‘World’s Biggest eSports Chain’ opens Studio in Sheffield
An international eSports chain, Wanyoo, opened a new studio in the Sheffield City Centre last week. The chain currently has 1200 stores in over 50 cities, with their newest Sheffield venue having both a public and a private room available for their customers. The public room costs £3/hr for members and £4/hr for non-members. Their private room can seat a group of six people for £6/hr per person.
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- Public Room
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- Private Room
For their Sheffield studio, Wanyoo has partnered with Yi Fang, a Taiwanese food chain. According to the manager, this provides a full experience for students who wish to play eSports with their friends.
"They [the students] can eat mixed Asian food. As this place is targeted towards students, we serve fast food. I would recommend our soup and our bubble tea," Mr Luo said. Their menu also has many fruit-based dishes available for those who want a healthier option.
The management plans to launch a supermarket in the same location after Christmas to make Wanyoo in Sheffield a one-stop solution for shopping groceries, food and eSports.
Wanyoo's membership is free, though players must be 16+ to enter tournaments and must be the required age to play age-restricted games. Any players under 16 must have guardian's consent to register for a membership account. Players under 12 must be accompanied by an adult at all time.
Concerns over proposed new bus lanes on Ecclesall Road and Abbeydale Road
A plan to implement all-day bus lanes on Ecclesall Road and Abbeydale Road have left business owners worrying about their trade. The proposition from Connecting Sheffield means that bus lanes would run from 7am until 7pm, meaning other vehicles will not be able to park or wait. This is to encourage people to travel by public transport instead of their own vehicles – reducing congestion and carbon emissions. One business owner who has been on Ecclesall Road for 24 years told Sheffield Wire: “[My business] depends on my customers being able to come and park outside the office. “If my customers can’t park outside, I am bound to lose business and it’s going to cost me a lot of money.” Another owner said: “Bus lanes are great, but not for 12 hours a day on a busy street where there are lots of independent businesses.” The Labour candidate for South Yorkshire Mayor, Lewis Dagnall, told Sheffield Wire that, though there may be some short-term disruptions, the new proposal might improve business: “If we can get to a situation where the vast majority of people are either using public transport or they're using active travel – so they're walking, they're cycling – that will actually increase footfall and increase patronage of local business in that area.” In a press release, Connecting Sheffield stated that it is undertaking two phases of engagement so that members of the public can voice their opinions and suggest improvements. The proposals also include reprogramming traffic lights to turn green when a bus approaches to allow traffic to move quicker, providing more consistent bus journey times. You may submit your views on Connecting Sheffield’s proposals here.
Sheffield mother who suffered “horrendous” domestic violence attack speaks out
A mother's two young children were forced to watch as she was punched so hard by her former partner that it burst blood vessels in her face. Daniella Parker, 28, from Woodhouse Mill, Sheffield was assaulted in her home by Joe Barratt, 29, of Birklands Avenue, Sheffield, on 1 November 2020. One of the children, aged just seven years old, was also assaulted by Barratt after he had been out drinking that evening. Ms Parker said: "What happened to me and my daughter was horrendous. He subjected me to a vicious beating until I couldn’t get off the floor and made my then seven-year-old daughter watch whilst she pleaded with him for my life. “My injuries meant I struggled to do basic things like care for my two young children who were seven and one at the time. “A young child shouldn’t have to see that. My two children have had to see their mummy relive what happened and go through the criminal justice system.” Barratt admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Daniella and assault against his daughter on 9 November and is due to be sentenced at Sheffield Magistrates Court in January 2022.
