
@CityMagSheff

Gossip girl – columnist from City magazine
@gossipgirlcity

No money records – hip hop record label
@nomoneyrecords

Data dream – software development
@datadreamuk

Sheffield college
@sheffcol

Advanced manufacturing news for Sheffield
@AMM_ShefRegion

Sheffield university health service
@SheffieldUHS

Norfolk arms – Ringinglow road pub
@norfolkarms

Blundells – estate agent
@blundells1

MAD architects
@MADarchitects

Solicitors Sheffield – local news from Sheffield solicitors
@SheffieldLawyer

IT works marketing – SEO copywriting, PR, email and social media campaigns
@itwrksmarketing

Accident repair – body repair shop
@sheffieldrepair

Sheffield social – social events
@SheffieldSocial

Sheffield libraries, archives and information
@shefflibraries

Zenon – band
@zenonband

Paul Huxley – scriptwriter and part of Medlo
@huxathon

Scott Douglas group – business development and marketing
@scottdouglasgrp

4N Sheffield – business networking
@4NSheffield

Restaurant marketing advice
@restconnect

Sylvesters bar in Leopold square
@SylvestersBarS1

Mr Martin – singer-songwriter and one quarter of Dead world leaders
@mrmartinmusic

Point blank theatre – the new owners of the Riverside – developing a multi-purpose arts/events space
@P0INTBLANK

John Coefield – photographer
@johncoefield

Morgan dias – immigration consultants
@morgandias

David Morris – posts scores from Sheffield Scimitars games
@brassedoff

Joe Taylor – Liberal democrat councillor for Hillsborough
@JoeTaylorLD

Toni and Guy Sheffield – hairdresser
@TONIandGUYSheff

ukpipelines.com – pipeline and drainage tools and equipment
@ukpipelines

Robert Saull – musician from the Purgatory players
@robertgsaull

Richard Hennessy – hypnotherapist
@focusedhypnosis

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

Sound clips from the station’s launch

A former DJ has started an online archive of clips from the early years of south Yorkshire’s main commercial radio station, Hallam FM.

You can listen to 1970s audio samples of the station known back then as Radio Hallam at soundboard.com.

I’m too young to remember Hallam in the seventies, but if you listen to some of the clips then you’ll soon realise how different the station sounded back then. When it launched, it appeared to have had the feel of a community radio station with a broad range of music and speech programmes. This contrasts starkly with the homogenised station we hear in 2010 that plays the same handful of records all day long.

If anyone has any more old tapes of the station then I’m sure the archiver Frank Carpenter would be pleased to hear from you. Perhaps at some stage it will be expanded to also include some clips from the the 1980s and 1990s?

In the meantime there are some more clips and jingles to be heard on radiohallam.co.uk. This site is run by another former Hallam FM DJ, and also the person behind internet radio station Radio 2XS, Jeff Cooper.

What should we be known for?

@DarrenBristow from Sheffield design agency Quba tweeted a question yesterday: Sheffield is a rich city , but what is it’s USP? What would you like it to be known for?

I always thought that in terms of money, Sheffield was quite a poor place. But we have plenty of non-monetary wealth. It is hard to avoid the cliches but Sheffield has a strong tradition of creativity and innovation but without being pretentious and unfriendly. We don’t like show offs but most people that live here would agree that there is something special about the place.

Richard Benjamin, the managing director of local creative agency Uber, recently penned a piece for marketing/creative publication The Drum, arguing for Sheffield as one of the most creative cities in the UK. Read a cached version here (you have to register on the site for the original).

It echoes Tom Keeley’s foreward from the Disordered haste Electric works launch booklet.

Whether you have been in the city all your life or just moved here, what do you think? What would you tell Darren in response to his question?