Five things you probably didn’t know about Sheffield
Five things you probably didn’t know about Sheffield
In choosing to study in Sheffield, you’ve made a great decision in settling here for the next few years, maybe even longer. As you weighed up the decision and thought about what is very much a ‘life changing’ choice, you likely made decisions based on the university and course, and possibly not the characteristics of the city itself. There’s so much to Sheffield, and we wanted to bring to attention five things that you probably didn’t know about your new home.
Sheffield runs on recycled energy
Over the last few years, sustainability has become a subject close to all of our hearts as we take stock of our ‘unsustainable usage of the world’s resources. Our city is trying to do something about its footprint.
Sheffield runs a ‘District Energy System’, which means that the city’s domestic waste is re-used to produce thermal energy. The waste is incinerated and converted to electricity and hot water. Over 25 miles of water pipes under the city distribute the energy where needed.
Sixty megawatts of thermal energy and 19 megawatts of electrical energy is generated from the 225,000 tonnes of waste every year.
Sheffield has more trees per person than any city in Europe
Not only is Sheffield doing something about its energy usage, but the city is also the greenest in Europe. Sheffield has more trees per person than any city in Europe, outnumbering people by 4 to 1. You’ll find 170 woodlands (6985 acres), 78 public parks (4522 acres) and ten public gardens also.
Sheffield isn’t just near the edge of the Peak District – Sheffield is actually in it! Over a third of the great city is within the boundary of the National Park. You can jump on a train, and within 20 minutes, be at the heart of the Peak District.
Sheffield is the home of synth-pop
You’ve probably noticed that some seriously heavyweight musicians were made in Sheffield, such as The Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, and Def Leppard.
Not only has Sheffield given the world music royalty, but it also seems to be so on the zeitgeist of music that it even created a genre of music in synth-pop, or electric pop to some. Cabaret Voltaire, The Human League, ABC, Heaven 17, and Clock DVA all hail from our seven hills. This may be partly due to the sheer number of students adding to the city’s rich cultural mix.
There’s a fantastic documentary created by the guys at Made In Sheffield, all about the relationship between Sheffield and the birth of electric pop. Click on the link below to have a look.
Sheffield is home to the world’s oldest football club
There are not many places in the world that can claim to be home to the world’s oldest football club. In fact, there can only be one, and it’s Sheffield.
Sheffield Football Club ( Sheffield FC ) is recognised by the Football Association (FA) and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA ) as the oldest football club in the world. Founded in 1857, Sheffield FC established the ‘Sheffield Rules’, which became the first set of official rules. The founders Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest could probably never have envisioned how popular the game has become today.
Sheffield has its own Walk of Fame
You don’t need to go to Hollywood for glitz and glamour. Sheffield has its own Walk of Fame located outside Sheffield Town Hall. The idea, which began in 2006, pays homage to the great and good connected to Sheffield. Here are just a few of the 21 inductees:
Gordan Banks, Footballer
Sean Bean, Actor
Grace Clough, Paralympic Gold Medal Winner
Joe Cocker, Singer
Sebastien Coe, Athlete and Politician
Def Leppard, Musicians
Michael Palin, Comedian and Politician
