Steel Works No - Appartments Yes

A brillo day; all sun and gentle breeze. We packed our snap and set out to wander what was the Steel Heart of Sheffield. "The Furnace Trail" is part of the Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust project and comes with a well illustrated booklet just about right for school kids. Unfortunately the floods in 2007 have set the project back a bit so some of the historically important buildings and material were still under wraps. Still it's work a wander along the 3 km trail.

The fact that so much industry was only 10 mins walk from the very centre of town is the first thing you notice. No wonder we had all the dreadful smog problems in what was only a few years ago.

The museum was closed (Friday) but that didn't stop memories of our experiences when we worked for industrial firms in Lincoln in the early 60s (Leys Castings and Gwynnes Pumps). Cobbled streets, gaunt stone and brick walled, massive buildings. Each building having all kinds of rusting pipes pocking out of them as though they couldn't contain their industrial entrails. Blackened chimney stacks piercing todays milky blue sky. No smoke. No steam. No People. No noise. Only the odd traffic and birds. Eeyrie - dead and buried industry.

Where there were filthy back-to-back workers hovels and works you now see swish blocks of flats (appartments) which seem to be mainly occupied by uni students. Manufacturing mills and works are now either delapidated and dangerous mausoleums to industry or they have been redeveloped into modern mass housing projects. Boxs housing the decendents of the masses who worked in dreadful condition in the same place. The irony is almost palpable - not that the occupants give any thought to it.

Walking these streets in the sunshine was cause for us to reflect on our early working experiences. Thank God for progress!

Abbyedale - Greens and Industrial History

A lovely sunny day can't be wasted. Pack the sandwiches! We caught the bus to Millhouses and started walking through the park. Something became familiar - the boating lake, should that be pond? I came here with an uncle when I was about 7 and I remembered the model yachts. Onwards ...



Walking to Beauchief Hall took us through the huge golf course and, on the way, we had a quick look at Beauchief Abbey which is really a sad remnant of what it was. Walking lanes lined with hedgerows white with Cow Parsley and Hawthorn, birds shouting their warnings and the air rendolent with blossom is just fantastic. You have to experience this sort of thing to appreciate the nature of an English lane. Don't forget this is on the edge of a huge urban area.



Lunch followed by a swift half at a local pub.



On to Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet. This is the "remains" of a crucible steel works which made thousands of scythes which were distibuted all over the world. The place need a large amount of restoration - worth a visit.



Great day out for a couple of oldies ...

Spring Sunshine - Suntan Is Possible

The weekend was more or less sunny all of the time which caused the inevitable phenomenon of an out break of flip-flops, shorts and T-shirts. We desisted! It was nice and warm - well worth a picnick in the park along with our fellow urbanites. In fact Sue did get a bit of a suntan.

Monday saw us strolling across the meadows in the Stannage - Hathersage area. The woods were all a-bluebell and lushly green ... what more could we ask for? Picnicking in the field behind North Lees Hall is one of our favorite pastimes

Tuesday I visited The Edge climbing centre. Fantastic! I'm told that the old-n-bold use Tuesday and Thursday mornings to climb and no doubt shoot the breeze - I'll have to test this out next week.

Technology wise the Acer netbook just stopped with no indication of it's desire to withdraw its labour - what a ...


Politics wise we're a bit troubled by the BNP vote-for-us adds on the TV. Sadly, they'll appeal to a large number of simple folk and not just the nutters. Nothing like an Us-versus-Them campaign with a whiff of cordite from WW2, "Your mums and dads fought for ..." All very worrying.

Life in The Millenium

Catching the 3 or4 outside the flate gates means that within 15 minutes I can walk into the Millenium Galleries. It's Friday so I decided to go to an open life drawing class (six quid).

Tim Rose ran the class today. He's a delightful chap and paints the most exquisite interiors in watercolour.

Oo, er - I'm well out of practice! Nothing produced worth talking about but the opportunity to improve my scratchings is available. I'll be giving this a bash next week - er,no, it's school holidays.

Well, Well, Well ...

A lovely drive though Derbyshire brought us to Tissington which is a small village contained (owned?) by the FitzHerbert family estate. We went to see the Well Dressings which celebrate the supply of water to the village.

The village is a typical old Derbyshire village the site of which which has seen habitation from ancient times. Some, if not most, of the cottages are still part of the estate and the current Baronet, Richard, is happy to play the tour guide complete with a comprehensive commentary - we passed on this enlightening experience.

