‘Sheffield?!’ I said to the girl asking me where I’m from.
She stared at me blankly…
Actually being from rural Lincolnshire, it can be quite difficult to pinpoint exactly where home is to people who don’t know the ins and outs of England’s countryside. Sheffield is about as close as I can get for people to have any look of knowledge on their faces.
“Sheffield? The Arctic Monkeys? Yes Sheffield, I know Sheffield!”
Getting on the Transpennine Express and visiting Sheffield with my friends or to see my sister at uni has always been a regular occurrence since adolescence for me. It is one of the biggest cities near home that people may have heard of, so I’ve been identifying myself Sheffielder for a long time without ever really meaning it. It wasn’t a tough choice for me, then, when it came to deciding where I wanted to go to university. Lots of people where I’m from move here for their studies. I can count 25 people from my school alone. It’s close enough so you can still get a train home for under a tenner, but far enough away that you can still have the full “uni experience.”
One of the first things I noticed coming to Sheffield, aside from the striking monument that is Park Hill, is the friendliness of everyone you encounter. Even a gruff “sorreh luv” from a stranger walking into you can make your day. Something else that is irrevocably part of Sheffield’s identity is their pride for the musicians that have been reared here (one of the many reasons I’ve always been drawn to the city). Some form of Arctic Monkeys or Jarvis Cocker paraphernalia is unavoidable in almost every shop you go into. Those shops are probably independent, too, also adding to what makes Sheffield’s character so memorable. The glorious remnants of a once industrial city are wonderfully juxtaposed with modern university buildings, filled with the vast amounts of students that have been welcomed here. Living in Sheffield is like living in a big village: there is a huge sense of community here, it definitely feels like you’re in a little bubble where you bump into people you know all the time.
[pullquote]’One of the first things I noticed coming to Sheffield, is the friendliness of everyone you encounter. Even a gruff “sorreh luv” from a stranger walking into you can make your day.'[/pullquote]
When the end of September 2018 came around, my mum’s car was waiting on the drive to take me to university. It was rammed full of pots and pans, suitcases full of clothes, the obligatory bottle of vodka for fresher’s week and I was heading off to start a new chapter of my life in a city I already knew I loved. Amongst my own highs and lows of student living, Sheffield has always lifted me up and cheered me up when I needed it. There is always something going on in the city; be it a new cafe opening, a gig to go to, or an exhibition to visit to make you feel a part of something.
In summer, my favourite thing to do when the sun was shining was to go up to the amphitheatre, read a book, listen to music, and watch the city go by from above. Now it’s winter again, going to one of the many warm and welcoming coffee shops on offer and just watching the world go by is a great place to be. It’s been over a year living here now and I already feel like this is a place I could call home. I think I will always feel the all-too-familiar magnetic pull from Sheffield that is felt by so many.
I think it’s the unpretentiousness of the city which draws people back here. It’s humble and knows its identity. It doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not; it raises legends, but doesn’t shout about it. It has Yorkshire pride, it has its stereotypes and embraces them. It welcomes people from all walks of life with open arms. It’s up-and-coming and always ready to try something new, a pioneer in that way. Surrounded by the rolling hills of the peaks, Sheffield is like a little oasis – gorgeous and picturesque. I think I might be here to stay.
Want to share your Sheffield story? Drop a line to joe@exposedmagazine.co.uk
