I got back this morning off the sleeper, did a day’s work (more or less), and now have been sorting through my photos from this week’s big adventure.

The first destination was Sheffield, so here are a few shots from the land that brought you stainless steel cultery.

Having made a point of going out to take some night-time shots, I am slightly disappointed with the results, seeing now on the “big screen” how I could have done certain things differently in terms of angles and framing. I do enjoy photography but it requires a certain degree of patience I am not sure I have.

Slight disappointment, in fact, sums up much of my thoughts on Sheffield. I’d been there twice before a couple of years ago for a course, and at the time found it to be a pleasant place with a mix of lovely old Victorian buildings and some tasteful modern architecture, but a city lacking somewhat in a real “hub”.

On this trip, Donald (who had come down with me for the Explosions in the Sky gig) and I, found the same problem – the centre was very commercial, full of shops and offices, but no obvious centre of nightlife, no district where there was a huge choice of pubs or restaurants.

It struck us as a little odd – it’s a big city of half a million folk and is home to two universities, and so the range of eateries and drinkeries seemed unnaturally sparse (or hidden) for such a place. If we were in the wrong part of town, it was entirely unclear what the right part of town was.

Not that we were in Sheffield for a cultural or gastronomic odyssey, however – we were there to see a certain band. More on which tomorrow…