Park Hill Newsletter - Winter 2023
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
Park Hill Newsletter - Summer 2022
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Park Hill Residents' Association

Park Hill Residents' Association

Flat

Your Park Hill Newsletter

Winter 2023
Message from the Chair

Happy New Year! For those of you that don't know me, I'm Shell! I'm relatively new to Park Hill & Sheffield and am excited to take up the position of Chair for the Park Hill Residents’ Association (PHRA).

Firstly, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the outgoing office bearers, Tamara, Kay and Charlette and the rest of the committee for their work last year. As we heard in the AGM at the back end of last year, the Residents’ Association achieved massive success in 2022. As we move into a New Year with a new committee, we must celebrate what has come before and remind ourselves that every end has a new beginning. With that in mind, I'm reminded of a quote from Mattie Stepanek, a poet and peace ambassador, who said

 

"Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved."

 

As residents we are united in the desire to embrace the community spirit that is the magic of Park Hill and continue to make this a great place for everyone. As Chair, I aim to create a broader sense of community across the entire Park Hill estate, unite all phases and support the committee and working groups to achieve their aims.

In a few weeks, we will have our first committee meeting, where we will discuss our aims for the coming year, and we look forward to sharing these with you soon. In the meantime, if there are any issues that you wish to raise or would like to get involved with the PHRA, then please don't hesitate to get in touch at hello@parkhillpeople.org

Shell C. | chair@parkhillpeople.org

Green Group Update

The newly-reformed Green Group of the Park Hill Residents’ Association met for the first time at South Street Kitchen in mid-December.

We discussed plans to improve the environment at Park Hill, including:

  • Putting solar panels on the roof
  • Increasing the capacity of the bike stores
  • Exploring the possibility of a car share scheme Improving the pedestrian crossings at the top of Duke St
  • Protecting the lawns in Phase 1 from being turned into a car park

All of these projects should improve the sustainability of the building and the quality of life of its residents at no cost to us. If you'd like to get involved, drop us an email at the address below.

Sam G. | greengroup@parkhillpeople.org

Windows in the Sky

Following on from the first Windows in the Sky item in the last newsletter, we spoke to Justin about the lion head sculpture in his bay window.

 

He explains, “I went to Brighton Pride a couple of years ago with a few friends and we stayed in an Airbnb just outside of Brighton. We spoke to the couple who owned the place about the lack of decorations and they returned one evening with this lion head sculpture which they had sprayed pink because they thought we would like it. When we left after the festival they ended up giving it to us and so I have had it ever since. People keep trying to buy it off me but I keep telling them it’s not for sale! The peacock feathers in the background were given to me by another resident when I moved in.”

 

If you have any interesting stories relating to what you have in your bay window displays and would like to appear in the next Windows in the Sky item, please get in touch with us at the address below.

 

Joe D. | newsletter@parkhillpeople.org

AGM Round Up

The recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Park Hill Residents’ Association on 5th December was very well attended by residents from all phases. The chair welcomed all and spoke of the events that have been happening over the past year. Reports were provided by the working groups with updates and planned projects over the next year. Az, from Great Places and Hassan, from RMG managements groups were in attendance and fielded questions from residents, ensuring a lively discussion.

 

The election of the new committee took place, and we are delighted to inform you, your new Chairperson is Shell C., Treasurer is Lily G. and Secretary is Jo H. There were also expressions of interest for a vice chair role, however the vote was unable to take place on the evening due to some missing information. It has since been decided that the role of Vice Chair isn’t needed, however we have invited both parties to join the committee of PHRA.

 

Our grateful thanks, to Ros B. for taking the minutes and to all who attended for their input. We look forward to handing over to the new committee in the new year, so watch this space for exciting events and projects.

 

Kay H. | hello@parkhillpeople.org

Your Design Destination

Photo crest: Nest

 

This year, in February, Nest will be officially opening their new showroom doors at Park Hill. Following months of refurbishment on units 21-24 South Street, the Scottish Queen will now be home to a new design showroom, showcasing the very best in international furniture and lighting design.

 

The 3,500 sq. ft space will host design pieces for the home from a wide variety of brands including furniture from Vitra, Carl Hansen & Son and &Tradition and lighting icons from the likes of FLOS, Louis Poulsen plus a range of accessories & design gifts. The space features a series of vignettes, each with a unique aesthetic style and showcasing various room stylings from within the home. Along with exploring the space, customers can benefit from a personal shopping service, consultations and request samples and design expertise from their experienced sales team.  The showroom space will be a retail destination for local residents, the wider Sheffield community and the North of England.

