For November 2024, welcome to the third episode of NUN Local, Sheffield’s hyper-local podcast for Netherthorpe, Upperthorpe and Neepsend.
In this episode, I talk to Sally from FixMyStreet, who may just have the solution to wondering who on earth to report fly tipping, graffiti and bad parking to. Then Karen, who’s one of the organisers of a Sustainability Netwalking event this month in Neepsend. And finally, I talk to Anders about the walks he organises around Neepsend that teach you about the area’s art and history.
Timings
00:00 Intro
01:50 Sally Reader from mySociety: FixMyStreet
17:44 Sustainability Netwalking with Karen Perkins
32:40 Neepsend walking tours with Anders Hanson
Transcript
Philippa Willitts
Welcome to the November of NUN Local, the podcast all about Netherthorpe, Upperthorpe, and Neepsend.
In today's episode, I've got 3 brilliant interviews for you.
The first one is with Sally Reader from FixMyStreet. If you have ever wondered what to do about a pothole in the area or fly tipping or an abandoned Island, you didn't know who to call, Sally tells us about a free app that really does make it simple to fix your street.
And then I talk to Karen Perkins, who is one of the organisers of Sustainability Netwalking, which is happening in Neepsend in November.
And finally, I have a chat with Anders from Kelham Island and Neepsend Walks, talking about 2 walks around Neepsend that he's planning this month. One looking at the history of the area and one looking at the art around the area.
There's honestly loads to learn, and do listen up for his favorite Neepsend fact. It is genuinely fascinating.
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But first of all, here is Sally Reader from FixMyStreet.
FixMyStreet is an independent web service run by charity mySociety, and it makes it easier for anyone to report a problem in their local area.
It means you can report things without having to try and work out who on earth is responsible for them and without having to wait on hold on the council phone line, which we've all done.
The FixMyStreet website says all you have to do is type in a UK postcode or let the site locate you automatically and describe your problem. Then we send your report to the people whose job it is to fix it.
And at the time of writing, I can see on the website that 74,000 reports have been sent to Sheffield City Council alone through FixMyStreet.
And when I look at the most recent ones submitted, people are reporting fly tipping, unsafe parking, rats, illegal parking, and a pothole. All of which are really either annoying or even dangerous problems that the app is helping people to resolve.
Sally Reader works for Society Works, which is part of mySociety.
So first of all, Sally, thank you for coming on the podcast.
Sally Reader
Oh, you're welcome. It's nice to chat to somebody different for a change.
Philippa Willitts
I bet. So how did the idea for FixMyStreet come about?
Sally Reader
So, mySociety, the charity, was founded by a guy called Tom Steinberg. And about 17 years ago, Tom was working in London. As he was walking around, quite regularly he passed this phone box, and it was forever being vandalised. It had graffiti on it, and it wasn't working.
And he thought to himself, I probably should report this to somebody. But then realised he didn't really know who to report it to.
So should he report it to the phone company? And he wasn't even sure who that was. Should it be the council? Should it be someone else?
And he got thinking, actually, this shouldn't be that difficult. I should be able to report a problem on the street in a really simple way.
So we're talking graffiti, fly tipping, potholes, that sort of thing.
And more importantly, not only should it be easy to do, you as a person shouldn't need to have to work out who is responsible for fixing it.
There should be something, a system that was in place that could tell from where you were on a map what authority was responsible for that. And you could report your issue, and it would send it off to the council.
And that is where the seed of FixMyStreet came from.
Philippa Willitts
It's genius. I mean, it's something I use personally and have for several years.
But mySociety has other tools as well as FixMyStreet.
You can find out who your MP or your local councillor is and contact them through writetothem.com. You can keep an eye on how politicians vote on theyworkforyou.com, and you can read thousands of freedom of information requests and responses on what do they know dotcom, which as a journalist, I can tell you is invaluable.
Why did you choose a tool like FixMyStreet to create and maintain as well? Why did this project feel important to you?
Sally Reader
I think it very much fits in with our whole mission as the mySociety charity, which is to empower people to engage in their society in a simple way by being able to use some very straightforward technology.
So we think that people should be able to look after the place in which they live, and it shouldn't be difficult.
It shouldn't be difficult for you. It shouldn't be difficult for the responsible authority. It should just be more straightforward.
So when we first launched FixMyStreet back in 2007, the world was quite a different place in terms of technology. So since then, we've been building and improving the FixMyStreet site to keep up with all the new technology.
We also take feedback on board. So if people come up with a good suggestion of how something could be better or something that can be added, we're continually making improvements to it.
We know that the public are the eyes and ears on the ground, particularly within the community that they live.
We also know that local councils, they can't be everywhere at once. They can't spot every single new fly tip. They can't spot every single overgrown hedge that's stopping you from getting down the pavement.
And we know at the moment that councils are really struggling for funding, which means their resources are even more stretched than they ever were.
So being able to allow people from the community to make reports in an easy, simple way is even more vital.
We've done quite a lot of research into all of this, as you might imagine. And we know that people are a lot more likely to engage with authorities if they know that the report that they are making actually makes a difference.