Joe Barratt is due to appear in court in January (via South Yorkshire police)
Booster jab is “having the desired impact” says Sheffield health chief, as vaccination numbers rise
Covid-19 rates are falling in the over 60s age bracket, a high risk group, as the uptake of the booster jab continues to increase. Greg Fell, Director of Public Health Sheffield reported that Sheffield has a booster coverage of more than 65% among the over 60s, and more than 40% in the over 40s category, who have just been offered a booster dose. In a Healthier Communities and Adult Social Care Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee meeting, Mr Fell said: “There is waning immunity hence the need for a booster programme. This is having the desired impact in terms of rates of hospitalisation, there’s no two ways about that, this can be seen nationally and certainly can be seen locally too.” He also states that the clinically vulnerable, immune compromised and unvaccinated people take up most of the hospital beds in regular and intensive care units. Mr Fell also said that we are seeing one covid-related death a day, rather than 20 to 30 which would have been seen if we had an unvaccinated population. Ruth, a 70-year-old woman who has taken the booster vaccination said: “It was fine, absolutely no issues with it at all. I think everyone who is entitled to a booster should have it, especially as we have this new variant in Africa that we’ve heard about over the last couple of days, everyone should take their booster if they’re entitled to it, certainly.” However, not everyone feels the same way. Mohammed, a 55-year-old man said: “I’m a bit surprised about [the booster jab] because we got told that two would be enough and now they’re coming out with a booster so I’m not happy about it, but I’ll have to have it just to go on holiday. If I wasn’t going on holiday then I wouldn’t have got it. It just goes on and on and on.” The NHS website says that you can get a booster dose from a walk-in site if it has been 6 months since your second dose and you are aged 40 years old or over, or aged 16 years old or over with a health condition that puts you at high risk from COVID-19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zd7N3W7seg
In Pictures: The Extinction Rebellion protest at Amazon’s Doncaster depot
Extinction Rebellion have blocked an Amazon depot in Doncaster in protest against the company's environmental impact and exploitation of their workers.
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- They have been at the depot since 4am this morning.
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- The 12 protestors intend to remain in place for the duration of Black Friday Weekend.
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- They have assembled a ten foot bamboo structure to block the entrance of the depot.
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- Protestors have attached themselves to concrete blocks.
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- Two have even chained themselves to the ground.
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- Police are in attendance and are monitoring the protest.
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- Police watch over the protest.
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- One of Extinction Rebellion’s demands is higher wages for workers.
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- The protestors are warning about the environmental affects of Amazon’s business.
Queer East Film Festival allows Showroom to ‘open up conversations about queer Asian heritage’
Three films that celebrate Asian and LGBTQ+ communities, including a rare 35mm screening of the landmark film Hush!, will be screened in Sheffield, next week, as part of the Queer East Film Festival. The festival will include a tour of highlights from Queer East Film Festival, an LGBTQ+ festival that showcases rarely-seen queer cinema from East and Southeast Asia and seeks to amplify the voices of Asian communities in the UK, which continue to be silenced.
Still from Dear Tenant directed by Yu Chieh Cheng. Photo: Courtesy of Showroom Cinema.
Still from Moonlit Winter directed by Lim Dae-hyung. Photo: Courtesy of Showroom Cinema.
Graffiti artist Trik09 ahead of his drawing workshop for Sheffield Loves Anime.
Electric cars: Is having all new homes installed with chargers actually a good idea?
Buried in his rambling speech about Peppa Pig World last week, was an announcement from Boris Johnson that all new homes built from next year will be legally required to have an electric vehicle (EV) charger installed. In a speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the prime minister said he expects this to result in 145,000 new charging points each year. This is an attempt to help phase out the sale of petrol and diesel cars and contribute to the UK’s net-zero 2050 target. But is forcing people, who might not even own an EV, to have a charger a good way to do this?
Many people don’t have at-home parking where they can charge their EV. Credit: Caroline Drake
“The announcement was long overdue and insufficient but at least a recognition that a change is needed.”Even green groups, who support the transition to electric cars, have issues with the suggestion that all homes should have to have a charging point. Lindy Stone, a coordinator for Friends of the Earth Sheffield, said: “There are many ways in which the difficulty of electric charge points (particularly in a city like Sheffield with many terraced houses and flats) could be addressed, e.g. utilising lampposts, but we would also argue that reducing the amount of vehicles - including electric - on the road by improving public transport is very important.” However, she is glad that at least something is being done: “The announcement was long overdue and insufficient but at least a recognition that a change is needed. We are deeply concerned that there is no UK wide strategy for electric vehicle charging points and that it is being largely left up to commercial interests and piecemeal local authority action to implement anything.”
“You might even have to pay someone to come along and remove it to install something better!”A spokesperson for Clean Air For Sheffield said they didn't they think forcing people to have a charger installed at home was the right approach. “If you make a builder install an EV charger, they are simply going to add on that cost to the price of the house. Why not just let people choose their own charger? It would be annoying to buy a new house and find a very basic charger installed. You might even have to pay someone to come along and remove it to install something better!” The Cost A bigger issue, they said, was the affordability of electric cars, and this relates to parking as well. The spokesperson said: “If there’s an inequity issue here, it’s about having off-street parking and the money to buy or lease an EV in the first place.” The initial cost of switching to an EV is a common reason for hesitation, despite the running costs of an electric car being much lower than diesel or petrol. The good news is that the government offers financial incentives, such as the plug-in grant. This covers vans, cars, mopeds and motorbikes, but only ones approved by the government, not all low emission vehicles are automatically eligible for this grant. The maximum grant for cars is £2,500, and you must own, lease, or have ordered a suitable vehicle and have off-street parking at your property. To help install a charger at home, the Electric Vehicle Homecharge scheme offers up to £350 off installation costs.
