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Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
9 of the best things to do in Sheffield
I've lived in Sheffield for over 20 years and, when I'm out walking the dog first thing up at Graves Park as the sun creeps up over the whole city, I never cease to be bowled over by its beauty. Visiting friends from London always marvel at the tremendous pubs (and the price of a pint!), and when so many cities have been lost to rapid gentrification with Identikit high streets, Sheffield has always managed to retain a distinct personality and character that I cherish. Sheffield is a magnificent city break and countryside retreat wrapped up in one. It was once known for its world-leading steel trade, which stretches back to the 14th century, hence its former 'Steel City' moniker. There are plenty of leftover industrial buildings, with many now taking on new leases of life in culture or hospitality, such as food halls, markets, recording studios, restaurants and bars. But as one of Europe's greenest cities it's also bursting with public parks (more than 80), acres of woodland, and manicured gardens to explore. The incredibly hilly terrain, combined with its immediate proximity to the spectacular Peak District, which is only a ten-minute drive from the west side of the city, means that Sheffield is punctuated with remarkable views (Bamford Edge is gorgeous for sunsets — or climb nearby Win Hill for even more of a panoramic view). Sheffield has a longstanding history of pioneering music and culture, too — from bands such as Pulp, the Human League and Arctic Monkeys to the award-winning Warp Films, which produced 2025's huge TV hit Adolescence and many Shane Meadows films. It's a city that remains proudly independent and from cafés to record shops, bars to vintage clothing stores, that independence is one of Sheffield's defining characteristics. And it's only two hours away from London by train, making it an easy day trip if you're short on time. These are my top picks for what to do. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue Sheffield has long since distanced itself from the nickname 'Steel City' and now proudly brands itself the 'Outdoor City' — justifiably so. With about 22,600 acres of green space taking up over 60 per cent of the city — about 4.5 million trees and over 800 exquisitely maintained green spaces, including parks, woodlands, and public gardens, the city is spoilt when it comes to idyllic spots. Even the rivers of the city centre double up as places to paddleboard, canoe or kayak. Make sure to visit the pretty botanical gardens, home to 5,000 species of plants and, slightly bizarrely, a bear pit that dates back to the 19th century. If you've got time to spare, swing by nearby Sharrow Vale Road, a buzzy little street full of independent shops and cafés. Try the pastries at Tonco, a brew at Porter Coffee or some award-winning Mexican at Pellizco. Then stroll up to the sprawling Endcliffe Park, into Whiteley Woods and on to Forge Dam — you'll take in rivers, streams, woodland, parkland and end at a great café. Brocco on the Park is a trendy boutique hotel overlooking Endcliffe Park, with an excellent restaurant. DC Outdoors has a range of guided outdoor activities, from introductory taster sessions to full weekend excursions and adventures. Sheffield has several galleries and museums worth visiting. From family-friendly options like Weston Park — an interactive museum and gallery that covers local history, archaeology, zoology and more (free entry, donations welcome) — to contemporary art spaces such as Site Gallery (also free). The artist Pete McKee, a local favourite who has worked with everyone from Noel Gallagher to Sir Paul Smith, has his own shop and gallery in Leah's Yard, a beautifully restored grade II* listed industrial building that is now home to independent outlets, including a second art spot, the Yard Gallery. St Paul's Hotel & Spa is a well-located and stylish spot to base yourself, relax and unwind in between gallery visits. According to a 2024 report from the University of Sheffield, the city is 'the real ale capital of the world'. As an avid cask ale drinker I find this conclusion hard to refute. The city is home to 58 breweries, which produce about 1,800 different beers every year. It has a huge variety of alehouses — you'll be hard pressed not to stumble across a brilliant pub in the city — making it a smashing spot for a crawl. Begin from the train station at the Sheffield Tap, which features a former Edwardian waiting and dining room turned into a resplendent drinking space, complete with on-site brewery. Then head to the Rutland Arms (as well known for its chip butties as its beer) and up to the Bath Hotel, a cosy corner pub complete with a snug and original stained-glass windows. Hop on the tram to Kelham Island to the legendary, award-winning Fat Cat (which claims to have been Sheffield's first real ale pub) and on to Kelham Island Tavern (awarded Camra's Real Ale National Pub of the Year two years running). If you prefer the fizzy stuff then fret not: Sheffield