And one of the things that FixMyStreet does, as you said at the beginning, is that you can see all the other reports that have been made in your area. So you can see what other people are reporting.
And, crucially, you can see when that problem's been resolved as well. So there is a clear action there: Person made a report. Council did a thing. Issue was solved, which just makes it a really valuable tool for communities to interact not only with other people in their communities and see what they're doing, but also with the councils.
And we have the ability… so if you report an issue so if you report a fly tip a couple of days later, you walk down the street and you see that that fly tip's been removed, you can go back onto FixMyStreet, and you can actually mark that report as fixed yourself so other people can see that something's happened.
We also work with some councils directly, some more than others. So the ones that we work with, we can integrate FixMyStreet with a lot of their back-end processes to make it easier for them to give you specific updates. So they might say to you, yes. We know this is a problem, but it's going to take us a couple of days to fix it, and then they'll tell you when it's fixed it.
And a step on from that is that some councils even have their own versions of FixMyStreet, which means that residents get to report even more issues. And the map does even more clever things like, in some cases, you can even kind of pick the streetlight that you want to report a problem with.
It's just about making it super easy for everybody and keeping it all in line with the technology of the moment, basically.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. As somebody who uses the app, I can tell people, first of all, that it is really simple and straightforward.
You're not replacing one complicated process with a different complicated process.
So how can listeners use FixMyStreet if they see a problem in the area? And, also, what kind of problems can they report?
Sally Reader
Yeah. So the site is UK wide, so you can report any area. But, obviously, with your areas like Netherthorpe, Upperthorpe, and Neepsend you can specifically concentrate on that area.
So if you're walking around and you see a fly tip or you see a pothole or something like that, there's a couple of different ways that you can make a report.
So one of the simplest ways is to use your mobile phone. So you can, if you're able to, make a report there and then when you're stood in front of the problem that you've found.
There is an app which you can download from all the app stores, which is just called FixMyStreet, or you can just report it on the website as well.
You absolutely don't have to download the app. It's whatever your personal preference is.
If you are there, stood in front of the thing that you found, you can use a thing called use my current location. So using GPS, it automatically knows where you are. So it doesn't matter if you don't know the name of the street or the postcode. You know, I know I wander around my area. I haven't got a clue what most of the roads are called, but I don't need to know.
If you're not able to make a report at that time because it's not always convenient, you can then go on to the site and make that report later. You will need to know the location, so, like, the street name or the postcode. Or even if you're not sure, you could type in an area like Netherthorpe and then kinda zoom into the map and find out the street that you were on.
The other thing you can do as well, if you are using the app, the app has an offline reporting function. So we all know that sometimes your 3G, 4G, 5G is not quite what it should be.
So what you can do is you can start making your report, which it will save as a draft. And then when you're back in an area of connectivity or on the WiFi, you can continue to make your report.
Philippa Willitts
Clever.
Sally Reader
So yeah. So it's basically, having no 3G data should not be the blocker for you not to make a report.
So the location is the key thing, obviously. Once you're happy with your location, it will take you to the map, and you can see the location on the map. So you can move the pin up and down a bit if you want to put it in a specific place. You can also see all the other reports that have been made in that area.
So what we do is we give people a selection of categories.
So in the Sheffield area, there's quite a few categories. I won't list them all out. But things like car parking, dog fowling, fly posting, fly tipping, potholes, street lights, traffic lights, that sort of thing.
So you pick the category that is most relevant to the thing that you're trying to report. If you have been able to take a photo of it, then that's great. You can upload a photo because it's pretty useful for the councils to be able to see sometimes, particularly with fly tipping, like, how much stuff is there. Yeah. And, also, if you're trying to work out whether somebody's reported it or not already, sometimes it's easier to tell from a picture.
If you've got a photo, you can upload that. If you haven't, it doesn't matter. You can just carry on without it.
And then you just need to provide some really basic information about the issue. So you don't have to create an account. You don't have to put all your personal details in. You just give the details of the issue that you want to report. If you want to leave your contact details, you can, but you absolutely don't have to.
And, basically, once you've done that, and it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes, sometimes we ask you to confirm your report just to check that you're not a bot or something.
And once that's done, off it goes to the council that's responsible for dealing with it. Council get the notification. It goes on the map. Everyone can see what's happened. That's it.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. It's great.
And I've noticed that the litter picking group in Upperthorpe report the bags they collect using FixMyStreet.
Karen Perkins
Oh, cool.
Philippa Willitts
They leave them by a particular bin and then take a photo.
Do you find that many community groups tend to use the tool this way?
Sally Reader
Yeah. And we absolutely love about hearing community groups as well. Although we kind of say this is for residents, obviously, it's for groups as well, and it can be a really valuable tool.
So recently, last year, we spoke to a group of litter pickers who were in Birmingham, and they were finding that as they were going around doing their litter picks, they were spotting other issues as well.
