Calling Sheffield Mums!!

[tassis]

We're driving down to Sheffield on Friday (5 hours from central scotland - aaargh!) for a wedding on Saturday and are staying in a Travellodge in the centre of town on the Friday night.

I'd really like to book a haircut for a blow-dry on the Sat am...any suggestions? Nothing too fancy required! Will be dumping dh and 2 littlies while I do this - any recommendations for a potter round the town centre? I'm imagining we'll do breakfast at a Starbucks type place and then will need to find bublic loos (nice! was thinking john lewis?) to get changed for the wedding...

The wedding will be lovely, but the logistics of getting there and back are doing my head in, all help gratefully received!!

(ds is 4, dd is 9 months...if there's a softplay it wouldn't do ds any harm to have chance to run off some steam...)

Not got a hairdresser recommendation, the one I use has just closed. However, Sheff city centre is good for children, there are the Winter Gardens - lots of plants and paths to wander round. This is enclosed though so DS could potter roun. Right next and attached to is the Millennium Galleries which have exhibits on steel and the Ruskin Gallery - doesn't sound particularly child friendly but there are exhibits to touch and paper and pens to draw things. All free. THe coffee shop in the Winter Gardens (Zooby's) is good, nice sandwiches and Fair trade coffee. Outside the Winter Gardens is a grassed area with fountains, and some ball sculptures, is a good pace for a run about but can be busy at the weekend.

Thanks Panda, that sounds ideal...is it easy to find? I don't know the centre at all.

Anyone else?

map of Sheffield City Centre here

the entrance to the Winter Gardens is on Surrey Street, and the grass and fountains is in fron t of where the Town Hall is marked on the map - this has been knocked down now!

M and S with loos and cafe is at the top of Fargate, John Lewis is at corner of Cambridge St and Barkers Pool, in front of the City Hall. Whereabouts in the city is the wedding, if at the Reg office you will be very close.

Fantastic!

Wedding's out of town a bit - Fulwood I think? So will head out there in pleanty of time.

would really like to get hair done...will go google!

Is a Headlines on Leopold St, I think that they are ok, but the sylist I used there left a while ago so can't give a recommendation. Is in the city centre o114 273 8661, 5 min walk from Winter Gardens

i use a hairdressers called hair by christmas in Broomhill which is about 10 mins on the bus from the city centre, there is a fab cafe called thyme cafe for food, children and DH could go to the westen park museum duirng hair cut

hairdresser i use is called Andrew

weston park musuem

also if the weather is nice then there is a park next door, big open space park not swings and slide park.

Broomhill is also in between town centre and fulwood

Western Park museum a brill suggestion Katz, I was being literal and just focussing on city centre.

Hair By Christmas looks alternative on the outside, but they do normal hair too iykwim!

oh googlerd my hairdresser and they have a website

hairdressers

There's a soft-play centre one or two tram stops away (yellow tram towards Meadohall, Hyde Park stop)- at the Megacentre, and if you register on their web site you get a free entry - Megakidz

I'd definitely recommend the Winter Gardens/Peace Gardens for kids - take wellies so they can splash about in the little pools under the water sculptures. You could get brekkie in the Peace Gardens too - there are some cafes (Cafe Nero) and a Starbucks the other side of the Winter Gardens. There are loos downstairs in the Millennium Galleries (off the covered Winter Gardens - free access to a few areas too), which might be handy. Where is the wedding taking place?

There's a map and info here Sheffield City Council if you haven't got one already.

For haircuts, there's La Coupe (01142750505)on Fargate (the main pedestrianised area linking the Cathedral/tram with the rest of town)or Headlines on Leopold St (0114 273 8661)

Hope these ideas help - have a lovely time!

Pandag - i was thinking of reasonably priced hair dressers! and then though ah weston park! and of course food from Thyme cafe - yummy

Good grief - how slow do I type! There was only one response when I started, honest!

VickyA - you new to MN? do you fancy a meet? several of us Sheff MNers do lunch at varying intervals with DC in tow if not at school? (sorry Tassis)

gosh i leave you girls for 2 seconds and i come back to so many great ideas - thanks so much

a tram!! ds will adore that!

have booked hair at essentuals (which looks like a trendy/young branch of Toni and Guy so hopefully will be ok coz i'm really not that young/trendy...it's on chapel walk off fargate so hopefully dead easy to find

thanks for all other suggestions!

one more question - I have to get back to the travellodge about parking. i think we'll arrive about 10pm (guessing with sleeping children) and parking is extra...will i just be able to park on streets somewhere at that time do you think? might give them a quick call to see when I'd need to more car in morning etc...will be back!

just had a proper read and it all soudns lovely...might have to go back for a holiday!

so glad I posted as i feel much more reassured!

i've just phoned the travel lodge and there's a multistorey carpark beside it and residents can park car for £6.50 for 24 hours so we'll go with that so we can leave car there for the morning while we potter

thanks again!

PandaG - have lurked for ages. Will keep an eye on the Meet-Ups threads.

Tassis - parking's really tricky that end of town - TBH I'd have problems even finding the Travelodge, Sheffield's full of confusing one way streets... There might be on-street parking around later on though... Good luck!

Vicky I'm hoping the fact that we're arriving around 10pm at night might work in our favour as far as finding it goes! We'll leave heaps of time to get to the church!

Plenty of things in centre to look at and potter around. If nice the Peace Gardens in the centre are good - if hot, bring a towel and swimmers for the fountains Then rest as PandaG describes.

There are two Starbucks in town. One is opposite the entrance to the Winter Gardens. the other is down Devonshire Street - find John Lewis or the City Hall and walk down that round, away from the centre. On this road on the right.

As Katz says, a bit further out Weston Park Museum is great, plus big park there if dry. Free entry too and interactive for children. Rubbish for parking though! Starbucks opposite there too. Or go further into Broomhill and there are other cafes too. Thyme Cafe is very nice but can be pricey!

Not sure about hairdressers TBH. I go to the one at the Spa but it is relatively more expensive - about £45 for a cut and blow dry.

Have used other Headlines and have always been happy there. Can't remember prices though.

City Centre loos - John Lewis, Mothercare, M&S, Millenium Galleries, Debenhams - all have baby change facilities too.

All the soft play is further out of town TBH. Would need car or tram.

Fulwood, where you say the wedding is, is the same way out of town at Weston Park Museum and Broomhill. Fulwood is lovely, and the church is a big one on main road (Ia assume it is that one anyway) so easy to fnd. Abbout 5 or 6 minutes drive from my house

Chapel Walk easy to find. Find M&S on the main straight. Facing M&S, to the left - there will be USC and then a little lane - this is Chapel Walk.

Cnan't think where the Travel Lodge is.

Oh and as forecast is looking bad - another alternative for your DH and DC - swimming at Ponds Forge, in the leisure pool .

Yip WW this weekend!

Thanks Hulababy! I'd not seen forecast...may need to rethink outfits!!

the travel lodge is on Broad St, just off the Park Square roundabout - on the map if looks like an easy walk into town...can you confirm that Hula?

one more question - how long do you think it'll take to drive from centre to fulwood on a Saturday?

Ah yes, newish one near the Ibis. i know now Yes, very easy walk. Come out of hotel and in front of you you will see the big tram bridge going over the main road, and Ponds Forge behind it. Walk that direction, passing the Ibis. Then you need to turn right in front of Ponds Forge, follow the tram lines. That takes you into town - 2 minutes and you are there.

Dh reckons about 15 minutes or so, but allow 30 minutes in case of heavy traffic. I assume you are aiming to get there in pkenty of time anywyay. It is onroad parking so make time to find a spot too.