is also a haven for craft beer. The Old Shoe is slap bang in the city centre and offers such an endless rotation of beers that the menu gets updated throughout the day. You can drink pints directly from the tank at Triple Point Brewery, Hop Hideout is a brilliant bottle shop and tap room, and the Brewery of St Mars of the Desert is a cute microbrewery and taproom hidden away on an industrial estate. At the beer hall Kapital you'll find fresh, unpasteurised Czech lager delivered directly from brewery cellars in South Bohemia every week. Join Sheffield Food Tours' guided food and beer tour, which takes in five Kelham Island beer institutions, old and new, plus three food stops. Whatever time of year you visit, chances are there will be some form of festival happening. In June hundreds of documentaries from around the world are screened at Doc/Fest. Early in July there's Crossed Wires, known as the 'Glastonbury of podcast festivals', and at the end of the month the Tramlines music festival takes place (2025 features the triumphant return of Pulp as headliners). October has art and left-field music at No Bounds, the literary festival Off the Shelf and the film and music festival Sensoria. Year-round you'll find festivals spanning food, music, beer, wine, film, arts, crafts and more. Sheffield has become such a mecca for specialty coffee — amazing places include Mow's, Marmadukes, 2323, Albie's, Steam Yard — that it now has the annual multi-venue Sheffield Coffee Festival (May/June). You can check the local events guide, Our Favourite Places, to keep on top of festival event dates during your trip. If you want to be in the thick of the action you can't get more well positioned than Radisson Blu in the city centre. It's a hotel that blends Scandinavian design with natural materials and steel details to touch upon Sheffield's industrial heritage, with a lovely rooftop bar and restaurant. For street food head to the enormous Cambridge Street Collective food hall, named best food hall at the British Street Food Awards in 2024, where you'll find food from around the world as well as regular DJ performances; Cutlery Works is another bustling street food hall. For more intimate offerings, Bench — centred on one long bench — is delightful, offering natural wines with small plates such as grilled Cornish octopus, red pepper and smoked garlic. No Name is smaller but packs flavour and character via its ever-changing bistro menu and relaxed bring-your-own-wine vibes. As for high-end dining, if you're going to have one blowout meal while in the city, Jöro is the place to visit. Located in a beautifully restored former paper mill in Oughtibridge, a village in the north of Sheffield (roughly a 15-minute drive from the city centre), its hyper-seasonal, modern European-style tasting menus combine local ingredients (Yorkshire-reared beef; the tips of nearby spruce trees that have only a two-week window for eating) with Japanese influence and dishes. It's a perfect combination of high-end food, such as braised pork belly with fragrant Thai broth and wild leeks or confit of Jerusalem artichoke and roasted chicken sauce, with a setting that is immaculately designed yet relaxed. There's no dress code and there are just 11 tables, all facing the open kitchen. Read our full review of Jöro at Oughtibridge Mill With seven impeccably furnished apartments above the restaurant, Jöro also offers dine-and-stay packages, which include a delightful breakfast — featuring miso, banana and lime muffins, treacle soda bread, and salmon cured in citrus and kampot pepper — delivered directly to your room. For a comprehensive insight into Sheffield's eclectic food scene, book a food tour of the city centre with Get Your Guide. This four-hour walking tour takes you to five top-notch restaurants and concludes with a visit to Bullion Chocolate. • Great city breaks in the UK Kelham Island Museum (on Kelham Island, a 20-minute walk from the city centre) celebrates 300 years of Sheffield's history and features what is considered the most powerful working steam engine in Europe — a loud and impressive thing to witness kick into gear (it gets switched on noon and 2pm from Thursday to Sunday). The museum traces the history of Sheffield's role in the Industrial Revolution, celebrates the significant role of women in the steel industry (keep your eyes peeled also for Women of Steel, a bronze statue next to City Hall) and plunges you into Sheffield during the Victorian era. It even has its own on-site pub. The museum is free to enter but welcomes donations. If architecture is your thing, then we'd recommend booking a resident-led walking tour of Park Hill. It's Europe's largest grade II listed building and has stood as a towering brutalist housing estate since 1961. It was also the setting for the award-winning musical Standing at the Sky's Edge. The estate has been polished up; while you're there, don't miss South Street Kitchen for a Middle Eastern brunch or the Pearl for cocktails and small plates. Most importantly, take the opportunity to explore the vast walkways, take in the views and learn the history. A 