Mouserat

Thanks to the traffic calming measures, there's very little exposure to car pollution if you walk down Brunswick Street and through Sunnybank or down Collegiate Crescent, a walk of less than a mile.

As a resident of Broomhill, I walk along this pavement at least twice, usually more, most days. Sometimes I'm visiting the shops. More often, I'm going for a walk or run, heading to the doctor, going to work, visiting a friend. It can be awful trying to get past people on a narrow pavement with cars coming in and out of the parking bays with little regard to people. But now there are socially distanced queues for the shops, and, on 2ft wide pavements, you can't distance unless you walk through the parking area. When they shut the bays for social distancing measures at the weekend, I had hoped it might be to close the bays, perhaps retaining the two disabled spaces, and give shoppers a wide pavement at a really busy pinchpoint. They haven't given pedestrians any more room. They've removed the plant pots - that I think we're there to discourage pedestrians from using a dangerous sliver of pavement between a busy road and a carpark. And painted advisory zebra stripes that reinforce the right of way that pedestrians have. It's very clear to me that car drivers retain priority in this area, and easy parking has been prioritised over ensuring that everyone can walk or queue with safe social distancing.

There's a massive difference between Sinn Fein MPs and Jared O'Mara. Constituents in Northern Ireland know that, if they vote for Sinn Fein, the MPs won't take their seat as they don't recognise the authority of a Westminster parliament - they know before they elect them, that they won't be represented by them in the House of Commons. Sinn Fein MPs don't draw a salary - although they may claim expenses for other work they do to support their constituents. It would be more accurate to say that, aside from sitting in the House of Commons, Sinn Fein MPs are doing a job that they AREN'T paid for.

Not past Chapeltown, but it sounds a lot like Dronfield to me.

Well, this paper disagrees:- https://britishbirds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/BB-Raptor-persecution.pdf It says the killing of raptors in the Dark Peak area by gamekeepers / grouse shooting estates is "systematic":- "the spread of systematic persecution was evident in the stronghold of the Upper Derwent Valley" and "routine":- "the only plausible explanation for our results is that Goshawkand Peregrines are routinely killed illegally and their nests destroyed in the Dark Peak" and that self-regulation by organisations such as BASC doesn't work:- "the Peak District Bird of Prey Initiative (2011), led by the National Park Authority and consisting of partners from both the conservation and the shooting worlds, failed to reach any of its targets in each of its six years of existence. In short, self-regulation seems impossible, the persecution is intensive and the statutory bodies seem powerless. " BASC may declare its opposition to illegal killing, but it has shown itself to be intransigent and unwilling to work with other stakeholders except on its own terms. Fine words butter no parsnips.

No, of course, game keepers / estate managers for shooting estates don't go around breaking the law and routinely kill protected species. It's only a few rogues individuals:- https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/Images/illegal-killing_tcm9-411686.pdf https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wildlife-and-the-law/wild-bird-crime/the-birdcrime-report/ And of course shooting organisations work hard in partnership with government and conservation organisations to prevent this sort of crime:- https://www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk/articles/ngo-resignation-letter-from-the-raptor-persecution-priority-delivery-group The last time I encountered a shooting party, they blatantly lied to me about my right to cross open access National Trust on well-established paths, and insinuated, as gamekeepers are wont to do, that I knew nothing about the countryside.

TPE Advance tickets to Manchester Airport are Airport Advance singles:- https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/special-offers/manchester-airport That means, as long as you get your ticket endorsed at the ticket office (and you had allowed an hour between your scheduled landing and train departure), you can get the next TPE train for up to three hours after your booked ticket (and longer if there is no train within the next three hours). Advance tickets saved me nearly a third on Off Peak returns and half on an Open return last time I flew from Manchester. Given that it's perfectly feasible to get return flights out of Manchester for £60, I don't buy the argument that if you can afford to fly, you can afford to pay double for your train fare.

