Have you taken on the city's infamous Paternoster lift?

I read with keen interest the other day about a music concert being held in one of Sheffield's most unusual venues.

Sadly, by the time you read this, said performance will have already been and gone - although in this case I should point out that it's not so much the music that fascinated me, but more the place the show was actually being held in.

And that's because this particular concert was being held inside Sheffield's very own famous and '“ some might say '“ rather iconic, Arts Tower.

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Nothing surprising about that you might say, surely an arts building should host the arts? Well, this particular piece was taking place inside what's probably the building's most distinctive feature...any ideas?

It's none other than the infamous, and somewhat notorious, paternoster lift.

For those not in the know, the paternoster lift is a very special kind of constantly moving elevator system with no doors and a series of individual cabinets which go round in a constant loop, allowing its passengers to jump in and out at the relevant place.

Now, I've never seen the paternoster lift in action myself in the flesh, only on video, but I've heard vaguely terrifying accounts from people who have experienced it and their hair-raising tales of taking their lives into their own hands, as they set about trying to get on or off at the relevant floor.

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And that's not to mention the absolutely not to be advised and indeed, totally prohibited act of 'going over the top.'

This involves visitors staying in the lift past the last floor until it comes all the way down on the other side again. It is '“ of course '“ utterly against the rules, incredibly dangerous and, importantly, risks breaking the entire contraption, but of course, countless students have done it over the years, undeterred by the dangers, as part of their high jinks.

As one of Sheffield's most famous sights and sounds, I feel in the interests of Steel Life investigative journalism, I may have to finally give it a go.Watch this space...

 

 

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