Sheffield struggles

[MightyBlades]

I left Sheffield nearly two years ago and now live in Lincolnshire. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and am kicking myself that I didn’t make the move years ago.

I lived in Ecclesall with all its parks, fancy shops, restaurants, schools and with the city centre and the Peak District both just 10 minutes away by car. Ecclesall has been gradually going down the pan for years and the whole area is looking very tired and neglected. Gangs of Asians and blacks now roam Endcliffe Park at night, making it a no-go area after dark, with numerous stabbings, shootings and rapes occurring every year. With two young kids, I decided that I’d had enough and didn’t want my children to grow up in the city that I was born and bred in.

Sheffield feels like it’s on its knees (more so now than it was even in the 80's), the city centre is an embarrassing shithole that I hated and stopped using 20 years ago. And my biggest bugbear, Sheffield is run by a bunch of incompetent socialist fuckwits, that the populace votes back in election after election, decade after decade. Keep them stupid, poor and dependent, and they will always vote you back in. For me, Sheffield's problems are all self-inflicted and I honestly can’t see anything but a continuing downwards spiral for the place.

The city really was grinding me down, and I wouldn’t go back even if someone gave me a free house in Whirlow to live in. I don’t miss the place one bit.

 

[90sblade]

Alot of interesting posts to read. I generally agree Sheffield city centre isnt a patch on Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds, but that is far as it goes. Never liked the vibe of any of those cities outside of the centre, they feel way more unwelcoming and dangerous. Manchester especially. City centre's could be very much a thing of the past covid and internet shopping, Sheffield's city of small villages 'feel' may prove a blessing rather than a curse as the decades progress.

 

[bromtom]

I don't live in a particularly nice bit of Sheffield but it's like, 15 minutes away from pure countryside, and a 30 seconds to less impressive nature, but nature nonetheless (woods/fields/streams)

City centre is shite unfortunately, not that it's really ever been good in my lifetime, though at least when it was crap in the past it was crap in a characterful way and wasn't just Gregg's and Poundlands.

Council is shite though I don't think that's anything to do with the party, Manchester manage with Labour, but more the people, no-one there knows anything about how to make a city better. Small thinkers, fiddling with things that are fine to the detriment of huge things that need addressing, and the buildings they've pulled down honestly makes my blood boil.

Sheffield has so much heritage in pop culture, sport, and industry but it's just not celebrated and we've been left behind.

Nothing will change in town until we stop being unassuming and start to big ourselves up as a city.

I love living where I live now though. Turned into a bit of a Springwatch type twat as I've aged so I love having the greenery, don't get that in any other city imo.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Yeah in hindsight perhaps I was a bit strong in my tone, I think its just the general attitude of "we're shit and we're proud of it" that sits uneasily with me...

To the tune of "Go West" presumably

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Leeds may have a Labour Council, but it is also founded on and funded by Freemason money

That's a big accusation to make. What is your evidence please?

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Well we were known as the biggest village in England, now it more like "The charity shop capital of the world"....

Only ever been to Leeds once and thought it was a dump, but that was way back in the sixty's when Sheffield was called a "City on the move'.

God knows were it moved to,

Down the hole in the road ....?

I first went to Leeds in 1969 to go to teacher training college in Horsforth.

On my first trip there on public transport (IIRC it was the X32 express bus service via Barnsley) I remember seeing at the side of the road, as we approached the bus station in Leeds, a roadside shack displaying a sign "Horsemeat for sale"!!!

Leeds was a dirty dump at that time as you say, and Sheffield was indeed "The City on the Move".

I believe Sheffield, at the time, had more nightclubs per head of population than any city in the country.

There was money to spend and as a student, well-paid vacation jobs were available everywhere.

What a turn round!

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

It doesn’t. It doesn’t go into the centre of Leeds either. A simple look at a map shows that.

Instead it has the M621 that brings both the M1 and the M62 into the southern fringe of the city centre.

A simple look at a map shows that.

Sorry, couldn't resist

 

[BushBlade]

Instead it has the M621 that brings both the M1 and the M62 into the southern fringe of the city centre.

A simple look at a map shows that.

Sorry, couldn't resist

Yes, I know but that’s not the M1.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Yes, I know but that’s not the M1.

I know

It's a stretch of motorway grade tarmac with a different name

Does the same job

That's why I said "Instead"

Anyway, the M1 did come to just south of the city centre when it ended at Stourton.

