Is it me or is Sheffield getting left behind?

[Happ Hazzard 10]

Why doesn't Sheffield have a monorail, or a really tall building like the Burj Khalifa? It doesn't even have a major airport!

[andyofborg 11]

Why doesn't Sheffield have a monorail, or a really tall building like the Burj Khalifa? It doesn't even have a major airport!

 

does it need a monorail? or a really tall building?

 

and were surrounded by major airports, do we really need another one?

[Longcol 592]

Why doesn't Sheffield have a monorail, or a really tall building like the Burj Khalifa? It doesn't even have a major airport!

 

A distinct lack of oil billionaires?

[SpikeMac 10]

Why doesn't Sheffield have a monorail,

Government interference

[Blaschka 10]

Government interference

 

The hole in the Manpower Services Commission building at the bottom of the Moor was designed to accommodate the monorail so it could pass through and onto London Road.

 

At least that's what I was told.

[Longcol 592]

The hole in the Manpower Services Commission building at the bottom of the Moor was designed to accommodate the monorail so it could pass through and onto London Road.

 

At least that's what I was told.

 

AFAIK it was simply to allow pedestrian access to and from the Moor.

[brianthedog 10]

AFAIK it was simply to allow pedestrian access to and from the Moor.

 

Tall pedestrians then!

[Binster 10]

What a truly fantastic thread. I would never have believed that such an insightful and intelligent dialogue could be held in such an open forum.

 

I think it says a lot about Sheffield and possibly one of the reasons why things don't seem to happen in a way we expect. Its because Sheffield people think and they care about what happens in their city.

 

In many other cities stuff just happens and more often than not if fails. Its all about risk.

 

The famous economist Milton Friedman would often say that we blame 'them' for our misfortunes, when in reality misfortune and decline are due to chance and circumstance. Sheffield has had its fair share of bad luck.

 

But with two major universities, a growing high technology manufacturing industry, good and improving infrastructure, low wages, low land prices, a sporting and cultural profile that is world renowned, I think Sheffield just needs a little luck.

 

And more people like you on this thread. As the Americans would say, 'Go Sheffield!'.

[salsafan 10]

You're completely wrong and misguided - very easy to play a stereotype. Some of my comments are tongue and cheek, however anyone with any commercial experience in Sheffield should recognised the issues I am raising and the broader issues at a national level.

 

I am not interested in the daily mail - I rather see, observe and learn by creating businesses and dealing with people from all manner of backgrounds and countries.

 

What you argue about in your last section is exactly what I oppose - CRONY CAPITALISM where by vested interests have power!

 

Wake up!

 

---------- Post added 19-02-2014 at 14:09 ----------

 

whether it's vested interest from people in the public sector, the banking industry or the energy industry it is all the same. This creates distortions and is bad for us.

Well said ! Very very well said.

At the moment, I am just waiting for maybe possible venture capitalists to invest in some start ups maybe. I wonder if there are many around in this country.

 

Many people in this city are very used to either working for themselves, knowing their own numbers, and seeing it cash in hand, or that they have been working for very big companies in the past and think that life will last that way. British Steel, British Sugar, and so forth and so forth. But those companies declined and the dynamic of the business world will come and it will shift too.

 

I wonder if any of these heavy weighted posters actually thought about writing a book on politics or other, or even some history books, so that they can actually sell their useful political information of the mega past ! At least it will bring in some tourisms to this city.

 

I've been to York recently and my bf commented on how historical York is and how beautiful it really is with their medieval elements. I said that this is very typical of where I am from, but to him, he has never seen the old historical British past. Of which many many other countries were then a part of this kind of heritage too. Nobody seemed to capitalise on this or to even express this kind of interest and intrigue to those who are actually from foreign lands. When I look at the beautiful York Cathedral, it actually is almost as beautiful as the Vatican, and it did made me think twice of why I never saw it that way before. The best thing that has also ever happened to the UK is Harry Potter. When people see these beautiful medieval history and see that they is a part of the past, and how the past is also a part of our own future too. It really is quite amazing. I love the elements of how within Harry Potter you have different teams and "houses" which were of no difference to when I went to school in Sheffield too. I truly miss those kind of days, and they should indeed be embraced and embossed into part of this history. It really actually makes me think, how come there are no artisan people who manufactures and MAKE products by hand here in Sheffield to sell ? I truly wouldn't mind reusing some of my metal polishing skills to make some jewelleries and so forth. Or to make hand-made moleskin books. Of which is now truly a luxury item.

