#15 Sheffield
Well, Thursday's found it's way around again, so I guess I should update you on what's been happening this last week - and it's quite a lot!!
Last Thursday was my last night in town, so a joint celebration of both my departure and Adèle's birthday was in order. Deciding to leave all my packing to the next morning was - on reflection - always going to be a bad idea. The original thinking (ie: to be back home by midnight, wake up refreshed, pack and be ready in plenty of time) was fatally flawed, especially as I didn't actually get home until gone 03:00. Whoops.
So, forgotten items aside, I've moved my entire life oop North to Sheffield University. There's something quite strange about being able to fit all your worldly possessions into a single suitcase and a shoulder-bag: I can't quite work out if it's depressing, or just darned impressive.
Saturday morning was the time I moved in. I'm not saying my room's like a prison cell, but they decided to put me in (cell) block H. Being on the ground floor too, means there's little privacy down here. But I'm only a stone's throw from the bar and the canteen. Apparantly, there's a launderette on campus too, but I haven't found it yet!The block is gently heated throughout to an ambient temperature of around gas mark 4, but leaving the window open is roughly the same as giving away my (only two possessions worth stealing) laptop and fantastic new digital radio. Luckily, it's colder north of Watford Gap.
The whole week has been manic. I've met so many people and already seem to have integrated into a crew, which is both fast and bizarre. There's also no-one I've met who's actually from Sheffield. Everyone (whose names I can remember) comes from Hull, Peterborough, Suffolk (!), Manchester... but no Sheffielders. Another thing I'm having to get used to is being called Steve all the time: it's so much easier to explain when you're shouting into someone's ear at a noisy pub...
In true freshers' week style, we've done some pretty typical student stuff. Saturday night was spent meeting and greeting in the bar; Sunday night was spent at the union bar; Monday night was supposed to be Quiz Night, but the venue had been double-booked so by the time we arrived (having been in the pub), there was no room! The more alert may have spotted a pattern here: can you guess what we did instead?
Some variation managed to eek it's way into the schedule on Tuesday night: it was Jazz Night, but fear not for we drank all through the night anyway. And then finally, last night: my very first indie disco. Sheffield's famous Leadmill club was the place: I'm not joking when I say that my ears still haven't stopped ringing. In fact, I may be permanently deaf in the left one... but worth it I think for a great night out. Back at 03:00 again!
A little bit of trouble tonight, though. I sent off weeks ago to the union for tickets to see Steve Lamacq DJ and Clor perform at the Union's Thursday night club. In the same envelope was my order for tickets to see The Ordinary Boys. Well, guess what: that envelope never arrived. So having been looking forward to seeing my broadcasting hero DJing tonight, there are now no tickets left, and certainly none for me. By pure stroke of luck, I've managed to pick up another ticket to see the Ordinaries, so it's not all bad. Tonight is bands' night in the bar, so at least there's something to fill the void...
Catchy-slogan of the week:
Flu? Hangover? Or Meningitis-Meningococcal Disease?
(University health leaflet)
Vital statistic of the week:
Fosters: £1.60 a pint