40-minute drive away (there's also a bus service) is Chatsworth House, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and one of the UK's most beautiful stately homes, located in spectacular grounds that stretch over a 1,000-acre park. Why not turn your stay into a heritage experience too? Sexton's Lodge is located in the grade II* listed Gatehouse to Sheffield General Cemetery and is furnished with original pieces, lighting and antiques from the 19th century. Shearings offers an excellent, fully guided four-night tour of the Peak District, featuring a visit to Chatsworth, with Sheffield as your base. Sheffield's most famous food export is Henderson's Relish, a delicious sweet-and-spicy condiment that's been produced since 1885. If you arrive by train you'll even notice a towering orange bottle of it painted on the station's wall, and its secret recipe is still splashed on various dishes today. I'd heartily recommend sloshing it on your chips at the Rutland Arms. Local products also worth trying include honey from the Sheffield Honey Company, coffee roasted by Foundry and Dark Woods, and the lip-tingling hot sauces from Khoo's. Or sip on Birdhouse tea at their city centre teahouse before sampling Bullion's bean-to-bar craft chocolate. Fancy experiencing something else unique to Sheffield? Why not stay in a houseboat hotel in Victoria Quays. Central Sheffield has plenty going on — this is where you'll find the best theatres, galleries, bars and restaurants — but the city does not revolve around it. Sheffield is a pocketed place made up of idiosyncratic little neighbourhoods that developed from villages or hamlets as it grew (the city is made up of 28 wards). There's Kelham Island, which has become a buzzy food and drink hotspot and is full of atmospheric riverside beer gardens (I love the wonderfully wonky and junkyard-esque outdoor space at the Gardeners Rest), street food markets, bakeries (Depot is fantastic), taco joints (try Piña), independent coffee spots (Gaard), pubs and live music venues. If you like things a little slower and quieter, head southwest to leafy Nether Edge, where you'll find the aforementioned Bench and the Broadfield pub for some of Sheff's heartiest pies. Other self-contained neighbourhoods that offer an alternative to the city centre include Ecclesall Road and Sharrow Vale Road, a 20-minute walk from the city centre, where you must try Sheffield's oldest Indian restaurant, Ashoka. Or head up the hill to Broomhill for lunch at the superb café Bon, then a quiet pint in the Itchy Pig micropub before dinner at Bambukat. For a quieter and more tucked-away place to stay head to the Florentine. Located in Fulwood, it has a large sun terrace ideal for a peaceful drink and is walkable to both Broomhill and Ranmoor — both quiet areas offering plentiful food and drink options. If you want to get even further into nature, then nip into the Peak District, a 20 to 40-minute drive —depending on where you end up — from Sheffield city centre. Few cities have such immediate access to remarkable countryside and it's a must for anyone visiting. Parts of the national park are accessible via train, bus and car, meaning options are plentiful for long walks, bold hikes, climbing adventures, mountain biking or casual strolls around picturesque villages. Walking is thirsty work, so combine it with the national park's best pubs on a seven-hour Peak District pub tour. You'll visit pretty villages and stop off in six pubs, with plenty of sightseeing opportunities along the way. • Best hotels in the Peak District• Lake District v Peak District: which is better? Have we missed anything? Add your suggestions in the comments below
BBC News
07-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Missing Tidworth soldier and St Pauls Carnival celebrations
Here's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media. Our pick of local website stories Bristol Live are reporting on a animal rights protest outside the Winterstoke Road KFC by The Human League. The protest is part of a national campaign by the 24/7 and various national outlets have reported on an 83-year-old retired priest from Bristol who was arrested at a pro-Palestine protest in Bristol 24/7 reported from St Pauls Carnival, which certainly didn't look scaled down, despite organisers saying it would be a "stripped back" version of the event, which will now take place every two has also been lots of love for Lando Norris on Somerset Live after his first Silverstone F1 win. Our top three from yesterday What to watch on social media Wiltshire Search & Rescue are searching for a "high risk missing person" around Tidworth.A scam, offering free transport cards and featuring Dan Norris has been posted as a warning on Bristol City Council's Facebook Swindon Borough Council is asking people to put their bins out by 6am for the next two weeks because of the hot heat has meant the layout of the old gardens at Lydiard Park are "grotty old bike lockers" are being removed to be replaced by bookable ones, according to this Facebook group some joker has put a clown mask inside a drain in Warminster.
