I love train travel. It’s great, isn’t it? Especially when it’s empty. Other human beings ruin train travel. I was on a train recently, going from Leeds to Sheffield, and there were so many people on it that some of us had to sit on the floor in the compartment between the carriages where the toilet was. Including me, which really got on my tits. I had one lad sat next to me doing his Trigonometry homework on one side and some slag blearing Tinchy Stryder from her phone at full volume on the other. It was like I’d stumbled upon Purgatory and was never going to get out.
When a train is empty, there’s something quite peaceful about it. Tranquillity. Time to think, relax. Maybe even read a book and enjoy the *cough* beautiful *cough* countryside. When it’s like that, I always get a window seat with four seats and a table to myself. As soon as someone comes in to sit down next to/opposite me, I immediately tell them to piss off. No hesitation, I just do it. If they refuse, I move to another window seat with four seats and a table while giving them a rather sinister glare.

Maybe one day I’ll get a window seat with four seats and a table whilst having my pockets stuffed with gelignite…

Formally object to the planning application

Just to draw your attention this campaign to try and save the Portland works building on Randall street from the threat of being developed into flats.

Located in Sharrow, the grade II listed building is currently home to metalworkers, cabinet-makers, musicians, artists, sole traders and others.

The case for keeping the building as a home for little mesters-style workshops is articulated well in a letter in this week’s Sheffield Telegraph which describes the works as our ‘living heritage, not a museum or polished up piece of preserved past’.

Isn’t there a more appropriate location for flats, one that doesn’t involve threatening the existence of these historical workshops and small businesses? As the letter in the paper points out, some of the commercial tenants are proudly still practising the traditional manufacturing methods that made the city famous.

The online campaign is centered on the Portland works blog and a Facebook group which you can join to keep up to date with the cause.

Perhaps the most useful way of showing your support is to formally object to the planning application on the Sheffield city council website. The recent victory over East midlands trains regarding the station barriers was supported by 1,250 objections that will have no doubt been an influence on the planning board.

Object to the Portland works planning application

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So, after what seems like a considerably drawn out case for something so trivial, the nation’s favourite son, Philip Laing, was sentenced to 250 hours community service yesterday, after urinating on a war memorial in Sheffield’s city centre.

We all know that the British legal system is a farce, so am I surprised by the relatively conservative verdict? Of course not. The general consensus is that Laing deserved much more punishment than he actually received, but instead will be off the hook by the summer and only £185 out of pocket. For a well to do family from Cheshire, that’s probably accumulated in change in an oversized coke bottle in their living room.

I completely sympathise with the guy though, we’ve all done things we regret whilst drunk and fair play to him for lying to probation officers (£1 for drinks at Carnage? Yeah right!) and getting away with it. While he probably should have been sentenced a little more harshly, with a custodial sentence easily justifiable for his actions; given the backlash he’s had outside of the legal system, he’s been punished quite severely.

Take for instance, Facebook. The flak Laing has received on there is hilarious, multiple groups have sprung up lamenting him for his actions, which is fair enough, but you have to dig deep into the comments to really find a perfect representation of the British people’s opinions.

In a beautifully witty and articulate post, one British soldier in Afghanistan, Keith Benson says (and this is quoted directly from the group): “hang the tit or send him over to afghan to us we will kick the shit out off him all the lads we lose eveday out here and then the is that dickhead going round pissing eveywhere what the fuck iam getthing bombed and shot at for if he can get away with this shit . the little wanker if i see him out i will kill hyim with my hands.” These sentiments are juxtaposed alongside a comment from a guy with a tattoo of Henderson’s relish on his leg, and several racist outbursts from other people.

The reaction of the British people, on Facebook and in reality is farcical, and they are certainly not making a good example of themselves. Laing made a drunken mistake, which will stay with him for the rest of his life yet draws death threats and the like, something far morally outrageous.

In addition, Sheffield Hallam are now at the point of deciding just how severe their own punishment will be for Laing, and they released this statement yesterday: “The university has already initiated disciplinary proceedings against this student. Now that the judicial process has been completed, we will arrange a disciplinary hearing to decide appropriate sanctions.” If the University do decide to kick Laing out, his future plans will no doubt be rocked. So, perhaps the judge’s verdict was apt after all.

