The self-employed craftsmen at the heart of the Sheffield cutlery and tool trades: a mester (master) rented a workshop or a place at a grinding trough and did one stage of the work, forging, grinding, hafting or finishing, for whichever factor or firm would pay. The system made the city's reputation for quality and lasted from the seventeenth century into the twentieth. A few Little Mesters still work at Kelham Island Museum and in workshops such as Portland Works.
Sheffield
137 events this week258 places1,320 charities489 buses and 4 trams moving in Sheffield right now bustimes.orgYorkshire grid: moderate carbon now, 46% biomass 96 gCO2/kWh, Carbon Intensity API, CC BY 4.0GB grid at 11:00: 29.0 GW, 35% gas Elexon Insights initial outturnTrending on Wikipedia: Peak District, +8% more readers this week Wikimedia pageviews, CC0Sean Bean read 26,947 times on Wikipedia this week Wikimedia pageviews, CC0M1 southbound between J31 and J32: 68,997 vehicles on Mon 29 Jun National Highways WebTRISBusiest counted road in Sheffield: M1 34 to 34, 138,072 vehicles a day (2025) DfT road traffic statisticsISS passes nearby Mon 14 Sep, 20:15, about 36° up to the SE Where the ISS at?Earthquake Sun 13 Sep: M 2.2 Sedbergh, Cumbria, 125 km from Sheffield BGS169 planning applications lodged in Sheffield this month UK PlanIt443 recent planning applications still awaiting a council decision UK PlanItWalkley by-election is in 3 days, Thursday 17 September Democracy Club