 

If you can't wait until February, remember Nest have created promo code PARKHILL15 offering 15% off at nest.co.uk for all Park Hill orders until the end of April 2023

Filming at Park Hill

In 2022 we had two film units on site with hopefully limited disruption, and for that we were compensated by location fee donations to PHRA for community activities. During 2023 we will have a Netflix TV series on location here filming for 3 days. They will be onsite 5 days either side, before and after for set up and taking down. It will be during May and the production team will be using the top end of Park Hill near the student block.

 

When exact dates have been finalised these will be made known to you along with more details in good time. Thank you so much for your support with filming to date – Park Hill is a popular location for a variety of TV, film and photography crews. It is great to live somewhere so popular but obviously as it’s your home first and foremost, requests are managed and coordinated through Urban Splash representatives.

Scheduled Public Tours

Following the significant demand for our successful Heritage Open Day tours last September, we will be running regular public tours of Park Hill during Spring and Summer this year. These will be priced at £6 per person with the proceeds going to PHRA to support its community initiatives. Tickets will go on sale on Eventbrite from late January/early February (note the link will show as unavailable until then).

 

https://parkhilltours.eventbrite.com

 

Tours will run between March and August on the third Saturday and Thursday (not March) of each month. There will be no paid tours in September when we will continue our involvement in the free Heritage Open Days events.

 

The tours will include a flat visit and the opportunity to walk the length of the Streets in the Sky through all three developed phases. Despite much interest, they will however not access the roof or the undeveloped parts of the estate.

 

Please help spread the word to anyone who might be interested, whether by word of-mouth or sharing our social media posts.

 

Jonathan K. | tours@parkhill.estate

Park Hill UpRise

Photo credit: Sheffield Urban CX

 

Sheffield cyclists, commuters, club riders, junior Shredders, cargo bike captains and Bromptoneers, come and show the rest of the city how we embrace the city’s urban hill climbs!

 

Sheffield Urban Cyclo return to Park Hill to run the Park Hill UpRise, Urban Hill Climb, on March 25th as part of this years Festival of the Outdoors.

 

The cobbled ‘V’ below the flats creates two cobbled climbs making it a great place to watch, or take part in this fast and furious event that will test riders and thrill spectators. There will be something for everyone - a junior event, individual climbs and the cargo bike race will see teams of 4 load up and battle it out to get to the top first.

 

Submit your race entry at:

https://tinyurl.com/4tnnukex

 

We would love for Park Hill residents and businesses to be represented at the event. Would you want to see a resident's race? Want to ride or help out marshal? Then email us at the address below or call 07828163159.

 

Adam S. | sheffieldurbancx@gmail.com

The people behind Park Hill

Last year on social media, we celebrated some of the people who originally contributed to the design of Park Hill alongside the architects. For those of you who do not follow us online, we reproduce these for you as the feature item in this quarters newsletter.

June marked 100 years since the birth of John Forrester (1922-2002), the Constructivist artist invited to work alongside the original Park Hill architects. He influenced the aesthetics of many aspects of the estate, including the abstract pattern of progressively changing coloured brick infill within the concrete frame.

Photo credit: askart.com 

 

These have been cleaned up and retained in recent phases of the redevelopment, but even where the brickwork has been removed, his concept has endured through the replacement panels and choice of colours used.

In this example of his work, a 1954 relief sculpture entitled Constructed, we see forms emerging that eventually led to our now familiar building facade. This piece was created while he was living in St Ives, Cornwall, where he was a close contemporary of the famous Yorkshire-born sculptor Barbara Hepworth, being a member of the Penwith Society of Arts which she established.

In October, Sydney Opera House began its year-long countdown to its 50th Anniversary. But did you know that Park Hill shares a connection to the famous World Heritage Site through Ronald Jenkins who worked as structural engineer on both projects?

Photo credit: Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Collections

 

Ronald was a brilliant mathematician and considered to have been one of the world’s great engineers [1]. A founding member of Arup and Partners, he was the partner responsible for the opera house and, as a leading authority on shell structures, led the initial efforts to find an engineering solution for the iconic roof, before leaving the project in summer 1961.

