'Living on one of Sheffield's 7 hills in winter has its downsides but the people and views make it worthwhile'
With some of the best views in the city, and three lush and green parks within walking distance, Crookes is a fantastic place to live.
It’s been the area I call home for several years now, and I’m proud to do so.
Visiting friends and family are always enamoured by the spectacular vantage point we have of the valleys below and beyond, living, as we do on top of one of Sheffield’s famous seven hills.
But on days like today, after the cold Arctic air which has been lingering for days turned Sheffield into an ice rink, living so high up can be a bit of a struggle.
Getting cars, which have been parked overnight on the suburb’s hilly streets, out and away can outfox even the most experienced of drivers after icy and snowy conditions take hold.
I’ve heard of at least four collisions that have taken place in Crookes and the surrounding neighbourhoods so far today, after the city woke up to a blanket of black ice.
And getting out on foot isn’t much easier.
Even those prepared for wintry conditions with shoe grips, hiking poles and the like can find themselves in a precarious position under foot.
Numerous people living in Crookes have reported falling over on the ice this morning, and one person even said they had crawled to their car on their hands and knees, such was the condition of the pavements.
And whilst icy conditions in areas such as this are - I feel - more treacherous and difficult to navigate than other types of inclement weather, snow undoubtedly causes more disruption.
In the immediate aftermath of heavy snowfall, Crookes can be completely inaccessible by road and you really need to plan ahead, or head off home, in the event of flakes beginning to settle on the ground.
During one period of unexpected late snowfall in March 2018, I ended up getting stuck in the south of the city after meeting friends for a couple of drinks in Heeley.
What looked to be a few flurries had turned into inches of snow by the time we emerged from the pub that evening, and neither buses nor taxis were going where I live, literally.
One taxi driver told me he would take me as far as the Children’s Hospital, but absolutely no-one was willing to risk the hill beyond - the only bit of the journey I was concerned about.
And so, I ended up staying in my friends’ spare room. Even the next morning, through to mid-afternoon, buses and taxis were still not running to Crookes.
I decided to walk home, taking a very scenic route via all of the main roads to avoid the risk of falling on untreated pavements, and then through Weston Park, which looked magical under a canvas of white.
As I finally neared the end of the journey, I thought I’d seen the end of the disruption and noticed a car - which was making its way down one of the steepest roads in the area - very slowly glide and career into a stationary car despite the best efforts of the driver to steer away.
On other occasions, when I’ve been in the city centre as heavy snow has landed in Crookes, I’ve been able to make it as far as Broomhill on public transport.
That’s often the part of the slope where you will see numerous cars, which have essentially been abandoned, after drivers thought better of any attempt to make it up the hill.
I was on a city centre tram after a snowstorm once, and upon learning I lived in Crookes, the conductor remarked that Sheffield’s the only city where people would consider it a good idea to build houses on the side of a cliff.
It’s important to note, however, that whilst wintry conditions when you live somewhere like Crookes can, at times, be a definite inconvenience, the other side of the coin is that such conditions can also bring out the best in people.
I’m forever hearing of, or seeing, residents putting down salt and grit down to help those who have to get to work and school make their way safely; or checking around to see if they know of anyone vulnerable who might not be able to get to the shops and could do with someone dropping off essential items like bread and milk.
In Crookes’ main shopping area on snow days, it often feels as though there’s a real spirit of the Blitz as people coming out of shops, cafés and pubs can be heard discussing whether everyone’s got what they need in, if someone who has to go into the office might need help getting their car out or other ways they might be able to lend a helping hand to someone.
Over on the Bole Hills, snow often brings with it pretty joyful scenes.
Children sledging, maybe for the first time, down the hill; and adults being turned into big kids by doing the same, as excitable dogs run around.
And so, yes, “living on the side of a cliff” has its definite downsides at when it is icy or snowy, but the people and the views make it all worthwhile.