I don't know about other Sheffielders but I for one am fed up with the lack of publicity or exposure Sheffield is given on a national level. Take the BBCs National IQ test for example. When playing on the internet you had to select your nearest town/city. I saw a long list of about 20 to choose from, so surely Sheffield being the 4th largest would be there.... but no! What a surprise. I had to select Leeds. As a result of this, on the programme itself Sheffield couldn't possibly have been represented on the top 10 board, yet Leeds was at number 3! I can't believe I helped Leeds!

There does seem to be a national blindness to the fact that Sheffield exists. I never see it on UK weather maps. It hardly ever gets a mention on anything and few people outside of the city realise its Englands 4th biggest as a result. Sheffield has a lot to be proud of. Its got:
- a fine industrial history and heritage.
- 2 large and successful universities
- one of europes largest shopping centres
- 2 big football clubs/stadiums
- top sports facilities
- Hallam constituency - most affluent outside London boroughs
- world snooker
- fine views and scenery and close to the peak district

I could go on and on, I'm sure you could all add things to this list. Im thinking about starting up a website to help put us on the map. Let me know what you think.

Totally agree t020, I don't think Sheffield sells itself enough and never has done for some reason. It still needs to attract more business and tourists, until then we live in the shadow of Leeds & Manchester.

I second that agreement.

It's about time that Sheffield got some recognition.
We were all the rage during the Student games back in 91 (I think).
We are the NATIONAL City of Sport.
A lot of pop stars use the recording studios on Paternoster Row to kick start there careers (bet some of you dint know that either :lol: )

The Crucible holds the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield EVERY year, and they get visitor from far and wide (inc' the US and Australia).

Can we start a campiagn to give to the council and ask WHY we aren't recognised the way we should be and why does LEEDS of all places get more recognition? Maybe a promoter should start a SHEFFIELD Festival (similar to Leeds), get the big bands up here and kick some [censored]!!!

I live in Sheffield but I'm not a native of this lovely city......its great...there is not ifs or buts about it....it is starting to get a lot of exposure and will eventually become as trendy if not trendier than Manchester and Leeds as there are a lot of developments (flats on west street) going up.

Its as popular for students as is Leeds and Manchester....its in the top 5 choices for a lot of prospective students.

Incidentally sheffield is the 5th biggest city
LONDON
B'HAM near and dear place to me :D
GLASGOW
MANCHESTER
SHEFFIELD

Originally posted by "MISS SIXTY"



Incidentally sheffield is the 5th biggest city
LONDON
B'HAM near and dear place to me :D
GLASGOW
MANCHESTER
SHEFFIELD

EVIDENCE PLEASE :wink:

Originally posted by "DaBouncer"



Incidentally sheffield is the 5th biggest city
LONDON
B'HAM near and dear place to me :D
GLASGOW
MANCHESTER
SHEFFIELD

EVIDENCE PLEASE :wink:

we back on this subject again, see post :lol:
http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=889

4th in England
5th in Great Britain

Thats only judging the city by its population!

By that respect a city like Mexico City would be one of the largest in the world! And Australia would be smaller than the UK cos it doesn't have a higher population than us!

A city needs to be judged by its boundaries! IMHO

I would agree except for fear of damaging our city.

I mean what comes with large amounts of attention and hype?? Grief and strife.

I am all for shouting the aspects of Sheffield I love the place but I don't want it turning into a dump Like Manchester and Leeds.

Moon Maiden

Originally posted by "Moon Maiden"

I am all for shouting the aspects of Sheffield I love the place but I don't want it turning into a dump Like Manchester and Leeds.

Explain please........

I'd like an explanation too.

I was in Leeds 2 days ago for a meeting and you can't help but seeing it a far more modern looking than Sheffield City centre which it is seriously lacking. There was at least 5 crains dominating the skyline with its extensive redevelopment that is currently going on.

I also would like to add that the building where the town hall and market used to be want to be speeded up.

I think Sheffield doesnt get any publicity cos its a dump. Yeah OK I admit its got that tiny little rich bit, but its all a stones throw away from dumpsville. perhaps if people in sheffield didnt go round graffiti-ing, selling drugs, throwing litter and killing each other it might get some publicity. Its also perhaps cos Sheffield city centre is possibly the crappest city centre ever. The reason why sheffields so large is cos of all the suburbs, there are loads, but the actual centre is small with hardly any good shops or restaurants. :roll: [/siz]

I hate both Leeds and Manchester - I would say that Manchester is far more of a hole than Leeds - but compared to Sheffield they are a horrible places.