Then they reconfigured the junction to make it join with the M621 and to take the northern spur of the M1 heading up through the suburbs in East Leeds

 

[petcharlie]

I left Sheffield nearly two years ago and now live in Lincolnshire. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and am kicking myself that I didn’t make the move years ago.

I lived in Ecclesall with all its parks, fancy shops, restaurants, schools and with the city centre and the Peak District both just 10 minutes away by car. Ecclesall has been gradually going down the pan for years and the whole area is looking very tired and neglected. Gangs of Asians and blacks now roam Endcliffe Park at night, making it a no-go area after dark, with numerous stabbings, shootings and rapes occurring every year. With two young kids, I decided that I’d had enough and didn’t want my children to grow up in the city that I was born and bred in.

Sheffield feels like it’s on its knees (more so now than it was even in the 80's), the city centre is an embarrassing shithole that I hated and stopped using 20 years ago. And my biggest bugbear, Sheffield is run by a bunch of incompetent socialist fuckwits, that the populace votes back in election after election, decade after decade. Keep them stupid, poor and dependent, and they will always vote you back in. For me, Sheffield's problems are all self-inflicted and I honestly can’t see anything but a continuing downwards spiral for the place.

The city really was grinding me down, and I wouldn’t go back even if someone gave me a free house in Whirlow to live in. I don’t miss the place one bit.

Funny that I moved to Lincolnshire and could not wait to get back to Yorkshire. Never been so bored in my life surrounded by country muppets who are so boring . The biggest thing in the village was discussing who's turn it was to arrange the flowers in the church that week. Also missed the hills and the lovely countryside on our doorstep . Even the country side was boring flat and boring. thank god I got back other wise I would be coocoo land by now. The only thing I learned was what tates grew better in one field rather than the other one. but every one to their own as they say.

 

[Darthblade]

It's not though, is it?

Half The Moor has been replaced with more to come. HSBC have just built brand new offices. Heart of the City II is well underway which is a multi-million pound redevelopment project. Fitzalan Square is unrecognisable from the dump it was two years ago. The market stalls by Castlegate are getting shifted because of redevelopment about to happen there. There's a 39 storey apartment block going where the old Primark is. There's a new food hall being built on Cambridge Street with a rooftop bar.

That's all without mentioning owt which has happened/is happening down Kelham, or anything down Eccy Road or in Nether Edge/Abbeydale.

It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and a walk up Fargate will tell you there's a hell of a lot more work to be done. But the 'Sheffield is a shithole' narrative is so fucking boring sometimes, and it's so sad when it constantly comes from many of its own citizens.

I get the impression that these people pop into town about three times a year and instead of noticing the new cinema or state of the art offices, they stand outside a bookies or a Greggs with their hands on their hips, shaking their heads in disapproval.

The Council with its anti car policy will never attract decent businesses into the city as evidenced by the majority leaving and not being replaced. They need to drag themselves into the real world, forget the far left politics, and try to spend the next 10 years building up the city centre into something other than trash shops
UTB & FTP

 

[bromtom]

The Council with its anti car policy will never attract decent businesses into the city as evidenced by the majority leaving and not being replaced. They need to drag themselves into the real world, forget the far left politics, and try to spend the next 10 years building up the city centre into something other than trash shops
UTB & FTP

Build some massive carparks and they're golden, providing spaces for cars isn't a matter of left and right politics, it's common sense, people drive cars, you want people in your city centre, so provide them somewhere to put their car within comfortable walking distance. Put solar panels on the roof, or wind turbines like Sheffield College on Granville Road, stick some electric car chargers, and provide a bit of energy for the grid maybe while you're at it.

Get a architect to make them nice to look at and no-one would complain. People like the cheese grater, not so much the pebble dashed brown NCP car park.

 

[dynamoblade]

Born and bred in Sheff but I've lived in Brum, Örebro, Stockholm, a village near Kassel (Germany) and have currently lived in the deep east of Berlin for 5 years. I can honestly say Sheffield has a fantastic quality of life, cracking restaurants and pubs and a more than adequate city centre. I miss it a lot. You all need to gi or and stop mithering.

If you think the plasticy glass and steel rows of high street shops makes a city centre, you need to give your head a wobble. Manchester is shite nowadays, used to be lovely brick buildings and now it's these 'postmodern' carparks, semi high rise glass plated monstrosities that dominate. Honestly who is it that likes these other than lasses who want to go shopping and take insta snaps in front of shops?

