hacker

I've lived in Meersbrook for six years. Never had the slightest bit of trouble, nor have I seen or heard of any. It is quiet and residential, the park is pristine, having the head office of the Parks and Gardens Dept within it. It has fabulous views over the city and when it snows it becomes one of the best sledging sites in the city. Graves Park is nearby with spectacular views over to the Peak District and you can be in the city centre in no time. I lived in London for years and it is fantastic in many ways but horribly expensive, the schools are like borstals and it can be very dangerous after dark. It is also far, far too big. Sheffield in contrast was named the safest large city in the country only this week - a story incidentally carried on the front page of The Star, in contrast to some posters who claim it always undermines the city. Sheffield has its drawbacks, but so do all cities. The fact that Sheffield has the highest retention rate of its graduates of any other city in the country is testament that it has much to recommend it.

A city centre location would be much better for Sheffield and for South Yorkshire. It needn't put a curve on the line as it could be a spur. It would be more expensive but the economic benefits would be much greater over time, meaning it would make financial sense in the long run.

Colony collapse. Like bees. Einstein once said once the bees go, man is doomed. So we are all doomed. Enjoy your day.

Sheffield doesn't have any high rise buildings for historical reasons: namely that its prosperity was built on the heavy industries of coal and steel. And the buildings that supported these were either industrial foundries on the east of the city or pits underground. This was different from Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool whose industry was textiles, banking, shipping and thus given to higher, grander buildings. Sheffield also had a 'little mesters' set up rather than the large corporations that sprung up in other cities.

Barn Farm in Birchover is excellent.

It is being rolled out over the next few months. First began using smart ticketing on its 66 route in Doncaster last week and it will be extended across the county shortly. Stagecoach will follow later this year. So it's imminent.

Child fares in South Yorkshire remain the lowest in the country, outside London. In Manchester for example you would pay half-fare, which at £1.40 would be 70p and £1.60 80p etc. The rise last year was the first for eight years.

Traveline on 01709 51 51 51 will sort you out with what goes where.

Absolute salt of the earth was Jan. Whether you agreed with her politics or not she had, as Paul Scriven rightly said today, Sheffield in her veins. A laser-sharp intellect, a doughty fighter for the causes she backed, and a really, really nice lady. RIP Jan.

Are these meetings always on a Wednesday? It's the only weekday I can't do.

The research shows that smartcards are very popular with the public. The Oyster card system is hugely popular, as are schemes in New York, Singapore and other conurbations around the world. The Yorcard trial was one of the most complex in the world in a deregulated system. It brings the possibility of one being introduced in Yorkshire much closer. A good thing I would have thought.

SYPTE were asked by the DfT to carry out the YORCARD trial, under certain conditions. One of these was that the technology would be ITSO (Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation) enabled. This is because there is a long-term aspiration to have a national smartcard system - meaning you could top up a card in Birmingham, travel to Sheffield, or Newcastle, and use the same card in South Yorkshire or Tyne and Wear.

Call Traveline on 01709 51 51 51.

The Government appears to have cooled on tram systems for the moment. It wasn't just the Supertram extensions that were turned down, but the Leeds plans, Liverpool plans etc

Has to be The Third Man for me.