I suppose it is what you class as a dump really. I don't want to see Sheffield filled with large ugly looking buildings and 'modern' building sculptures. Sheffield city centre could do with a little life in it, making use of what has been left behind by our last industrial age not rather than making new buildings than will be abadoned shortly after.

I really do find Leeds - particularly Manchester disgusting places.

Moon Maiden

Hello Moonmaiden

I hate both Leeds and Manchester
I really do find Leeds - particularly Manchester disgusting places

Why you don't like Leeds?

I think Leeds City centre is better than Sheffield - it's much cleaner too.

It's easier to get to - the M62 and M1 take you straight to Leeds city centre from anyywhere in the country - not like here where we had to build the Parkway. And it has a proper airport! (Leeds/Bradford)

Even Leeds' 'bad' areas are no worse than those of Sheffield. And I'm sure it has plenty more 'posher' areas too.

Leeds is much better for employment - most banks, finance and insurance houses have their Northern headquarters up there.

OK, so it's full of Big Issue sellers, and it costs a fortune to live there, and generally the people aren't as friendly as in Sheffield but it isn't as bad as most South Yorkshire folk make out.

(I was born in Sheffield and I do love it, in case anyone is wondering why I'm still living here)[/siz]

i believe there are government reasons for sheffield not getting much publicity...

>perhaps if people in sheffield didnt go round graffiti-ing, selling drugs, throwing litter and killing each other it might get some publicity<

Doesn't this happen everywhere?

I'm not sure why you think sheffield has loads of murders, it's the safest large city in the country.

I totally aggree Kitkat that Sheffield city centre is a dump and has been for years.
I am mainly refering to the market area and this has been billed for total regeneration in the near future.
Leeds and Manchester are far more nicer places and they both have nice suburbs to like Branshope in Leeds and Didsbury in Manchester.
the only better thing Sheffield has is its country side but that does,nt count as we all live in the real world of the city.

Sheffields nice suburbs both look nicer and are more affluent than those in Leeds and Manchester. Sheffield is right next to the peak district - few mins up ringinglow rd and you're in derbyshire. Sheffield supports a larger population than Leeds. Chapeltown in Leeds is notorious for crime, particularly gun crime. Manchesters clone of Meadowhall, The Trafford Centre, is pretty flattering to Sheffield. Sheffield gets virtually NO publicity compared to either Leeds or Manchester, and I for one am sick of it.

RPG is that true?

Originally posted by "debs66"

RPG is that true?

from what i hear anyway. dont know many details about it TBH,

and sheffield CC is not a dump, 2 years ago i would have said yes, but since theyve been pumping cash into the center its nice, and has plenty of places to go and do things

RPG... what do you know about this government conspiracy?

not alot like i said ;)

something to do with moving offices here, nothing really that exciting, and made totally in jest, you know with all the coverup threads on here of late ;)

It's all very well to knock Manchester and Leeds, but only if you have a valid point.

Like it or not, these cities are better than Sheffield and benefit from a larger influx in business and tourism.

Yes, Manchester and Leeds have grotty areas, but so does Sheffield - Manor, Wybourn, Sheffield Lane Top, Shiregreen, Parson Cross etc. And yes, all three cities have some really nice suburban areas too.

The thing to look at is the city centre. One thing Manchester and Leeds have are excellent waterfront areas. Sheffield has the Canal Basin - an excellent area for regeneration and what has happened? Nothing. It's been tidied up but is still cut off from the rest of the city centre. The Salford Quays and Leeds River Aire waterfronts are stunning, with bars and shops and, in the case of Manchester, the War Museum, an upmarket shopping outlet and watersports. At night they are well illuminated and make for a lovely safe walk. I can't imagine wanting to do the same by the Don or the Canal in Sheffield - day or night.

Most of Manchester's regeneration came after the IRA bomb damage. Whether it would be the city it is today without that, I cannot say. The bomb in Warrington which, sadly, killed, didn't change that into a more cosmopolitan city.

I remember a post on here a while ago about gay districts. I commented on how pleasant and vibrant Manchester's Canal Street was, and why Sheffield didn't have similar, and the feedback was just completely negative.

Manchester and Leeds are both lively, 24 hour cities, with excellent shopping and eating and, unlike Sheffield, is completely open on Sunday with free parking.

I love Sheffield, always have and always will but feel that there is so much more for people in these other towns which is why it's no longer the focal point.

