"I never quite understand why projects move more slowly in Sheffield than in neighbouring big cities"
It stood for centuries before being captured and demolished by order of Parliament.
How long did it take to build a castle in medieval times?
Those skilled workers, unaided by big machinery and clever technology, could throw together a wooden fort in just a few months.
Solid stone structures - the kind that make you wonder how on earth they created it merely using manpower - could take quite a few years.
Many of them still stand, centuries later.
A testament to the builders and architects of the past, and a glimpse into buildings built to last forever.
Sadly, Sheffield Castle is no more.
It stood for centuries before being captured and demolished by order of Parliament.
I'm happy to assume the quality of the work wasn't the issue and, if politics hadn't intervened, it might still be here.
There is a bitter irony there.
In the days when many Sheffielders lived off gruel and grassland stretched from Manor to the city centre, they could build a castle in, possibly, less time than we need to put up a children's park.
The period when kids love parks is brief.
A generation of children have grown past that and still no sign.
With all the modern technology, designs and infrastructure, we continually fall short.
Martin Gorman has been the driving force behind championing careful change at this most vital of Sheffield sites and you can't blame him for being frustrated.
It is an exceedingly long time since we were able to shop at Castle Market and the stretch of abandonment since then has often felt endless.
I never quite understand why projects move more slowly in Sheffield than in neighbouring big cities, but it is clear that they do.
This city is forever in the debt of folk like Martin and his merry band of Friends volunteers - without whom I dread to think what state we would be in.
And it is right that we must get it correct but refuse to accept that there was ever any chance of us getting it wrong because we rushed in!
This city does not rush, even when it would be appropriate.
The Women of Steel statue, publically funded thanks to a campaign in this newspaper, started new conversations about where we live.
I still get a buzz when I walk past - tinged with sadness for those no longer with us combined with pride at what those incredible women achieved.
Everyone in Sheffield now knows what those young mums, sisters and daughters did.
That simply was not true before the statue.
I dream of the same for the castle site.
I issue expletives more suitable for medieval days when I find Sheffielders who are not aware that we even had a castle, let alone that its remains are still there.
I was taken as a child to see the very small, uncovered elements of the castle that were still visible when the market was in its prime.
The excitement of a castle and the reality of what you could see were far removed!
But most people knew that the market stood on those ancient foundations - more then than now.
Wouldn't it be brilliant if our city's proud history became more widely known due to a wonderful new park signalling back to a glorious past of knights and battles on that exact spot?
Every child should grow up knowing about it and their childhoods should have a sprinkling of happy memories from the times spent playing there.
So, let's get it right but let's not shy away from the fact that it could have been brilliant and still completed on time.It isn't a surprise that special permissions are needed to build on a protected site.
The council hasn't just learnt that there was a castle and that needed to be taken into account when planning permission was sought (from itself).
We shouldn't have to be patient.
Those inside the Town Hall should be more driven than us and work quickly to get things done.If that isn't their aim, I really don't know what is.
I wonder what medieval rulers would think of Castlegate today and what those who gave orders from that castle would declare.
Thank goodness those in power are no longer able to declare, off with their heads.