FROM THE EDITOR: Let’s pull together to save our big names – as soon as we can

The City Hall is among our most treasured.

Our grandparents tell of tea dances there, of romancing during the war and of the shrapnel marks which are still visible to this day.

Decades later there was huge excitement in my school when Bros kicked off their tour in that same building and it was still pulling in names which sell-out at the start of 2020.

Very different types of music but right at the heart of Sheffield as always.

I am showing my age but Sheffield Arena still feels fairly new to me.

We had to travel to Birmingham or Wembley to see the really big acts when I was little.

The day New Kids On The Block arrived in Sheffield is indelibly etched on my memory, to the hilarity of my children who, like every generation, thinks their music is the only one that is any good.

I also watched the look of pure joy on my daughter’s face when she saw Justin Bieber perform on that same stage.

My point is that both of the City Hall and Sheffield Arena form a vital part of Sheffield’s shared identity.

That is because of the music performed there, the electric atmosphere of the crowd and the delight of the audience.

It doesn’t change because trends come and go and we must do everything we can to ensure they are still there for those who have yet to reach their impressionable teens.

It is very sad news that SIV have started to think about redundancies at both venues, but also completely predictable.

With no live performances, what other option is there?

I am very worried how many of this city’s big names will remain when we eventually discover what our new normal actually looks like.

But we must equally care for the sports halls and gyms in our more deprived neighbourhoods.

They are just as needed in their neighbourhoods as the big venues are for the city economy.

It doesn’t matter if it was Sheaf Valley Baths or Ponds Forge where you made your first splash.

They were accessible to all and must remain that way.

As soon as we can, let’s get behind all our venues by using them.

Til then, our politicians must bend over backwards to make sure they are still there when that time comes.

Anything else would be unforgivable.