I was wondering if anyone here went to the opening of the Winter Gardens in the city centre on Wednesday night? What was the ceremony like? I heard the fireworks were spectacular. Also, do you think it was a good use of the land/money?

Thanks

Geoff.

I didn't actually go, but I saw the fireworks from my house - they were really excellent, it was like Nov 5 all over again but without the teenagers and their firecrackers!

I walked passed the winter gardens last night.
I was with my 8 year old grandson and on our way to the
panto at the Lyceum.
Sam thought it was a huge greenhouse for growing bananas!
When I explained all about the winter gardens he said
"Well,Nanan,I hope they've got plenty of spare glass to replace the
windows when it gets windy! "
Personally I think it might be a waste of money but we'll give it a chance!.

I think the Winter Gardens are over-rated.

Glorified greenhouse in my opinion.

Might pop down to that Halloween do on Friday though.

Lets knock it down then. Give the tourists another reason not to visit Sheffield. And lets never build anything new again that might remotely bring in some visitors.

Hey, I was planning on visiting it. Don't knock it down just yet. Wait a few weeks okay.

Its all part of a bigger picture. Give it time. You can't please all the people all ov the time.

I think sheffield has plenty to offer tourists without fabricating stuff.
Perhaps we should concertrate on restoring the industry, jobs and city before we build extravigant buildings and 10 art museums?

Tsk, the Winter Gardens are fantastic! The architecture is stunning.

I think the point is that we aren't likely to see much in the way of new jobs if our city is always perceived as a grotty, decaying dump to outsiders. Plus, as much as I like to sit and have a sandwich in a redundant steel mill, I'd rather sit in the Winter Gardens. We can get into an entirely different debate about the merits of a capitalist society that has torn the heart out of industry, but for what it's worth the Winter Gardens is one of the few new buildings in Sheffield for an age that is worthy of attention.

Originally posted by SheffieldSean
I think the point is that we aren't likely to see much in the way of new jobs if our city is always perceived as a grotty, decaying dump to outsiders.

Definetly. I'll be coming to Sheffield this weekend to see my family, but I won't be visiting any tourist attractions. Why? Because I simply don't know of any worth coming to. I have the Trafford Centre near me so I have no desire to visit Meadowhell (I hate shopping anyway).

But my point is that nothing is being done to encourage visitors to Sheffield. You all know of them and probably see them on your journeys to and from work, but outsiders don't.

How about Kelham Island? There is even a brewery.

I went :)

It's nicer now though - the plants look a lot more established.

5,000 users.....
Just thought I'd reply to this post to bring topic No.1 back for the celebrations

:)

I really love the Winter Gardens. You can go in there and just forget about everything else for a little while while you stroll through. It's really relaxing in there, and I love the look of the place. In fact, when I'm a millionaire, I might buy it off Sheffield council and live in it!!! I'll keep the plants in there though!! ;)

I was at the opening of the Winter Gardens.... god, that was aages ago now.... I just remember it being cold... oh and fireworks....

When I first went in, I was a bit disappointed really, there wasn't anything particularly special about the plants in there.... Although I do like the way that it's very nicely joined onto the millenium galleries...

Anyway, I still like the place... love the architecture, and it's a nice place to sit to have your lunch when the weather is poo... in that sense it's probably more useful than the peace gardens since british weather being the way it is, I can see the winter gardens getting more use...

Then again, if you're sitting in the peace gardens, it's something nice to look at.... much nicer than the egg-box anyway... Such a shame that they're going to put a hotel in the way of the view... Unless the put a big hole in it... or they get the same architect to work on it so that the hotel works in harmony with the winter gardens.

What?!?! They're putting a hotel in the way??? Why??? It looks so nice how it is now. Trust the head up their arse council to give the go-ahead for that one. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by alchresearch
Lets knock it down then. Give the tourists another reason not to visit Sheffield. And lets never build anything new again that might remotely bring in some visitors.

That might be a good idea yes, let people see Sheffield as it is... And for the museums it has... steel museum, transport museum... Ponds Forge, Meadowhall, the Peak district, things that matter (I don't really like Meadowhell but it seems to be really popuplar so i won't knock it off yet)

Sheffield has so much more to offer than:
I think the Winter Gardens are over-rated.

Glorified greenhouse in my opinion.

Honnestly, it's true...

What?!?! They're putting a hotel in the way??? Why??? It looks so nice how it is now. Trust the head up their arse council to give the go-ahead for that one.

That idea of the hotel is great, i won't have to see that greenhouse while in city centre.