Regardless of what other places have or don't have, it doesn't put Sheffield in the public eye. What's needed is a grand statement to focus attention on the city and my idea, however daft it might sound, is to rebuild Sheffield Castle on it's original site. It would link up quite nicely with Victoria Quays and make that whole area a real place to visit. Imagine the site as you came into the city from the Parkway!

The structure could house all manner of facilities - a decent museum about Sheffield's history, shops, restaurants, leisure facilities, hotel, offices, an open air walk along the castle walls linked to Victoria Quays - the list goes on.

When was the last time a castle was built in the UK or anywhere for that matter? It would be a great tourist attraction and something to be proud of. Well, I think so. All we need now is someone with a bit of vision and the odd million or three. I've got a few bob in loose change in my pocket, anyone care to add a bit?

hey, that is one STUPID idea....... but I like it! Excellent stuff. People would argue its not historic, but something has to be built in the first place to become historic over time, and in time it would in itself be historic, even if built for a tourist attraction and not ancient warfare. Nice idea!

Originally posted by "alchresearch"

It's all very well to knock Manchester and Leeds, but only if you have a valid point.

Like it or not, these cities are better than Sheffield and benefit from a larger influx in business and tourism.

Yes, Manchester and Leeds have grotty areas, but so does Sheffield - Manor, Wybourn, Sheffield Lane Top, Shiregreen, Parson Cross etc. And yes, all three cities have some really nice suburban areas too.

The thing to look at is the city centre. One thing Manchester and Leeds have are excellent waterfront areas. Sheffield has the Canal Basin - an excellent area for regeneration and what has happened? Nothing. It's been tidied up but is still cut off from the rest of the city centre. The Salford Quays and Leeds River Aire waterfronts are stunning, with bars and shops and, in the case of Manchester, the War Museum, an upmarket shopping outlet and watersports. At night they are well illuminated and make for a lovely safe walk. I can't imagine wanting to do the same by the Don or the Canal in Sheffield - day or night.

Most of Manchester's regeneration came after the IRA bomb damage. Whether it would be the city it is today without that, I cannot say. The bomb in Warrington which, sadly, killed, didn't change that into a more cosmopolitan city.

I remember a post on here a while ago about gay districts. I commented on how pleasant and vibrant Manchester's Canal Street was, and why Sheffield didn't have similar, and the feedback was just completely negative.

Manchester and Leeds are both lively, 24 hour cities, with excellent shopping and eating and, unlike Sheffield, is completely open on Sunday with free parking.

I love Sheffield, always have and always will but feel that there is so much more for people in these other towns which is why it's no longer the focal point.
You know after having read that (and i'm not on a Sheffield is better than the rest crusade) but I agree with a lot of alchresearch comments. Sheffield could be sooooo much more if our council put more effort into the areas such as the canal and waterfront to make it a safe, pleasant environment with shops, bars and restaurants. Compared to Leeds and Manchester... even Brighton our city centre is small and not very well set out. You get into town and unless you're shopping, there isn't much to do!
One cinema (in town), a few coffee shops.. is that it?
Oh yeah.. the new peace gardens... on a warm day they're fab... and the new winter gardens... after taking 1 minute to walk the entire length and back... there's not much else.

I say we need to put pressure on the council to regenerate our beloved city and make it the 'centre' of attention to the UK (I mean we are pretty central)!!!

in the sheffield telegraph yesterday,i read that hallam is the second richest constituency after Tatton in cheshire according to a research survey conducted by Barclays wealth management team.

the article rightly pointed out that the reason sheffield is not up to the mark is because the city has allowed itself to be politically divided,a fact which distinguishes it from leeds and birmingham.the focus of development is in the southwest of the city.the distribution of wealth in the city is so dispropotionate.for the fourth biggest city in the country isn't it a shame that anybody who has got some status wants to live in either s10 or s11

sheffield really needs to get its act together and the people of the city should come together as one.i think we owe it to sheffield.

i'm not aware on the council spending more money on the south west of the city. if anything the reverse is true. most school funding for example goes on the poorer inner city schools. the only difference is is that around here we have a tendancy to not graffiti, trash, burn, and vandalise every single building in sight. the council should concentrate on regenerating the city centre, and leave people to decide which part of the city they want to live in. id much prefer a city of rich and poor suburbs than an averaged out, evenly distributed city. there always have been and always will be good and bad areas.

hmmm i wonder if youd be saying that if youd been born in the manor and lived in a 2 up 2 down terraced that was graffitid all over and got firework bombed everyday? People cant CHOOSE where theyre born and how theyre brought up.

