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A southern yank with questions

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Hi! My name is Jennifer and, as the thread title indicates, I am a Yank from the Southern US. At present, I am working on the super-duper-ultra rough draft of (what I hope will be) a novel whose secondary protagonist is a Brit ex-pat living in my neck of the woods from (drumroll!), yes, Sheffield. So, I have lots of questions about the city -- it's history, geography, lifestyles, etc.

 

My character is a chef/restaurateur who comes from a working-class background. So, I am curious about neighborhoods wherein the child of a working-class family would have grown up back in the 60's and 70's. Primarily because I am thinking he might have named his establishment it.

 

So, if anyone can help me with this, it would be great. Tooling around on the web willy-nilly is either getting me too much information or not enough. Other than a "boots on the ground" approach, which isn't doable at the moment or in the foreseeable future, this is it.

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Interesting! Why did you choose Sheffield? Oh, and welcome to the forum :-) .

 

You should get lots of suggestions, but as a child of the 70s (though I'm more 70s/80s than 60s/70s) from a working class Sheffield family may I suggest that you look into the Hyde Park and Park Hill areas? They grew from post-war slum clearance, are excellent examples of Brutalism, and have an 'interesting' history (the hopeful establishment of new communities in the 60s and their gradual decline, along with the concrete, until by the time the early 80s came around the areas' reputations were, shall we say, rather tarnished).

 

Hyde Park also sounds a bit more... refined than it actually is, to those not familiar with much beyond the limits of the M25, so that's potentially something to play with mischievously for the name of a restaurant.

 

You'll find lots of photos on the very useful Picture Sheffield site: Park Hill; Hyde Park.

Edited by Guest

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Make him a 6ft strawberry blond born on the Parson Cross council estate

 

He would be a Sheffield United or Blades fan like his dad despite being born in the biggest catchment area for their arch rivals Sheffield Wednesday or The Owls which would get him into many scrapes in his youth that would give him his tough edge

 

His dad would be a ex RAF man who worked as labourer and his mam a hollow ware polisher who was often heard saying " no I`m not a buffer girl" and the youngest of four kids which placed him at the bottom of the hand me down pile

 

His place could be called The Blades or The Cross in homage to his early life

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Welcome, Jennifer! I wonder, are you from Alabama? I just wonder because there is a Sheffield there too and I thought that that was perhaps the reason for your choice of city (much nicer place than Birmingham).

Is the novel set in modern or historical times? Until perhaps 30 years ago, at the mention of "Sheffield", the first thing people thought of would be "steel" - steel-making was an important part of the city's history for many years. The second thing they'd think of would be the better of the city's two major soccer teams, Sheffield Wednesday (possibly the only team in the world that's called Wednesday!) In case the names are useful, the two teams play at Hillsborough and Bramall Lane respectively.

Oh, and finally...if you're going to write a book for publication, do get your "its" and "it's" in the right places (see your fourth line of text).

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just check out the life of Sheffield boys ,Joe Cocker, and Peter Stringfellow.

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I wax brought up on the Manor Estate (not as grand as it sounds) in the 70s There wasa a documentary on TV about it around that time. it may be on You Tube

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hi jen living on gleadless valley built in 64 .worked in cutlery trade for 22 years old sheff trade .our shoping centre was filmed recently for 70s set tv show.if I can help in any way please get intouch.dave ps. have been driving in sheff for past 35 years in an American cop car . pps still am ...

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Make him a 6ft strawberry blond born on the Parson Cross council estate

 

That's a fairly specific, ah, description there. Are you basing this on someone in particular?

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Hi Jennifer, Sounds like I may be able to help.

Born in Sheffield, working class background, chef by trade, got the proverbial " t shirt "

Lived in sharrow ( hence my moniker )

As for your neck of the woods, L A is southern cal.

Drop me a line.

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Hi Jennifer, Sounds like I may be able to help.

Born in Sheffield, working class background, chef by trade, got the proverbial " t shirt "

Lived in sharrow ( hence my moniker )

As for your neck of the woods, L A is southern cal.

Drop me a line.

 

Will do. As soon as I make enough posts that these site will let me send a PM.

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Hi! My name is Jennifer and, as the thread title indicates, I am a Yank from the Southern US. At present, I am working on the super-duper-ultra rough draft of (what I hope will be) a novel whose secondary protagonist is a Brit ex-pat living in my neck of the woods from (drumroll!), yes, Sheffield. So, I have lots of questions about the city -- it's history, geography, lifestyles, etc.

 

My character is a chef/restaurateur who comes from a working-class background. So, I am curious about neighborhoods wherein the child of a working-class family would have grown up back in the 60's and 70's. Primarily because I am thinking he might have named his establishment it.

 

So, if anyone can help me with this, it would be great. Tooling around on the web willy-nilly is either getting me too much information or not enough. Other than a "boots on the ground" approach, which isn't doable at the moment or in the foreseeable future, this is it.

 

I think you'll find this challenging Jennifer and I wish you every success. But there's one thing going against you more than anything you could possibly realise. A massive culture gap.

 

I worked for most of my life with American companies. They think that what goes in America goes everywhere else.

 

They have no concept that European countries, despite being smaller than many American states, have a completely different identity and culture. Different history, different language, different outlook.

 

I am not trying to be mean here, but I think before you can even begin to write something about an ex pat from Sheffield you need to understand the culture here first.

 

It's one of "make do and mend". And having a gloomy outlook. Not valuing nice things that are expensive. And questioning the price of everything. Being very suspicious and dismissive of anything unfamiliar.

 

That's a start for you I hope?

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I think you'll find this challenging Jennifer and I wish you every success. But there's one thing going against you more than anything you could possibly realise. A massive culture gap.

 

I worked for most of my life with American companies. They think that what goes in America goes everywhere else.

 

They have no concept that European countries, despite being smaller than many American states, have a completely different identity and culture. Different history, different language, different outlook.

 

I am not trying to be mean here, but I think before you can even begin to write something about an ex pat from Sheffield you need to understand the culture here first.

 

It's one of "make do and mend". And having a gloomy outlook. Not valuing nice things that are expensive. And questioning the price of everything. Being very suspicious and dismissive of anything unfamiliar.

 

That's a start for you I hope?

 

I appreciate the concern. But please, don't lump me with that lot. And by that lot, I mean my fellow Americans. I know that what goes on here doesn't go on everywhere else. And in some cases, especially lately, that's a very good thing.

 

A VERY good thing.

 

Personally, I come from a working class background myself. I have been working in some form or fashion since I was thirteen years old (my first job was delivering papers in my hometown's downtown business district -- first female to ever hold the job!). Even when I was attending a two-year program at a local trade school, I worked part-time at a home health care agency. I am 40 now and I still work. Both of my parents worked as well. Very blue collar, hardscrabble kind of life. So I understand that whole strong work ethic, thriftiness, just-because-it's-expensive-doesn't-mean-it's-worth-it thing.

 

What I'm saying is, don't count me out yet. I soak up knowledge like a sponge. Otherwise I wouldn't be here.

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