The wells were blessed, each in turn, while we wander about eating huge slices of Victoria sponge courtesy of the maidens of the WI. The church is well worth a visit - the Norman font and doorway are unusual. Typical Elizabethan funeral hatchments add interest.

After a cup of rosey we decided we'd had enough culture and asked one of the Baronet's look-a-likes the way out of the village. The drive back to Sheffield went through the most fantastic green-and-pleasant you could imagine.

Train Cancelled? Have another coffee ...

We set out for a w/e visit looking forward to a couple fast train trips. That was the idea but like all theoretical propositions reality proved to be quite different.

The 0947 to Norwich was canceled so we asked one of the railway staff what alternatives we had. He promptly gave us a printout. Off we went to Doncaster on the York train. This was a slow fast-train. Why slow? No one knew but it got to Doncaster. Time to change trains. Not so simple because the London train didn't stop at Grantham where we wanted to get to. Coffee and cake time!

After further consultation we were told that the next London train did stop so that solved that problem. To our delight it all worked out as predicted. That was on Friday.

Come Sunday we had to make the return. You guessed it! The train we had booked was canceled - a drivers' strike. What to do? Catch the Hull train and change at Doncaster. Fast and quiet travel at it's best and fortunately there were plenty of free seats. Five minutes in Doncaster saw us on the Sheffield train. All done and dusted!

So the moral is - even if you book seats it doesn't mean the train will run or you'll actually get a seat.

To give credit where it's due every one of the rail people were really helpful and very nice - can't have everything I suppose ...

Boys in the Bluebells

On a wet afternoon, all misty and soft, we rugged-up and walked over the fields from Hathersage to meet Bill and the boys. Time to go and photograph massed bluebells. It's fantastic to stand in the middle of a sea of blue surrounded by bright green woodland. All this because it rains! No rain no lush vegetation. So who cares if you have to rug-up.

And the boys? Here they are - who wouldn't love them?

272 from Roofs to Pasture

Location, location, location the estate agents tell up while getting their hands on our filth lure. We take the bait and end up to our ears in debt. "Such a nice location old chap and the neighbours are so refined. Plenty of parking for the Mercs as well."

We lesser mortals settle for more humble dwellings and ride the local bus along with all and sundry. The scenery changes from packed roofs to green and pleasant land.

If you've a mind to, there is always the option of munching your snap along side a stream - no need for an iPod the sounds are symphonic without batteries or silicon dependent technology.

Makes you think ...

Cheap Health Incentive

Swine flu is all the rage with the doom and gloom merchants at the moment. Not to to be out smarted the health authorities have decided to use good old-fashioned methods to provide immunity to the masses. "Kiss a Pig Week" is to celebrated next week and world wide.

After several clinical, should that be sty, trials, researchers have shown that this method of mass health protection is both cost effective and fun.

So kiss your nearest pig, you know it makes sense!

Life is a Clean Pair of Sox

The washing machine man poked and prodded but couldn't find anything ailing the beast. I gave it a thrashing with a branch from a tree in the garden and, unlike Fawlty's mini it worked! Civilized life can now continue and there is no need respray certain nether regions with fungal killer and the fragrence of rose.


Ah, snuggley comfort of freshly fluffed undies; sheer bliss!

Spice and Noodle Heaven

We went for a walk down the road and found a huge Asian food warehouse which proved to be too much to resist. Here we are in the very centre of Sheffield - well nearly - and this place sells all the spices, noodles, herbs, sauces, pots, pans, meat, fish you could want, assuming that you do cook Asian food. We are like a dog with three tails! Hey, I know it's usually two but I'm making allowance for the drop in interest rates.

Foodies will realise it's a bit like being a drug addict. If you can get a laksa or a pho or a good mussaman it'd be pure hell.

Passing the Password Test

Now you'd think that at my age and experience along with tons of years messing with numbers it would be a simple thing to re-set the password - pin - on my new bank card. Well it wasn't. I pressed so many buttions that the machine spat the card out and went into the sulk of the millenium. Bloody machanical bastard! So, at present I have a card which is about as much use as a soggy piece of toast.

Next time I'll wear some L-plates. Maybe the machine hates ex-pats or Catholics or Anglicans or people with glasses or whatever - it can't be that I'm just a complete idiot or can it?

Does Anyone Know a Polish Plumber?

A small snag hit when the washing machine stopped doing what it's supposed to do - full of wet cloths of course - and started smelling of very hot plastic.

No folks it wasn't me recycling my large sized Kimbies or the plastic lining to Grandma's Apple Bags. It's the pump as far as I can tell from Googled websites. We've been waiting all day for the repair man/woman to come. No joy so far. So if you do know of a Polish plumber who fixes washing machines ...