Originally posted by "alchresearch"


Manchester and Leeds are both lively, 24 hour cities, with excellent shopping and eating and, unlike Sheffield, is completely open on Sunday with free parking.


I agree with you about the 24 hour city thing. Sheffield does not have this like Manchester and Leeds. I think on the whole Sheffield competes with Manchester and Leeds in most aspects except the City Centres. Sheffield is lagging behind in that respect.

What was the story with the centre for pop music? I know it closed down, but what were the reasons?

It's places like this which are needed to bring in tourists, but when they close it's just another black mark against our name.

it got bought by the uni, and apparently they are using it as a new music venue...

Originally posted by "RPG"

it got bought by the uni, and apparently they are using it as a new music venue...



...Hallam University Union bought it

yeah

How about putting Sheffield on the web a bit more? I have found only two webcam sites, one shows a concrete square (boring and just black at night), the other has 'lastest pictures' dated October 1st, 2002.

What does that show about the city? It has some of the most outstanding views that I know. A small town in Wales I go to has at least five webcams! (www.abersoch.co.uk)

Originally posted by "RPG"

it got bought by the uni, and apparently they are using it as a new music venue...

I heard that it's not going to be a music venue, but where some of the universities facillities are going to be relocated from their sites on the outskirts of the city.

The official website mentions the Uni's school for cultural studies

I agree that as the fourth largest English city Sheffield should be more in the limelight. It has a lot to offer and its face is rapidly changing, I think, for the better as it strives to shake off its "Full Monty" image.

Having been brought up near Leeds and later spent eight years studying/ working in Manchester I know what they were like in the past. To be fair it has only been through regeneration over the last seven to ten years that their image has improved. I don't think you can compare Sheffield with them now because it is at a relatively earlier stage of the regeneration process. The Sheffield of seven to ten years time is what we should be thinking about.

The most important thing is that we do not make the mistakes others have made in regeneration. Sheffield has the potential to be better than Leeds and Manchester in my book.

Oh, and let's hope The Blades can put the city back into the Premiership next week too!

Originally posted by "alchresearch"

it got bought by the uni, and apparently they are using it as a new music venue...

I heard that it's not going to be a music venue, but where some of the universities facillities are going to be relocated from their sites on the outskirts of the city.

The official website mentions the Uni's school for cultural studies

yeah, its going to be that as well, a duel purpose building, as it is huge inside ;)

Originally posted by "RPG"


yeah, its going to be that as well, a duel purpose building, as it is huge inside ;)

Hey, I run a fencing club and if there's going to be a duel purpose building I should know about it.

Hey where is this fencing club you run?

Originally posted by "maxt"


yeah, its going to be that as well, a duel purpose building, as it is huge inside ;)

Hey, I run a fencing club and if there's going to be a duel purpose building I should know about it.

lololol

do you know about the new alton towers ride this year?

its called....Duel! :D

Before I saw the recent Census reports, I always assumed Sheffield was a bigger city than Leeds. I always used to think it was seen as being the Capital of Yorkshire, after all we used to host the Yorkshire Cricket didnt we at Bramall Lane until the Mid 70's? Would anyone know whether at one time Sheffield was indeed the capital of yorkshire or has Leeds always been known as it? Going on the subject of Sheffield not selling itself, I dont think its just Sheffield (although we do a pretty poor job). Its yorkshire as a whole. Both Leeds and Sheffield arnt recognise as being major cities or at least they arnt thought of that across the pennines where I now live. Its always seen as London, Birmingham, Manchester and to some Liverpool comes 4th. But going on population its actually London, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield then Bradford. Could it be because the North West just has more people in it could be a reason to why people think of the North West cities before the yorkshire ones? :?:

Oh and also, I know its been establised for a while now. The Royal Amouries in Leeds but considering Sheffields steel and metal working heritage it would have been a more suitable place to locate it?

If I remember correctly Sheffield was in the running to be the home of the Royal Armories but lost out to Leeds, not sure why ?

it was roughly at the same time as the tram wasnt it?

id rather have the tram ;)

Yea id rather have the tram too. Even if it doesnt go anywhere! hehe. Maybe because Leeds has better motorway links from other cities in the north? Well we must be doing something right, because Leeds have chosen to name their Tram "Supertram" also! :) :P

Originally posted by "rickmiles85"

Before Could it be because the North West just has more people in it could be a reason to why people think of the North West cities before the yorkshire ones? :?:

The NW has a much better infrastructure than Yorkshire, especially for transport links between the cities.