 

People talk about their own past and they reminisc about things, but it has never occurred to them to share this kind of memories with others and actually make something to sell to bring back that kind of memories.

 

With other countries on the increase in economic climates, most people actually want to know what is classed as "british", and start to buy items which are produced in Britain. Yorkshire does have a great potential to do this to be honest, and I wondered how many actually is aware of this large market. Nobody needs and want to buy something which is something which they have. It is almost once in a life time to actually travel abroad, and most travellers and tourists do indeed treasure these kind of artisan materials.

 

Just like this. It is appreciating the fact that somebody took care to make something for me which can last at least 2 generations !

http://www.louisvuitton.eu/front/#/eng_E1/Journeys-section/Achieving-perfection

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2014 at 18:23 ----------

 

Actually, I also wonder if there has been thoughts about creating another actual theme park say in the UK but based it on the Harry Potter concept and theme, and therefore bring in some of the tourism money in at some point, and if say the Yorkshire region will be considered. Now there is a thought. In a recent interview, Rowling did express the fact that she does get asked for donation, but I do wonder if she will also consider creating a social enterprise setup if at all. Ideas, ideas.

 

---------- Post added 21-02-2014 at 18:26 ----------

 

Ooo. Ooo. Ooo !

 

Another idea. Because we are so close to the Peaks, there is also absolutely no reason why there also cannot be this big mega data centre to be built around this area utilising the rivers around Sheffield which was a part of the old manufacturing setup and bring them back to live. In doing so, we can also make it an energy efficient one, therefore powering local "hi tech" as necessary and if they can be incubated into actual companies which provide creative services across the globe.

[smiggs 10]

Natural features like rivers, hills aren't really very good for a data centre it just needs to be flat and well connected. Besides data centres don't really bring much employment, they just need a few people available to turn things off and on again when they break, companies like BT and HSBC are moving their data centres away from Sheffield however the skilled staff remain in Sheffield. The council do need to ensure that Sheffield has adequate broadband connectivity particularly in the city centre, at the moment the only way to get a fibre connection in the city centre is buy a line off digital region who are bust or pay through the nose to get it laid yourself. Ironic given the number of ISPs based in the city centre.

[salsafan 10]

Natural features like rivers, hills aren't really very good for a data centre it just needs to be flat and well connected. Besides data centres don't really bring much employment, they just need a few people available to turn things off and on again when they break, companies like BT and HSBC are moving their data centres away from Sheffield however the skilled staff remain in Sheffield. The council do need to ensure that Sheffield has adequate broadband connectivity particularly in the city centre, at the moment the only way to get a fibre connection in the city centre is buy a line off digital region who are bust or pay through the nose to get it laid yourself. Ironic given the number of ISPs based in the city centre.

There is actually a push for energy efficient data centres. You cannot move rivers, or the sea, and this actually is power in itself. The fact that this is beside our door steps, it needs to be researched and investigated into, but at least a cooling system utilising water energy is actually more feasible than you think.

 

http://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/hamina/

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Rivelin

 

You forget what Sheffield is famous for. The water mills power up flour mills, and the industrial revolution period too. It utilises water power to turn machinaries. This has not changed, but to activate the water flow possibly need to be considered. Also, there is actually nothing to turn the Sheffield area once again back into a small manufacturing base and be productive and using such technologies again. That actually will future proof the city itself for the nearby future. Cos you cannot get this kind of water power from the Thames. The elevation and the water power is what turned those mills to begin with.

 

Sheffield cannot always be running behind the development of other cities, but it has to have a unique selling point and actually make great use of what it could provide. There is nothing to stop those kind of mills to be activated again, and actually either turn it into small time manufacturing either of potteries or local manufactured goods, or flours and so forth, or even a hi tech business like a data centre. Because in the future, this will and is a necessity for all. How else can everyone else be powered up ? Google just released the location of their own data centres. In the US, it used to be in secret locations and secluded areas, but in the UK, surely we need something extra and more energy efficient and friendly than your typical Sungard's locations ?