So they were using FixMyStreet to report the other issues as they were going around. We know in some places, neighbourhood watch groups use FixMyStreet as well in a similar kind of way, and they really like it because if one of the neighbours has already reported something, they can see that so they don't have to report it again.
At Oxfordshire, one of the councils that we work really closely with, they actually train a team of volunteers themselves that they call the super users.
Philippa Willitts
Mhmm.
Sally Reader
And they're trained by the council to look out for things like blocked drains and damage to curbing and that kind of thing. And they learn how to use FixMyStreet and how to describe what the problem is. So when the report gets to Oxfordshire, they then know how to prioritise it all, and they can deal with all the most urgent problems first.
So, yeah, loads of people use it. And we love hearing from people as well because often we don't know unless people tell us.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. Because when you look at the previous reports on the website, it doesn't say this was reported by Philippa. But some people add that as a note, like the Upperthorpe litter pickers do.
So I guess there's a lot going on that you just don't know the context of.
Sally Reader
Yeah. And we always make it clear that we don't publish people's personal details on the website and things. So even if you do leave your name, we never publish that unless you tell us you want us to. So, yeah, it's just great to hear how other groups use it, and we can share it with other people as well and say, hey. This community group's doing this thing. Maybe that's something you might like to try.
So it it's very much a community of users as well as communities of residents.
Philippa Willitts
I, as I said, have been reporting - I think, always fly tipping - using FixMyStreet since 2022. I scrolled back through my account to have a look.
I have the app on my phone. As I said, it's really easy to use. And one thing I like is that I get an instant email acknowledgment from the council when I submit a report. Often before I've had a chance to close the app, the email is there in my inbox saying it's being reported.
Is there anything else you think people need to know about FixMyStreet?
Sally Reader
I guess the important thing to remember is that the FixMyStreet map is quite clever, and it knows it has a lot of knowledge already programmed into it.
So for example, if you're in another part of Sheffield, if you are out towards Meadowhall or somewhere like that, which is near the M1 and the M80, those bigger roads are obviously not looked after by the council. They're looked after by National Highways.
Now, of course, not everyone's going to know that. Not everyone's going to know how to contact National Highways.
But when you use FixMyStreet, it doesn't matter because the map knows. So if you click on a National Highways road, it will just send it to National Highways.
And in some areas of the country where you've got, like, double tier and triple tier councils, that's obviously really helpful because it's quite often quite hard to work out, whether it's the county council or the city council or the parish council.
So all of that is included in the map. So you should never feel that you need a lot of knowledge before making reports.
All you need to know is where you are. That's the key thing.
And the other thing for anybody making reports on FixMyStreet, we really like it if people make a report and then they notice that their report has been dealt with, that they can mark it as fixed because it shows people what's going on.
With the councils that we work with directly, they do tend to update the reports on a more regular basis.
But basically the way the system works is you get more out of it the more you put into it. And we obviously work with councils to try and encourage them to put on as much updating on those reports as we possibly can.
But you can help with that as well. And I guess the other message is just have a go.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. So where can people go to find out more, if they're listening and they're sick of fly tipping at the end of the road or a pothole outside their house?
Where do people go to get involved?
Sally Reader
All you need to do is head off to our website, which is www.fixmystreet.com. Or if you want to go straight for the app, then you just go to wherever you get your apps from and type in FixMyStreet, and it will find it for you.
And as well as being able to make reports, there's FAQ pages and there's help pages. So you can have a bit of a read about it, if you want to learn a bit more about it as well as just reporting your fly tips.
Philippa Willitts
Amazing. Thank you very much, Sally Reader.
Sally Reader
Thank you. It's been lovely talking to you.
Do you have a story about Netherthorpe, Upperthorpe, or Neepsend you want to tell?
Find our contact details at nunlocal.news or say hi on social media.
Philippa Willitts
Karen Perkins is a business and life coach. And along with Sheffield Sustainability Network and Sheffield Social Enterprise Network, she runs Sustainability Netwalking events.
The next one is in Neepsend, so she's here to tell us all about sustainability netwalking.
So what is sustainability netwalking?
Karen Perkins
Well, we used to do a netwalking event. We started a netwalking event in Sheffield, which used to meet every month about 10 years ago because we really enjoyed being out in the fresh air and it seemed to help people get to know each other and introduce themselves. And most of us like to be in nature. And then it sort of naturally evolved into a sustainability netwalking event because we all were bringing more sustainability practices into our work and there was more demand for people to know about sustainability and people are a bit vague about what it is.
So it's really nice to be able to come on a walk with people from all different types of sustainable business or a business introducing sustainability to swap tips and make collaborations.
And when you're walking side by side, it seems to be very relaxed, and the conversations that we have seem to be really good.
And it's not pressured. It's not like one of these high-powered networking events. It's gentle. You can talk to who you want. You can follow it up afterwards.
We always go for a coffee in a nice local business coffee place afterwards if people want to hang around. And they also suggest venues and topics.
So it's a good way to meet people from all different sectors in Sheffield and just have a gentle walk.
We try and make them as accessible as possible. Sometimes it's not very easy, but we do try, and we'll talk to someone about what they need if they want to come along.