Originally posted by "rickmiles85"

Before I saw the recent Census reports, I always assumed Sheffield was a bigger city than Leeds. I always used to think it was seen as being the Capital of Yorkshire, after all we used to host the Yorkshire Cricket didnt we at Bramall Lane until the Mid 70's? Would anyone know whether at one time Sheffield was indeed the capital of yorkshire or has Leeds always been known as it? Going on the subject of Sheffield not selling itself, I dont think its just Sheffield (although we do a pretty poor job). Its yorkshire as a whole. Both Leeds and Sheffield arnt recognise as being major cities or at least they arnt thought of that across the pennines where I now live. Its always seen as London, Birmingham, Manchester and to some Liverpool comes 4th. But going on population its actually London, Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield then Bradford. Could it be because the North West just has more people in it could be a reason to why people think of the North West cities before the yorkshire ones? :?:

Sheffield was the biggest city in Yorkshire prior to the boundary changes in the mid 1970s. When South and West Yorkshire were created everywhere became part of a major town as the county council was abolished. Leeds gained more than 50% in population overnight with boundaries stretching for 10s of miles to include half of west Yorkshire. Sheffield gained vast tracts of open moorland and Stocksbridge and stayed about the same size. Rotherham is now bigger than Nottingham if you believe the new boundaries.......... Leeds did rather well, and manages to get the regional headquarters of everything based on the new populations.........

Thanks for that information, quite intresting. Its a shame really how things have turned out then. Well, Sheffield still has the "Major City" postcode if that is anything to go by. hehe. :o

Back to the original thread about a lack of publicity for the 4th or 5th (who cares, we are a big city) largest city in UK, most of it is down to ignorance in the media. Ci Glover & Nicky Campbell on 5 Live had me in stitches when they were spouting on about a new international airport at Finningley. Both agreed they could not see the need for a large airport because there were no large cities close by except Leeds. There you have it, when the leaders of the nations airwaves fail their Geography GCSE miserably what price fame for tiny little villages like Barnsley and Huddersfield?

That doesn't surprise me. I agree that people in the media seem to be blind where Sheffield is concerned and thats the main reason why we barely get any publicity.

national IQ test, sheffield nowhere to be seen..

www.weather.co.uk

"check your 10 day forcast in the UK's top 20 cities" sheffield not there :evil:

RE: The BBCs National IQ test.

I actually complained to the BBC about not including Sheffield. It was disgusting. Needless to say I got no response. With weather, I suppose it depends on where weather stations are (though why not choose Sheffield in the first place), but with a test, where you have to choose your nearest city, there is no excuse for not including the 4th biggest. On the internet when you had to choose your nearest city, there was actually an odd number to choose from, meaning the list, which was in 2 columns, had a gap - a space for another city. Surely they should've put Sheffield on.

I think we need something big to attract the attention of the media to get Sheffield noticed. Redeveloping the city and West Street is one thing, but there is nothing extraordinary about this, most cities are undergoing this kind of regeneration.

Not so long ago Manchester was really in the doldrums. It certainly wasn't a city to be proud of. Then there was the IRA bomb and massive redevelopment and investment followed. Getting the Imperial War Museum North, Lowry Centre, Trafford Centre and the Commonwealth Games have all helped promote it further.

I think Sheffield has the 'curse' that the UK seems to have. Sheffield was once the world leader in steel, but other countries have taken the skills and used them to their advantage. Look at the world's inventions and sports - we invented most of them, but are we still the world leaders? Sadly nope.

The thing is, nobody is going to help us. It's up to us to try and make a difference.

Beautifully summed up there mate. Manchester certainly wouldnt be the place it is today if it wasnt for the IRA bomb which destroyed a large area. How could we improve Sheffield though? we already had Meadowhall a long time before the Ira Bomb which lead to the Trafford Centre (Another compied item of Sheffield) Does anyone have any suggestions? :D

See my earlier post on page 2 of this thread - rebuild Sheffield Castle and join it to Victoria Quays. There'd be nothing else like it in the country.

DIY Plan to promote Sheffield.

Build it and they will come. By Phanerothyme.

Rather than go for some gigantic white elephant or prestige project which will secure contracts for millions of quid and provide a great new focal point for Sheffield, I think a more cunning plan of low-level marketing might be more appropriate.

Firstly recruit as many activists as possible, all of whom must be interested in Putting Sheffield On the Map.

