Outdoor sporting festival returns to Sheffield
A series of sporting events and activities will be coming to Sheffield next month to celebrate the city’s outdoor culture.
The Festival of the Outdoors will take place throughout the whole of March, with a diverse programme ranging from climbing competitions to marathon running.
Originating as a single weekend, the festival returns for its fifth iteration, with events set to take place across the city.
The lineup includes the Climbing Works International Festival, a skateboard jam, inclusive cycling, orienteering, guided nature and historical walks, and a half marathon.
Graeme Alderson, Co-owner of the Climbing Works and organiser of the CWIF said: “It’s another big year for climbing with attention ramping up ahead of Paris 2024, so all eyes will be on the international athletes coming to Sheffield to take part in the CWIF in March.
New Sheffield exhibition launched exploring race and the environment
A new exhibition, Skylarking, exploring the relationship between landscapes, music, and belonging was held at Soft Ground on the Moor, last Wednesday.
Sheffield-based creative Ashley Holmes presented the exhibition as a constellation of structures that encourage contemplation, rest and listening.
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Outdoor festival returns to Sheffield
A series of sporting events and activities will be coming to Sheffield next month to celebrate the city's outdoor culture.
The Festival of the Outdoors will take place throughout the whole of March, with a diverse programme ranging from climbing competitions to marathon running.
Originating as a single weekend, the festival returns for its fifth iteration, with events set to take place across the city.
The lineup includes the Climbing Works International Festival, a skateboard jam, inclusive cycling, orienteering, guided nature and historical walks, and a half marathon.
Graeme Alderson, Co-owner of the Climbing Works and organiser of the CWIF said: “It’s another big year for climbing with attention ramping up ahead of Paris 2024, so all eyes will be on the international athletes coming to Sheffield to take part in the CWIF in March.
Climbing Works International Festival. Credit: Marketing Sheffield
“Sheffield’s reputation is pretty well documented in the climbing community already, but being part of the Festival of the Outdoors gives us a great opportunity to increase awareness with those that don’t know climbing, The Climbing Works, or even Sheffield more generally, and really demonstrate the part we and this city play in this international sport.”
Cllr Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “As the Outdoor City, Sheffield is the UK's leading destination for outdoor adventure and city culture wrapped into one.
“Greenspace is a vital part of Sheffield’s culture, and influences much of life for people in Sheffield. The Festival of the Outdoors is a great opportunity for the people of Sheffield, and our many visitors, to enjoy the UK’s greenest city.”
For the less sporty, the city will also host the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival, a pollen market, and a beer week.
To find out more about the upcoming festival, click here: Sheffield's Festival of the Outdoors (welcometosheffield.co.uk)
New exhibition explores race and the environment
An art exhibition that explores the relationship between landscapes, music and belonging held a launch event at Soft Ground on the Moor last Wednesday.
Skylarking is part of The Mouth, a collaboration with arts charity Arts Catalyst and Sheffield Museums. Creative Ashley Holmes presented the exhibition as a constellation of structures that encourage contemplation, rest and listening.
Mr Holmes, from Sheffield, is the host of Tough Matter, a monthly radio show on NTS Radio, and is also a resident on local station Mondo Radio.
The work amplifies the sounds of the architecture of caves, hills and public spaces in the city and makes reference to the influences of experimental studio techniques of popular Black music of the 21st century.
Mr Holmes said: “There’s a lot of musical references – the main one being the title of the exhibition, which is borrowed from the title of an album by an artist called Horace Andy that was released on Studio One records in the early 1970s.” He began working on the project in August last year and began making field visits in October.
He added that the research he’s doing surrounds race and the environment, and “where and how we can think about the connections between".
Talking about holding the exhibition in Sheffield, Mr Holmes said it’s a “really important part of the work and part of the project".
“I think bar one or two people, all of our collaborators are Sheffield-based as well. It's felt really lovely."
The launch event was attended by Lord Mayor Colin Ross, and featured work from collaborators Wemmy Ogunyankin, Bel Odawa, Seigfried Komidashi, Joseph June Bond and Akeem Balogun.
“Recording the story with Bel Odawa and Ashley in particular was enjoyable," said Mr Balogun.
“We also travelled to Speedwell Cavern, and there was a beautiful moment where Komidashi played the sax in the cave. It was special.”
Exhibition attendee Rob Hughes, 22, from Doncaster said: "It’s really interesting. I like the way that he’s taken the peak district and nature which is kind of like art itself and made more art out of art."
Skylarking runs from the 22 of February to 18 of May at Soft Ground, 37-41 The Moor, Sheffield. The Mouth also continues at the Millennium Gallery with Ways of Water.
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Whilst on GB News, Mr Anderson said: “Politics is divisive and I am just incredibly frustrated about the abject failures of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
“My words may have been clumsy but my words were borne out of sheer frustration at what is happening to our beautiful capital city.”
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Sheffield City Council first discussed the Gleadless Valley Masterplan with the residents of Gleadless Valley in 2017 to improve the area.
£1.1 million of the budget has been spent on the plan over the last seven years, but questions have been raised as to what progressions has been made with that money. Residents are now losing hope in the council’s plans.
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He said: “We do need to make sure that we house people in appropriate accommodation and the best way to resolve this issue long term is to stop people coming in the first place.
“So anyone who cares about this should be backing us to get the Rwanda Bill through Parliament so we can get a deterrent up and running.
“I’m confident that we really will be able to stop the boats and that will mean that we won’t have this pressure in all our local areas to find places to house illegal migrants.”
Bomb squad called to River Don
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The shell was taken away by the bomb squad, who confirmed the device was an empty shell.
In 2023, what was believed to be a canon was pulled from the river.
Mary Poppins rating raised from U to PG
The iconic 1964 film has had its rating raised from U to PG due to "discriminatory language".
The British Board of Film Classification said: “While Mary Poppins has a historical context, the use of discriminatory language is not condemned, and ultimately exceeds our guidelines for acceptable language at U.
“We therefore classified the film PG for discriminatory language.”
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Sheffield Steelers Wheelchair Basketball club are the only British and amateur team heading to the Euro Cup finals in Spain after finishing third in their qualifying tournament.
As the only team to be unbeaten in the English league so far, they are confident as they head to the finals in April.
The club was formed in 1987 by patients from the spinal injury unit in Sheffield and have become one of the biggest competitors in the sport.
Abs Taghrest, who has been playing the sport since he was 9 years old, said: “It would be massive to win. We’ll be coming up against some tough Spanish teams, which is the best league in the world.
“We are massive underdogs but we always aim to win.”
Cabinet ministers told it’s their job to ensure everyone has the “opportunity to succeed”
The Prime Minister has told his cabinet that he wants everyone in the UK to have "the opportunity to succeed for themselves".
He said: “It’s about a stronger economy, world-class education, backing business and, of course, yes, investing in infrastructure and transport.
“And I genuinely believe that in spite of the tough time that we have had over the past couple of years, that we have turned a corner, that the plan is now working.
“Of course we have got further to go, but if we stick to the plan I know that we will absolutely get there and deliver a brighter future for everyone in our country.”