Probably boots and wellies are a good thing because we do go into the parks and along the canals and things like that. So, yep.
Philippa Willitts
And I've been to a few networking events in my time and generally find them deeply awkward.
It feels like a very inauthentic situation where everybody's just plugging their business in every conversation, and you can't actually make connections.
So what makes netwalking different to more traditional networking in that respect?
Karen Perkins
People sort of choose to come because of their interest.
They've all got a general interest in the sustainability aspect.
And, also, we have a lot of people coming who are starting up social enterprises and community interest companies with Sheffield Social Enterprise Network. So, they come along, and they know that they're going to meet people who've got a similar interest.
We do an introduction at the beginning and quite clear just say who you are, what you're interested in, and maybe a sustainability win.
So we try and keep it really short because there's nothing more annoying than going to a networking meeting and having to listen to somebody drone on about their business when, actually, you just want to get talking to people.
I do make sure that I talk to people a lot, and we have somebody from people from the enterprise network and Sustainability Sheffield come along, and we just try and mix around and sort of make sure people mix.
I do love talking to people, so I do try and sort of move around and try and talk to them if anyone's by themselves, introduce them, find out their common interests, if anybody wants to talk to me beforehand about any issues they've got or they're a bit nesh about going on a walk or networking, I'm very happy to have a chat with them and just introduce them to someone, get them talking.
So it's a very relaxed way of doing it, and we see all the sort of nature in Sheffield, etcetera when we go on these walks so you're in nature, you're relaxing, but it sort of promotes the conversations and quite a lot of good ideas come out of it.
For example, I think Sheffield College have been to a number of our walks. We've noticed they've started up some sustainability employment training for people in heat pumps and sustainability issues for their business.
So they're sort of spin offs which are helping adult learning in Sheffield.
But, obviously, because you can talk to lots of people from different backgrounds with interests, they'll all give you their view, especially over coffee.
People are quite open and sharing in it. So it's a nice place to come to.
And we do try and tell local community organisations as well. You know, anyone's welcome.
Philippa Willitts
And I feel like because, like, this November, you're walking along the River Don, it's automatically a less artificial and awkward situation because you're walking along the River Don, and you might go, oh, is that a kingfisher?
There are things happening around you, so there's not this pressure to just be a good representative of your business or be on the ball.
It's quite a human way to interact with people, I think.
Karen Perkins
I think it is because I usually give a bit of a commentary about what we're seeing, because you might see the odd Phlegm drawing on the walls or people have got different knowledge about nature and different they'll see a factory over the other side of a fence and say, oh they've got this process going on.
So it does get people talking. I mean on the walk, I don't want to spoil it for people, but there are loads of small businesses on the route. There's things you'd never think of seeing there's old industrial heritage. There's potential development at the Cannon Brewery Works. We can talk to people about opportunities.
They tend to sort of meet people from the area, which they haven't met before and build collaborations, but it's all natural.
Then there's all the art, which obviously I like.
And we can tell them about things that are happening. So I think there's a group called KINCA, which is Kelham Island Community Association and Neepsend, and, we've had information from them in the past. I'm not sure if they're coming to this one, but sometimes they'll come along and they'll tell people how they can get involved.
It's a very rich tapestry in a walk. But I think maybe you can go with a purpose to meet someone who can answer the question that you want, but usually, it happens organically.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. I spoke to KINCA in the first episode of this podcast. And in this episode, people will also hear from Anders who runs walks around Neepsend. This is clearly the walks around Neepsend episode, inadvertently!
So, who tends to come along to the netwalking events?
Karen Perkins
So there's people from different community groups.
There's people from different social enterprises.
People who are starting up their business or people who've been in it for a long time.
Lots of experience and expertise, but I think what I have discovered about this particular netwalking is that people are very sharing and helpful, which is very nice when you're on a networking event because it's nice to feel welcomed and you're not in competition.
So it doesn't feel competitive. It's helpful.
So we've seen people develop their businesses and over the years, how that's improved and they'll give you tips on funding and people have changed direction and they'll tell you how they did it.
There are companies launching new products and they'll ask for your tips or you can ask them how they did it.
So again it helps you develop your business in a friendly way.
But I think somebody who runs a gym in Kelham Island in a personal training service called Rory. He came to one of our walks and I know that he's met lots of people through it and he's developed various walks and all sorts of things.
So it is nice to see what comes from it.
And also I think people it's quite exciting for people because if they've not been to an area before, I'm a bit of a map nerd, so I do like exploring and going on interesting walks, so I will try and look for a good and interesting route, which might be scary because you're going up the side of a railway cutting, which you've never been up before.
But that's exciting, and you can see different aspects of the landscape there.
So the Neepsend walk's quite interesting if we get up to Wards End cemetery, and people go, I never knew there was a cemetery here before.
And in that excitement, they'll be talking about all their other things that they're developing as well.
So it sort of stimulates creativity, I would say, and chatting.
It's not threatening when you're walking alongside somebody. It's not like being in one of these speed networking things.