Laing is well aware of the enormity of his actions, and I think the over-the-top reaction from the media and British people has been a hell of a lot worse than the defilement itself. In retrospect, I suppose what it all comes down to for me is who I’d rather go for a drink with, the stereotypical Facebook group British patriot, pitchfork in one hand and torch in the other, or the cenotaph defiling, yet deeply contrite and regretful sports student. I’d choose the sports student every single time.

Another local story that has grabbed national headlines is that of the Sheffield Hallam University Sports-Tech (whatever that is) student who urinated on a city centre War Memorial. With a jail sentence hanging over him, Philip Laing was sentenced to 250 hours of community service.

It’s been an emotive story which has split opinion in the city and beyond. It may be the case that justice has been served, but the following cartoon suggests a possible Third Way…

"2 Para have kindly offered to oversee his community service."

This weekend sees the 2nd round of the FA Cup take place and it turns out that we will be following Luton after their victory in the last round versus Rochdale. The first game at Kenilworth Road saw Luton goe 3-0 up in just half an hour as they looked to impress new manager Richard Monley. Rochdale’s higher league status soon told though as they managed to claw it back with two Joe Thompson goals in the last three minutes. Final score Luton 3 – Rochdale 3. Heartbreak for Luton, but they lived to fight another day in the replay.

The replay was actually shown on TV and I managed to catch some of it. Rochdale were controlling the game but not really creating any clear-cut chances. Luton were happy to go into the break at 0-0. I got a bit bored truth be told and didn’t bother watching the second half but I later saw that Kevin Gallen, who was the main subject of the 1st round preview, went and scored twice to give Luton an excellent 2-0 victory.

I'm happy as I knocked out Rochdale.

In the 2nd round Luton will face Rotherham away, another team flying high in League Two. Rotherham did the double over Luton last season and got to this stage by beating non-league Wealdston 3-2 away from home. Since their replay Luton have had beaten Grays Athletic 2-0, drawn with Cambridge 2-2 (throwing away a 2-0 lead) before having a game with Mansfield the other day postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. If nothing they should be well rested having not played since last weekend.

Adam Le Fondre.

Rotherham lie third in League Two and are unbeaten at home this season. They’ve let in just three goals at the Don Valley athletics stadium (their temporary home), while in striker Adam Le Fondre, they have a player Luton should fear, given he has already scored 13 times this season.

Fortress Rotherham.

This looks like an altogther tougher task for Luton even though Rotherham are roughly on the same ability level as Rochdale. It remains to be seen whether Richard Money can keep his unbeaten start to life as Luton manager, and I’m sure he will be playing for a draw to take Rotherham back to Kenilworth Road. Once again a lot will depend on Kevin Gallen up front, who has the ability to cause problems for League Two defence. Luton will also have some more options in the squad as they have recently signed ex Man Utd keeper Kevin Pilkington on loan (who has gone straight into the 1st team) and a striker named Mark Nwokeji.

I can’t see Luton winning again but good luck to them this weekend.

T.

This weekend, I took a break from my normal routine of serving people food and drinks to have some served to me for a change. It’s the way I prefer the relationship to operate but sadly enough, I have yet to find someone who will pay me a wage for eating and drinking and so I must begrudgingly buy food and drink like everyone else.

The drinking part of the weekend was mainly among friends in the confines of Sheffield. Specifically, Champs (overpriced sports bar, packed to the hilt with the unlikely combination of middle-aged woman and under-aged lads), The Leadmill (very reasonably priced nightclub that seems to have a stranglehold on Sheffield’s University population) and my friend’s house (large old house on a hill, filled with sports equipment, manly odour and Tesco Biere Speciale).

The eating part of the weekend was mainly after the weekend on Monday night, with my girlfriend, and confined to central London. Specifically, Terroirs (5 William IV Street, London, WC2).

My girlfriend had a day off on Monday and I felt it would be cruel to deprive her of my fabulous company all weekend and then return to listlessly mope about in a dressing gown all day. So with uncharacteristic foresight, I booked a table pre-weekend, giving me both purpose and an obligation to adhere to.

