'Graves Gallery is ours, not theirs' - Nancy Fielder column
Central Library is a subject close to my heart as you will all know...
This city has some subjects which The Star has been writing about for so long, I occasionally wonder if we cover them too much.
Then we get a reassuring buzz of support from across our communities which reaffirms that we are doing exactly what we are here to do - bang the drum for the people of this city and hold those in authority to account.
In a stressful world, blood pressures were sent soaring last week with a tragic announcement ... wrapped up in a miserable bid to look positive.
Central Library is a subject close to my heart as you will all know. I know the vast majority of you feel the same, because you tell me.
I love Graves Gallery and even the rather grotty Library Theatre was a joy to visit a couple of months ago.
Add those three unique institutions together and you have a headache for Sheffield which is so powerful I know leaders over the decades have felt it more as a migraine.
And so they should. No matter the level of pain, many heads should be hanging in shame because Graves Gallery is now about to close ... because of their embarrassingly poor leadership.
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A beautifully crafted press release was sent out by your council last week hailing the local authority for a not-yet-constructed future vision for that most loved building.
There was only problem ... it was decades late and included just one actual fact. Graves Gallery is about to shut.
The artworks housed there will no longer be seen by anyone.
Let's be fair and look at everything that was said.
It's likely that - we might get a small, temporary gallery to house some of the exhibits.
It's unlikely that - a deal has actually been signed. If it has, why keep it secret?
Perhaps - it could be transformed into a world-beating attraction. A child could have realised that, although that youngster could also now be a grandparent in the time it has taken for that penny to drop in the Town Hall.
It is going to cost a small fortune just to make the building useable - because the council has watched it fall apart without taking action. To do anything more will cost a big fortune.
And no - there is absolutely no money confirmed.
Those of you who have watched the building crumble over the years with bitter tears in your eyes, were not slow to get in touch.
"I don't think we'll see that artwork again. Wherever the new city centre venue is, it won't be very secure or climate controlled. It'll be a brief display then packed away. They have been messing around with the library for decades. They could have applied for funding years ago to get it sorted."
I won't include the rest of that reader's thoughts. The Star is still a family newspaper after all.
I hope they are wrong on what the future looks like. I wish they were alone in their fears but they are not.
This city has a woeful record of looking after its cultural gems and an even worse history of winning funding from the big national bodies.
Right now, a 5* Chinese hotel looks like it might have been a sensible option. Sheffield's problem with that idea was, as usual, the lack of openness and clarity around the actual details. Those all important bits that reassure us all. Regardless, it turned out to be nothing more than a dream inside a fortune cookie.
If you feel frustrated, spare a thought for all those connected to Sheffield Museums Trust. I would imagine they are bubbling with fury and yet cannot afford to burn their bridges with the council which they rely upon for precious financial crumbs.
Maybe all six Sheffield MPs, all party leaders, the Mayor, every single councillor, the CEOs of our biggest employers and university bosses have an enormous crunch-time summit planned where they will get to grips with this issue?
They absolutely should be but this city is not the best at pulling together to get things sorted.
Graves Gallery must return stronger. I don't need to list the reasons why. It is more than culture and literature. It is more than how Sheffielders feel about their city and our levels of pride.
These words from another reader sum up perfectly why we must keep caring: "This is a shock but not a surprise. I'm a constant supporter and fan of Graves Gallery. The precious collection and community has kept me hopeful during really tough times in my life."
Let's not give up hope but please do make your voice heard.
It is our gallery, not theirs and we must not be easy to dismiss.