So hopefully, it's relaxing but productive.
Maybe 2 or 3, 4 miles, we do a sort of an hour's walk, half an hour out and back so it's not too onerous.
And then we meet for a coffee afterwards, and some people stay and some people don't, but that's all very relaxed. But we do try and go to new coffee venues, so patronise local businesses that have set up so that they get a bit of publicity as well.
So it's all trying to weave it into the local community.
Philippa Willitts
And speaking of local community, what made you choose Neepsend for the November walk? Because I know you move them around.
Karen Perkins
Because it's really interesting!
I think one of the things was that there's new government funding going into the housing developments in Neepsend. So it's good to show people that site, and also they might not know the other sites.
So we like to talk about those sorts of things because there could be opportunities in business for them.
So what's going on the ground, how they can influence it, make sure they don't knock it down and build something vile. You know, can they keep the existing architecture? That's right.
I think they should keep all those nice graffitis on the top of the tower on the Cannon Works. I've got loads of photos of that from the past.
I'm quite keen to see those sorts of things.
So the more you get people involved in an area, the more they can understand it.
They don't know you can walk along the canal. They might be frightened to do it.
So it's all those sorts of things that very interesting when we go on a walk.
We always try and find something that surprises people.
Philippa Willitts
And the sustainability aspect of it, is it that it is sustainability-focused businesses that come along? Is it more that anybody can come along, but there's a general topic of sustainability?
How does that play into it?
Karen Perkins
I think we wanted to create a safe, non-shaming network for somebody who wants to come along and ask those questions like, how on earth do I get my business to be sustainable? And make some connections without having to go along with a business plan and a sustainability action plan.
They can come along and find out some tips from people on how to make a start.
So, our motto is just make a start. There's no shame in having a small start in making your business sustainable.
Just do one thing or pick up litter or whatever you're going to do, just make a start.
So I think that's what we try and encourage. So some of them will have a fully integrated diversity, social inclusion, economic sustainability policy.
Well, that's great, but everyone can always learn from everyone else.
So you can say, well which consultant did you use to help you do this, or did Sheffield Sustainability Network help you do it? Where's free information?
So if someone can't afford the information, we can signpost them to free stuff. If they can, we can help them talk about, from people's experience, which consultants were on the ball.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. And even, like, where did you get plastic-free packaging for your products from? Anything like that, I imagine, is the kind of thing that somebody in that group will have an answer to.
Karen Perkins
Yeah. And that is very useful because it's a good shortcut.
I mean, if you're opening a cafe or a coffee van or something, if you can talk to 3 people who've either done it or know someone who's done it, they all have done the work for you and they're all desperate to say how good this particular organisation that supplies things are, and they're very keen and enthusiastic to share their tips.
So, yeah, it is very useful.
We usually ask people at the beginning to just share a sustainability win or a question that they want to ask.
So they can say that at the beginning whilst we go around the group.
So it's all very informal, but we try and manage it so that everyone gets a say.
If people want to join Sheffield Sustainability Network, they can just go to their website, sign up for the newsletter, and any events will just come forward from there.
And the Sheffield Social Enterprises Network is a big organisation in Sheffield, which provides support, development, programmes, seminars, training, all sorts of things for people setting up a social enterprise-type business.
Again, they've got a website. And it's free to come on these as well, which is good.
Philippa Willitts
Excellent. And if people want to find out about this specific event, I know it's on Eventbrite.
Karen Perkins
Yep. It's on Eventbrite.
We meet at 9:15, and we're meeting at Kelham Arcade Shopping Centre, which is Burton Road, where if anyone knows Depot Coffee, it's in that little bit there.
And then we're going for a walk for about an hour, and we're coming back to the Depot Bakery afterwards for a cup of coffee.
And we usually finish about 11 by the time everyone's had their coffee. Some people stay longer. It's up to people how long they want to stay.
There's buses to Neepsend, but you'll have to find out because they've changed the numbers recently. And there's on-street parking or the tram.
Philippa Willitts
And that's on 20th November. Yeah?
Karen Perkins
So that's Wednesday, 20th November. If you can't get to that one, we've got one on Wednesday, 18th December at Endcliffe Park. And then we've even got one ready for January in Weston Park.
It's amazing what you can find in those small areas that's interesting that people haven't noticed before.
And then we have a programme through the year.
Philippa Willitts
Excellent. Well, Karen, thank you very, very much.
That's been really interesting.
Karen Perkins
Yep. Well, it's nice to speak to you, and it's good to get the word out. And we just need to remind people to put your boots on because the canal path can be a tiny bit muddy sometimes, but we try not to take you down a really muddy route.
Philippa Willitts
Thank you.
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Philippa Willitts
Kelham Island Walks offers 2-hour walks around Neepsend and Kelham Island to learn about the history, art, industrial past, and current life in the neighbourhoods.
You can learn about the architecture, the people, and the stories of the area from a local resident and historian.
Anders Hanson from Kelham Island Walks is here. So, Anders, why did you start doing walks around Neepsend and Kellam Island?