 

[Deadly_D'Jaffo]

My Mrs is temporarily wheelchaired at the moment (she couldn't handle my A* game) so to get her and the dog out we went for a stroll through the canals upto town and whilst there I thought I'd go up via snig hill/castlegate into fargate just to see if it is as horrendous as some people have made out. Even stopped for some dinner at Albies (highly recommend) and mooched at some of the vintage shops.

Assessment - Castlegate is ugly. No doubting that. It needs a lot of funding and thoughtful planning by the council to bring it to standard. Fargate also, sadly, has got a fair amount of vacant retail units.

But is it as intimidating as some have made out? Absolutely not. You'd have to have clinical, social anxiety to think walking around there is a threat.

 

[TJB.]

The Council with its anti car policy will never attract decent businesses into the city as evidenced by the majority leaving and not being replaced. They need to drag themselves into the real world, forget the far left politics, and try to spend the next 10 years building up the city centre into something other than trash shops
UTB & FTP

As someone who drives and drives to town fairly regularly, could you explain what you mean by this 'anti-car' thing?

I've driven round many city centres and Sheffield is fucking loads easier to get round than most (wouldn't wish a drive through Leeds centre on my worst enemy).

It can't be a parking situation either? I can think of ten very central car parks just off the top of my head. I never struggle, put it that way.

 

[JJBlade]

As someone who drives and drives to town fairly regularly, could you explain what you mean by this 'anti-car' thing?

I've driven round many city centres and Sheffield is fucking loads easier to get round than most (wouldn't wish a drive through Leeds centre on my worst enemy).

It can't be a parking situation either? I can think of ten very central car parks just off the top of my head. I never struggle, put it that way.

And Manchester is a bigger nightmare than Leeds
And London is a bigger nightmare than Manchester
And New York is a bigger nightmare than London

Traffic is always present in more successful cities, it's just the way it is,

 

[ghandi]

I left Sheffield nearly two years ago and now live in Lincolnshire. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and am kicking myself that I didn’t make the move years ago.

I lived in Ecclesall with all its parks, fancy shops, restaurants, schools and with the city centre and the Peak District both just 10 minutes away by car. Ecclesall has been gradually going down the pan for years and the whole area is looking very tired and neglected. Gangs of Asians and blacks now roam Endcliffe Park at night, making it a no-go area after dark, with numerous stabbings, shootings and rapes occurring every year. With two young kids, I decided that I’d had enough and didn’t want my children to grow up in the city that I was born and bred in.

Sheffield feels like it’s on its knees (more so now than it was even in the 80's), the city centre is an embarrassing shithole that I hated and stopped using 20 years ago. And my biggest bugbear, Sheffield is run by a bunch of incompetent socialist fuckwits, that the populace votes back in election after election, decade after decade. Keep them stupid, poor and dependent, and they will always vote you back in. For me, Sheffield's problems are all self-inflicted and I honestly can’t see anything but a continuing downwards spiral for the place.

The city really was grinding me down, and I wouldn’t go back even if someone gave me a free house in Whirlow to live in. I don’t miss the place one bit.

Good because with your attitude you wouldn't be welcome.

 

[Eskimo]

It doesn’t. It doesn’t go into the centre of Leeds either. A simple look at a map shows that.

Point was it stopped at Leeds for many years. And then the M62 crossed it like a T. Creating a very logical place for business to locate their northern base. That’s all

 

[JJBlade]

Football clubs mirror the city they hail from a lot more than people realise

Cities are merging now to form a Megalopolis,

London has been like this for centuries, but Manchester has now become the same, swallowing up other towns and even cities to become part of the Greater Manchester conurbation.

Leeds, although unofficial is becoming the same, Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax, Castleford, Batley Bingley, Harrogate, Wetherby, are all being swallowed up and becoming part of a Greater Leeds conurbation which will be made official very soon, I'm sure.

Sheffield has surrounding towns that absolute hate Sheffield and would do everything in their power to not become part of a Greater Sheffield.

Even places on the outskirts that are actually part of Sheffield have some resistance to it.

Barnsley would even become a part of Greater Leeds rather than be part of a Greater Sheffield, so would Donny.

Chesterfield and Worksop would rather be Nottingham and Derby than Greater Sheffield

So the entire region that needs reinventing with Sheffield at its epicentre will never get off the ground, and in turn will die.