Irish Post
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
From Disco Pigs to adapting Sing Street for the stage, Enda Walsh tells all
ENDA WALSH is an Irish writer, playwright and screenwriter. He cast Cillian Murphy in his first play Disco Pigs and recently worked with him on the film Small Things Like These. In his latest project, Enda takes us back to the 80s with an adaptation of his book, Sing Street at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, West London. He chatted to CLAUDIA REDMOND about the show, being mistaken for a Corkonian, and what it was like being taught by Roddy Doyle. Enda Walsh has adapted his book Sing Street for the stage So what are you up to? We are here today at a rehearsal showing of Sing Street. I think it is pretty joyful: it is set in 1984-1985 in Ireland. A group of school kids put a band together, they go from their school uniforms to dressing up like Duran Duran. It is pretty chaotic but they end up finding their voices. It is a story about friendship and community. It's a beautiful film that John Carney made. It's a beautiful story and a real honour to put it on stage. It is bitter sweet at times, it's all the Irish stuff, it's quite chaotic, funny, a little bit sad: that sort of vibe. What was your look back in 1985? The thing about the 1980s was every sort of three months there seemed to be like a different style of dress. I went through the early electronic sort of stuff, Duran Duran, Gary Numan all that sort of thing, and Human League. But by 1985 I was probably into The Smiths, so there were a lot of cardigans. Roddy Doyle was one of your teachers at school. What was he like and was he strict? He was an extraordinary teacher. Roddy got us all into English, I turned out a writer but there were other people in my class who were probably better writers: I just stuck with it. It seemed like we did the curriculum and then he opened up this cabinet at the end of the room, and it was full of these books. A lot of American literature. He introduced us to a whole range of different writers, and it was true we used to sort of bum cigarettes off one another in the yard and talk about Charles Bukowski or whoever it was. What is your favourite Roddy Doyle book? When I read Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha he talks about the estate Kilbarrack being built that was just behind my house. So I know that terrain really well as a very young boy. It's a beautiful book: the story of a relationship breaking down, a divorce, but through a kid's point of view. What are your Irish roots? I am a Dubliner but a lot of people in Ireland think that I'm from Cork because I started making work in Cork. I had a play called Disco Pigs when I was a younger man, and a Dublin man moving to Cork was a bit of a strange move. They gave us a civic reception, and when the Cork people found out that I was a Dublin man they almost took it away from me. There was a bit of 'What!? You're actually a Dub! Jesus!' But I loved that city. Cork is an amazing City, it's always been great, the scale of it is fantastic. The shape of it is like an amphitheatre, so to me as a Dubliner moving down there it was always very theatrical. Cork people themselves because it is the second city they've got a lot to prove, so I've always loved their attitude. Cork star Cillian Murphy You're well known for giving a famous Cork man, Cillian Murphy, his start. How did that come about? Cillian was in a band not unlike the Sing Street guys. He was 18 at the time and in a band called The Sons of Mr Green Genes. They were like kids just like these fellas here, a fantastic band and they were just about to be signed to an Acid-Jazz label and I had a play called Disco Pigs that we were casting. I wrote it for Eileen Walsh this great Cork actor, and she was very young at the time, she was 18, but I had seen her in a play and thought she was extraordinary. Then we were looking for this guy and we were all obsessed with Cillian in this band. He just had this magnetism and it just turned out that he could act, so I auditioned him, gave him the role. We've made a ton of work since: he's just got something. What is the next project you have in mind to work on together? We always want to work with one another. We made a movie last year: 'Small Things Like These.' When you work with friends the shorthand is there, it's quite joyful and fun and I'm sure we will work again together. The cast of Sing Sing (Pic: Richard Southgate) What is your favourite theatre in Ireland? It's just about to be pulled down, and it's barely a theatre. I love Galway a lot, and I've premiered a