Rupert_Baehr Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Choogling (writing in the thread " Which song most captures the spirit of the Thatcher era?" wrote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egp4XqAM8mU This song was released in the early seventies but sums up the selfish attitude of the steel worker, miners, dockers , car workers etc they thought they had a right to be the top dogs and stuff everyone else. The song is by The Strawbs Part of the union.... I remember the song well and I remember the impressions I had of 'The People's Democratic Republic of South Yorkshire' when I lived there in the early 70s. I thought that 30 or 40 years later we would have moved on, but reading some of the posts on various threads on this forum it seems that the political divide is largely unchanged and there is still a marked 'them' and 'us' attitude. I'm quite familiar with the 'North/South divide' in the UK. I've lived in the North (Well, a bit North of Sheffield which seems more like 'the middle' than either the North or South), the South the East and the West. There is indeed a divide between 'the North' (which seems to start at S. Yorks) and the South. I've read that most of the investment in the UK during the past many years has taken place in the South. Why is that? If you set up a business in the South of England, the cost of premises is going to be high, the cost of living for your staff is going to be high (so you'll have to pay them a lot of money.) The South of England is an expensive place to set up a company. It may be prohibitively expensive to move an existing company from the South of England, but if you're starting from scratch, and could set up the company elsewhere, why make a problem for yourself? Is it because those who are interested in investing in the UK are 'scared off' by something which they think will happen if they 'set up shop' in the North? When an Investor looks at the North of England (and since this is the Sheffield forum, I'll use Sheffield as an example of a place that investor might look) Does he think: "If I set up a business in Sheffield I will be able to attract a well-qualified and willing workforce?" Or does he think: "If I set up a business in Sheffield I am likely to get a confrontational unwilling workforce and I'm going to have to spend a lot of time [and money] resolving the confrontations which were a part of life in the 70's/80's?" If it's the latter, has he got a false impression or has he hit the nail on the head? There are probably more potential sites in the UK (and elsewhere in Europe) than there are investors looking to set up a new business. What could (or should) the North of England (and particularly Sheffield) do to attract investment? If the attitude of the people really is fixed in the 70's/80's era, is it likely to change anytime soon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wednesday1 Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Choogling (writing in the thread " Which song most captures the spirit of the Thatcher era?" wrote: I remember the song well and I remember the impressions I had of 'The People's Democratic Republic of South Yorkshire' when I lived there in the early 70s. I thought that 30 or 40 years later we would have moved on, but reading some of the posts on various threads on this forum it seems that the political divide is largely unchanged and there is still a marked 'them' and 'us' attitude. I'm quite familiar with the 'North/South divide' in the UK. I've lived in the North (Well, a bit North of Sheffield which seems more like 'the middle' than either the North or South), the South the East and the West. There is indeed a divide between 'the North' (which seems to start at S. Yorks) and the South. I've read that most of the investment in the UK during the past many years has taken place in the South. Why is that? If you set up a business in the South of England, the cost of premises is going to be high, the cost of living for your staff is going to be high (so you'll have to pay them a lot of money.) The South of England is an expensive place to set up a company. It may be prohibitively expensive to move an existing company from the South of England, but if you're starting from scratch, and could set up the company elsewhere, why make a problem for yourself? Is it because those who are interested in investing in the UK are 'scared off' by something which they think will happen if they 'set up shop' in the North? When an Investor looks at the North of England (and since this is the Sheffield forum, I'll use Sheffield as an example of a place that investor might look) Does he think: "If I set up a business in Sheffield I will be able to attract a well-qualified and willing workforce?" Or does he think: "If I set up a business in Sheffield I am likely to get a confrontational unwilling workforce and I'm going to have to spend a lot of time [and money] resolving the confrontations which were a part of life in the 70's/80's?" If it's the latter, has he got a false impression or has he hit the nail on the head? There are probably more potential sites in the UK (and elsewhere in Europe) than there are investors looking to set up a new business. What could (or should) the North of England (and particularly Sheffield) do to attract investment? If the attitude of the people really is fixed in the 70's/80's era, is it likely to change anytime soon? Boeing, Rolls Royce and other blue chip companies ARE currently developing new manufacturing facilites in the city, they will be mining the rich seam of skilled engineers the area still posseses, despite all the de-industrialisation of the last 33 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygardener Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Boeing, Rolls Royce and other blue chip companies ARE currently developing new manufacturing facilites in the city, they will be mining the rich seam of skilled engineers the area still posseses, despite all the de-industrialisation of the last 33 years. When did Rotherham get made a city? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpikeMac Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Boeing, Rolls Royce and other blue chip companies ARE currently developing new manufacturing facilites in the city, they will be mining the rich seam of skilled engineers the area still posseses, despite all the de-industrialisation of the last 33 years. They are also forging impressive links with local schools to ensure a long term supply of engineers. Have been doing for quite some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wednesday1 Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 When did Rotherham get made a city? The developments are at Waverley, between Sheffield and Rotherham at the University of Sheffields Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. I would stick to weeding / log carrying if I were you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andygardener Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 The developments are at Waverley, between Sheffield and Rotherham at the University of Sheffields Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. I would stick to weeding / log carrying if I were you! I must have missed Waverley being made a Kaesong style zone and thought it was still in Rotherham. When was the change made? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpikeMac Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 I must have missed Waverley being made a Kaesong style zone and thought it was still in Rotherham. When was the change made? If all that you have to contribute is a rather picky discussion about the city boundary, then maybe you should consider contributing to a different thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wednesday1 Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 They are also forging impressive links with local schools to ensure a long term supply of engineers. Have been doing for quite some time. Yes lets hope they end up employed in well-paid and rewarding jobs, which will benefit them and the country, rather than in some low-wage service sector garbage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpikeMac Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Yes lets hope they end up employed in well-paid and rewarding jobs, which will benefit them and the country, rather than in some low-wage service sector garbage. They are doing much more than just supporting individual students. They get involved in curriculum design, offer work experience, ambassadors and loads of other stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wednesday1 Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 If all that you have to contribute is a rather picky discussion about the city boundary, then maybe you should consider contributing to a different thread. Welcome to the internet, where any fruitcake can join in a discussion! ---------- Post added 09-04-2013 at 23:38 ---------- They are doing much more than just supporting individual students. They get involved in curriculum design, offer work experience, ambassadors and loads of other stuff. Yes, I know several people who are involved in it and have attended a few conferences. Very impressive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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