We arrived at Terroirs at 7pm. From outside, the restaurant looked modest; just a small board that I didn’t read and some large panes of glass, behind which, there sat people enjoying themselves. Inside, the atmosphere was cosy and homely, speckled with French stuff, but with the appropriate degree of modernity to prevent it from appearing as a rural French anachronism.

The menu was short and fairly simple, offering a range of seafood and classic French fare in a format devoid of overblown ostentatious French descriptions that require the diner to have worked an apprenticeship with Jean Christophe Novelli. The wine menu was not so short and simple; it was in fact long and incredibly complicated. After thumbing through the 38 pages (yes I checked) complete with detailed descriptions, I decided that the best option would be to select one of the wines available by the glass. I went for the second cheapest wine on the list, the 2008 Sauvignon de Touraine, Domaine Guy Allion, hoping that it would be a Sauvignon Blanc of enough calibre to complement the starters of grilled scallop and gremolata and squid a la plancha, espelette pepper and aioli. It turned out to be absolutely delicious and a perfect accompaniment to the starters themselves, which were also excellent. The scallops arrived in their shells sat on an unfeasibly large pile of sea salt, which I debated using as seasoning, although after tasting, I’m glad I didn’t, as they were beautifully seasoned and cooked to perfection. The squid aioli was quite simply the best squid I have ever eaten. The skin itself was taut and turgid, which on puncturing revealed a silky smooth interior that blended perfectly with the hint of garlic and lemon in the buttery aioli.

For the main course, I took the partridge with puy lentils and bacon and my girlfriend went for bavette, bone marrow, shallots and parsley. The partridge was slightly dry, although the lentil and bacon that accompanied it was delicious. Likewise, the bavette was a little chewy, although deep ruby red, strong in flavour and well matched with the texture/flavour combination of marrow and parsley. Both dishes could have also used an actual knife with a blade, rather than the palette knife we were forced to hack away with.

After the quality of our opening wine, I have to say that I was mildly disappointed by the reds we had with our mains. I decided to make use of the waitress to choose good accompaniments, having read somewhere that they effectively double up as sommeliers. Unfortunately, our waitress seemed to pick two wines almost at random and was adamant that either would work well for both dishes, which I found difficult to believe, considering that one dish was the flank of a cow and the other a little bird. I have since read up on the reds we chose at www.slurp.co.uk and have come to the conclusion that my palate is too unsophisticated to enjoy these wines to their full potential. I didn’t pick up, for example, on the “myriad black fruits: myrtille, mure and cassis” in the 2008 Marcillac ‘Lo Sang Del Pais’, Domaine du Cros and in my ignorance, failed to notice that the 2007 Sous Les Cailloux des Grillons, Clos du Gravillas had appeal that is “more guarded and beguiling.” What a klutz!

Nevertheless, the overall dining experience was very pleasurable and not extortionately expensive (£75 for two, including wine and service) and also, judging by this brilliant and insightful review, perhaps it has also provided me with an opening into the lucrative career of restaurant reviewing. I will be paid a wage for eating and drinking yet!

If you have found your way to Sheffield, you are in for a treat. Whether you have come to visit for a while or your considering permanent residence, this historic area is going to transport you to the past, present, and future.

The wide array of cultural history available is enough to make your visit to Europe one that you will remember for the rest of your life. The first thing that you most likely will notice is the strikingly impressive countryside. All is available. From the woodlands to the canal walks, every step is an adventure into the richness of this area.

Sheffield is known as the City Of Trees as there are more trees here than people. This natural habitat means that there also a number of sites of scientific interest around the city with rare examples of flora and fauna.

No visit would be complete without visiting the stately homes of Chatsworth and Hardwick Hall. The heritage that is contained within these walls will be constant reminders of the Middle Ages and Mary Queen of Scots. Fourteen years of her life was spent here, imprisoned.

One of the homes in which she spent part of her time was Chatsworth, which now you can visit and walk the 105 acre garden. Try not to get lost in the maze but while you are here enjoy the magnificent fountains and the wonderful aroma of the flowers as pull out their spectacular colors for you to see.

Sheffield is the pride of Peak National District Park, always eager to show the beauty of her city to visitors from all over the world. If adventure is on your agenda, every week at the town hall, except for the few days between Christmas and New Year, twice weekly Mr. P. Dreadful shares his haunting history of the town.