 

You know that in the far future, energy shall be finite, so where will those websites and hi-tech be coming from ? Whose energy shall it use to power it up ? A lot of people complain about city in comparison to all the rest, and in actual fact, most city planning has been performed over years and not just at the whim and the drop of a hat either. For those biotech Cambridgeshire areas, they have been incubating the areas a lot, and tried to catch each wave as it rises up. For Sheffield, we tried to catch one wave only then to be released and try to catch another in a perpetuating motion. It used to tried to champion sports, until such a time that each Northern city has its own sports facilities. Yet really, an incubation can only truly happen when everybody works and pull together into the same direction itself. Sheffield council HAS indeed been incubating this city for an awful long time, of which its citizens have been rejecting it left right and centre, which is absolutely ridiculous. The only thing which has going for it, is the AMRC centre, which is still holding onto old manufacturing excellence on some level. Royce Rolls is down the road. Manufacturing tech is still hanging around here somewhat.

 

I could not believe that we did not pick up the other manufacturing technologies like material science. There was indeed a university spin off which I am not sure if it did commercialise or not. It could have been part of say the Burberry technology and use of the fabric onto their luxury brand itself and be exclusive for example ?

Edited February 21, 2014 by salsafan

[1978 14]

Cassius: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings." Julius Caesar (I, ii, 140-141)

 

Sheffield is brilliant at blaming the council, the government, the Tories, Labour, LibDems, the unions, the banks or big business. We are underlings, there's always someone up there to carry a can.

 

Is Sheffield getting left behind? Behind what?

 

We're behind in grasping natural advantages for sure.

 

We may not have our own airport but we've got good air services from Manchester, East Midlands and Leeds/Bradford. Good port facilities are available on the Humber with ferries to the continent little over an hour's drive away. The M1 is on our doorstep.

 

We're at the centre of England for rail services with through no change routes stretching from Aberdeen and Glasgow to Penzance and Southampton and across from Liverpool to Norwich. They could be quicker but there are few places outside London that can boast as many destinations.

 

It's true the enabling Act of Parliament for our Supertram was passed 2 years before Manchester's for their Metrolink, yet they got their first line opened 2 years before we did. However, Manchester started with an extensive network of suburban commuter lines, some of which were electric before the trams took over. Tyneside's Metro was similarly fortunate in mostly using existing rail tracks running through heavily populated areas. Sheffield's opportunities to do the same are limited because the railways in the Sheaf and Don valleys don't run very close to heavily populated suburbs. Our suburban roads out of town aren't wide enough to easily add tramlines - as we've found in several places.

 

Having sons living in Essex and Cambridge I certainly note a much greater degree of reliance on small private companies for employment. Self employment seems natural there, but quite an alien thought to most up north!

 

Having worked for nearly 40 years in Sheffield I can't help noticing that despite having two excellent universities, with a large percentage of graduates staying in the city, far too many of those graduates get sucked into jobs that a candidate with CSEs might have done 30 years ago.

 

Where are more graduate jobs? IKEA won't create many of them. They need more people to spend their money in their store. Sheffield won't prosper until more people with money live or come here. I share concerns that the top man in Hallam University gets a salary way in excess of anything I ever dreamt of earning, but if he spends it here it goes around. Similarly, I'm not happy to see footballers get so well paid, but if they spend it locally it does us all good. We need lots more high earners.

 

Gripple has been a Sheffield success story. Forgemasters are doing well, despite all that they have to contend with. I daren't mention any other companies for fear I might mark them with a kiss of death, but there are many small firms trying to grow. We need lots more of them. We need to give more young people the courage to set up a business and see it grow. Older people too, with experience that can be turned into a useful business. We need a Dyson. JCB have made the small town of Cheadle. Who will be the innovator to bring new employment and high wages to this city?

 

Only when more income starts flowing in will the city really start catching up. Look up, not down. The fault is looking down on ourselves, imagining doom and gloom all around. Unemployment, social deprivation, poor health, they all do exist, but we can do better.

 

Instead of complaining about litter, go out and clear it up. Success is lots of little things regularly done when each one seems meaningless. Chairman Mao and his first step.

 

At which point I'll have to stop as I'm told there are more than a few little things that need doing within a few yards of this keyboard!!

Edited February 23, 2014 by 1978