Sheffield Instagram: "People told me not to come to 'rubbish' Sheffield, but I fell in love with the city"

The 27-year-old expat behind the popular Soif de Voyages Instagram account paid tribute to the city where she has lived since moving to the UK three years ago, as she prepared to bid it a sad farewell and head to Montreal.

She revealed how when she first told people she was moving to Sheffield, many told her it was a ‘rubbish city’ and asked why she had not chosen to stay in London instead.

Pauline, who hails from southern France, said it had not been ‘love at first sight’ upon arriving in Sheffield but over the years she had discovered ‘many gems’, embraced the warm Yorkshire welcome and found that ‘I love Sheffield and a part of me will stay there’.

Her love letter to the city, accompanied by several stunning photos of Sheffield landmarks, including the Peace Gardens and the sun-drenched riverside at Kelham, has been liked more than 200 times.

Pauline, who worked at the Crowne Plaza Royal Victoria Sheffield hotel, wrote: “LAST DAY IN SHEFFIELD (I’m gonna write this one in English cause I want my Yorkshire mates to understand).

“Today was my last day in Sheffield, and I’ve been so nostalgic! It hasn’t been love at first sight, but I need to tell you how much I love this city now I remember 3 years ago, when I was telling people I was moving to Sheffield in England, they were either: A) Telling me not to go because that’s a rubbish city, B) Being like “Oh so you’re not going to London…” ‍or C) Wishing me good luck and walking away.

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“When I arrived in Sheffield, I had no expectation, and little by little, I discovered many gems! I can now say that I love Sheffield and that a part of me will stay there. People in Yorkshire have been so welcoming and friendly, I’m proud to call Sheffield my home (and been “Yorkshire approved” by my Yorkshire lasses/lads).

“During the past years, I hope you guys discovered a bit more of this city in the north of England, and that you realised that Sheffield is not a bunch of old factories! It’s much more than that!”