In a thousand years archaeologists will find the ruins in a small section between Greater Leeds, Greater Manchester and Greater Nottingham and refer to the primitive culture that lived here but wouldn't change......and so died.

 

[I should coco]

Leeds, although unofficial is becoming the same, Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax, Castleford, Batley Bingley, Harrogate, Wetherby, are all being swallowed up and becoming part of a Greater Leeds conurbation which will be made official very soon, I'm sure.

Sheffield has surrounding towns that absolute hate Sheffield and would do everything in their power to not become part of a Greater Sheffield.

Clearly you have never actually spoken to anybody from Huddersfield or Bradford. I can assure you that their hatred of Leeds, makes us look like amateurs.

 

[Hagansbootlaces]

As someone who drives and drives to town fairly regularly, could you explain what you mean by this 'anti-car' thing?

I've driven round many city centres and Sheffield is fucking loads easier to get round than most (wouldn't wish a drive through Leeds centre on my worst enemy).

It can't be a parking situation either? I can think of ten very central car parks just off the top of my head. I never struggle, put it that way.

Pick any of those ten car parks, and don't tell me which one,,,so what are you going to see in the City centre? a walk around and mooch round a few shops, and remember what it used to be like?

 

[S64 Blade]

Football clubs mirror the city they hail from a lot more than people realise

Cities are merging now to form a Megalopolis,

London has been like this for centuries, but Manchester has now become the same, swallowing up other towns and even cities to become part of the Greater Manchester conurbation.

Leeds, although unofficial is becoming the same, Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax, Castleford, Batley Bingley, Harrogate, Wetherby, are all being swallowed up and becoming part of a Greater Leeds conurbation which will be made official very soon, I'm sure.

Sheffield has surrounding towns that absolute hate Sheffield and would do everything in their power to not become part of a Greater Sheffield.

Even places on the outskirts that are actually part of Sheffield have some resistance to it.

Barnsley would even become a part of Greater Leeds rather than be part of a Greater Sheffield, so would Donny.

Chesterfield and Worksop would rather be Nottingham and Derby than Greater Sheffield

So the entire region that needs reinventing with Sheffield at its epicentre will never get off the ground, and in turn will die.

In a thousand years archaeologists will find the ruins in a small section between Greater Leeds, Greater Manchester and Greater Nottingham and refer to the primitive culture that lived here but wouldn't change......and so died.

I think you make a good point. You only need to look at the debacle in the Sheffield City Region, where the surrounding towns(with the exception of Rotherham) are anti-Sheffield. The City Region mayor, Dan Jarvis, can't bring himself to even call it by it's official name and constantly refers to just South Yorkshire.

I think there's more recognition, particularly across the Pennines with Manchester, on the power of aligning with a city can bring. Places like Barnsley and Doncaster all too often see Sheffield as competition, but they're in entirely different leagues. The towns should be using it to leverage better outcomes for their people, rather than fighting anything that Sheffield ever wants to do (but being quite happy to take money out of the City Region fund for themselves).

I think it's the typical local mindset that needs shifting to be quite honest. As an example, people whinge that there's no high-end shops or restaurants in Sheffield, but then scoff at having to pay £5 for a pint. A designer shop opens and people complain that a pair of jeans are more £30. To be honest, my impression that this is more the older generation, so it may change organically, but I could be wrong.

The local leadership needs to properly drive change, but it has been weak for a long time with no evident charismatic leaders to champion the area, like Burnham.

 

[JJBlade]

I think you make a good point. You only need to look at the debacle in the Sheffield City Region, where the surrounding towns(with the exception of Rotherham) are anti-Sheffield. The City Region mayor, Dan Jarvis, can't bring himself to even call it by it's official name and constantly refers to just South Yorkshire.

I think there's more recognition, particularly across the Pennines with Manchester, on the power of aligning with a city can bring. Places like Barnsley and Doncaster all too often see Sheffield as competition, but they're in entirely different leagues. The towns should be using it to leverage better outcomes for their people, rather than fighting anything that Sheffield ever wants to do (but being quite happy to take money out of the City Region fund for themselves).

I think it's the typical local mindset that needs shifting to be quite honest. As an example, people whinge that there's no high-end shops or restaurants in Sheffield, but then scoff at having to pay £5 for a pint. A designer shop opens and people complain that a pair of jeans are more £30. To be honest, my impression that this is more the older generation, so it may change organically, but I could be wrong.