Next we ask everyone in Sheff to make a noise everytime they discover Sheffield is not on the map (i.e BBC weather or somesuch). And give them some easy way to tell activists. SMS springs to mind as well as the obvious email/web/phone

Now activists barrage offending institution with facts and figures and demands for explanations and conciliatory letters until they Put Sheffield On The Map.

Any time there is even a remotely relevant phone in on some show, activists call in and Put Sheffield On The Map, armed with clipboards of fascinating statistics and figures, heroes and villains, pros and pros (and more pros).

Put up lots of irritating flash based fan sites for the campaign. Link them together, visit them a lot - get google words. submit to search engines etc.

All this time recruit activists in Sheffield and Abroad. Get TV appearances airing greivances against people and institutions who , the shame of it, do not have Sheffield on their Map.

Keep collecting more outlandish instances of Sheffield being absent from lists of british cities etc.

Team up with like minded memetic maniacs in the Other Sheffields around the world.

Produce artwork and distribute. Watch millions of stickers and t-shirts baseball caps and fan sites pop up world wide.

Be the first british city to be the centre of an internet epiphenomenon!

Don't know how far we'd get but it would be fun trying.

We could even put candidates up for council and take over South Yorkshire, declare an autonomous enclave and establish a rural techno-agrarian zone. Then again we might not.

Right where's my espresso pot?

Castlemarket, old law courts and whole of Wilkinsons BHS blocks are a disgrace. Pigeon crap and newspaper pages all over the place. Moving further up is Fitzalan Sq, now an oily bus roundabout. The GPO, it needs the same treatment as Dublin's in 1916. And why not plant the grotesque Rubiks Cube, you know, the object designed to obscure the view of the Winter Garden, right in the middle of Fitzalan Square, seeing as nobody has any thoughts about cleaning it up and making it a city centre terrace cafe or whatever. Of course the stinking buses would have to go and I don't care where to. Then using the spare land, develop the Peace Gardens into a city centre park like it should have been in the first place. Infact, lets blow it all up, along with the architects responsible for Rubiks Cube and the councillors who ok'd it and start again. Then we hire some architects from Rotterdam, show them the fotos of the old buildings and when they've finished laughing we ask them politely to design some buildings for us.

I Laughed Out Loud, truly.

Lets make things out of Glass.

An atom bomb

Does anyone know what is being built on the open land where the market used to stand? when I passed last week it was a carpark but there was still some land vacant higher up.

Originally posted by "Phanerothyme"

DIY Plan to promote Sheffield.

Build it and they will come. By Phanerothyme.

Rather than go for some gigantic white elephant or prestige project which will secure contracts for millions of quid and provide a great new focal point for Sheffield, I think a more cunning plan of low-level marketing might be more appropriate.

Firstly recruit as many activists as possible, all of whom must be interested in Putting Sheffield On the Map.

Next we ask everyone in Sheff to make a noise everytime they discover Sheffield is not on the map (i.e BBC weather or somesuch). And give them some easy way to tell activists. SMS springs to mind as well as the obvious email/web/phone

Now activists barrage offending institution with facts and figures and demands for explanations and conciliatory letters until they Put Sheffield On The Map.

Any time there is even a remotely relevant phone in on some show, activists call in and Put Sheffield On The Map, armed with clipboards of fascinating statistics and figures, heroes and villains, pros and pros (and more pros).

Put up lots of irritating flash based fan sites for the campaign. Link them together, visit them a lot - get google words. submit to search engines etc.

All this time recruit activists in Sheffield and Abroad. Get TV appearances airing greivances against people and institutions who , the shame of it, do not have Sheffield on their Map.

Keep collecting more outlandish instances of Sheffield being absent from lists of british cities etc.

Team up with like minded memetic maniacs in the Other Sheffields around the world.

Produce artwork and distribute. Watch millions of stickers and t-shirts baseball caps and fan sites pop up world wide.

Be the first british city to be the centre of an internet epiphenomenon!

Don't know how far we'd get but it would be fun trying.


Yes! Let's do it! What a giggle - and for such a great cause :lol:

Regarding the market space the castle market is also going to be demolished and the plans are to build an indoor 'Meadowhall' on the whole lot expanding to Kings Street and beyond and will also be built to fit in with the new bypass to spring up around Parkway roundabout.

Smart, when is this due to happen then? Any time given?

Quite soon, though the project is massive though the Castle market won't be denolished until part of the set up is complete to allow immediate transfer.

Flippin heck, someone with brains being implemented to work on something in Sheffield! lol that cant be right surely? hehe! :D

It has always been the same as long as I remember, and I agree with you.