Pollution
When asked about the reality of the new legal requirement helping cut pollution, Clean Air for Sheffield said: “I suppose if you think that forcing everyone to have an EV charger in a new build home will encourage faster EV take-up, then I guess this programme will reduce pollution.”
Electric cars are substantially better for the environment than petrol, but it's a mistake to say they’re 100% green. They don’t release CO2 emissions when driving, sure, and as long as they’re charged with electricity from renewable sources, the running costs in terms of emissions are great.
However, they do have production emissions. A research project on ScienceDirect found that EVs have 59% to 60% higher emissions in the production process than internal combustion vehicles. While this is a small price to pay because of the emissions saved by driving electric, the biggest issue is the battery - the rapid increase in demand for the materials in addition to how to recycle them afterwards.
What was lacking in Boris’s speech at the CBI filled with car noise imitations and “forgive me’s” was an actual plan for installing all these chargers. The phase-out of electric vehicles by 2030 has been criticised for having no clear strategy either. So while details have yet to be released, there are other considerations such as how to charge your car with no parking and what exactly will be done with used batteries.
Bright Lights Barnsley kicks off with Town Hall light show
Three days of Christmas celebrations started last night in Barnsley, as visitors enjoyed free events including light shows, art installations and activities.
The festivities began at the Town Hall with a traditional Christmas Lights switch-on and light show.
Events continue tonight at 5pm, with art installations including a flock of origami birds called 'Luminous Birds' by Kathy Hinde set to appear at the Cooper Gallery Gardens.
'Mars', a touring artwork by Luke Jerram will also be on display which features detailed NASA imagery of the surface of the planet, allowing visitors to experience life on mars at Barnsley College.
The poet laureate, Simon Armitage, will have an installation called 'Sunset' with words lighting up the alley between Eldon Street and Mandela Gardens in neon, in celebration of the Eldon Street High Streets Action Zone Scheme.
The highlight of Barnsley's programme is set to arrive on Saturday.
Storm, a two storey tall mythical winter goddess made entirely of natural and recycled materials, will be making her debut appearance in England after attending COP26 in Glasgow.
The installation will begin its journey at DMC01 building on County Way, before making its way to The Glass Works square.
Dominic Somers, Arts and Events Officer for Barnsley Council, said the event was about "boosting the night time economy, getting people out, having a bit of joyful time post-pandemic."
Last year due to lockdown the celebrations were limited, but this year the festival spans ten sites.
EXCLUSIVE: 20-year-old Barnsley student running for South Yorkshire Mayor
Dominic Jones, 20-years-old, is the youngest candidate running to be Labour's new South Yorkshire Mayor. Born in Barnsley, Jones hopes to "collectively build a more positive future for South Yorkshire", focusing on improving the needs of young people and the future generations in the region. As a final year politics student at Liverpool University, Jones believes his involvement in Youth Parliament as well as representing the UK at the G7 Summit this year, will help his campaign. Jones' said: "South Yorkshire is where I'm from, it is where my heart is. The region has shaped my voice and was my childhood and I want it to shape my future as well." His campaign proposal, set out as a nine point plan, focuses on three key aims. These include, improving the transport network in the region, offering more opportunities for good jobs and skills development in South Yorkshire and tackling the local impact of climate change. Under the transport section of his manifesto, Jones aims to continue concessions for young people by protecting and promoting the Zoom Concessionary Pass, which allows people under 21 to access 80p singles on buses and trams. He wants to implement increased accessibility on transport across the region and enhance staff training so everyone can utilise public transport in South Yorkshire. Finally, he hopes to introduce more active travel initiatives by encouraging people to walk and cycle instead of using the car. To offer more job opportunities to the current and future generation of young people, Jones will work with local and regional partners in South Yorkshire to promote good standards and conditions in the workplace. He wants to introduce a 'Young People's Promise' ensuring that every young person under 25 has access to a job, training or apprenticeship within six months of being out of work. Lastly, Jones hopes to boast South Yorkshire's 'Community of Culture', by choosing a different community every year in the region, to showcase the history and culture of their home. "South Yorkshire needs to be the best place to grow up in. Good jobs and opportunities for skills development are a big part of this", Jones said. "I can bring my own experience as well as the insight of young people." To tackle the local impact of climate change, Jones' proposals will work towards the plan of being a Net Zero region by 2040 with significant progress made by 2030. He wants to ensure all funded projects in the region not only have a social impact but an environmental one as well. Finally he wants to introduce green jobs to help reach the Net Zero target. "Climate change is really an emergency. My climate proposals are about looking at what we can do to make an impact quickly. "I want to ensure our low carbon future starts and is generated locally here in South Yorkshire", said Jones. Dominic Jones slogan for this year's campaign is "Collectively we can build a more positive future for South Yorkshire." Alongside his politics degree, Jones is heavily involved in Youth parliament. As a member of the organisation, Jones encouraged 11,000 people in Barnsley alone to participate in the Make Your Mark scheme, the biggest referendum of young people in the country. He was also one of the four UK representatives at the G7 Summit held in Cornwall in June. At the summit, he helped to put young people at the forefront of discussions and helped make sure the topic of mental health featured in the final leaders communicate. Jones believes his age differentiates him from the six other candidates running for Mayor and wants to help to ensure young people and young workers are the consideration of the future.