The local leadership needs to properly drive change, but it has been weak for a long time with no evident charismatic leaders to champion the area, like Burnham.

As you cross the Brooklyn Bridge there is a sign saying "Welcome to Brooklyn, The USA's fourth largest city"
That tells you all you need to know about Brooklyns attitude to being a part of the New York Metropolis, but it made no difference, Brooklyn is New York City whether some of it's residents feel that way or not.
Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster, Chesterfield, Worksop and all the outlying towns and villages have to combine into a larger concern at some point, and have the infrastructure to connect with each other and the outside world, otherwise it's curtains for the area IMO.

Regarding the price of goods, and paying more than £30 for a pair of jeans, it's typical Sheffielder to moan about paying it, then pay a train fare to Leeds, buy a £70 pair of jeans, go out in Leeds and spend another £100, stay in a hotel as well, then come back next day waffling about the great time they had. But they wouldn't support such shops, bars, restaurants or hotels in Sheffield

 

[Darthblade]

As someone who drives and drives to town fairly regularly, could you explain what you mean by this 'anti-car' thing?

I've driven round many city centres and Sheffield is fucking loads easier to get round than most (wouldn't wish a drive through Leeds centre on my worst enemy).

It can't be a parking situation either? I can think of ten very central car parks just off the top of my head. I never struggle, put it that way.

Sheffield's communist council have been anti-car since the 1970's and the city should have built an outer and inner ring road 30+ years ago to make it easier to traverse the city.
The parking in the centre is difficult and expensive and the road system is designed by Stevie Wonder. One broken down bus or lorry and the City grinds to a halt for hours.
People go to Meadowhell or Chesterfield rather than the City centre, which is why it died.
UTB & FTP

 

[metalblade]

And even more plans to move the car out of the city centre.

Radical plan to close Sheffield's biggest roundabout and build offices, flats and a hotel

Radical plans to close Sheffield’s biggest roundabout and build offices, flats and a hotel have sparked debate over road use, pollution and noise.

www.thestar.co.uk

 

[JJBlade]

Clearly you have never actually spoken to anybody from Huddersfield or Bradford. I can assure you that their hatred of Leeds, makes us look like amateurs.

I know they do
Same as Bolton Rochale, Oldham, Salford, Altrincham and Hyde, hate Manchester
But they have still joined up to the Greater Manchester thing without any fuss at all

If it was foisted on the towns surrounding Sheffield the pickets would be out again

 

[Sean Thornton]

Clearly you have never actually spoken to anybody from Huddersfield or Bradford. I can assure you that their hatred of Leeds, makes us look like amateurs.

Harrogate part of Leeds. Ooooookay.....

 

[Numpty's Dusty Ruts.]

Sheffield's communist council have been anti-car since the 1970's and the city should have built an outer and inner ring road 30+ years ago to make it easier to traverse the city.
The parking in the centre is difficult and expensive and the road system is designed by Stevie Wonder. One broken down bus or lorry and the City grinds to a halt for hours.
People go to Meadowhell or Chesterfield rather than the City centre, which is why it died.
UTB & FTP

You have a very broad idea of what constitutes communism. Could you point me in direction of the nearest gulag, collective farm, political police branch, or Stasi informer????

 

[Heely bottoms underpants]

Sheffield has it's pro's and con's like any place. I personally feel safer now than I did as a teenager in the 80's.
If any one's old enough to remember catching the night bus from Pond Street.
Jesus christ... Talk about running the gauntlet.
Going through the hole in the road was a lottery if you came out the other end... Pond Street was full of the Fiesta types itching for a punch up, and god forbid going past the showboat arcade.. Skinhead central.
And the bus station itself was something straight out of a dickens novel.

 

[S64 Blade]

And even more plans to move the car out of the city centre.

Radical plan to close Sheffield's biggest roundabout and build offices, flats and a hotel

Radical plans to close Sheffield’s biggest roundabout and build offices, flats and a hotel have sparked debate over road use, pollution and noise.

www.thestar.co.uk

It’s been scrapped. Rightly so IMO. The costs involved versus the benefit it would have created (little), would have been ridiculous and made a mockery of the cities efforts to reduce climate change. Money will (hopefully) be much better spent on improving the transport infrastructure, though I won’t hold my breath.