Time Out heaps praise on Sheffield again with love letter to city on the joys of moving from London
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Writer Ashleigh Arnott wrote an 800-word love letter to the city after relocating from London because she and her husband were unable to afford a second bedroom after having a baby. It comes after Time Out last week declared trendy Kelham Island the 35th ‘Coolest Neighbourhood in the World’.
Despite being forced out of the capital for financial reasons Ms Arnott, the magazine’s former ‘London Things To Do Writer’, was swiftly won over. They were able to buy a house rather than rent and wanted ‘good trains and excellent pubs’. But she appears to happiest with how friendly everyone is.
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She wrote: “It’s those positive interactions – even the incredibly mundane ones – that collectively make my everyday here a joy. Before we’d even unpacked properly we’d had a builder recommendation from the owner of our local Italian deli, a chat about Belle and Sebastian with the cashier in Sainsbury’s and a reminder to ‘look after ourselves’ from the postman (because moving house is very stressful).”
She’s also a fan of the Peak District, the pubs and restaurants. She also quotes two women who moved up from the Big Smoke.
Contributor Sophie Parsell also moved because of money: “The rent I was paying for a flat in south-east London got me a four-bed house here.” But Hillsborough music festival Tramlines had previously won her over, she says.
Meanwhile, Londoner Sharene Wakefield said she moved for multi-cultural city life 'with a side helping of the Peak District’. And she and partner Joel were delighted by the sheer number of outdoorsy people here.
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Hide AdAshleigh Arnott ends by painting a picture of Sheffield at its best.
“And when the nights draw in and our walking boots need a weekend off, what will we do? We’ll certainly tour the many lovely pubs, warming ourselves on open fires as we drink locally brewed beers and eat roast pork rolls (a meal which has revealed itself to be the unofficial Sheffield speciality).”