Quadruple murder suspect also charged with rape of girl, 11
A man accused of murdering a mother and three children has been further charged with raping a girl under 13. Damien Bendall, 31, is now alleged to have raped and murdered 11-year-old Lacey Bennett, as well as being accused of killing her brother John Paul Bennett, 13, their mother Terri Harris, 35, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11. The charges come after four bodies were discovered at a house in Chandos Crescent, Killamarsh, near Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on September 19. Bendall was due before Nottingham Crown Court on Friday for a plea hearing, but the case was adjourned to January 4 at the crown court in Derby. The murder charges allege he killed all four on a day between Friday September 17 and Monday September 20. An inquest opening at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court previously heard the four died as a result of a “violent attack”. The coroner’s court also heard how a relative of Bendall had phoned police to say the defendant had suffered a self-inflicted stab wound. In a statement, the CPS said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised a further charge for Damien Bendall, 31, after reviewing a file of evidence from Derbyshire Police. He has now been charged with rape of a girl under 13. “Mr Bendall was previously charged with four counts of murder in relation to an incident in Killamarsh, Derbyshire. “The additional charge was today confirmed to the court at a hearing held at Nottingham Crown Court. “All are reminded that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial. “It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Storm Arwen has put off Sheffield’s Black Friday shoppers, says shopping centre manager
A rare red weather warning may be the culprit for Sheffield’s Black Friday streets being deserted this morning, according to a shopping centre manager. But, when we spoke to shoppers, many were unaware that the Met Office had issued any kind of weather alert. Amanda Phillips, The Moor Centre Manager, said: “It was quiet first thing due to the weather forecast. I think some people will be put off coming into the city." The red warning means there is potentially a risk to life, and was issued to North Yorkshire, but is expected to spread further across the North of England. Mrs Phillips said they have used social media to promote Black Friday offers in The Moor and its businesses. Al Bermawi, manager at Moor Perfume, said The Moor needed to do more for the independent shops. He said: “Customer habits are hard to change. But, the whole Moor market management should encourage people to shop in small local businesses." Research has shown that shoppers may be more inclined to shop online, rather than in person, this year.
Joey Barton Barnsley assault trial – jury sworn in
A jury has been sworn in at the trial of former England international Joey Barton, who is accused of assaulting a rival manager. Barton, 39, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday for the start of his trial, which is expected to last a week. He is accused of assaulting the then Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel in the tunnel at the South Yorkshire side’s Oakwell Stadium, on April 13 2019, when he was managing the visiting side, Fleetwood Town. A jury of seven women and five men was sworn in and sent home after being told the prosecution will open its case on Monday morning. It was selected after each potential juror was asked a series of questions about football and the defendant. These included “have you heard of Joey Barton” and “do you have any opinions about Joey Barton”. Potential jurors were asked whether they were at the match, watched it on TV and whether they had read press reports of an “off-pitch incident at that game”. They were also asked whether they supported either of the teams involved and whether they followed football closely. Bespectacled Barton, who now manages Bristol Rovers, watched the jury selection process from the dock flanked by a security guard. He was wearing a dark blue suit, a lighter blue shirt with matching handkerchief and a dark tie. He denies one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, adjourned the trial until Monday and Barton was given unconditional bail.