lot of my own shows in the Black Box in Galway, which is in a car park. I remember bringing producers from around the world, they would come to see my shows and they would walk through this car park asking, 'what are you doing here?' But the venue itself has an amazing atmosphere and that is my favourite place. I have made a ton of shows in there and now they are pulling it down which is super sad. How do you think theatre is doing in Ireland at the moment? I don't live there, but I go back. We've always had incredibly strong actors but I think now we've got really great directors, so I think the work has become really quite dangerous and expressive and unusual, and I'm really proud of that. It's changed a lot in the last 15 years, a lot of young companies. But it's hard work. It's hard to keep it going I think for all of them. But it's always been like that. Even when I was a boy in my twenties it was always a difficult profession to be in and to stay in. I am excited though when I go back and see these really quite arresting productions. The Irish are taking over London at the moment, with Conor McPherson having back to back productions at the Old Vic with The Brightening Air and Girl from the North Country and yourself of course. Are you surprised? Yes and Mark O'Rowe at the Kiln Theatre with Reunion. When I play in America and they say 'Why are there so many Irish writers?' I think it has to do with our geography. I think it has to do with the fact that we're on the edge of Europe so a lot of the work is to do with identity and self-analysis, about who we are. Who we are in relation to Britain used to be the old plays, or who we are in relation to America, a whole load of plays about that. Back in the day in the 1700s, back in the villages you had the Seanchaí in the town who would stand up and proclaim who we were at the time and talk out these stories. It's all about where we are, who we are, what we're doing, what we want to do, and that's a very island mentality. Irish people have always been like that. That is why there are a ton of writers, poets, and musicians. What is your favourite memory as a child back in Ireland? I grew up in Dublin and on a Sunday we would go on a walk around Howth: it's very beautiful. If anyone is in Dublin they should take the DART out there, get off at the harbour and there is a great chipper at the end of the harbour. I have had so many conversations with my mother walking up there, and she used to take all of us. I still do it with my brother or friends, it is a ritual thing. What advice would you give to aspiring writers? It is tricky, but when I was in Dublin in my twenties and starting out, I worked with friends at the back of pubs, or the centre of pubs. In Cork we were given the Triskel Arts Centre to do shows and it was just trying out material. Over the course of three years we got our Arts Council funding and we took it very seriously. Young people just need to persevere and have a go at it. A lot of it is luck, most of it is luck. I have been incredibly fortunate. You have to be ready for the luck so you have to show up a little bit. What's your next project? I'm doing a lot of film at the moment. I am working for MGM on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a new version of it, which is really fun, so I'm writing that at the moment, so my head is in that incredibly weird, dark, funny world. Sing Street runs from the July 8 to August 23 at the Lyric Hammersmith. Click here for tickets. See More: Cillian Murphy, Disco Pics, Enda Walsh, Sing Street
Calgary Herald
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
2025 Bard on the Beach opens with Shakespeare's first play, and a set of rom coms
Article content Vancouver actor Agnes Tong is new to Bard on the Beach this year. She plays Silvia, beloved of Valentine, one of the two gents from Verona. With a lengthy Hollywood North TV and film resume, the Studio 58 graduate fondly recalls attending Bard on the Beach in the past. Article content Article content 'It's an event with beautiful language floating over to the mountains you see through the open back of the stage,' said Tong of the famous seaside setting. Article content Noting she's still somewhat new to Shakespeare, having previously been directed in Julius Caesar at Studio 58 by current cast mate Scott Bellis, Tong says it has been a complete delight diving into the work. Article content 'It looks hard, but the iambic pentameter rhythm of the writing mirrors a natural speaking rhythm that makes learning the language of the Bard easier,' she said. 