If you are up for a little fame and fortune, you can take a tour of the area outside the Town Hall.

This special pavement holds the plaques of those who the people of this fine city feel have benefited it by bringing attention on a national level. Or even on an international level, this area honors the contributions the people felt to have earned themselves their place in this Hall of Fame.

One name that holds a plaque in this sidewalk is Def Leppard who you will recognize if you are follower of rock music.

Sheffield also has all manner of attractions for visitors to the city including a very large theatre complex that includes the renowned Lyceum and Crucible theatres and for even more cultural delights there is a good choice of galleries to visit, which hold exhibitions throughout the year.

If you prefer outdoor attractions then you will be spoilt by the vast array of parks and gardens most notable of which is the Sheffield Peace Gardens and of course the Winter Gardens.

If you do come to visit, make one of the luxury, yet affordable hotels your home away form home by staying the city. With close proximity to all you want to visit, you will feel to browse all the wonderful areas that you do not want to miss.

Sheffield has a number of fine hotels to meet all budgets and tastes for that matter, from the stately to the residential. For example if you would rather stay in the gorgeous countryside, in a residential area, southwest of the city is the Tyndale.

This is actually a 1930s house that has become a home to travellers who want to see the way people actually live rather than spend their vacation in a hotel.

If you have come to this area for a more permanent stay, you will want to find a house to rent. The rental process is a little different here than in other places. But there are some good websites that specialize in home rental and have useful information about the properties that are available.

Sheffield-themed festive gifts

Stuck for a Christmas gift ideas? This list collects together some of the most popular Sheffield-themed merchandise from the last few months.

• Pub maps
  

Explore the drinking dens of the city with this pub stops of Sheffield map by John Coates. It is designed in the style of the famous Henry Beck London underground tube map, which like a circuit diagram, focuses on the order of the locations instead of their exact geographic proximity. Available in mouse mat and poster versions, the designated coloured routes make for all sorts of interesting pub crawl variations. Or if you fancy an alternative pub crawl compass, then you could also try the heritage pub crawl map that you may have seen displayed in various local pubs.

Buy: Sheffield scene shop on Surrey street | zazzle.co.uk (for just the tube map)

Pub stops of Sheffield mouse mat and poster

Sheffield heritage pub crawl

• Something Hendo’s-inspired

Is there a better way to impress people when they come over for tea this Christmas than with some Hendo’s-themed memorabilia? There are plenty of options available to help celebrate the city’s favourite condiment: one litre bottles of relish, aprons, illustration prints from Jim Connolly and Kid Acne and if you really want to splash out, a limited-edition set of silver accessories. The final option is a very long-lasting Hendo’s-themed gift that a bride bought her groom as a wedding present…

Buy: Various locations | madeinsheffield.com | archipelago-art.co.uk | kateyfelton.com

Katey Felton's limited edition Henderson's relish silver accessories

• Sheffield illustrations

As well as the Hendo’s prints mentioned above, there are plenty of other local-themed illustrations available. Obviously Pete McKee is one of the most well known (don’t forget his Children’s hospital 2009 Christmas card) and Jim Connolly’s Sheffield superheros screen prints are also popular. The treasured Rare & racy shop on Devonshire street has various other prints, including Jonathan Wilkinson’s excellent We live here series of defining but less-celebrated Sheffield landmarks including the wedding cake, Park hill, the Roxy and the egg box.

Buy: Rare & racy | therealmckee.co.uk | archipelago-art.co.uk | welivehere.co.uk

• Charity voucher book

I’ve already written a post about this charity voucher book, but the premise is simple: spend £50 on a book of local vouchers that includes £1,000-worth of savings. And £15 from every one sold goes to charity. You won’t get round to using them all but after using three within the first month I had made my money back and of course have got a whole load more bargains to look forward to. Be quick though, as most of the vouchers expire in August 2010 so the longer you leave it the harder it will be to cram them in.

Buy: Shop on corner of Pinstone street and Cambridge street | charityunleashed.co.uk

Charity unleashed Sheffield voucher book shop

• Victorian map of Sheffield

People from Sheffield love old Sheffield stuff and this map shows the city in 1849 as ‘a pleasant and organised town…relatively spared the ravages of the early unplanned industrialisation’. One for the toilet door?