Went to the Winter Gardens again recently and have to say that it's not the building itself I don't like but the way they exhibit the collections. It's too similar to an art gallery with loads of unused space and a small huddle of artefacts in display cases that to me seem space age and out of context with the museum theme. Remember the Weston Park Museum before refurbishment? That's my idea of a real museum - old building, old display cases and loads of stuff in one area so you could spend half an hour looking at each section. Maybe it's just me :(

Brilliant building.
Just needs half of the paving taking out for lots more plants.......turn it into a jungle/butterfly house

Sadly -despite its enormous cost -the place still resembles an oversize garden centre.
Nedd Ludd is right it needs some life.
A few Venus Flytrap plants and a daily feed of bluebottles.
Butterflies and bats.Perhaps a family of monkeys or apes swinging
along the roof space.A non-venomous snake or two in the undergrowth.A brass band and a herd of buskers.
Councillor Peter Price and his busy pals with a nude windowcleaning -athon -for charity of course.
Most plants are pretty boring after a minute or two unless you are
on medication.Or into watercolours.
Get the show on the road.Vibrant -groundbreaking -transformational -let's buzz..

I think what the winter gardens really needs is a nice relaxing atmosphere. How nice of the council to arrange a year plus of building noise to accompany our leisure time.

Originally posted by Disco_Cat
I think what the winter gardens really needs is a nice relaxing atmosphere. How nice of the council to arrange a year plus of building noise to accompany our leisure time.

At least it drowns out the tinny radio from the coffee shop. Now who let them in?

I went there when I came up (t)here last, so Feb 2004, a bunch of plants - yeppie! and a coffee shop which tried to sell me some offer where if you go in x amount of times you got discount or something.

Alex

Originally posted by BAZZO
Councillor Peter Price and his busy pals with a nude windowcleaning -athon
:o This should have been censored. Such mental images are more than some of us can bear.

Lets not forget the millenium galleries. Together they are a landmark feature.
The Crucible is beginning a campaign to raise funds for a revamp too. That whole area will be a fantastic benefit to us. Its just difficult to see when its done bit by bit.
I do agree that the Winter Gardens needs more exotic plants - there are more exotic ones in garden centres. I like the venus fly trap idea - do they do massive ones? Big enough to swallow a traffic warden?
Whatever happened to the triffids? Can you train a triffid?
Do triffids and venus fly traps make good pets?
Does anyone remember cabbge patch kids? - they were frightening....
.....That's what the Winter Garden needs. Rip up all the plants and turn the whole thing into a cabbage plantation. You can turn the commercial unit into a cabbage and coffee shop. Every time someone buys a coffee they recieve a cabbage with its very own birth certificate.
And I never realised that the Great Suprendo who was on Crackerjack with Stupot in the seventies, who used to pile cabbages onto young children, is married to Victoria Wood. He was on Countdown today. And on the 16th of July, 1992 both contestants, one of which was from Sheffield, came up with the word cabbage in the second round.
Isn't life amazing?

Where is Creative Sheffield -the new body charged with bringing some joined-up zip to our jaded city -in this debate.
Having an al-fresco lattie at Nonnas if I'm not mistaken.Or a non-smoking brainstorming session at Hanrahans with a few movers and shakers.
Now the piano bar is shut on London Rd.Thought it was going to pot last week -by the smell of scented fags.And Grouchos is going on Ecclesall Road.
Wake up Creative Sheffield!Get your hand in the tranformational top hat and extract some exciting initiatives.The Star will do the rest -lots of artists impressions of loft-livers wining and dining on the boulevards of Burngreave and cosmopolitan Crookes.
Get the tightrope up to connect Meadowhall with the Millennium
Gallery.Then sponsor some able-bodied nudists to tiptoe across.For charity naturally.Mr Caborn MP would agree to a phot-opportunity in running pose along with Planning Chair Peter "games"Price (assuming he isn't on some sponsored jaunt
in the Caribbean).
Let's build on the legacy of that guy who came to save our Popular Music Centre from the clutches of Hallam.He brought some fairy dust to the interview - so lets get the stuff sprinkled around the city.

Why do people have this annoying habit of resurrecting really old threads, even when they have nothing new to say on the topic?

Why do people have this annoying habit of resurrecting really old threads, even when they have nothing new to say on the topic?

It's territorial: marking the area with their characteristic 'spoor'.

Why do people have this annoying habit of resurrecting really old threads, even when they have nothing new to say on the topic?

God knows. I only now just thought of looking for topic number 1 in here.

To answer the original question, I can't remember it opening.:hihi:

To answer the original question, I can't remember it opening.:hihi:

Geoff will be made up. He's waited four and a half years for a definitive answer. :hihi:

And the thread is still going :)

Well it is now anyway, talk about history in the making, or is this a self fulfilling thingy as well.

Yes .