Originally posted by jimbol
See my earlier post on page 2 of this thread - rebuild Sheffield Castle and join it to Victoria Quays. There'd be nothing else like it in the country.

Sorry, ooops missed that one :D

go on....enlighten me!!!!! why????

i love sheffield its the best city in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by sammie
go on....enlighten me!!!!! why????

i love sheffield its the best city in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What are we enlightening you about? Why what? :o

Where is Sheffield? muhahah....

http://www.fanta.dk/showmovie.asp?mid=E36F8AC5-289F-407A-838D-03A7A54E943C

(Will take a while on a 56k modem)

I never saw this thread before, perhaps I was away sunning myself somewhere where they too have never heard of Sheffield...

But I do think Phan's post was exceptionally good and I would be interested in taking part in an exercise of the sort he describes.

Surely there are enough of us on the Forum to make this work?

The forum catchphrase is "for everything sheffield", so we could legitimately start by saying "which is a large city in South Yorkshire".

But you really must ask yourself one question

If the world finds out about Sheffield and if the world turns up to have a look at Sheffield, will it be the same city you love now, or will it be spoiled?

Is it better that it is a well-kept secret or would you welcome day-trippers?

Maybe we can start a new thread Geoff, just based on Phan's post?

Originally posted by Geoff
Where is Sheffield? muhahah....

http://www.fanta.dk/showmovie.asp?mid=E36F8AC5-289F-407A-838D-03A7A54E943C

(Will take a while on a 56k modem)

Brilliant that Geoff, all your own work?

a few posts have been saying intersting facts about sheffield, most of which are in official publications of the council, universities, etc, etc.
most say sheffield is the 4th largest city, some say 5th, and i've even seen 7th.
what do they use to measure? if it is administative district, then surley the only larger city is leeds, as london (city of) is tiny; manchester is divided into city of manchester, salford, tameside, trafford, and likewise birmingham is split into solihul, sandwell, etc.
i always thought the largest in the order london, birmingham, manchester, sheffield, leeds, but as there are so many measures, just how big is sheffield, and how is its size known?

Originally posted by richynomates
how is its size known?

Postal Area ? i.e by square mile in the 'S' region ? I don't know but would be very interested if someone does.

lindsey

It can't be by postal code area as the Sheffield postcode is vast - it covers not only Sheffield, but far flung areas like Rotherham;) , Barnsley, Worksop, Chesterfield, Hope Valley etc.

Population would be a good method of measurement.

Originally posted by Saxon
It can't be by postal code area as the Sheffield postcode is vast - it covers not only Sheffield, but far flung areas like Rotherham;) , Barnsley, Worksop, Chesterfield, Hope Valley etc.


Very true - and a very valid point goes all the way out to the back end of Worksop too.... miles out of Chesterfield & then Barnsley & Rotherham.
Measured by the council coverage area then ?

Sheffield may be the fourth biggest city but in my view it isn';t a patch on London.

London has the feel of being a major world city which is at least the equal of any other, New York, Paris etc.

Could the same really be said for Sheffield?
With the best will in the world, Sheffield is a provincial, northern city with a strong working class culture.

Originally posted by slimsid2000
With the best will in the world, Sheffield is a provincial, northern city with a strong working class culture.

Exactly! It really bugs me the way cities always try to compare themselves to European rivals in order to show how ambitious they are. Leeds wants to be the Barcelona of the North, Birmingham our equivalent of Venice. PISH! This is truly laughable.

What we want to be is the Sheffield of the world, we don't have to develop along parallel lines to other cities to be just as great as them. This is why I don't like Manchester but it is such a media favourite, it has become a London in miniture. This shouldn't be what we strive for.

Sheffield should build on what it has, not try to twist and contort to mirror Leeds or Manchester. We have a beautiful city, the friendliest people in Europe, a rich cultural history and the most magnificent natural setting of any metropolitan english city. How cares about the number of citizens.

M

Why is Sheffield not on the map?

A friend of mine asked this very question - she took the trouble to write to Letts (the diary people who put those ever-so-useful maps in their diaries).

And the answer came back: "Because Manchester is a very long word"

LOL!!! thats ridiculous!!!

Originally posted by MrHelicopter
And the answer came back: "Because Manchester is a very long word"

My god ! It's true....

After all this time wondering why Sheffield never gets a mention - this explains a lot....

They say it's always the most obvious of explanations!

LOL

Originally posted by Mattski
Sheffield should build on what it has, not try to twist and contort to mirror Leeds or Manchester. We have a beautiful city, the friendliest people in Europe, a rich cultural history and the most magnificent natural setting of any metropolitan english city. How cares about the number of citizens.


