Succession

One of these is rather unusual...

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Originally published here on my main blog http://three-legged-cat.blogspot.com/
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A Bad Sign

In fact many bad signs. I've seen a lot of them lately, but in the last couple of weeks there have been an unbelievable number. A Great British institution might be under threat here.

To Let. Lease For Sale. Could YOU run this pub?

These aren't the sort of pub signs I'm used to seeing.

The number of licensed premises in Sheffield that are up for grabs is amazing. Then there's the large number that have simply closed. I suspect that the Sheffield of the near future will have a lot fewer local pubs. These aren't all tiny backstreet boozers; some big, previously very busy and popular places have been on the market for so long that the "Lease For Sale" signs have weathered and taken on an air of permanence.

It's not surprising, we've noticed the dwindling number of customers for quite a while now - a trend that started long before the ban on smoking came into force.

Is it just here, or is the same thing happening everywhere?

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Originally published here on my main blog http://three-legged-cat.blogspot.com/
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It's started...

It's June 10th, the bunting has appeared - it's the Broomhill Festival!

The festival may be a local affair, with most events taking place within the suburb of Broomhill, but it is gets bigger year on year, both in terms of the number and quality of events and the amazing amount of money raised for the festival charities - well over £17 000 last year.

We've bought tickets for several events, which means that you will be subjected to my attempts at reviewing them over the next couple of weeks. So, basically Mr TLC and I get to go out and have fun, you get to share it with us. Sounds good to me!

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Originally published here on my main blog http://three-legged-cat.blogspot.com/
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Restoration

I've always liked bandstands - that's a childhood spent watching Trumpton for you - so it has been particularly satisfying watching this one come back to life. This is Sheffield's only surviving Victorian bandstand. It has been restored as part of the major works undertaken in Weston Park. It's not quite finished, but it's back in business.

I do have a 'before' photo somewhere, but I'm pretty sure that was taken with actual film (remember that?) and I can't find it. Suffice to say it was a mess, boarded up and rather run down, it was a sad little bandstand. Not any more.

March 30th 2008
Most of the bandstand is elsewhere being refurbished, rebuilt and (in parts) replaced.


April 21st 2008
The framework for the roof has been put in place. This is so exciting that it gets reported in the local paper. But then again, the local paper does have a lot of space to fill.


May 25th 2008
The new zinc roof is gleaming. I don't remember that beautiful metalwork, but it looks reet smart (as we say round here). The new panels are piled up waiting to be installed. These will hold sash windows, that can be lowered to ground level.


June 1st 2008
A very important detail has been added - there's a band! Everyone sits around on folding metal chairs, in the traditional manner for enjoying a concert in the park. The bandstand isn't quite finished yet - there are a few gaps above the panelling into which stained glass panels will be fitted in the next few weeks.

I don't remember stained glass panels, or a weathervane, but the bandstand was already in a pretty bad state when I arrived in Sheffield, so they probably weren't there. It's looking good now though.

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Originally published here on my main blog http://three-legged-cat.blogspot.com/
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Open Day

One of my favourite places is the Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris. It isn't the gardens that appeal to me so much, although they are of course very nice, it's the atmosphere: it's wonderful.

I think the appeal lies in that sense of a bygone age, a gentler time. The last time we visited it was a bright spring day and we wandered past children playing with toy boats, spinning tops and all manner of traditional toys. We strolled past tables where old men played chess in a relaxed and laid-back manner, despite the fact that every move had to be completed before their stopclocks reached zero. We sat on a park bench and ate ice cream as we watched the world go by. Finally we made it to the Musée de Luxembourg, where we enjoyed an exhibition of Matisse's work and were astounded by the enthusiasm shown by the many, very young French children who were there, most of whom were making wildly inaccurate copies of some of the artwork in their sketchbooks. It was a fantastic day, a day that left me feeling contented and nostalgic.