Anders Hanson
So I did my first walk around 5 years ago. I've always been interested in local history no matter where I've lived. And I grew up in Sheffield, so I've always known quite a bit about Sheffield history, but have also lived in other places and also been interested to know a bit more about places that I've been in.
But, also, whenever I visited anywhere, I've always loved going on walking tours and thought they were a really good way of bringing a place to life and often thought when I went on them, I thought, I'd love to do something like that and wasn't sure it would ever happen.
But then Sheffield University got in touch with the community group in Kelham Island because of an event they were doing, and they wanted to bring some people down to Kelham Island and asked if there was anybody that they knew who knew about the history of the area.
And so I was suggested, so I did my first walking tour then, which I really enjoyed doing and got some brilliant feedback from and thought, well, maybe I should do this as a regular thing.
And was just about to start, then COVID came along, so it all went on hold for a bit.
But when things started opening up, I started to put on some regular walks.
And to begin with, I had so much interest Island, possibly because people being sort of shut up at home and so keen to go out and do things.
So I had to put some extra walks for a while to cope with the demand. So that was really positive.
I've also done things as part of the heritage open days that happens every September when buildings open to the public that aren't normally open. And there's also always quite a lot of walks as part of that.
And so I've then been doing them ever since, and now I do a mixture of publicly advertised walks that anyone can book onto. And, also, now increasingly getting quite a lot of private bookings of families, local companies, both of the universities in Sheffield have done things with them.
So it's been really positive.
And from the one walk, I now offer the 2 different walks and also work with somebody to also offer a third as well.
So if I could do this all the time, I would. But it's definitely something that I love doing and hoping it'll continue to grow.
Philippa Willitts
And I've noticed on your social media, you get local people doing the walks, and you get people who are visiting Sheffield doing the walks.
It seems like a real mixture of people want to come along.
Anders Hanson
Yes. It's mainly local residents or at least people from near Sheffield even if they're not actually from Sheffield itself. And probably not so much actually people necessarily who live in the immediate area.
I do get some people coming along, particularly people who've newly moved to Kelham Island and Neepsend who are keen to know more about the area they're in.
I also did have, on one of the walks, somebody who owns a factory in Neepsend, who came along because he felt that he ought to know more about the history of the local area, but largely, it’s people from other parts of Sheffield.
And, yes, I get a few from people visiting the city. I had some people on a walk last weekend who were from Winchester, and they said the last time they came to Sheffield, they went out to the Peak District. So this time, they thought they ought to do something a bit more urban.
But, I've also had a group from Sweden who were in Sheffield for the football, and they decided that they wanted to find something else that was on while they were here. Had a group recently from Germany, which was organised actually by somebody who was originally from Sheffield but has lived in Munich for the last 20 years and wanted to show people his home city.
Philippa Willitts
Amazing. You've got some walks coming up in November.
On 23rd November, you've got an art and studios tour. First of all, who is Simon Wigglesworth Baker, which is a spectacular name?
Anders Hanson
Yes. So Simon is a local artist and sculptor.
He lives in Neepsend. He's been part of Kelham Island Art Collective for a long time who are based on Ball Street and was one of their directors for a while. He's also a former art teacher taught at Stocksbridge School. I think he may have also been at other schools in Sheffield.
And he, is also vice chair of the Kelham Island and Neepsend Community Alliance, so very much involved local community.
And he, again, actually, was just asked by somebody once if they would be able to do a tour of the area talking about some of the art that you can see, some of which is street art, but, also, there's quite a bit that isn't, other things that you can see in the area.
So he just decided, as I was already running walks and already had a website set up, that I'd work with him so that he could put on walks more regularly to tell people a slightly different side to the area.
So I do the history, and he does the art.
Philippa Willitts
So what are some of the artworks people can see around Neepsend?
Anders Hanson
So probably some of the better-known ones are… probably the best-known one actually is the Pete McKee that's on Burton Road, of Frank the dog.
But there's also some others that I think are sort of quite interesting ones.
On the front of cutlery works, you've got a mural, which shows Mary Anne Rawson and Frederick Douglass. And Mary Anne Rawson was an anti-slavery campaigner, who was from Sheffield. She was born in a house on Green Lane.
So she's fairly local to the area, but there wasn't anything in the area remembering her.
So the artist, Katy Sett, decided that she wanted to do a mural to her, and Cutlery Works were also keen to have something outside their building.
So those are perhaps some of the, I suppose, fairly conventional, if you like, street art that you get in the area.
There's also things by Bubba 2000, who's done quite a lot in Sheffield. There's Phlegm, who’s also got piece of work on the riverside, which is a bit further along the river.
But then you've also got, things like there's some bronze plaques on the front of Green Lane Works in Kelham Island, which tell you quite a bit about the history of that building, which I also talk about on my Kelham Island walk as well as being part of the arts tour. And they were designed by something called Alfred Stevens or at least thought to be. Nobody seems to know for certain, but they tell you a bit about the history of that the factory that was there.
So it's an interesting insight into the history of the area as well as just being a beautiful piece of art as well.