Buy: Cheapest from Sheffield scene shop on Surrey street | victoriantownmaps.co.uk

• Cooling towers memorabilia

The Cooling towers shop may have been and gone but the Tinsley towers still hold a dear place in the heart for many people and befittingly there are still plenty of souvenirs available by which to remember them. Why not start with this matt photo print from RPG Photo and also these mugs from artist/designer Alice Skelton?

Buy: rpgphoto.co.uk | Mugs available from aliceskelton.com and the Bessimer gallery in the Winter garden

Cooling towers print from RPG Photography

• Pop books and shop books

There are a couple of Sheffield-related books with a nostalgic tinge that have been published in time for Christmas. Neil Anderson’s Take it to the Limit explores the late 70s and early 80s music scene through the eyes of the Limit nightclub, or Sheffield’s Hacienda as it was know by some. More pop music nostalgia can be found in artist Martin Bedford’s Up against the wall, a book collecting together some of his famous Leadmill posters that he produced to promote visiting bands in the 1980s and 1990s. And starkly contrasting with the city centre that we know today, the Shopaholics guide to 1970s Sheffield looks back to a time when town was the major shopping destination of the north.

Buy: Local bookshops | amazon.co.uk

Sheffield pop and shopping books

• I love Sheffield eco bag

Julia Gash bought this local variation of the I love New York design to Sheffield a couple of years ago. She was previously involved with the (now closed) Gash shop on Devonshire street but has since set up a business selling eco bags and the I love Sheffield one has been a huge hit, as you can guess from the frequency that you see them around town. They continue to be particularly popular with students and it looks like some variations on the original design are now available, too.

Buy: Various locations including the Sheffield university students’ union studio shop

• A piece of history
  

The crucible is due to reopen imminently and the theatre’s new carpet is apparently inspired by the distinctive 1970s design of the original. The theatre has been selling off pieces of the old carpet to raise money and at the last count a few of them were still available.

Buy: Sheffield theatres

The Crucible carpet: old (left) and new (right)

• Food discount card
  

The city may still be up-and-coming in the culinary stakes but progress is slowly being made and there are now some good places to eat out. Chef Richard Smith is the man behind many of the area’s more impressive restaurants and his relax, eat and drink privilage card could be just the gift for a foodie friend or loved one. You get £50-worth of restaurant vouchers, a £25 bottle of champagne, a free meal on your birthday, money off every other meal, free tea and coffees and more. At £100 it isn’t cheap, but when you remember that his restaurants include Artisan, the Cricket inn, the excellent-value Canteen and the imminent Spice market cafe on Ecclesall road, it won’t even take a meal out at each before you earn your money back.

Buy: relaxeatanddrink.com

Has anyone got any more present recommendations?

If you are considering a vacation this year, you should consider the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England.

Sheffield is a city that is altogether quite unique from an environmental and cultural aspect .

It is a cultural centre, an historical monument, and eco-city all at once. If you are going to be visiting England, Sheffield is a must-see or at the very least certainly needs to be on your top ten places to visit especially given its proximity to the Peak District.

Because of this, there is a thriving tourist industry in the city and finding suitable and exquisite holiday accommodation should be no problem if you are going to be paying a visit.

You probably like many people consider London when you think of a cultural centre in the UK, and you are not off the mark. Outside of London, Sheffield is the number one cultural centre in the UK and is well known for its theatres, clubs and musical acts.

If theatres and the arts are high on your list of passions, check out the Lyceum Theatre, the Crucible Theatre, or the Studio Theatre. These three theatres compose the largest theatre complex in England outside of London, which is a fact that not many tourists are aware of.

If you are an art connoisseur, Sheffield also has four world-renowned art galleries for you to peruse, including the Millennium Galleries and the Site Gallery.

For the music lover, Sheffield is a paradise and musical hotspot and as a result the city boasts to the fact that many famous (and infamous) musical acts have their roots in this culturally-rich city.

Synth bands like The Human League and The Thompson Twins, heavy metal band Def Leppard, and indie rock bands like The Arctic Monkeys and Gomez started out in Sheffield. Even classic rocker Joe Cocker got his start in this diverse city.

