Sheffield

I am from Northampton, and that is a mightily boring and dull place with precious little to do other than be miserable in. If you have ever been, then my apologies. If you’re ever going, think: do you really have to? If you’re ever passing by the signs – carry on until the signs are gone. My sentiments of Northampton are quite clearly made, but enough about that, and more about Sheffield!

S is for… Sociable

It’s a city with a lot of people. Lots and lots of different intersections of people. This is one of the things that makes Sheffield great. There are so many people that I have met during my first four years here, and so many memories with great friends that I shall never forget.

Because it has colleges and universities, it is a little bit of hotspot for young people being forced into social situations as you’d expect. Sheffield has just the right atmosphere of fun and interesting people not only coming here, but already here to further interweave social networks.

The sociability that is absent in Northampton really is present here.

H is for… Heart

If it has one thing – which it doesn’t, it has many, does our Sheffield – it would be heart. What I mean to say is its character, its quirkiness, its embrace of the past and present whilst making enough way for the future.

Sheffield has somehow retained some of the nicer traditions of this country’s past in the form of proper greengrocers and florists, butchers and bakeries, good pubs, and hardware shops. There are lots of these markers of the past that really seem to fit and thrive here as well as a wave of other independent and contemporary shops selling artisan teas and coffees, foods from across the globe in cafes and market squares, and streets with what you could truly describe as a vintage feel.

The merging of the new and the old with industrial buildings next to quaint old antiques yards is truly wonderful. This character trait of Sheffield is indeed something I miss whenever I depart from it.

E is for… Evenings

The nightlife is a good one here. If you’re bored one evening, there’ll be something to do – a pub that will be open, a bar that you can dance in, or a club that it’s not too late to get into.

Bars and pubs with such character – the Washington, and Ale Club. Whether it’s Corp, Club Tropicana at Leadmill, or Soul Jam in the SU; pub, club, or bar – there’ll be something for you.

F is for… Friendliness

The people here are generally very friendly – an unusual thing for some. It goes hand-in-hand with its sociability and heart that friendliness comes naturally too.

You can walk past random strangers who may oftentimes stop and have a little natter with you. People in shops who will smile and help you out for directions or just talk to you because why not? Sheffield is a very friendly place indeed.

F (again) is for… Fulfilling

Sheffield is fulfilling not only in the sense of the above aspects, but also from an educational point of view. This place, a hub for people, rather unsurprisingly is also a hub for learning as well.

There are many centres of learning and with them, many sub-departments and faculties – the opportunities to learn here are indeed far less limiting than many other places that I know of. The scene for study and enjoyment as you do so here is very satisfying.

I is for… Inviting

Again, this one is double-edged in meaning. Sheffield is inviting as a place because of its charm and character that tends to accept any and all who come to pass through, visit, stay, or even live indefinitely here.

Also, it is a place for curious beans who wish to explore and adventure, and in that sense, it is terribly inviting.

In my four years here, I am surprised to still be finding new areas of quaint curiosity and general loveliness to explore. So, if you let curiosity kill the cat, I promise you that Sheffield’s satisfaction will keep bringing it back!

(Another) E is for… Ey up pal!

I could not resist putting one of Sheffield’s most notable dialectal tokens (especially as I study linguistics). I have noticed that this really is synonymous with hello in Sheffield, and it’s great! Or is it reyt gud?

Whilst Sheffield has an everchanging inventory of accents moving their ways in and out, its native accent permeates slowly across quite a few of these, given some time. I know that the accent is always something that reminds me of home… which is now Sheffield. I might even add that some of my words are changing in favour of the Sheffield varieties.

L is for… Living

With a general niceness and not even much mentioned about more ‘out-there’ things to do, Sheffield has got a lot. Quite a lot to content you. That’s why I have mentioned living.

Its living has been one of the greatest and nicest lessons to me, and Sheffield is a place where I can see myself living, where I have already seen myself living and not merely existing. You can also, whilst at University, not just be with family for a change. You can be living with some of your best friends eventually and have some of the best times you never thought you could.

D is for… Delightful

It’s just a great place. I could go on again and again, but there’s a brilliant scene for so many pastimes and hobbies here. Music. Baking. Antiquing. Hiking. Shopping. Painting. Eating. Drinking. Clubbing. You name it, they’ve probably got it.

It does such a good job at fastening together shards of different creative hobbies as well as the infrastructure of different time zones. It stitches together peoples and cultures so seamlessly and wonderfully alongside education and friendliness, so thank you Sheffield for everything.

And one last thing, Sheffield is for everyone. I hope everyone can enjoy Sheffield as much as I have!

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Written by DP, Digital Student Ambassador, on 15 November 2021.