Philippa Willitts
As you said, not all of the artwork in Neepsend is street art.
I'm a big fan of Church: Temple of Fun, and that is a fascinating work of art from start to finish.
What do you know about the artwork in there?
Anders Hanson
Yeah. So on the art studios tour, that that does go into Church.
The art in there was inspired by South American religious iconography.
So the wife of Oli Sykes, who owns Church. from the band Bring Me The Horizon, she's Brazilian, and so that was part of the inspiration for the art that's in there.
So when you go around, as well as the art itself, there's also a confessional booth in there as well.
So it's trying to create that South American religious feel, which obviously fits with the name.
But, also, the person who designed the building when it was built as a factory for company Samuel Osborn, this was the only industrial building that he ever designed, a man called William Hale.
But most of what he designed in Sheffield were churches, so that all ties together, really.
Philippa Willitts
That's really interesting. It speaks to the recovering Catholic in me.
So I know you don't personally lead this particular tour, but what is a piece of art in Neepsend that listeners might not know about?
Anders Hanson
Well, I'm going to pick 2 quite different ones.
One of them is perhaps slightly low key. People don't necessarily notice it maybe when they walk past, but it's on a utility box on the pavement on Neepsend Lane of a Heron. So it fits quite nicely with the natural history of the area as well.
And the utility boxes that are painted up all around Kelham Island and Neepsend were part of a project, which Simon Wigglesworth Baker was also involved with.
And so it's a way of trying to deter graffiti. So quite a lot of the utility boxes around the area have all been painted by different artists, many of them from Kelham Island Arts Collective, but also other artists from in and around this part of Sheffield.
So I think that one is just a really lovely piece of art, by somebody called Caroline McWilliams, who was also a local resident until fairly recently.
But the other one I’d pick out, which people perhaps might not think about, is very different.
So there's a set of lights on some Penistone Road where the pedestrian crossing goes over near Globe Works.
So a beautiful piece of metalwork designed to look a little bit like flames, which fits a little bit with the industrial history of Sheffield.
And it's by somebody called Paul Carruthers, who's done some other pieces of art in Sheffield as well.
And I just think it's obviously something very practical because it's a light, but also it's this beautiful piece of metalwork, which, again, fits with the history of Sheffield.
Philippa Willitts
Love it. I know the one you mean. It's quite… I don't even know. It stands out, and yet you can also completely walk past it without noticing it both at the same time.
Anders Hanson
Yeah. Yes.
Philippa Willitts
So on Sunday, 24th November, is the Neepsend walking tour. And this walk brings to life how Neepsend grew from a small hamlet by the river to a thriving working class community.
What can people expect to see on this tour?
Anders Hanson
So the tour starts off outside the Gardener’s Rest, which is quite a convenient place because, obviously, a lot of people know the pub, but also that particular location was right in the middle of the old village of Neepsend.
So unlike, say, Kelham Island, which just gradually grew across fields without there really having been an original heart to it as a community, Neepsend always had this
centre to the area. And so all the streets around there, the area where it sort of opens out to from to the Gardener’s Rest was the middle of that village of Neepsend.
And the walk then goes from there, eventually crossing over Burton Road, Neepsend Lane, Harvest Lane.
And what I try and do is just bring to life what the area was like.
So it was an area which was really largely dominated by housing, actually, although it was the industry that came to the area that made the area grow and, in particular, the railways coming down the valley in the 1840s.
But I try to give people a bit of a glimpse into what it was like living in Neepsend at that time, and it was a really thriving area with, obviously, lots of houses but also lots of shops.
Certainly, Harvest Lane itself was a very busy shopping street. You had pubs. You had churches. There was a police station, the building which is still there now. It had its own cinema. There was also a swimming pool down at the far end down towards Bridge Houses.
So it was a really thriving community, and so it's changed a lot.
And a lot of that housing only disappeared in the 1960s, although there are a few of the houses still around, though not necessarily used as houses today.
So it's just trying to bring to life what it was like to be in that part of the city.
And I think although it's just over the river from Kelham Island, it's got quite a different history.
And I know certainly some people said to me, said, oh, well, is there a lot in Neepsend to have a look at? And, actually, there are all sorts of things when you when you when you go now and look for them.
So, hopefully, people come away from it with an idea of what Neepsend was like as an area as it was sort of developed over the years.
Philippa Willitts
I liked on your website you call Neepsend “Kelham Island's edgier twin”.
Anders Hanson
Yes. Yes. I wondered whether that was maybe over egging things a little, but I think it's yeah. Whilst I think Kelham Island has become more residential and become… I’m not sure sanitised is quite the right word, but it’s certainly changed quite a bit as an area, whereas Neepsend still has… I like the fact that it still has the industry and the working factories and the buildings in between, also where people are living.
And that's one of the things that drew me to the area in the first place.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. And just as there are new hospitality in particular type businesses popping up in Neepsend, there's still some of the makers who've been there for years.