There are plenty of venues in Sheffield for you to see bands such as these play, over ten of them in fact, and there are also plenty of dance clubs throughout the city for you to party the night away in you are one of the younger or more energetic visitors.

For those interested in classical music, Sheffield also has five different orchestras who call the city home.

Those who enjoy city life but still like a bit of greenery will be pleasantly surprised at Sheffield. With over two million trees, this city has more trees than people than any other city in Europe. Surprisingly 61% of Sheffield is considered green space which comprises of. over 170 woodlands, 78 public parks, and 10 public gardens. Sheffield city leaders have taken great care to make sure that they live in harmony with nature as much as possible as can clearly be seen here. This is a refreshing break from how most established cities are these days although times are changing.

If you are a history buff, then there will be a lot of great interest for you too. The area in which Sheffield lies is thought to have been settled sometime during the Ice Age, and as Sheffield sits at the confluence of five rivers, it has always been an important hub for both domestic and foreign trade trade.

The towns that eventually grew into Sheffield were thought to have sprung up sometime during the second millennium. Just imagine walking down streets that have been trod for over one thousand years, seeing buildings that have been occupied and functioning for hundreds of years. It is quite overwhelming.

Sheffield also has two world-class universities that bring in students from all over, the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University.

Due to its popularity with tourists, Sheffield has a large number of hotels to choose from. You can go with anything from the world-renowned Hilton and Holiday Inn or stay at a more low-key bed and breakfast. Whichever way you go, finding Sheffield rental accommodation is never a problem. There are plenty of friendly folks in the city who will be happy to house you.

Even beyond the things already mentioned, Sheffield is also known for its sports activities. Sheffield is the home of the world’s first-ever football club, Sheffield F.C., which formed in 1857. Among other things, the city also holds the World Snooker Championships.

If you are planning a vacation this year, you really can’t go wrong with Sheffield.

Whether you’ve simply always wanted to see England or are interested in experiencing some culture, Sheffield is a great choice. Though most of us think of London, we may not be ready for the crowds and traffic that come with a visit to Nations capital. Sheffield is a great, clean alternative that will definitely impress you and give you a great first impression of the UK.

Just heard I was shortlisted for the Off the Shelf “Birthday Letters” competition (one of nine), but didn’t quite make it to the top grade. This seems to be a habit. Have had another commended, too, with a small prize, but I’m not allowed to say where, just yet. And am excited by the Aesthetica Annual which should arrive soon, too.

The small successes continue, the big ones elude me.

This is Billy (identity protected), we got chatting through Grindr and then onto Gaydar where we exchanged some more pics. Billy is a dancer and is Latino. We’re meeting on Thursday night. I’ll keep you posted!

I need a haircut and a body shave, I haven’t had either since before my trip abroad.

It appears that I am slowly being drawn into the league of Yam-Yams.  In Solihull there are usually only subtle variaties of the the West Midlands family of accents, but since I’ve worked in West Brom for the last year or so I am surrounded by people from the Black Country…and the accent is proving contagious.  I used to really dislike the Brummy/Black Country way of speaking but I really quite like it now.  However, what is in an accent?

I’m from Sheffield.  I’ve never had a broad accent but have been fiercely proud of my city and whenever the tones of my speach betrayed my origin I was filled with a warm glow.  At some times I have loathed other accents, considered them inferior, particularly when I lived in London and felt like the only northerner out of 9 million people.

But should an accent be forced?  You see I’m faced with a dilemma now:

a) Do I let nature take its course and allow whatever accent pours forth to do so regardless of what I sound like and who it identifies me as?

b) Do I supress the Brumminess and very carefully and deliberately cling onto and nurture my Sheffield accent?

I believe it would sound better but is it fake to force yourself to speak in a certain way?  Help!  Anybody else ever had similar problems?  I am from Sheffield and will never forget it, it has made me who I am.

Details to follow on 25th Nov

Haven’t posted for a while due to quite a serious illness which manifested itself as a full week with no food or sleep. And this, although rather inconvenient at the time, provided me with a lot of stuff to write about.

