Fredington

Sophiefletch - Pem123 is right, it's a big plus that on a motor way that there is almost no risk of meeting something coming towards you. You can relax and just pay attention to the vehicles all going in one direction. Motorways are designed to reduce the need for sudden changes of pace - for example the corners on motorways are long and sweeping not sudden, and all the exits are simple and well sign posted and indicated. You often find it is much worse on major A-(Non-motorway) Roads for these factors. However, I always think it helps that you think about the things that could go wrong and rehearse in your head, what you would do if you found yourself in the situation - however unlikely it is. Rehearsing your actions even in your head has been shown to help people escape dangerous situations under high stress. For example people who memorise where the exits are in an unfamilar buildings are more likely to survive and escape in a fire. I would suggest that it'll be really good for you to that extra motorway lesson. I did pass plus after my test, and it was very useful.

I actually find driving a car in any situation can be quite scary when you start thinking about it. It's a big responsibility especially if you have other people in the car. Controlling a couple of tons of metal and plastic at high speed quite rightly deserves a lot attention, I really can't stand over confident drivers. I would however say that motorway driving is probably fairly safe. Even though the actual speeds are greater on motorways, the relative speed of an individual car to another vehicle is rarely that great, and indeed comparable to normal driving. The major difference is the extended stopping distance and the knock on effects of small incidents at high actual speeds. I think the best thing you can do to feel safe on a motorway is keep a good distance from the person ahead, and take extra care and attention in bad whether. Also find out what you should do if your tyre blows at high speed - because a lot of people don't and cause major incidents because of it. I avoid driving if I could get a on train for a comparable cost of travel and it was reasonably convenient to get to where I was going.

I hear what you're saying 'Mr Chris' however I was originally meaning that the tram would underground and be fully integrated into the existing supertram system. I am interested to know more about the monorail ideas, a few people have mentioned it now. Was a monorail in Sheffield planned to work independently to or with the tram system. There are pro and cons for both systems, I've always considered the EL in Chicago as being really quite ugly and having the effects of hemming the road - just on an aesthetic level I'm not sure it would fit well with Sheffield's surroundings. I'm sure it could be done in a modern way though, but would it get through the conservation & community preservation groups? Plus, and I mean this in a light hearted sense, but monorail just reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Springfield get sold a disfuntional monorail systems by a crackpot salesman 'Lyle Landley' - could it be >> Brockway - Ogdenville - North Haverbrook - Springfield ..... Sheffield! Sorry if you didn't get the cultural reference to the episode. Watch more Simpsons if that's the case!

That's a dense comment 'Fingers', but I agree with you whole heartedly! The worst experience I had with Chavs is in my home village in Leicestershire, I've actually not noticed much of a problem in Sheffield since being here for the last 5 years - but I might not have living in the badly affected places in Sheffield. Let's be clear, Chav is an over used stereotype for youths who dress and look a certain way. The negative connotations that 'Chav' brings up is due to the horrible attitude some of these people have to other members of their community, for no real justifiable reason. However not everyone has these views, we should be careful not judge people negatively for how they look.

Sorry Nomis - can you clarify what IIRC is? Also, and I might be being stupid here, but what do you mean by a sudden 45 degree curve?

That's a fair point if it's valid. I'm don't know much about the engineering of underground systems but I don't see why they need to be on level tracks. Why can't the track match the contours of surface above and stay at a small distance underground. This is how the tram works on the surface and it manages the hills to places like manor top fine. There would be no need for large escalators if this is the case. Most cities that have large underground systems like London, New York, Singapore are flat and have multiple systems overlaping and therefore need to be on different levels. I'm not sure if this is the case, but maybe they run on the level because there is no need for them to run anyway other than level. Sheffield is not flat and would only ever really need radial routes going in/out of the city center such as the present Hillsborough - City - Halfway / Herdings Park routes - and therefore would not need to be different levels. So I don't see why the tunnels would need to deep or on the level. If someone knows an engineering problem with this I would like to hear it...

Thanks for the support. I'd never think that the underground parts be like they are in London, but simply in places where it any changes above ground would mean massive changes to the surroundings. Ecclesall Road or London / Chesterfield Road and maybe even Western Bank / Fulwood / Manchester Road could be ideal routes for trams if parts of the routes were underground. All these routes lead to large areas of residential housing and are also major routes out of the city. I think that a lot of people would use these tram services if they existed. but maybe it is a factor that sheffield is hardly a dense city outside the city centre.

I was just thinking the other day whether anyone has considered an underground system for Sheffield. The Supertram is pretty good in the places it goes in the city, but it does get snagged up by overground traffic in certain places and at certain times of day. I can't help but think that some of the places the tram doesn't go are simply because it would be impractical to fit a tram system through the area - such as Chesterfield Road in Woodseats. There's plenty of frequent bus routes through to the South West - but they all seem to get snagged up by traffic outside the city centre. Most of these routes would be impractical for widening or trams and therefore the problems will presumably get worse as car ownership increases. Sheffield is huddled and built on hills and valleys and therefore natural geography / topography of Sheffield means that it does not lend it's self to a highly efficient road system except maybe in the East and South East - where it seems to already exist. I'm guessing here, but surely a tram would work just as well underground as it would above ground. Indeed just after the University of Sheffield the tram plunges under the University Roundabout and seems to do fine. So surely there is an argument here that take the tram underground for certain sections of the busy radial routes out of Sheffield, so that public transport is less frustratingly slow. Such improvement provide a positive spiral of less commuter car travel as people would use the tram instead, plus providing improved bus, car, cycle driving environment in those bottle neck places. I'm fully aware it would cost a lot, and in the current financial situation it's probably not going to happen, but I was just wondering what people thought?

Hello everybody, I'd be interested in playing squash on a casual basic at Usport. So give me a private message if you're interested in arranging a game sometime. Eddie

Hello everybody, please note the cost of the life drawing session is now £5 to cover increased costs of hiring the hall. Thanks Fredington

Yes sessions have started again! And can I point out the starting time is 11:00 am!!! finishing at 1 pm!!! apologies to everyone who turned up half way through the first session because of this

We'll it's good as long as you like getting up early, a lot of student wouldn't fit in a good session in the mornings due to lectures and important sleeping . I'm good at getting up early so it worked well for me, in fact S10 is very nice in the morning - I would hardly ever have to wait to use the equipment. Its much busier in the evening and afternoon. So for me it was better and a lot cheaper. If you're a morning person and on a tight budget you'll probably find it a good deal. I don't know if you've ever been to the gym, but from my experience it seems like a pretty good gym, with plenty of room and multiples of the popular machines and equipment, plus they do lots of classes, swimming and sauna / steam room. Plus for most people at University of Sheffield its on the way to, or on the way back from university which is definitely useful and I can't think of another gym in such a good position. I recommend it.

Glad to read you'll be coming by the way, I find it really relaxing to - enough time to have a leisurely Sunday morning and then off to Life Drawing - good fun. hope to see you there Eddie

Hi James, There are no freely available easels but we do provide large enough MDF boards that people can rest on them on their legs and a chair in front of them, which seem to works well for me. Other people bring in their own easels, and some people like using the tables or sitting on the floor. There are some artists materials available as well, there's paper, although if you want to use an ususual medium then it might require you bring you're own paper. For Pencil and Charchoals the paper is fine. There's also some charchoal, pencils and ink to use if you like, but not an extensive range. Most people bring there own equipment, and just use the paper provided. Hope this answers everything OK, All the best Eddie

Hi there please see my recent tread about the Broomhall Community Centre Sunday Life Drawing Class. FrEDINGTON