 

In contrast to a tense relationship with the opera house architect, there were no such difficulties at Park Hill. Here, the architects described him as marvellous to work with and early on they invited him to help curate the tour of Europe for Sheffield councillors to look at examples of multi-storey housing [2]. In the photo of his office, we can see a picture of one of these on the wall - Unité d'Habitation - often quoted as having inspired Park Hill. Like John Forrester, he had connections to influential British artists - check out the ceiling mural by Eduardo Paolozzi who was a pioneer of the pop art movement.

Photo credit: Nigel Henderson Estate

 

Park Hill was a departure from the sort of projects he usually was involved in, even being described as ‘bread and butter work’ by a colleague [3]. However, he was a regular collaborator with Alison and Peter Smithson who were the architects that coined the term ‘Streets in the air’ (later becoming ‘Streets in the sky’), now commonly used to describe our access decks. Could his interest in working on Park Hill have resulted from this association and a desire to help put their ideas into practice?

 

The final photo shows Ronald, on the right, alongside the Smithsons on site in Hunstanton, Norfolk.

Photo credit: Nigel Henderson Estate

 

1. https://www.arup.com/news-and-events/arup-pride-as-sydney-opera-house-becomes-a-global-engineering-landmark

2. Appraisal of Park Hill Redevelopment, Sheffield, Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects, July 1963

3. https://www.arup.com/-/media/arup/ files/publications/t/the_arup_journal_issue_2_1985_comp.pdf

 

Jonathan K. | newsletter@parkhillpeople.org

Did you know?

In 2016, the British Library recorded an interview with Ivor Smith, one of the architects of Park Hill, about his life. In this he talks about Park Hill, including working with Ronald Jenkins, and his views on the subsequent redevelopment.

 

You can listen to this fascinating piece of oral history at https://tinyurl.com/3kat3ase

Resident Spotlight

For the first newsletter of 2023, we’re proud to launch our Resident Spotlight series. This is an opportunity for us to shine a light on Park Hill residents who are running independent businesses, working freelance, or starting a new self-employed career.

 

Jack Mann is a level 3 Personal Trainer with an MSc in Psychology. He's an online training coach who currently works with a variety of clients the U.K. and the U.S. focussing on fitness, nutrition - and most importantly, mindset.

 

Based here at Park Hill, he would love to offer you a free consultation call or a chat in person to talk about your health and fitness goals. With his friendly, expert advice, you’re sure to learn how you could work together, to make 2023 the year you feel and look your best.

 

Find him at @coachjackmann or visit his website whojackmann.com If you would like to take part in our Resident Spotlight series, please email us at the address below.

 

Leanne C. | newsletter@parkhillpeople.org

A relaxed and informal book club for everyone!

Park Hill Book and Social Club started in 2016 for people to discuss books each month, meet other people, and have a chat. Everyone is welcome!

 

We read a wide range of books to suit all tastes. We put a call out in November to people to add books to the following year's reading list so you can finally start that book you've always wanted to read. See the calendar elsewhere in this newsletter for which books we will be discussing over the coming months.

 

You’re welcome to come along to chat even if you haven’t finished the book, or started it! We discuss all things Park Hill and what we've been up to. It isn't just focused on the book.

 

We meet on the first Monday of the month at 7pm at the Trades and Labour Club on Duke Street. We’re very relaxed and informal. We have members who come every month and others who come when they can.

 

To make sure you stay in the loop, be sure to sign up to our mailing list or like our Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/165583023890658

 

We would love to have you join us!

 

Kim M. | books@parkhillpeople.org

Support over Winter

If you are having difficulties this Winter (or at any time) due to rising costs or changes in your personal circumstances, there is support available. Below we have listed some of the key local organisations you can get in touch with for help.

S2 Foodbank

 

 

Park Hill is served by S2 Foodbank. If you are in urgent need of food, you can refer yourself by phoning them on 07804 406 267. Or if you are being supported by someone in a professional capacity (social worker, headteacher, GP) then you can ask them to make a referral on your behalf.

 

s2foodbank.org.uk

Citizens Advice Sheffield

 

 

Citizens Advice offer free, independent advice about a range of issues such as housing, debt and energy. You can get in touch by phone or online, or if you prefer to speak to someone face-to-face, there is a Community Access Point in the city centre.

 

citizensadvicesheffield.org.uk

Sheffield City Council

 

 

Sheffield City Council can provide information about a range of support schemes and funds for council tax, housing, energy, water and general living costs.

 

sheffield.gov.uk/benefits/help-money-issues

Further help

 

Sheffield City Council have shared an extensive list of further support which you can read by clicking the link below.