This is a realisation I had whilst recovering in my empty house back in Sheffield.

A Letter of Apology

Dear _______

I fear that I have been somewhat unfair. Things I said were exaggerated and unjust. So I return with guilt-ridden eyes cast to the ground in shame to beg forgiveness of you who I feel bore me and raised me. You who saw me through all my phases, you who saw me through all my ages, you who provided for them, you who forced me to grow up, you who shook me awake, you who bored me and I abandoned.

No regret there, but what I said and I embarrassed you it was all wrong. Because here I am now, a temporary refugee from the very thing I left you for, crawling broken and crying, seeking shelter and warm. Recovering in relative solitude, licking my wounds red faced and defiant but disheartened. Spirits are so low, so I’ve used the last of my strength and climbed back over my wall out of the wind. I’ve promised myself that this is the last time, that the comfort scares me, but you‘re always there, and no matter how I pretend, a safety net is always a nice thing to have. I don‘t want to get rid of it just yet. But I promise that you won’t be the victim of any agitated, half-deranged barrage of such venomous language again.

All of my love,

Greg

Long Cist:  OS Grid Reference – SK 2624 8688

Also Known as:

• Ash Cabin Long Cist

Getting Here

Despite a footpath being marked on the OS map, there’s none I could find and the only way to get there is to make your way through the heather.  Park at the Wyming Brook nature reserve car park on Redmires road, take the signposted path besides the notice board and follow the line of the dry stone wall. Go through the gate and continue till you come to the end of the wall where a path leads off to your left through the broken wall, follow the path through the boggy bit and head uphill till you get to the highest point of the path by another wall with a path the other side.  From here it gets a little tricky! You’ll now need to go off path heading NNE and down hill till you come to the post-and-wire fencing where you should pick up a slight path heading WNW (your left) and head for the high point about half a mile in front of you. Just before you come to the high point you’ll have to cross the stream (easily done). The cist lays on the flat ground just beyond the brow of the rise.

Archaeology & History

A long cist around 3 feet wide and 6 feet long in a well preserved condition aligned almost — but not quite — East/West on a prominent position on Hallam Moor, commanding views over Ash Cabin flat, Rivelin Valley and the A57 road.  The only restricted view is to the northwest, where the moor rises then drops down again towards the Headstone.

There ares 3 side-stones still in situ: the largest around 1 metre tall, the others still in place being about 70cm.  The stones that would have made up the rest of the walls lay close by.

When you’re at the site it’s obvious why it’s in this location: the views are spectacular and afford excellent views of the surrounding area.  A burial site with a vista truly fit for a king!

Archaeologically there’s not much info kicking around that I can find and I’m indebted to Stubob for alerting me to it’s presence.  It’s very unlikely you’d be walking this area for any reason other than to visit the site, as there are decent paths across the moor to the most popular site in this area, the Headstone off to the North West.  Remains of the Ash Cabin Flat stone circle are about 750 yards southeast of here.

A real gem of a site and a “must see” if your in the area.

Embanked Stone Circle:  OS Grid Reference – SK 2693 8625

Getting Here

Follow Redmires road till you come to Wyming brook nature reserve and use the free parking facilities there.  From the car park you need the signposted path to the right of the notice board, the first one not the one by the metal barrier; climb the rocky steps and follow the line of the dry stone wall to your left, and after around 50 metres you’ll pass through a wooden gate.  You then continue following the wall as it heads downhill and the wall becomes broken.  Here you should notice a path that goes through the broken wall off to your left: don’t take it but continue another 50 metres or so, then turn 90° to your right facing the moorland.  The circle is around 50 metres into the heather.

Ash Cabin Flat Stone Circle - as of 26/5/09

Archaeology & History

A fairly well preserved late neolithic or early Bronze age embanked stone circle located in a sea of heather on Ash cabin flat on the Western outskirts of Sheffield and rediscovered in 1981 due to the moor being burnt back.

The site is oval in shape and around 9m x 7m diameter to the outer edge of the bank.

The banking is well preserved and shows there was no entrance to the interior.

There are around a dozen stones within and on top of the bank but it’s uncertain whether they are circle stones or packing stones from the bank, English Heritage have recorded 5 of the stones, 2 still standing, as stones that once stood making up the circle.

