This is one of my favourite songs ever, I could see most of the places talked about from my old flat on Parkhill (which is mentioned in the song Sheffield Sex City by Pulp).
The River is mostly the Porter Brook, which runs from the Peak District down to the city centre (it then meets the River Sheaf and that the Don). The Porter Brook goes past the cafe at forge dam (open everyday except christmas day). The description of the cafe is spot on, especially the tragically sad melody played on the childs ride. In fact The Porter Brook come above ground again by the back of the Norwich Union building near Waitrose spermarket, but hey, that's artistic licence.
Little mesters are the traditional individually employed skilled cutlers (makers of knives) in Sheffield. In the 18th cent they earnt fantastic wages but died young due to dust inhaled from the millstone wheels they sharpened the knives on.
Northern Upholstery is now known as DFS, a furniture retailer.
The "old railway viaduct" is over the Wicker at the site of the old Sheffield Victoria Station. The river is far too shallow to survive jumping from the 20m high viaduct, but I guess the passer-by was fibbing a bit. The contemporary Spider Bridge under the viaduct is stunning though.
From this point the river can be followed down the Five Weirs Walk, to and beyond the "flyover" (M1 motorway). The Don in summer on this stretch is verdent and beautiful in a post industrial way (although you can still smell melted steel en-route).
You can see the point mentioned at the very beginning of the song on google earth at 53deg22'36.00"n 1deg27'52.46"w. The Leadmill is marked accurately on the community layer.
This is one of my favourite songs ever, I could see most of the places talked about from my old flat on Parkhill (which is mentioned in the song Sheffield Sex City by Pulp). The River is mostly the Porter Brook, which runs from the Peak District down to the city centre (it then meets the River Sheaf and that the Don). The Porter Brook goes past the cafe at forge dam (open everyday except christmas day). The description of the cafe is spot on, especially the tragically sad melody played on the childs ride. In fact The Porter Brook come above ground again by the back of the Norwich Union building near Waitrose spermarket, but hey, that's artistic licence.
Little mesters are the traditional individually employed skilled cutlers (makers of knives) in Sheffield. In the 18th cent they earnt fantastic wages but died young due to dust inhaled from the millstone wheels they sharpened the knives on.
Northern Upholstery is now known as DFS, a furniture retailer.
The "old railway viaduct" is over the Wicker at the site of the old Sheffield Victoria Station. The river is far too shallow to survive jumping from the 20m high viaduct, but I guess the passer-by was fibbing a bit. The contemporary Spider Bridge under the viaduct is stunning though.
From this point the river can be followed down the Five Weirs Walk, to and beyond the "flyover" (M1 motorway). The Don in summer on this stretch is verdent and beautiful in a post industrial way (although you can still smell melted steel en-route).
You can see the point mentioned at the very beginning of the song on google earth at 53deg22'36.00"n 1deg27'52.46"w. The Leadmill is marked accurately on the community layer.