It's Great to be Old!

By gum, I'm glad I'm one of the Grey Brigade.

When you're offered free travel over South Yorkshire it's quite a delight. We can visit our friends in Hathersage without spending a penny - no doubt we will spend a penny but not of the copper alloy kind. Any road up, it's grand to travel hither and thither all over the place but mind it has to be after 9 am 'cos we don't want to stop the hard working masses from getting to work on time otherwise they wouldn't be able to pay their taxes and we'd not get our pensions - perrish the thought!

Just to cap that privilage we get to travel on local bus services in all other parts of England - free. All because we're old farts. It's Brilliant!

Open Art Studios - Walking Walking ...

There were about 102 artists studios open to the public over the 4 day Bank Holiday weekend as part of the OPEN UP Sheffield programme. We found one just around the corner, another down the road and two others within 20 mins walk.

The artists we met were so outgoing and willing to share their technique it fairly took us by surprise. Sue is already lined up for some fabric doings with the fabric artists association. Where? They have their meetings and lectures at the huge Salvos hall about 300 metres down the road!

For those who don't know Sheffield is like Rome in that it's built on several hills so that walking is always up hill at some point. Good for the heart, so I'm told, but it does knacker the knees and feet which gives you ample excuse to rest for a while in either a pub or cafe depending on how knackerd you feel. "It's reet gradely an' nowt else mecks thee as fettle enough so's tha can teck on a Yorkshire pint or two!"

Garden view - and it's in the centre of town

Looking out of the lounge window you'd never guess the very centre of town is just down the road. What lucky ferrets we are!

Hathersage and Stanage - Our Second Home?

The 272 takes you from Sheffield to Hathersage and you get a magnificent view of the Hope Valley coming over the moor. A 30 min walk and you're at the foot of Stanage crags - one of the oldest and favoured climbing areas in the UK. I started rock climbing here in 1962. How things have changed! The place is more popular than ever and I don't think the present visitors have the same feelings towards the place we had back in those days. One ranger told me that the "in" thing now is to climb at night using flood lights!

Camping in small two-man tents with the minimum of gear is sort of old hat too. The tents you see are huge! Don't forget your BBQ, chairs, table and God knows what. Hey, you want to be comfortable don't you?

The waking was terrific - birds twittering, lambs bleeting and the Hawthorns beginning to burst into bloom. Simply brilliant!

Moving Experience

The flat (apartment) is fine and very quiet. It's within 20 mins walk to the town hall and 10 mins to the bus stop for transport to Hathersage and Castleton - Derbyshire. Makes me feel very privileged! Too hard to explain to those of you who thinks it's all just another place and nothing out of the ordinary. I've been coming to Dae

Derbyshire for 40 yrs plus, on and off, and I always enjoy the place.

Thanks to my sister and bro-in-law we have all the basics to settle in and be comfortable. Brilliant!

Sheffield and not for the Snooker

After a peaceful and fast bus trip from London to Sheffield we checked into the Premier hotel only to be surrounded by snooker addicts who were in Sheffield for the world championships at the Crucible. We were probably the only people in the place that didn't know the event was on!

I fully recommend using National Express to travel about in the UK. It's cost effective and you get to see lots of the country. Rail is faster but very much more expensive. If you're our age (white haired crispy) it's even more cost effective!

Revisited Favorites

Wandering around the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate Britain may not be all that revolutionary but,believe me, it's one of the most enjoyable ways to spend a day in London. This was interspersed with visits to cafes for elevensies, lunch and afternoon tea. What more could you want?

Oxford in The Rain - Blooming Brilliant

It really didn't matter that it poured with rain. The train ride from London and the return were perfect - on time and very comfortable. Poor Brit Rail it seems that it's had to come up to EU standards - thank God!

Oxford colleges are just wonderful pieces of architecture. We look at so many I couldn't keep pace with what should be filmed. A very interesting experience and I can safley say I wouldn't have like the cloistered feeling that the colleges had - anyway I wouldn't have made the grade to get in any way so it would have never been a problem!

Oxford cathedral is magnificent. Small but very interesting as well as having that great feeling of being used daily.

Those of you who know "Alice in Wonderland" may also know that it was written by a don at Christ Church College. The Green Door into the Wonderland actually exists in a garden next to the cathedral as does the huge Horse Chestnut tree where the Cheshire cat sits.




All the Horse Chestnut trees were in full spring blossom - just lovely.