Sheffield city centre: We took a walk around and found evidence of new dawn amid £480m regeneration

People of a certain age love telling you Sheffield city centre isn't what it used to be.

Some blame Meadowhall for sucking the life out of it, for others it's all the council's fault.

It's easy to knock the city centre but hard to ignore the fact things are changing as the ongoing £480 million regeneration starts to bear fruit.

With more trendy shops moving in and a huge new food hall and upmarket hotel preparing to open, the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle finally seem to be falling into place.

Sure, there's a long way to go, and perhaps a few of those jigsaw pieces are still missing down the back of the sofa, but taking a stroll around I found it hard not be filled with optimism.

The Moor was bustling on a sunny spring afternoon and there was a buzz further up on the corner of Charles Street and Pinstone Street, where a major redevelopment has recently been completed.

Fjällräven and Yards Store have just moved in, joining the likes of fellow fashion chains Monki and Weekday, plus the chic Danish homewares store Søstrene Grene, in what is becoming a bit of a Scandi enclave, along with a homegrown success story in the much-loved Marmadukes cafe.

There are still lots of empty storefronts seeking occupiers but with each new arrival it's hoped the impetus will build as more retailers are attracted.

Further up Pinstone Street, the sign has just gone up on the new Radisson Blu hotel, due to open in June with a rooftop bar and restaurant overlooking the Peace Gardens.

Nearby is the delightful Pound's Park playground, perfect for younger visitors to let off steam, and a new pocket park where you can learn about the city's musical heritage while making some noise with the instruments there.

But the jewel in the crown is perhaps on Cambridge Street, where a huge new food hall - said to be the largest purpose-built one in Europe - is finally due to open in May.

It's well behind schedule but the striking rust-coloured roof rising behind the sensitively restored frontage of the historic old Bethel Sunday School building suggests it should be worth the wait. It may even be enough to make up for the loss of the much-mourned Chubby's takeaway next door.

The historic workshops at Leah's Yard have finally been restored too, with the legendary Sheffield artist Pete McKee set to become the first resident as he moves his gallery and shop there from Sharrow Vale.

Fargate is very much a work in progress, and you have to feel for the businesses battling on amid the upheaval. But after the farce that was the Container Park, the early signs are promising that this time the council may be getting it right.

John Lewis closing was a hammer blow to Sheffield city centre. But the landmark building now appears to be in safe hands, with the developers who helped transform the fortunes of the Park Hill flats - another controversially listed structure - at the helm. There are exciting plans to turn it into a mixture of cafes, shops, offices and events space, with the first pop-up events potentially taking place this summer and completion scheduled for 2027.

Things are even looking up on High Street, for so long a benighted corner of the city centre but now injected with new life thanks to the adult-themed mini golf venue Glory Holes, fast food restaurants Wendy's and German Doner Kebab, and the always busy new Lidl supermarket at what was Sports Direct.

The picture is far from perfect.

Plans are still awaited for what will replace the mound of rubble which until recently was Mid City House, even if some are glad to see the back of the eyesore building.

The old Debenhams remains a hulking reminder of the struggles facing high street retailers, despite various new uses being proposed, while other cities have found innovative ways to breathe life back into the spaces left empty by the firm's collapse three years ago.

Castlegate has yet to bounce back from losing the old Castle Market. But work has started on a new riverside park at the spot where the city's story began, with plans to open up what little remains of the once grand castle there. The area's fortunes, however, still rest on a new future being found for the sadly decaying Old Town Hall.

That once majestic landmark, along with the equally sad-looking old Salvation Army Citadel beside the former Cole Brothers store, perhaps best exemplify how much work is yet to be done.

But with so many new openings on the horizon, the outlook for Sheffield city centre is looking a lot better than it has done in a long time.