Exploring The World Beyond My Front Door

 An introduction to the history and sights found on Sheffield’s waterways. It was June 2021, and I was continuing my exploration of the Blue Loop, an informal walking route, roughly 13Km or 8 miles in length, beginning at Victoria Quays and following the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal to Meadowhall, then returning to the city centre along The Five Weirs Walk, beside the River Don. And once again, I found myself making my way to Victoria Quays. However, a full year had passed since the last chapter, where I began my introduction to the Blue Loop and outlined some of the history to be found along Sheffield’s waterways. In that earlier instalment, I ended on an optimistic note; I was anticipating a refreshing and ice-cold soda, as I made my way along the canal towards Meadowhall, pausing in the shadow of the Sheffield Energy from Waste Plant. Optimistic too, in the sense that the long, dark shadow cast by the coronavirus pandemic was finally beginning to lift. Well, unfortunately, that o...

 An introduction to the history and sights found on Sheffield’s waterways. It was towards the end of June 2020, and summer had finally arrived. The coronavirus pandemic still held the UK and much of the world in its vice-like grip; although we had passed through the peak of new cases in late April and early May, life was far from normal. Many restrictions remained in place, but the warm weather was beginning to tempt people into emerging from their lockdown shelters. And on this particular day, the weather was scorching hot. It was a Wednesday, and due to a reduced working week, I had the day off. It had been so hot that I spent much of the day inside, out of the sun, but the restlessness of the lockdown combined with the glorious weather became too much to bear. I impulsively picked up my camera bag, pausing only to douse myself in sunblock before setting off. I had no real plan, but having walked along the River Don not too long ago, it seemed natural to follow the canal towpaths...

A Walk Along The River Don. It was a warm and pleasant, if somewhat overcast, Sunday afternoon in June 2020, almost a month to the day from the first tentative easing of the UK’s lockdown, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, had announced in early May the first stages of relaxing the strict protocols governing travel and outside activities, which had been in place since late March. Even though we had been permitted the relative freedom to venture outside, I felt a certain reluctance to do so. The stress of the unprecedented circumstances and the severe curtailment of personal freedom and liberties resulted in an overcautious aversion to activities that many of us had taken for granted and had never given second thoughts to previously. The dawning realisation that life must continue, if we were ever to regain some semblance of normality, led me to make the spontaneous decision to pack up my camera in a small shoulder bag and set off. But where? Catching a...