purple Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 Hi! My name is Jennifer and, as the thread title indicates, I am a Yank from the Southern US. At present, I am working on the super-duper-ultra rough draft of (what I hope will be) a novel whose secondary protagonist is a Brit ex-pat living in my neck of the woods from (drumroll!), yes, Sheffield. So, I have lots of questions about the city -- it's history, geography, lifestyles, etc. My character is a chef/restaurateur who comes from a working-class background. So, I am curious about neighborhoods wherein the child of a working-class family would have grown up back in the 60's and 70's. Primarily because I am thinking he might have named his establishment it. So, if anyone can help me with this, it would be great. Tooling around on the web willy-nilly is either getting me too much information or not enough. Other than a "boots on the ground" approach, which isn't doable at the moment or in the foreseeable future, this is it. He would have gone to Granville College which had a great catering course and done his City and Guilds . If he was a bit cleverer he would have done a Higher National Diploma at Sheffield Polytechnic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjhord Posted March 18, 2017 Author Share Posted March 18, 2017 So, is City and Guilds like an apprenticeship program or something? Because that is what my research is bearing out. And is Sheffield Polytechnic now Sheffield Hallam University? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stpetre Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Working Class 60s and 70s? Attercliffe and Pitsmoor come to mind. Also, Parson Cross estate and Wybourn estate. Good luck with your book. There is also the excellent 'A Sheffield Boy' by Keith Farnsworth, not much about cooking in it though. (Pardon me for that Roger.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TORONTONY Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 So, is City and Guilds like an apprenticeship program or something? Because that is what my research is bearing out. And is Sheffield Polytechnic now Sheffield Hallam University? City and Guilds certification is not an apprenticeship in itself, but a supplementary course of extra curricular training to compliment one's 'hands on' training in the workplace while serving your apprentice ship. Don't know about today, but in my day it was a good thing to pass and tag on to your trade certificate. Helped me a lot to get a job in Canada, and is still highly thought of in trades people's circles, over here. Sorry I have no idea on your 2nd query Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lectrolove Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 And is Sheffield Polytechnic now Sheffield Hallam University? Yes it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athy Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Jennifer, I may be stating the bleedin' obvious (a very English expression) but the way to find out about Sheffield - as with anywhere else - is to visit it. Walk the streets, meet the people, hear the accent and speech patterns, see the sights both great and less great: City Hall, Town Hall, Park Flats (once the biggest apartment block in Europe, so I'm told), Attercliffe, the Moor (a city street, not an area of countryside), the hills (Sheffield is not a flat city) and so on. Of course, this may not be practicable for you to do, but it would be most rewarding and informative if you could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjhord Posted March 18, 2017 Author Share Posted March 18, 2017 Jennifer, I may be stating the bleedin' obvious (a very English expression) but the way to find out about Sheffield - as with anywhere else - is to visit it. Walk the streets, meet the people, hear the accent and speech patterns, see the sights both great and less great: City Hall, Town Hall, Park Flats (once the biggest apartment block in Europe, so I'm told), Attercliffe, the Moor (a city street, not an area of countryside), the hills (Sheffield is not a flat city) and so on. Of course, this may not be practicable for you to do, but it would be most rewarding and informative if you could. Oh, yes! I would so love to do just that. And if I had the financial resources, I'd be on a plane in a hot second. What I've learned about it already, it does seems like a truly wonderful and unique part of England. But I am part of a working-class family myself and funds are tight. One day, hopefully . . . And thanks for the clarification, lectrolove Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natonstan Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 msjhord, I'm a Sheffielder living in Texas for the past 3 years, I couldn't believe it when I saw this thread title Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjhord Posted March 18, 2017 Author Share Posted March 18, 2017 why's that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrejuan Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 (edited) I can't believe some of these posts and what they consider working class to be. There were (and still are) working class people in every area of Sheffield. To me it means, work for a living, a strong moral compass, honesty and integrity, do unto other as you would have them do unto you. True working class people tend to dislike debt, raise their families to want to better themselves, don't display their worth, keep their homes clean and welcoming but above all are happy to share their belongings with those less fortunate. I could go on ...... Edited March 18, 2017 by andrejuan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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