Boing

Just driven back from Holmfirth and you could see it from miles away. Glad it's *just* an empty building and no-one appears to have been hurt.

When I bought Pulp tickets I rang at 9am, got pretty much straight through and got great tickets - that was on a Friday morning too.

Totally agree with the OP although at least parking at Millhouses and Graves Parks is now easier with all the non-payers parking elsewhere - I remember a time when if you didn't get there by 10.30am there was no chance of finding a space. I also see that the OP is making the point about people being tight - I've never understood that in Sheffield, but having not grown up here why would I. Friends and family who come to visit Sheffield can't believe how lucky we are to have such fantastic parks - everyone pays council tax but not everyone has these great facilities on their doorstep. I would suggest all you "charity starts at home" people take a trip elsewhere in the country where such lovely parks do not always exist with such low-cost car parking. The safety aspect is the other main issue here too - if the alternative free parking was on a quiet side road then it would be easier to understand. Point well made Rob 1, I say.

I have various bits and bobs if you want to pm me with anything you still need. x

Not particularly helpful, I'm sure the OP has googled it already but is looking for recommendations! My husband is an accountant at UHY-Wingfield Slater but they are quite small so not sure if they're taking anyone on. I will ask him for you when he gets home.

Got exactly the same problem - thanks for all the info!

Well done for helping out, I can't believe other drivers would be so idiotic as to assume she had parked there! Mind you there are some real moron drivers out there. I don't think any of the comments here have been unhelpful or unsupportive, perhaps just misinterpreted as so many posts on this forum are!

There is SAVTE but I'm not sure if they are quite specific about who can access the free classes - refugees, people isolated in the community etc. http://www.savte.org.uk is the website if you want to check it out. I teach ESOL for Sheffield College - is it worth investigating the possibility of enrolling on an ESOL course in September? Anyway hope this gives you a few pointers in the right direction.

I didn't realise people had had such bad experiences but I can quite see why, reading the reviews! I haven't seen the manager but it's clear she's terrible and has no people skills whatsoever. I avoid playcentre parties like the plague anyway but have obviously been to friends' kids' parties. I do like the place as does my 4 year old daughter, although my 2 year old son just plays on the cars near the entrance and occasionally kicks a ball around, so it is a bit of a waste of money for him. However I can totally see where people are coming from - I never eat there as the service is slow and it's expensive (though I find it's similar in most playcentres) and I do find the octopus for under 3s very strange and pointless! The health and safety comments are also very worrying and I will be keeping a sharp lookout if/when I next go.

I did it for the first time last year but injury has prevented me from entering this year - gutted as it is the last from Don Valley Good luck to everyone running, it's a great event!

I used to walk up there with my daughter when she was a baby quite a lot and got really irritated trying to dodge those people. I prefer the ones who have a small stall or even just a collection tin, not the ones trying to get me to sign up to giving away my non-existent income every month (daytime with baby - doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out most of these people are on low income!). I think British people don't like to seem rude so that's why we get annoyed because we end up having to give them an abrupt answer, or walk the other way avoiding eye contact?

I'm intrigued now having never seen these (and I work in the community with non-Brits - must be in the wrong area :-) ). I like the idea though - teenagers expressing themselves but still conforming to religious tradition. I'm trying to think of a non-Muslim equivalent, like having loads of piercings or something, but then I don't think it's comparable as we (by which I mean Christians I suppose??) don't have the same strict dress guidelines. Each to their own, it provides a topic of conversation at least! I'm trying my best to ignore the idiots on the thread, why must there always be some on this forum?!

You can also park on Norfolk Park Road but again that's a 5-10min walk (depending on how far you have to go), or like someone said get the tram. Good luck with the course!

People are s***s. I'm so sorry for your loss. We had a camera and laptop (amongst other things) stolen with all photos of my baby boy on it - they probably got £20 for them both. Makes me sick. I really hope you get your things back.

BT Vision is awful - you might as well stick with Freeview. The channel selection is poor and they've just "upgraded" their service with new graphics/menus etc and it's just terrible - so slow to react, iplayer freezes constantly, difficult to navigate etc. We were with Sky before but switched to save money (though we were happy with Sky), now BT's prices have crept up and up we're switching back to Sky who offered us half price TV for 12 months inc. Sky Sports and free broadband for 6 months. Only b*gger is BT sneaked us onto a new 18mth contract when we upgraded our broadband in October and are now demanding £150 termination charges so beware of that. I intend to fight them! Definitely keep switching though - Sky count you as a new customer once you've been away for more than a year.

I used washable nappies with my first but wimped out with my second as it was just easier using disposables, but from an environmental point of view some say the washing of the nappies cancels out any benefit due to the energy used (even more so with a tumble drier, which we don't have) but I'd still say washable is better. We had Bambineo ones which were man-made (so not nice and organic) but dried really quickly and felt really soft. Still got them in fact if anyone wants them! As for putting poo in the bin...I'd like to see any of you opposing it try to get baby poo out of a nappy! Yes you can buy disposable (or even washable) liners for the washable nappies but even then it can't be good flushing them (the liners) all down the loo. Soaking poo off nappies never has been my strong point ;-).

Whatever you do, don't get BT Vision if you can possibly avoid it, and beware of upgrading your broadband as they'll start you on a new 18 month contract, as we discovered to our cost.

Yep just the Star trying to sell more copies! I think they did pretty well considering - our road was very icy and I certainly wouldn't want a huge bin lorry careering down it out of control! I don't know what some people expect, sometimes nature just gets in the way.

Thanks for the info folks. Hope they catch those idiots sooner rather than later.

Really sorry to hear that and thanks for passing it on. You should be allowed to leave things in your car but sadly there are too many opportunists around. Hope the scumbags who did it have a miserable Christmas.

Hear hear, I thought they were fantastic, great show :-)

Personally I think the parks in Sheffield are fantastic and do not begrudge paying 40p (or even 80p shock horror) to take my kids to play there. I wonder how many parents moan and whinge about the car parking then go and spend £15+ in the café at Millhouses... As for the car parks never being full previously, even at weekends - what utter rubbish! If you didn't get there early there was never anywhere to park. Now we can just chuckle at the skinflints who leave plenty of room for the rest of us in the car park, while they fill up the roadside and pocket their pound. VAT receipt? Couldn't care less - some people will do anything to sound knowledgeable!

I used to use a lovely lady called Amanda (Mandy) Dale who lives at Gleadless Townend - you can find her details here http://www.openfamilyservices.org.uk/ofs/directory/Sheffield_City_Council/8935#.UEC7edaPVkI or call her on 265 2128. Sheffield Information Link is also useful.

Or turn left at the traffic lights if you're coming from the opposite direction (Gleadless) ;-) It is signposted as a recycling centre I think, from the traffic lights.

I've just been sent this link http://schoolclosuresale.co.uk/shop/index.php There are stacking chairs for £5 each, not sure if this is any use to you but thought I'd pass it on.