BBC Learning English
Sheffield
Callum: Hello, I'm Callum Robertson and in this special programme we're finding out
about the city of Sheffield.
Sheffield is situated in the north of England and Kate Betts a media trainer and
consultant and Sheffield resident sent us a report on the city. In the first part of
the report she tells us about what made the city famous and was the city's main
industry. What is that industry and what items does she find in her kitchen
draw related to that business?
KATE BETTS
Sheffield is often called the Steel city – this is because it’s one of the most important places in
the world for making steel - the industry really took off about 250 years ago… connected
with that there’s tool making, engineering and the manufacture of cutlery… have a
rummage in any kitchen drawer and you’ll probably find a knife or fork saying “made in
Sheffield”. These days not so many people work in the steel industry, but it’s said more steel
than ever before is now being made in Sheffield.
Callum: Sheffield is a city well-known for producing the metal steel. One of its most
common products is cutlery – the tools we use to eat – knives, forks and spoons
– and it is these utensils that are found in many people's kitchen drawers.
So as an industrial town you might think Sheffield wouldn't be a very nice
place to live. What does Kate say about this?
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KATE BETTS
With all that industry you might be tempted to think that Sheffield would be a rather
unpleasant place to live well I came to live here about 15 years ago…one thing I noticed is
how green the city is.. there are something like 2 million trees in the city – that’s more trees
per person than any other European city… and there are dozens and dozens of parks – like
this one – Meersbrook park, near where I live.
Callum: Sheffield is a very green city, there are many parks and about 2,000,000 trees.
Surprisingly for an industrial city in the north of England Sheffield has
something in common with the Italian city of Rome. What is that? Here's Kate
Betts.
KATE BETTS
Sheffield has five major rivers running through it, one3 of them being the River Sheaf which
gives the city its name. And Sheffield is said to be like Rome in Italy in that it's built on seven
hills, but ask anyone if they could name these hills and these are typical of the answers you'll
get….
Callum: Like Rome Sheffield is built on seven hills - though the local residents weren't
able to name the hills!
Sheffield also has a strong sporting tradition. What record is held by one of its
football teams?
KATE BETTS
Ask them to name the city’s two football teams – and everyone could say Sheffield United
and Sheffield Wednesday… but not everyone knows about Sheffield FC – they’re said to be
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the oldest football club in the world. They were formed back in 1857 and are still going
strong…
Callum: Sheffield boasts the oldest football club still playing – Sheffield FC – which
was formed in 1857.
Over the years Sheffield has proved attractive to people from all over the world
as a place to come and find work. Which countries does Kate mention and how
does Kosovan immigrant Blyrta Syla describe the city?
KATE BETTS
Now I came to live here from another part of Britain, but lots of people have come to
Sheffield from other parts of the world. In the 1930s people came from Somalia to work in the
steel industry. In the 1950s and 60s they came from the Yemen for the same reason – and
people have come for better lives or to escape problems from places as diverse as Chile,
Vietnam, Poland and Kosovo. Blerta Syla came from Kosovo in 1999 to escape the fighting
with the Serbs.
BLERTA SYLA
I can consider Sheffield as my second home. I have settled here very well since I came over in
1999. It's a place I wouldn't swap with anywhere else. I feel very comfortable, people are very
friendly and it's very multi-cultural.
Callum: People have come to Sheffield from Somalia in the 1930s, from Yemen in the
1950s and 60s. Other countries mentioned are Chile, Vietnam, Poland and
Kosovo. Blerta describes Sheffield as her second home, she finds it friendly
and multicultural – multicultural, people for different cultures living and
working happily together.
That's all from Sheffield.
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