Anders Hanson
Yeah. Yes. Yes. And, I mean, somebody I've got to know through doing the walks is the people who run Thomas Flynn, the saw manufacturer on Harvest Lane, and they're a company that has been in the area for just over 100 years, although not necessarily on that site.
So they're a very sort of traditional Sheffield industry, but it's still operating there. It's been in the same family for a long time.
Just along the road from there, you've got John Spur, which is now a company that makes cabinets. So they make things like the display cabinets you get in museums.
And so it's one of those things that people don't necessarily think of Sheffield having, but the buildings are there, the factories are there.
But you may not know from outside what it is they're doing them.
And John Spur has been around for a long time, but he's also that was an offshoot from a company called Stevenson Blake who were a type foundry that were based on Island Street, so on the hill between Kelham Island and Sheffield University.
So that's another company that's got quite a long history. And although they've changed what they've done over the years, the company is still thriving.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. And what does the tour tell attendees about modern-day Neepsend?
Anders Hanson
So I think it'll give people a bit of an idea of how the area is changing. Because people can see that some of the buildings that once had one purpose have now been put to an entirely different use.
So the walk ends at Alder bar on Percy Street, but that was a building that started off as a polish factory and then has been through various other industrial uses but is now a bar, which is a very 2024 use of a building in in in that area.
And, also, we also call at Yellow Arch Studios as well, which is another thing that’s helped raise the profile of Neepsend and the music industry in Sheffield.
So I think people will see how the area has changed.
But, also, I think one of the buildings that I also call out is Rutland Hall on Hick Street, which started off life as a building designed to provide sort of social, sporting, cultural activities for working-class people in the area and as a way of sort of helping. And it was run for a while by somebody called Helen Wilson, who was also part of trying to improve the lives of people within the city. She was involved with lots of other things within Sheffield.
But now the company that's in there, well, the organisation is called Interchange, and their role is taking children who've been excluded from school and trying to put them on the right path.
So it feels as though, although the organisations are different, there's also a bit of continuity as well.
So the area's changed. Some things have changed completely, but other things actually maybe haven't changed that much.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. There's a thread running through it, isn't there?
Anders Hanson
Yeah. Yeah. Definitely.
Philippa Willitts
And this may be an unfair question to somebody who's so full of Neepsend facts, but what's your favourite Neepsend fact?
Anders Hanson
Oh, I think the one that when I tell people they are surprised, and it's only a very sort of short thing as part of the walk, is one of the buildings that I point out is a company based on Rutland Way, in Neepsend called HD Sports.
And from the outside, it just looks like a warehouse, but it's a company that makes ice skates. They've been around for over 100 years in Sheffield.
And in the Winter Olympics 10 years ago, every medal winner had ice skates that were made in that factory.
Philippa Willitts
Wow!
Anders Hanson
And it's something that people might not think of Sheffield doing that sort of thing. But, actually, what's our ice skates made of? They're made of steel so that you can see how that industry grew up in Sheffield.
And it's just a very ordinary looking building. And whenever I tell people about it, they're always, oh, I never knew Sheffield did things like that.
So it's just taking something seemingly ordinary and making people realise that they're doing something extraordinary inside.
So I think that's probably the main one because of just the reaction you get from people when you tell them about it.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. I can imagine.
And I appreciate on your website that you include information for disabled people who might want to come along.
Why was that important to you?
Anders Hanson
I want everybody to feel welcome to come on the walks. I don't want anyone to feel that they can't come along for any reason, really.
But I think also it's partly something I realised when I started doing the walks. Some people did some did ask me questions before they booked whether they would be okay to go on the walk if they perhaps weren't able to walk as well. But, also, I have done a walk where somebody was in a mobility scooter, and that really made me realise quite how many places don't have dropped curbs. Places that I might normally cross the road wouldn't work with people if they've got more limited mobility.
So it was partly just to recognise that and to make sure people know that they're welcome.
But, also, if people have any particular needs when they go on a walk, then get in touch with me, and I can tweak the route or things like that just to make sure it works for them.
Philippa Willitts
Yeah. As a disabled person, while it would be amazing if everything was perfectly accessible, I think most of us just want the information so we can make our own judgement.
And if the information is there and easy to find, it saves a lot of ongoing, constantly emailing people so yeah, no, I always appreciate that.
So if people want to come along to the art and studios tour on the 23rd or the Neepsend walking tour on the 24th or just to find out more about what you do, where can they do that?
Anders Hanson
So the best thing to do is to go to my website, which is kelhamislandwalks.com. And on there, you've got the dates of all the upcoming walks, and I add extra walks on every so often.
And you can find all the details there about what the walk involves. You can book there as well.
And, also, gradually, I'm going to start putting on there more little snippets of local history, which maybe I don't have time for on the walks as well. So people can see a little bit more on there with that as well.
Philippa Willitts
Brilliant. Well, thank you for joining us.
Anders Hanson
Thank you. Thank you, Philippa.
Philippa Willitts
Thank you for listening to NUN Local, and do subscribe at nunlocal.news to get every episode, out on the first of every month for more hyper-local Netherthorpe, Upperthorpe, and Neepsend news.
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