ECCOnoob

What is wrong with some of your people. Its business pure and simple. The germans won the bid. They had a better product and better terms than the uk suppliers. They will bring in 2000 jobs to replace the alleged 1400 lossed. You really think its ok to spend money on an inferior product just because its made in britain by uk workers. Have you took a look around some of the items in your house.... all made in the UK are they?

Ah diddums. You only get 10% employer pension contribution from the public purse compared to my 3% employer contribution from the private sector which I have had for years and I always will have for the rest of my career. You really expect to get sympathy from the real world population???

Interesting number crunching overheard on radio this morning Average employee pension contribution in public sector - 6% Average employer pension contribution in public sector -10% to 14% Average employee pension contribution in private sector - 5% Average employer pension contribution in private sector - 3% to 6% If these figures have even an ounce of truth no wonder the government has intervened. 14% contributions from the public purse. Seriously, how long did they think that gravy train was going to last? And yet they still felt they needed to go out and strike. ha ha.

Why? You dont think they will have a well lit CCTV covered car park? Besides I dont recall Parson Cross being the car theft capital of europe

Im sorry but it was quite obviously not missed by enough people or it would not have closed. Neither would the Meadowhall one for that matter. Trends and tastes changed and Pollards never moved with the times. That IMO was the biggest factor in its downfall.

I would love a selfridges too I just worry that most of the Sheffield yokels would walk in, laugh at the price tags and walk back out again. Fingers crossed though. Sevenstone might actually finally get built.

I agree with most of your post but re: Department Stores.. Are Debenhams, Atkinsons and John Lewis not big enough. What store would you like to come here?

Whilst I am sad to see another store potentially closing and I do feel sorry for the staff, I just dont understand why people slag off town all the time. There are plenty of nice parts. Its not all like the markets. Not every store in a poundland and not every cafe is a greggs. I have a serious question - what actually do people want in an ideal world that would make Sheffield allegedly as good as Leeds or Manchester. BE HONEST If we got a Harvey Nichols would people actually buy anything from it? Selfridges? A nice little independant boutique? Would we have dozens of people popping into the harvey nics bar for cocktails and a ladies lunch? If we got a full service department store like a modern day Walshs with fancy goods, silver service restaurant and a live pianist every day how long do you think it would last in modern day Sheffield? Would all the yuppies flock to it to buy their expensive clothes and sit around having afternoon tea in the restaurant listening to the pianist? The fact is shopping habits have changed thanks to superstores and internet shopping. Even in central london where the real money is, stores like Harrods, Selfridges, Liberty, Peter Jones, Fenwick etc are little more than celeb haunts who wouldn't know a quality garment from a primark special or tourist destinations showing off to bring the visitors in. The city has to evolve somehow but it needs to be smart about it and not just copy what it sees in Leeds and Manchester. After all those redevelopments are coming up to 10 years or so now. There would be nothing worse than unvailing our newly transformed centre - only for it to already look out of date!

It would look a bit like this....

Castle Market, Wilkinson, Marks & Spencer, Orchard Square, Central Library, Sheffield Interchange, John Lewis.........

It could be a while off yet. According to the Guardian Ernst and Young's administration package might allow the creditor to keep the most profitable stores themselves open and close off the others. Fingers crosssed Sheffield could be in the profitable box. It always seems busy enough.

You could argue the same about why small bottles of coke are often £1.30 - £2.00 from newsagents and vending machines when you can get a whole big bottle for a £1.00 from a supermarket. its mark up. simple as that. Everywhere does it. Supply and demand, captive audience, late licence, special location, special events etc all contribute to how much a place can get away with charging. That's why certain hotels for example get away with £9.00 - £15.00 for a glass of wine.

Unfortunatley you are very much mistaken. Nearly all restaurants have a selection of mineral water on their menu and this would automatically be given unless you clearly specify TAP WATER. Waiters are sneaky and will often ask if you would like water for the table before you even get chance to sit down. Its a nice little earner to have a couple of bottles of horrogate spa or whatever added to the bill.