Opinions may have changed on diesel, but the facts haven't. Diesels are more efficient than petrol engines and produce less CO2 emissions. That's why people were encouraged to buy them. Diesels produce more harmful emissions, particularly carcinogens in the particulate emissions. The impact of these emissions is greater in urban environments. That's why the use of them is now being discouraged (aside from the move away towards lower emission vehicles anyway, and the emergence of electric / hybrid vehicles as a viable, affordable option). Opinion on diesels has changed because our assessment of the benefit of them as more efficient vehicles versus the damage they cause with emissions has altered. And that is partly because we have more data on that impact on them. Because that's how science works. It derives theories based on empirical data, and when more data is collected, those theories may be disproved or altered. Climate change isn't opinion - it's science. And our understanding of that science will change, but I'd trust the "opinion" of scientists who have spent decades researching it over the opinion of someone who can't distinguish opinion from fact. Refusing to adapt to changing information with respect to diesels is a little like continuing to support Brexit when absolutely everyone is telling you that it will be an economic disaster for the UK, just because you made your mind up once and you don't like changing it.

If you're concerned about someone sleeping rough, you can use StreetLink - this means someone from an outreach team will try and contact them, and try to help them with finding accommodation / other support:- https://www.streetlink.org.uk/

Whilst there are many long-established Sheffield restaurants continuing to trade profitably, Nonna's isn't one of them. It went into liquidation in 2010, owning suppliers a lot of money, and continued trading under a new company. https://www.thestar.co.uk/whats-on/food-and-drink/nonna-s-debts-hit-163-330-000-1-857883

I don't run barefoot. But I often walk barefoot. For me, it's about building skin and resilience in my feet. And enjoying the different sensations. And yeah, glass and dog poo is a risk - but I watch for it. But if you're tender-footed in cheap converse copies, you should worry much more about glass. Dog poo? How many of you walk into a pub, use the toilets, put your hands on the door - and then eat? Despite the statistics on how many unwashed hands have touched that door handle.

Have you checked out https://www.meetup.com? There's loads of active Sheffield groups, some specifically aimed at 20s/30s. Some are hobby-focused (walking, board games, climbing etc) and some are about socialising / drinking. Although I'm pretty socially inept, I've always found people friendly at the meetups I've been to, and made a few friends through them.

Here's what I want in as an over 40. Somewhere that serves the kind of drinks I want (real ale, in my case) with good service and interesting company. I don't care how the customers look or dress. I'd rather judge someone on their character than their appearance and I like people comfortable in their own skin, rather than the 50-something year old Fonz. Sheffield Tap and Rutland are the only places I'd rate in town, Bath and Red Deer aren't far away. Kelham Island isn't that far from the town centre and plenty of pubs that meet my criteria - good beer and company. The Blake is a mile and a half from town, albeit a hilly walk. Like Kelham, it's perhaps worth the detour for the other pubs close by - newly opened Blind Monkey, WBC, Hallamshire, Closed Shop. I often tumble into a pub after a fell race and I take a great deal of pride in my appearance because every scratch, bruise and big bog smear is hard earned. Sometimes I wear a skirt - makes it easier to wild pee on exposed moorland discretely. So perhaps we could start with a list of pubs where Derby Tup does drink. Because I'd love to know where I've been lowering the tone and ruining his evening.

Not cycle cages, but it might be worth considering the Cycle Hub at Sheffield station:- http://russellsbicycleshed.co.uk/cycles-trains-at-sheffield/

Well, you're certainly in the right city for it - there's lots of walking going on in Sheffield and some beautiful routes. There are weekly organised walks all over the city - maybe they'd be a good place to start:- https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/walkfinder/yorkshire-and-humber/sheffield-step-out-better-lifestyle Aside from this forum, you could also look at the Ramblers:- http://www.sheffieldramblers.org/ and Meetup is a really good place both to find groups, and to set one up if you have something specific in mind:- https://www.meetup.com/find/?allMeetups=true&radius=10&userFreeform=Sheffield%2C+United+Kingdom&mcId=z1178212&mcName=Sheffield%2C+England%2C+GB&sort=recommended There are several local outdoors / walking groups on Meetup (one of which I organise - although we're very much a long-distance / fast walking group, though occasionally we will do some shorter, more social walks). Many of the social meetup groups - Socialize Sheffield, Sheffield International Group etc - also often organise walks.

