Sheffield computer whizz creates hit video of legendary Hole in the Road with AI
An artificial intelligence whizz has re-created a walk into Sheffield’s legendary Hole in the Road.
Paul Hanson used old photos and his memory to show what it was like to descend from Arundel Gate into the legendary underground feature at the intersection of High Street, Angel Street, and Arundel Gate.
The footage shows a dingy, grey and shiny tiled passage, although Paul thinks the floor may have had more concrete.
It then emerges below the famous ‘hole’ and the sun bathes everything in a golden glow.
The video ends with a close look at fish in a murky and green tank, “the bit everyone remembers,” Paul says.
Paul is better known for his many AI-enhanced videos of Jesus’ face, which he calls ‘Shroud Man’.
He told The Star he was genuinely surprised and pleased that his Hole in the Road video had had thousands of views.
Commenting on Paul’s Facebook page, Lawrence Haines said: “I love how the fish tank is murky. I remember only being able to see silhouettes of the fish when I was a kid.”
Adele Jones said: “That's when Sheffield was a bustling safe shopping centre and the hole in the road was a unique thoroughfare. I remember using it a lot going to town with my Mum and Nana.
“Then, as a teenager, as a meeting place near the famous fish tank and watching the Sharp Cuts busking.”
Simon Cooper was less nostalgic: “Biggest toilet in Sheffield at the time, just stunk when you walked through it.”
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