 

https://cloud.parkhill.estate/s/GqMrbHCCqKGxtjo

Litter picks continue into 2023

The very successful monthly litter pick continued through 2022. With a few regulars helped by a changing mix of new residents and people from the surrounding community, it made a positive contribution to Park Hill life.

 

It’s a very pleasant way to spend an hour or two on a Saturday morning, chatting to people and making new friends while doing something useful. It forges links with the local community and gives a sense of ownership to all who take part. We meet in front of the sales office at 10am on the last Saturday of each month and usually litter pick for about 2 hours, followed by free refreshments at South Street Kitchen courtesy of PHRA. Everyone welcome!

 

John S. | litter@parkhillpeople.org

Phase 1 Service Fee Working Group 2023 Focus

As suggested in our last report, the follow up meeting with Urban Splash on the glazing issue did not happen before Christmas so it is anticipated to happen sometime in January. This will rumble on through the year at the slow pace dictated by lawyers and the legal system.

 

A major concern is the 2022/23 budget. At our first meeting with Abbie and Az of Plumlife, the focus was on the anticipated (massive) rise in common area electricity costs. The projections currently stand at a seven fold increase, pushing our service fee up by around 40%. We will hopefully meet with them again early in the year to discuss plans to reduce the impact of this.

 

An issue for a couple of years with our Green Group colleagues has been the installation of solar panels. They had very little cooperation from Urban Splash which frustrated both the Green Group and us because, if in place, solar panels would have significantly reduced the impact of the electricity cost rises. We will be giving our full support to the Green Group on this project throughout the year and beyond if necessary.

 

We will continue to nag Urban Splash to make good the damage caused to the grounds during the Phase 2 works and as always, continue to monitor how our money is spent. Happy New Year!

 

Johann N. | servicefeeworkinggroup@parkhillpeople.org

Phase 2 Working Group - Update

Happy New Year everyone! We’re pleased to announce that the Phase 2 Working Group has been busy since the last newsletter. We’ve forged better relationships, lines of communication and sharing of information between P2 and RMG (the managing agents). This has been achieved through regular catch-up meetings, which will continue throughout 2023.

 

The first meeting between the P2WG and Béton House took place before Christmas, as did the first meeting of the P1+P2 Green Working Group. They have joined forces to tackle Park Hill’s green agenda, with first priorities including; solar panels follow-up, active travel strategy, updating Wiki on heating and recycling advice.

 

Keep an eye on the PHRA Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/phase2wg for news of the next P2WG meeting. And, if you would like to join in with any of the activities, or learn more about what we do, feel free to get in touch at the email address below.

 

Leanne C. | phase2wg@gmail.com

New banner

Look out for our new flag banner which we will be using at events to help identify meeting points or to signify our support.

Park Hill wiki updates

The Park Hill wiki has had some recent updates. For many pages there are now expandable headings for each phase which reveal the information specific to that location. A new page for floor plans has also been added which might be useful in taking action if you experience a leak from a neighbour or noise.

 

wiki.parkhill.estate

Martin Dust book

Martin was a judge for our residents photo competition held in 2021 to mark the 60th anniversary of Park Hill. His own photography of Park Hill is the subject of a new book, available to purchase now.

 

https://www.martindust.photography/store/p/situation-district-volume-1-park-hill

 

Photo credit: Martin Dust

Dates for your diary

28 Jan

Litter Pick

10:00 - 12:00 | In front of Sales Office

Followed by free refreshments

 

06 Feb

Book Club

19:00 - 21:00 | Sheffield Trade & Labour Club

My name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

 

06 Mar

Book Club

19:00 - 21:00 | Sheffield Trade & Labour Club

The History Of Bees by Maja Lunde

 

25 Feb

Litter Pick

10:00 - 12:00 | In front of Sales Office

Followed by free refreshments

 

25 Mar

Litter Pick

10:00 - 12:00 | In front of Sales Office

Supporting the Great British Spring Clean

 

25 Mar

Park Hill Uprise

11:00 - 16:00 | South Street Park

Urban cycling hillclimb over cobbled streets

 

03 Apr

Book Club

19:00 - 21:00 | Sheffield Trade & Labour Club

The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed

 

For full details of these events, please visit

https://parkhill.estate/#event-directory

All photos are provided by Park Hill Residents’ Association, unless credited otherwise.

 

If you have any feedback about this publication or ideas for future issues, then please get in touch at newsletter@parkhillpeople.org

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Sheffield S2, United Kingdom
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