Sorry, have I missed something here. The big boys have won again?? Its called progress. Get over it. Was the travellers really worth saving that much. Perhaps if it had more customers in the first place it wouldn't have been bought and sold off so easily. I cant wait for sainsburys over this end of town. Im sick of being stuck with barracks morrisons, ecco morrisons, big asda or little asda.

That makes no sense. If you are a student, on a government training contrack, incapacity, medically inflicted or an immigrant you cannot apply for JSA so the 16 million is a totally inaccurate figure. There is a big difference between people working and receiving tax credits or someone training for a job vs some lazy bstard who has been out of work since 1991 and claims they can find a job because its all Thatcher's fault. Anyone who works or is training is actually putting something back into the system. Get a few more of the latter off their backsides and into any kind of work and we might start to return to normalility again.

What has BT got to do with it? They dont set the charges that mobile operators charge. They didn't make a rule saying that freephone was not included in mobile tariffs. Private companies can pick whatever number they want and charge what they want. If you want to take advantage of the freephone or low call numbers use a call box if you dont have a landline.

I would rather people get a landline or use a phone box if they want to use an 0800. I really dont see the point of getting rid of a "free" number to replace it with a chargeable one. Not everyone one the planet has a contract mobile with inclusive minutes.

Errm.... Yeah they do because they are the government. That's what they are there for. They make the choices of where to spend and where to cut. Who did you expect to make the decisions? Simon Cowell? Elmo? What was your point......... Do you think that every single member of the voting public has a right to be consulted on every decision? Besides, could some expert on international relations and military strategy perhaps tell me why £250 million is such an bad amount? Up until recently a lot of people and companies were making good money out of relations with Lybia. Perhaps the government aka those with the full facts might see it as a good thing to be involved.

I thought the USA had a medicare insurance scheme for people who were on welfare and could not afford their own healthcare. I never thought it was as cut throat as no money-no treatment. Did this nutcase have a job? Previous job or receive any welfare payments one wonders...

As a private sector non union member I am delighted by stories like this. I shows the truth behind their false "people's champions" facard. I have said before and been shouted down too many times that most union leaders could not give one toss about any of their members. All they crave is their own publicity and reward. The whole union system is a complete disgrace run by either a complete bully or a committee of crybabies.

So what? You have not qualified as an accountant yet so why cant you take a job in the meantime. I studied my law degree but I didn't sit on my backside all day waiting for my lectures to start. I worked part time in hotels. It didn't mean that I was going to be working in a hotel all my life. get off your horse.

How exactly? Did the government make people take out more credit than they could afford? Did the government make people in america default on their mortgages? What about when the banks make a profit again. As a shareholder you will be entitled to some of that. Plus as a shareholder you wont have an opportunity to rant and moan about how its run becuase you will be given the chance to vote and have a say. See the bigger picture

It was a craze but any credibility has gone because a celeb has got in on the act.... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2006484/Planking-officially-dead-Gordon-Ramsay-tries-hand-latest-online-fad.html

Errm bosses get the biggest bonuses because they are the boss. They make the decisions and have the overall responsibility. If you dont like that work harder and become one yourself. As sensibly confirmed above a right to strike is not a human right neither is there any automatic right to have a job be grateful you have one and get on with it.

Can we just go over some of a words that seem to have accidently fallen from your mouth there. I like tradition. I am proud of this nations achievements I am well aware of the British history. I was brought up by proud "old folk" both of whom were accademics and one of which was a history teacher in schools. Maybe if you knew a bit more history you might realise that British covered a lot more than just this little island. "The likes of me" are not a different breed we are all called these things known as human beings. What has any of that got to do with anything. NOW. according to your previous post (just in case you forgot)... The question I asked was what makes you ACTUALLY british? Do you not have any generational heritage from any other country? According to your own words..... if you do that means you are not ever fully british. So I ask again. What makes you ACTUALLY british? Can you sit there and confirm that there is not one drop of foreign blood in your family history. I suspect there are millions more people in this country with some form of ancestral foreign connection than you think. Even our own royal family doesn't have a 100% pure british connection does it?? Ball is back in your court.