Yesterday afternoon that feeling came flooding back, but this time I didn't have to go all the way to Paris; Mr TLC and I just strolled to Weston Park in Sheffield where the grand Open Day was in full swing. The park has been undergoing major restoration work, in fact it still is - it wasn't finished in time for the Open Day, but enough was done that it looks pretty good.

We expected to see the carousel and helter-skelter, and whilst we knew that the almost-complete bandstand would be back in use, it was still good to see it come back to life. There were a few surprises: we hadn't expected to meet Queen Victoria, or watch a game of croquet - in which good-natured cheating seemed to be a major factor in the game!

A very small version of Ivor the Engine was chugging up and down, to the delight of small children and childish grown-ups. There were drama groups and bands performing, and (of course) the once-controversial ice-cream van was in attendance.

For me the best part of the day was watching one very talented teacher who was managing to encourage literally dozens of children and adults to walk on stilts, spin plates and catch diabolos. He was unbelievable: relaxed and chatting, whilst doing just enough for his students that they saw success within their grasp and continued to practise and persevere when he moved onto another group.

We rounded off our visit with a final hit of nostalgia: we called in at Weston Park Museum to say hello to Snowy the polar bear. That's where the spell got broken: it's a modern museum, complete with the obligatory bells and whistles. This being both the last day of the half-term holiday and Weston Park Open Day, it was incredibly busy. There were a gazillion children charging about, good-naturedly but noisily, pushing every button and trying everything on offer. "Shall we come back when it's quieter?" asked Mr TLC. I think that's exactly what we'll do.

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Originally published here on my main blog http://three-legged-cat.blogspot.com/
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Sheffield In Bloom

My journey to work is brightened every morning by the fantastic landscaping around parts of the new section of Inner Relief Road. I don't know who is responsible for the planting, but they have done a great job, as soon as one thing starts to fade, something new appears. I quite enjoy stopping at the traffic lights now, because it gives me a chance to look at the view!

I thought I'd stop off on the way home and take a few pictures to share with you:

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Originally published here on my main blog http://three-legged-cat.blogspot.com/
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Timelord's Arcane Relic Discovered In Sheffield

Generations of Sheffielder's have fallen in love with the police box next to the town hall. It's not blue, it's not the 'right' shape and it lost its blue light years ago, but Who cares? We can still fantasize about travelling across time and space in it.

Personally, I'd go back to the 1930s, just to find out whether people really did walk as quickly as they do in old news reels. Where would you go?

"This Police Box, which is still used operationally, is the sole survivor of 120 boxes which served the Sheffield City Police and the community for nearly 40 years.

Introduced by the Chief Constable, Percy J Sillitoe, in October 1928, in the days when there were few police vehicles and no personal radios, the boxes were sited on police beats all over the City and provided a contact point for police officers and members of the public. Each box had a direct telephone link with the local police station which was freely available to members of the public seeking police assistance.

The boxes were visited by patrolling officers at hourly intervals when information was passed by 'phone between patrolling officers and supervisory staff at police stations.

A 'blue' electric lamp, controlled from the local police station, was located on the top of each box and used to indicate that there was an important message to be passed out.

Although small in size (about 5 feet square) the boxes were used by one, and often two, patrolling officers for meal-breaks - usually sandwiches and a flask of tea - and for report writing and recording messages for other patrolling and supervisory officers.

Occasionally the boxes served as a temporary lock-up for anyone who had been arrested and was awaiting transport to a police station.

The boxes remained in regular use until the 1960's [sic] when modern policing techniques and improved communications made them obsolete."

From the information board fixed to the box.

Except this one isn't obsolete, apart from being our local TARDIS that we all love, it is still in use. If you feel like shattering your childhood illusions, there are photos showing inside the box on this thread of the Sheffield History Forum - but there is a catch, you will have to register with the forum to see the pictures :-(

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Originally published here on my main blog http://three-legged-cat.blogspot.com/
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