Well I'll Be an Arctic Monkey's Uncle

Welcome to the south of the north.

I arrived by bus in the steely city of Sheffield around noon last Friday. It turned out to be a rather grey day, but I was determined to make the most of it. I didn't know much of Sheffield, other than that besides steel, it has produced Def Leppard, Pulp and the Arctic Monkeys. A coworker had told me it was very hilly, and I had noticed this during the brief stop here on the bus ride back from Manchester. The city lies a valley in the tall foothills known as the Pennines.

From the bus interchange I was keen to visit Sheffield Station just up the road. I had remembered seeing a brief news item a couple months back on the new plaza there. When I came upon it, I was astounded. I honestly can't think of a nicer piece of new landscape architecture that I have seen in some time. The site is dominated by a complexly curved stainless steel wall fountain called 'The Cutting Edge' that runs the length of the station along the A61. Approaching Howard Street, the pedestrian entrance to both Sheffield Hallam University and the City Centre, it tapers to a round tube. Both ends feature coloured lights at night. Within the plaza is a massive system of stone cascades. Between the steel and stone fountains is a ramp from the station up to the Howard Street crossing.

The thing that amazed me the most about the site was the sound. As you walk up the ramp there are several different sounds to be heard. Along the steel fountain wall there is the sound of a brook as the water runs down to the drain (which makes a funny gurgling sound); appropriate as Sheffield sits in the plain of four rivers. Across the ramp the cascades have a ripple effect causing them to sound a bit like a train, appropriate for obvious reasons. On the plaza the water falls in thin strips, sounding like a waterfall. At the bottom of it all is a round geyser fountain that comes on and off, with streams of different heights. At night the whole thing is underlit and on occasion mist is released to add another dynamic effect. All in all the site made the trip worthwhile. It really was fantastic.

Sheffield seems to be filled with dynamic landscapes and architecture. Just up Howard Street at the entrance to the university is a rippled hill with a multi-coloured tile channel that drains into a swirling drain. To the right is the HUBS, now the student union building, once a museum of popular music. The building is very odd, resembling a quartet of steel curling rocks. In front of City Hall there are twin fountains made of glass boxes. It is clear that the city has put a lot of effort and funding behind design in the City Centre. Apparently the place was not as pleasant to visit a decade or so ago.

I wandered around the sprawling City Centre for a bit, coming across the Winter Garden, where Sheffielders enjoyed their lunches in the pan-continental planted interior. Just outside was St. Paul's Square and the Peace Gardens, named so in honour of Hiroshima.

I was starting to get a bit peckish and began my search for a nice greasy spoon or even a pub for some food. I ended up at Castle Market, a multi-floor indoor market, much like the one in Leicester. On the lower ground floor was exactly what I was looking for, a mom-and-pop (or perhaps mum-and-dad to the Brits) operation offering a roast chicken dinner complete with mashed potato, stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, cabbage and mixed veg, and a homemade dessert all for £3.80. I threw in a chocolate milkshake and I was all set. Their friendly South Yorkshire demeanour added to the enjoyment of the meal. The smoky air was bearable considering the circumstances. That old hold-out is on its way out anyway as the anti-smoking legislation is set to take effect across Britain.

After lunch it was more aimless wandering. I found the Sheffield United Football Club's stadium, just south of the City Centre. I wasn't able to find the oddly named Sheffield Wednesday F.C. though. It's north in the town of Hillsborough. The weather turned misty and made for rather difficult navigation with the need for frequent spectacle wiping. I popped into various shops to keep dry and browse for items I didn't buy. I hit a pub for some supper and it eventually came time for me to return to the Sheffield Interchange to catch the 310 back to Nottingham. The hour-long trip was rather relaxing. I dozed off a bit. It had been a long day of walking. Those hills really make it more work.

And now the preparations for the Continent are kicking into high gear as my days at the restaurant are numbered. Two more shifts and I will be happily unemployed (but busy nonetheless), awaiting Darryl's arrival in late April. Hopefully I can take a couple more budget trips in the UK before then. I thought of challenging myself by limiting my budgets on these days trips (e.g. go to London and spend no more than £30, including transportation). I know it can be done.

Cheers.