If you visit any time soon (23/11/09) you’ll find the moor has been burnt back again giving an excellent view of the site, when the heather is in full flow it’s as high as the highest stones making not only finding the circle nigh on impossible to find but also defining the site very difficult.

References:

Burl, Aubrey, The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany, Yale University Press 2000.

If you need destinations to plan to visit either as a tourist visiting England or as UK based traveller then there are certain parts of England that you simply must visit at least once in your lifetime and one of those has to be South Yorkshire.

Most people consider Yorkshire to be an industrial county full of factories and jammed full of houses for the workers but nothing could be further from the truth and South Yorkshire is vastly different to what you can imagine.

Granted the region did grow and become well known for its coal mines and the steel industry but a lot of the mining was in east and the north of Yorkshire, although Sheffield is world famous for its steel.

Situated partially in the historic Peak District National Park a visit to South Yorkshire will give you unprecedented access to this, one of the world’s most famous and largest national parks, which has enough to keep even the most active of holiday makers busy for a lifetime.

Activities in the park include rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking and camping, bird watching and so much more, you can even take a balloon flight across the peaks or even a helicopter ride if you enjoy flying or don’t mind digging a little deeper in you pockets for a memorable experience that will probably stay with you for the rest of your life.

So if you are looking for a touch (or a whole lot) of outdoors activities during your visit then your off to a good start.

The area is also home to a number of historic buildings you can visit whilst your out and about most of which are National heritage properties for example

Brodsworth Hall and Gardens Brodsworth Hall and gardens, just to the north of Doncaster is a true survivor of the mid 1800’s and is said to be one of the finest complete examples of Victorian living and the most complete Victorian country houses ever to have survived in this country. A lot of the house is still original and it still has the wonderful Victorian gardens.

Whilst in the Doncaster area of South Yorkshire you’ll also want to visit the areas other main tourist attraction which is of course the magnificent Conisbrough Castle which dates back to the 12 century.

The main keep at the castle is a truly awe inspiring site and if you ever want to experience what it may have been like to storm a castle just standing at the base of this 97ft piece of architecture will leave you in no doubt that it must have been a truly frightening experience.

Also worth a visit if you like to see the history of the country is the Cannon Hall Museum with its gardens, which you’ll find near Barnsley. Cannon Hall is a country house museum and was the home of the Spencer family the home of the Spencer family. Exhibits in the museum include fine art, furniture and collections of glassware, and if you have an interest in anything of a military nature you’ll also be pleased to find a couple of regimental museums housed here as well, namely the Light Dragoons and the 13th and 18th Hussars.

The favorite main city in the area of course has to be the city of Sheffield which considering its steel and industrial heritage is surprisingly one the greenest cities in Europe and is known as the city of trees as there are said to be in excess of two million, as well as a large number of parks and even areas of scientific interest.

Also one of the largest cities in England you could also consider Sheffield as the London of the north as it has the largest theatre complex outside London, and is home to the world renowned Crucible and Lyceum theatres.

If arts are your love then there are a choice of major galleries you can visit whilst here as well.

A few days in Sheffield will truly be the icing on the cake of your South Yorkshire adventure.

C’è un gran parlare di una nuova band in città, tanto che Forge, il giornalino dell’Università, mi manda a recensire il loro concerto. Si chiamano Violet May, e anche se il nome non vi dice niente la faccia del frontman Chris McClure è famosissima: avete presente il fumatore con l’aria very working class e incazzata sulla copertina del primo disco degli Arctic Monkeys? Amico d’infanzia.
La venue del concerto è il mitico The Harley, il locale più gettonato della città per quanto riguarda i concerti indipendenti: l’acustica è la peggiore possibile, ma servono un Lagavulin che è la fine del mondo. Tra suono e whiskey, è giusto che vinca il secondo. Sopra il bar c’è un hotel, costa 30 sterline a notte e inclusi nel prezzo ci sono i tappi per le orecchie, perché il dj set va avanti tutte le notti fino alle 2. Un mio amico che ci ha dormito ha detto che in realtà i tappi sono inutili: sono le vibrazioni dei bassi, non la musica, a tenere svegli. E al mattino hai il mal di terra.

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