Bit of Sheffield

Well so much for blogging more often, my intentions were good - honest. The cough seems to have returned with a vengeance, even just breathing makes me cough. It's really exhausting.

Anyway I had to wander into town the other day to buy a new kettle. It really doesn't give your day a good start when the kettle blows up and you have to start faffing about boiling a saucepan to get your first cup of tea of the day.
For once I remembered to take my camera and thought I would show a bit of the city center. This is the Town Hall, Victorian built and is supposed to resemble a French chateau. The Peace Gardens next to it were renovated a few years ago and it is now a lovely place to sit in the summer. At one point the gardens were the refuge of homeless people who spent the night there drinking and sleeping. These days however there is garden 'bouncer' who makes sure everything is kept looking good.The fountains are very popular all year round but in the summer especially, parents and children make for them and kids spend all day running through them. Even in colder weather young teenagers can't resist them and you will often see them trying to run through without getting wet.Unfortunately these fountains weren't working the day I was in town, but they look magnificent when they are.So if you carry on walking through the gardens you come to these large silver balls, with more water flowing over them, and they lead you into the Winter Gardens.When these first opened I thought they would turn into a Pensioner's Paradise, you know, warm quiet, somewhere to chat, but from what I have seen it hasn't happened. There is a rather nice hotel to one side and a few gift type shops on the other. It also leads into the Mappin Gallery which is a fabulous place. Lots of exhibitions to see here, as well as a permanent exhibit of what was Sheffield's main export, cutlery.

Any idea what to do with old knives and forks? Try this...I just love this - monster, made entirely with knives, forks and spoons of differing kindsI especially love the giraffe type head, so cute! With his mane of bone handled knives and his fish knife ears.

Well making one of these would keep me quiet on a Sunday afternoon wouldn't it?