Tag: sheffield

Goo-d Stuff

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I love this amazing Sheffield-themed design and digital art stuff from Steel City-based designer and digital artist Matt Cockayne, t/a Goo Design.

I freely admit that most of the mugs, t-shirts etc will probably mean a limited amount to anyone from outside Sheffield, but I was toying with doing this post when the man himself tweeted this, which swung it immediately.

r2d2

That is, of course, R2-D2, clearly displaying amorous feelings for a Bessemer Converter – one of the staples of steel production in Sheffield since the mid-1800s. However, given the size difference (here’s my daughter standing underneath a reasonably sized model)…


…this probably “in’t t’droid he were lookin’ fer”.

Click here to have a look at Matt’s work and the products available on his shopify site.

P.S. Having been brought up around both the initial Star Wars franchise and the Kelham Island Industrial Museum, I am astounded, somewhat incredulous and somewhat disappointed that I had never spotted this now strikingly obvious R2D2/Bessemer Converter similarity before.

Frank and Tony’s BUNVENT calendar

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Sheffield artist Pete McKee is counting down to Christmas by having two of his favourite characters, Frank and Tony, passing comment on different patisserie products each day. Some of the cartoons are a little niche and will mean more to folk from Sheffield and t’surrounds, but others will appeal to all.

Here are a few examples:

03    04   05    07
Full marks for the accurate points on Parkin, but he’s clearly completely wrong on delicious Battenberg. Follow the series and see more of Frank and Tony’s contentious cake-based opinion on Pete’s twitter.

We’re lucky enough to have one of his prints (complete with Frank) from his The Joy Of Sheff on the wall in Agulhas. Surely the most Southerly McKee in Africa?
It’s this one, called A Perfect Day:

Aperfectday

“Take a picnic with the one you love. Climb to the top of one of the seven hills and look over the city in all its sun-drenched glory.”

Pickled onions, a pork pie, a bottle of Wards Bitter, Pulp on the record player, the woman you love – oh, and a view of that city.
Perfect indeed.

Science School

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The usual post-flight sluggishness has set in and it feels like it’s been an age since I was last in the lab. In a way, I’m looking forward to things getting back to normal.
I’m not getting any younger, but I’m pretty sure that I can remember at least the basics.

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So no need for any re-education for me. I took this photo while I was passing my Dad’s old school in the centre of Sheffield last week. Nowadays, that sort of signage would be pre-printed on plastic and glued to the wall. It would broken or vandalised within a few months, tops.
Back when this was made, there was respect for and pride in the education (and every other) system. It was worth showing off about by carving it in stone.
And it still shows to this day.

Sheffield Autumn

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It might be October, it might be thinking about winter already, but Sheffield is still looking rather lovely, be it in the city centre:

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Or out towards the Peak District:

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That second one was taken from my run on Saturday morning. I took it just before I got attacked by a pair of sparrowhawks. You’d have thought that I’d have been a bit big for them to tackle, but these are Yorkshire sparrowhawks, and they know no fear.
The doctors say that the physical scarring will probably diminish over the next few years. My ensuing – and completely reasonable – terror of Northern English birds of prey may take longer to recover from.