I'm pretty much with you there. I have a promotional badge that was given to my mum at some council 'do' at the Town Hall. And what does the badge say? It says 'Welcome to Sheffield - England's fourth largest city'.

This is an absolutely pathetic way to market the city. What's good about being fourth largest? And one of the many comments about Sheffield is that 'it doesn't feel like a city' - it is often likened to a 'big village'. So anyone expecting a bustling metropolis who finds themselves in town is likely to be disappointed. It has been said many times on this forum that other far smaller cities - Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol etc. - all have a much more pronounced city vibe, so this 'fourth largest' thing is just hot air when it comes to promoting the place.

It makes far more sense from a marketing point of view to identify the things that make the city different and special rather than those that attempt to ape other cities. And for Sheffield, nothing beats its natural setting and proximity to stunning countryside. For me, this is Sheffield's number one selling point. And guess what, this amazing natural setting is supported by some excellent city benefits, whether they be cultural, sporting or whatever. So what a great place to visit eh? Or to invest in.

Well, I could go on. It's not about denying Sheffield's city status. It's about saying it's a great city, but one with a unique atmosphere that's totally different to Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds. And it's different because x, y and z.

Sorry to introduce the algebra at the end there but I really better get back to work rather than rambling on like this........!

Hey Damon,

You think that promotional badge is bad, you should see the website for Sheffield First for Investment. It starts its sales pitch by stating that Sheffield is the region's second city!!

No wonder people sometimes think development is slow here. We do need to develop a a better degree of civic pride as well as changing our mindset in relation to regional competition.

M

As far as I can see there seems to be two main problems underlying Sheffields anonymity:

1. It suffers from location - being in the middle of the Leeds/Bradford, Nottingham, Manchester triangle means we fall into a bit of a geographic black hole. Leeds, Manchester and nottingham all have large, high profile businesses there and so the feeling for new investors will tend to be to move to places where large businesses already exist (not sure why this is but it seems to be true!) It always seems to be that businesses who want to invest in this general area head for one of those three and Ignore sheffield, despite its excellent educational set up and council practically begging for people to come! This is a difficult one to crack as it basically requires at least one large high profile investemnt in the city which will hopefull start a (slow) snowball effect.

2. It suffered from the worst of both worlds during the 80s when we had a rabidly right wing government and a rabidly left wing council. This meant that no matter what was done in Sheffield it wasn't reported on etc. as Sheffield was effectively persona non grata in the eyes of dear Auntie T! Can you immagine the BBC NOT covering something like the World Student Games in any city other than Sheffield?

I work near Manchester and a lot of my colleagues went to university in Sheffield or lived their for a short time for work reasons. All of them love it and want to go back. The reason they love it is that Sheffield does have that village feel about it being surrounded by fantastic countryside. Yet this 'village' has all the amenities of a large city. Yes Sheffield could be improved, especially the city centre, but why do we want something that we all love to change?

i have actually been quite impressed with the amount of attention the media has been paying sheffield recently, what with the games and sheffield united doing pretty well last season (not the one just finishing now). Both the universities are often mentioned in the news for various projects with the city council and there have been quite a few programmes like location location and time team doing sheffield based episodes.

I'm sure Sheffield came top in one of those iq/test the nation things last year?

Oh and as for it being the 4/5/7th largest city - some measurements are done by area (by taking the city's boundary lines) and some are done by various types of population counts - therefore producing different results.
It can vary greatly because if you took the city of london you would get a tiny population (and area) count, but if you take 'greater london' you get upwards of 7 million.

any body mentioned that we dont have cable?

we have to be one of the only cities, or towns in the country that is true for?

WHY?

Originally posted by oddball
any body mentioned that we dont have cable?

we have to be one of the only cities, or towns in the country that is true for?

WHY?

We used to. Something called "British Relay"

We do now. I think it's called "Telewest"

Originally posted by oddball
any body mentioned that we dont have cable?

we have to be one of the only cities, or towns in the country that is true for?

WHY?

Err, we do - I sitting on a 1.5MB Telewest Cable connection and it's FAB :)) - Get my phone and TV through them as well

Sorry - off topic !

Originally posted by oddball
any body mentioned that we dont have cable?

we have to be one of the only cities, or towns in the country that is true for?

WHY?

What the good gravy are you talking about?

Rosie, stealing SusieP's trademark, sitting at a broadband computer with confused looks.