Saying that it's a paperwork issue is a bit like saying, "Don't worry, officer, I'm a safe driver. No licence? That's just a paperwork thing.". As far as I can see, Thornbridge took over the Cross Scythes in 2012 - how long do they need to get the paperwork sorted? And even if they are claiming that paperwork / previous owners are the issue - and I can't find evidence of that except in this discussion - the ratings report says that "Major Improvement" was needed in cleanliness / condition of the building and "Improvement" in food handling - that's not a paperwork thing.

Yes, there are things these businesses can do about getting a 0 hygiene rating. According to this, https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/content/sheffield/home/public-health/food-inspection-hygiene-rating-scheme.html, Sheffield council proactively engage with any business scoring 2 or less. So if these businesses haven't got more recent, higher ratings it's either because they haven't got more hygienic or they don't value the reputation of the business enough to pay for a re-rating. In the meantime, I'm grateful to the Star for highlighting those places where I don't want to eat!

I went to Minor Injuries a few months back - despite it being during my GP's hours, and not having an issue with getting an appointment - because I suspected that I had a stress fracture and only an X-Ray would give me a definite diagnosis. The nurse who examined me thought it very unlikely to be a stress fracture because the pain wasn't in the right place. But she sent me for an X-Ray anyway. I walked out the back of the clinic, into X-Ray and after a short wait, the stress fracture was confirmed. I wouldn't have gone all the way to Northern General to visit Minor Injuries. I would have gone to my GP, who might have told me the same as the nurse, and I might not have bothered to go to Northern General for that X-Ray. Result - more damage, more cost to the NHS, more time off work, more cost to my employer. There should be walk-in services available to people near the town centre (such as the current walk-in centre and the Minor Injuries unit) - just about all public transport meets in the city centre, a large number of people work in the city centre. Moving services out of the city deters people from using them - and often, prevention /early treatment is a good deal cheaper than postponed treatment. It may make rational sense for the NHS to centralise services in one place. But it doesn't make sense for how people live their lives and access health services.

No shop has ever been prevented from charging for carrier bags - as long as you're informed about the charge. Traditionally shops have chosen to provide them for free. Some have always charged. Now larger shops are required to charge for bags (although they can still make exceptions - if they choose - for certain items such as uncooked meat. In reality, they've decided an across the board charge is more straightforward). And as others have said, it seems likely that the mandatory charge will soon apply to all ships.

I certainly flick through both. I think Now Then has some great artwork in it.

So, if I discover that I have to move to Manchester for work next year, should I waive my democratic right to vote because I'm now only a "temporary" resident? Or is it just students / young people that should be deprived of that right? I'd argue that in parliamentary elections national issues are at least as important as local - and presumably students' understanding of that won't change wherever they vote. And education / university policy is an important local and national issue for Hallam and I'm prepared to bet many students have a better grasp on that than other Hallam residents. Many people live highly mobile lives, particularly in their younger years - if we start saying that their vote isn't as valid, what are we saying about democracy? People who don't even currently live in this country are allowed a vote - I see nothing wrong with students voting in the constituency where they spend most of their time.

I came to Sheffield as a student in 1992 and I'm still here. I voted in Hallam as a student (and as a worker for the next 20 years). Why should I have been forced to vote in my "home" constituency - a place I had never chosen to live, a place I had chosen to leave at the first possible opportunity and a place I knew I never intended to go back to? When I was a student, we were told that Sheffield had the highest retention rate for students staying in the city after their degree. I don't know if it still does, particularly given the crippling debts most students leave with, but it is still renown for being a city that many students stay on in. Students should be allowed to vote in the cities in which they study - particularly in somewhere like Sheffield, and Hallam constituency, where the Universities are so important and impactful.

I know that several local running clubs use Woodbourn Road:- https://www.shu.ac.uk/current-students/sport/sports-facilities/athletics-stadium You might also want to look at the Outdoor City Run Routes - they're not tracks but they are measured, marked routes:- http://theoutdoorcity.co.uk/the-outdoor-city-run-routes/

Estate Agents are legally obliged to pass on any offers to the sellers:- https://www.gov.uk/buy-sell-your-home/estate-agents They may also advise the seller to treat your offer with caution because you haven't viewed the house, but they HAVE to pass it on. Tell them that, and tell them if they don't pass your offer on, you'll make a complaint to the ombudsman.

Um, anyone turning up for Tramlines on the 21st June is going to be disappointed - it is, and has always been, in July.