A View from the Other Side...the brighter side of Sheffield

by Nancy Halverson, Feature Writer

I don't know about you, but to me it always seems that September comes as a surprise. It's surprising that summer's over (although, it never really began here). It's surprising how many things I take on, and it's always surprising how early the sun rises on another hectic-flat-out day. October usually brings a sense of calm, although I have a major deadline to hit and a User Guide to produce. Oh well, life goes on, doesn't it.

A Zoo with FrameMaker

I'm in the thick of it at work these days. My first edition of the revamped Help should be done in a few days, and then I'll have to look at porting my User Guide from Word to FrameMaker. Another learning curve is in the offing I'm sure — I'm hoping to use structured FrameMaker to set the foundations for an XML approach to all the documents. First of course, I have to justify the cost of FrameMaker software to my boss and his bosses.

Actively Involved...Everywhere

I am extremely lucky in this job, as it's accepted for me to get involved in all the aspects of the user-facing material. I'm putting together a style guide for the programmers who write the interface, and the error messages. I'll do another one for the documentation of course, but a group of us are working on style guides for all kinds of things — from the demo discs that go out to potential clients to the marketing and Web site. I'm really pleased with this company's open-mindedness in pursuing quality and consistency.

The Challenge at Work

Of course, being the only writer, it's a bit of a challenge to prioritize all the tasks that I'm asked to do, but it's also a great opportunity to stretch my perspective and organizing skills. My boss used to be ZOO's tech writer, so he performs the 2^nd author functions quite nicely, and can clue me in when I need the more technically advanced stuff explained one-more-time. That is, when he's around.

The Gaming Industry

Because the British software industry seems very strong on games, it's not surprising that our little company would be here in the UK. But, located in Sheffield? London or Oxford or Cambridge would be more likely. There aren't very many gaming-type houses in this area, but there are universities close by that produce computer software designers specializing in games. (Yes, they play games all day to study, or so I've heard.) There are multi-media specialists available and lots of Java and C++ people around as well.

Nothing to be Avoided

Of course, the rest of the UK thinks of Sheffield as a place best avoided, but the reputation doesn't fit with what I've seen. It's a city, like any other of course. (Britain is surprisingly dirty, with graffiti and blackening on many buildings, and garbage blowing in the ceaseless wind.) The main shopping area of the city centre, a pedestrian outdoor mall, is just a short five-minute walk from my office. While there's lots of people out and about during the day, it has a slightly dowdy surface and isn't very inspiring most days.

Sheffield's Rebound

This is, after all, a working city. They made steel here for hundreds of years, with cutlers being one of the most important trades. Many historical sites still exist — historical as in the Industrial Revolution. The Thatcher years brought the end of Sheffield's steel based prosperity, and if you've seen The Full Monty, you'll know that the recovery's been difficult for many. But, Sheffield's becoming one of the most prosperous cities in the country again — a fact that goes quietly unnoticed in the media. It's got lots of trees and leafy suburbs on the hills that sit between the former mill-powering rivers.

Ups and Downs

There are plenty of steep hills, and, of course, the narrow, twisting roads clogged by parked cars and double-decker buses (not red ones though). Actually, wherever you go in Sheffield, you'll probably be going up or down a hill, which is why I don't ride my bike to work. It would be a nice downhill run from my house to work (although almost 4 miles.) But, the uphill climb would probably kill me, if the maniac drivers didn't get me first!

Wretched Weather but Safe Neighbourhoods

So, it's not a bad place to put a games software company, and even with the wretched English weather (forecast for sunshine, some heavy showers, and gale-force winds today) it's an alright life. Houses are cheaper here than in the south of England (especially London area), and so many people are actually moving ‘up here' to improve their lifestyle. There aren't very many 'bad' areas of town, although it's hard for me to tell. Frankly, any street devoid of trees or grass with row upon row of dinky houses seems like a bad idea to me. Still, even with some derelict buildings and shuttered shops, most neighbourhoods in Sheffield are pretty safe. And now, of course, they're trying to 'crack down on anti-social behaviour' by getting all the kids (under the age of 16) off the streets every night by 9 p.m. Seems the idea of a curfew for minors is a new one here, but there are a lot of kids who are just looking to destroy something as a way to amuse themselves. Leisure time is still considered to be best spent at the pub by a lot of English society.

Friday Night is Pub Night

And I must admit that we've taken to spending our Friday evenings in a local pub. It's a family friendly pub, with play equipment out in the back and a majority of non-smoking seats. The kids run off to play with other children, venturing in to see if their food's arrived yet, or to tell us of their latest adventure. They've got good food and an interesting menu — not just steak & kidney pie or sausage & mash. After the week of work, I'm happy to spend £20(ish) on a good meal and a few pints. Surprisingly enough, we even meet some of our neighbourhood friends in there each week. It's always a thrill to walk into a place in a foreign country and meet someone you know.

Three Merry Lads

This pub (called the Three Merry Lads) is actually right on the edge of the city — there's nothing around it but farmland and a few houses trailing off down the road. There's woods and conservation areas just down the hill, and it's lovely in the summer to set out from our house and walk through the woods to the reservoir a few miles away, and return to the pub for a rest before going home. Pubs are definitely a part of life here, and the ones where everyone just enjoys a little tipple with some food are the best. I can really live without the pubs where loads of blokes drink their faces off and go and smash things up. I guess that's the beauty of a more isolated place — not many people go to the Merry Lads without driving, and the buses don't quite make it down there, so it's a bit sheltered from the lager louts and yobs.

Life is Good

The view of the Yorkshire moors continue to make life worthwhile here in England, even if we get to see more cloud than sun on them. And, as usual, I'm loving the challenges at ZOOtech; I look forward to work every day, which is about the best one can do in this life.

About Nancy Halverson

Nancy grew up in Toronto, but has lived in Ottawa, Melbourne, Waterloo, and now Sheffield. She has travelled through the South Pacific, Australia and Indonesia, which is where she met her husband, Ryan Wilson (another Canadian), along the way. A career switch introduced her to the STC in 1997. Her writing experience has included several contract positions and a position at Inscriber for several years. She has two daughters and has been living in England for two years.