'But, yes, there are still some words that are hard to get your mouth around and ensure the image and emotion in what you are saying resonates. We are having the best time with the big hair, bigger shoulder pads and drawing on my previous career as a dancer.' Article content Article content Article content Tong plays opposite Matthew Ip Shaw as Valentine. Jacob Leonard appears as Proteus, Valentine's best mate and the other gent of Verona, who is in love with Julia (Tess Gegenstein). The love story between this foursome follows them on an adventure that spans several royal courts, locations, and encounters. Article content By end of show, the audience will be able to know the answer to the question posed by the Human League in its 1981 smash, Don't You Want Me? Article content Article content Much Ado About Nothing: A romp that is 'as merry as the day is long.' Featuring sparring couple Beatrice and Benedick and star-crossed young lovers Claudio and Hero, this is one of Shakespeares most-loved comedies directed by Johnna Wright. With Sheldon Elter as Benedick, Jennifer Lines as Beatrice, Angus Yam as Claudio and Jennifer Tong as Hero. Article content The Two Gentlemen of Verona: Venture back to the weird and wacky era of the 1980s for a music-filled frenzy of rom-com mix-ups and eventual matches in what is considered Shakespeare's first play. Directed by Dean Paul Gibson. With Agnes Tong as Silvia, Tess Degenstein as Julia, Matthew Ip Shaw as Valentine and Jacob Leonard as Proteus. Plus Mason the dog as Crab, the dog. Article content Douglas Campbell Theatre: Article content The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again]: A sprint through all of the Shakespearean canonical plays in record time with no shortage of laugh out loud moments. A fan fave whether you love or loathe the Bard. Directed by Mark Chavez. With Tess Degenstein, Craig Erickson, Arghavan Jenati and Nathan Kay in many, many roles. Article content The Dark Lady: Playwright and actor Jessica B. Hill's story of England's first published female poet, Emilia Bassano, asks if she was the 'Dark Lady' of Shakespeare's sonnets and more. Directed by Moya O'Connell. With Arghavan Jenati as Emilai Bassano, Nathan Kay as William Shakespeare, Sebastian Kroon and Synthia Yusuf as understudies.
Leader Live
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Rapper Betty Boo says she did not want to ‘fade away' in her 50s, ahead of tour
The Scottish- Malaysian singer-songwriter, Alison Clarkson, 55, is best known for her 1990s hit single, Doin' The Do and her debut album Boomania. Speaking to The Times, she said she did not think she would make it to 50, after losing her parents when she was young. She is going on tour to celebrate 35 years since her hit single Doin' The Do was first released. Clarkson added: 'When I got there I felt the way so many women do at that age, that I didn't want to just fade away, to settle and not be seen. 'The question was, what would Betty Boo say aged 50? Would she still be feisty? In fact, as soon as I started writing for me, I could channel my teenage self. 'It's crazy that I'm about to do my first tour at 55, but why not? I love a challenge and I love that I still don't fit in anywhere. 'You get 90s tours now and it's all Britpop. The 80s tours are electro acts like the Human League. 'I'm from this exciting time in between that changed the future of pop. No-one's ever been able to put me in a box. I wouldn't have it any other way.' A post shared by Betty Boo (@boomania1) Clarkson's sharp rise to fame in the 90s descended just as quickly with the release of her second album in 1992, titled GRRR! failing to find the same success that Boomania had. She was was also dealing with a lot of grief at the time, after losing her father in the 80s and caring for her terminally ill mother at the height of her career. She also cared for her nanny. She said: 'I never thought I'd make it to 50 because neither of my parents did. 'That's one of the reasons I didn't have children. I didn't want anyone to go through what I had. 'My priorities completely changed. 'Without sounding too deep, part of me died. I didn't feel like a pop star. I didn't have the headspace for it while dealing with so much grief.' The singer is also behind the hit songs Hey DJ – I Can't Dance To That Music You're Playing with the Beatmasters, and Where Are You Baby? Since the 90s she has released two more albums, Boomerang which came out in 2022 and Rip Up The Rulebook which was released last year. She took home the Best British Newcomer at the Brit Awards in 1991. Betty Boo Boomania 35 tour starts on June 5, with shows in Edinburgh, Cambridge and Southampton.
