The Edge Climdomain_7 Wall Sheffield
Just heard that the Edge in Sheffield has shut down. Shame as it was a very good wall with good route setting and well managed. Not sure if this was because of the new Awesome Walls wall that opened in November. It might well be for some other reason.
In reply to stp:
I thought they were relocating to the abbeydale cinema?
In reply to stp:
The thin end of the edge?
In reply to drolex:
The Edge of extinction?
In reply to deacondeacon:
I think there is an agreement to build a wall there but as far as I know building work has not started yet. Its certainly not going to be open any time soon.
In reply to stp:
Quite sad about this. Went there a lot when I was really keen on climbing, but more recently it's been losing out to the Works and now Awesome Walls.
The hydraulic walls were a bit of a gimmick, but I really liked the fact that you have routes on featured panels
In reply to stp:
That's a shame, it's been my default wall for some 15 years.
New routes have been relatively infrequent in recent times it must be said, and with numbers as low as they've been in recent months it couldn't have been viable.
I understand that work is going on at the Abbeydale cinema, but that it's a very big project with lots still to do! Interesting to hear if Phil has anything to share here.
Thanks to all the staff at the Edge, who have always been very friendly and efficient.
In reply to stp:
Nothing on their web site and no mention of anything on Fri when I was last there - do we have this from the horses mouth?
In reply to hang_about:
I'd also heard that another wall is being built. Will be interesting to see if it is true.
In reply to stp:
Not sure I believe it but if it's true I feel sorry for anyone who's paid an advance subscription. Will wait for confirmation- one way or other.
In reply to Frogger:
The picture house on Abbeydale road - as mentioned above. I asked about a month back and they said progress was being made but slow. I know some electrical work was done there but it sounds like a very slow-burn project. It's a real pity if the Edge closes but I've noticed it's been very quiet recently compared to the Foundry and Awesome Walls (which was absolutely heaving on Sunday afternoon).
PS Just emailed them to see what the deal is
Post edited at 13:33
In reply to stp:
Also shocked if this is true. Was my default wall as well, but I haven't been for a couple of months.
In reply to hang_about:
I spoke to the Edge's owner, Phil Robbins, this morning and I am sad to say that it is true. The Edge has closed for good and there is no prospective buyer. The old Abbeydale cinema is not yet ready but Phil is hoping to get it up and running as a climbing centre some time this year.
In reply to GeoffRadcliffe:
That is a real pity. Thanks for the update.
In reply to GeoffRadcliffe:
It looks like the optimism about there still being a big market for new walls without killing off the old ones was wrong or is there more to this than meets the eye? I remember the excitement I felt when the foundry opened and how a 2 hour plus round trip car journey seemed money well spent; these days I've got several really good walls within a 50 minute round trip and 2 within a few minutes so would very rarely travel for an indoor wall and its loads easier to go climbing back home now if rained off in the peak.
In reply to stp:
Sad news, since it's my local wall and I'm a member. I went down yesterday and they were unexpectedly shut, but I didn't know that was it until now. I hope the Abbeydale project comes off.
It was a good wall, the routes were generally well set and before the Works it had a good bouldering scene. Guess I'll have to start goinhg to the other side of town which is a pain.
In reply to Geoff Radcliffe:
Will it be Awesome or the Foundry then Geoff? Does Jim know yet?
John
In reply to Jon Stewart:
> Guess I'll have to start goinhg to the other side of town which is a pain.
Sheffield climbers really don't know how well-off they are! You'll be complaining about the huge drive to Stanage next!
In reply to Coel Hellier:
To be honest what I'm doing is training on the free climbing wall outside my house (Sheaf Boulder) - it's brilliant.
In reply to stp:
Any chance of relocating it to Cambridge?! I don't think you'd struggle with punters down here!
In reply to stp:
Sad news. I've not been for years since I moved away, but I used to go up to 5 times a week for 8 years and have very fond memories of the place. The Friday night competitions, the boardroom, the people, and watching 2 tiny blond kids called Whittaker burning off many of the adults...
In reply to TheHorroffice:
> Any chance of relocating it to Cambridge?! I don't think you'd struggle with punters down here!
This!
(Full disclosure - every time anyone looks into opening a lead wall in Cambridge they get enthusiastic for a while about the massive population of students and reasonable number of other climbers in a prosperous town located exactly at the mid-point of a circle of 100 miles in diameter with no proper leading, then start looking into property prices and realize that they just can't make the numbers add up...)
Post edited at 21:17
In reply to Coel Hellier:
Never mind the long drive! What about the endless approach walk?!
In reply to Offwidth:
Agree with you Offwidth we used to travel in winter from York to the Foundry ,and the Edge when it opened even the Stockport Wall,4 in a car full day there and decent cafes great ,but now Wall at Harrogate half the drive ,Red Edge bouldering Wall York ,and A sports centre wall in York ..so no more Sheffield..
In reply to Coel Hellier:
> Sheffield climbers really don't know how well-off they are! You'll be complaining about the huge drive to Stanage next!
Don't take the Sheffield folk too seriously when they brag about Stanage only being a 15 minute drive away. That only applies to the posh part of town, it's over half an hour from here!
In reply to deepsoup:
Sean, you must live in the wrong scummy part of Sheffield. I can make it in 20 minutes even from my less-than-posh burb in north Sheffield
I'd heard the Picture House was going to be like Crazy Climb at the Beacon or Clip N Climb in Exeter, not a proper climbing wall. Not sure if there's any truth to this though.
In reply to IainWhitehouse:
> Sean, you must live in the wrong scummy part of Sheffield.
The neighbourhood definitely went downhill the day I moved in. ;O)
So, um..
It turns out a friend of mine had just paid for a series of lessons for her kid. I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but does anyone happen to know if there's the smallest possibility of folk who've just paid for memberships and such getting their money back?
In reply to deepsoup:
I'd hope so, however several months ago I did overhear one member of staff telling another that the Edge owed wages to several sole trader instructors...
In reply to deepsoup:
> It turns out a friend of mine had just paid for a series of lessons for her kid. I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but does anyone happen to know if there's the smallest possibility of folk who've just paid for memberships and such getting their money back?
Bit of a surprise this because I had heard some months back of a regular customer being refused a year's membership. I'm not sure if a reason was given but it didn't take a genius to put two and two together and see this coming. It's rather sad that the stafff were honourable there but not with your friend (or more likely some staff were honourable and others weren't, I guess).
I do know that the performance coaching part of the clubs has shifted location to the Foundry but is still being run by Adam Harrison as before.
In reply to IainWhitehouse:
> Bit of a surprise this because I had heard some months back of a regular customer being refused a year's membership. I'm not sure if a reason was given but it didn't take a genius to put two and two together and see this coming. It's rather sad that the stafff were honourable there but not with your friend (or more likely some staff were honourable and others weren't, I guess).
> I do know that the performance coaching part of the clubs has shifted location to the Foundry but is still being run by Adam Harrison as before.
Perhaps only a few staff had any idea. I imagine if it were general knowledge amongst staff the news would be out pretty quickly.
An opportunity for another Sheffield wall to honour this agreement and gain a young customer for life?
Is this the first major UK wall to have ceased operations for what - on the face of it - seem to be financial reasons? A sign of a market starting to mature, in Sheffield at least?
In reply to IainWhitehouse:
> It's rather sad that the stafff were honourable there but not with your friend (or more likely some staff were honourable and others weren't, I guess).
As flaneur said, I'd prefer to believe they didn't know. With the Abbeydale Picture House project still (possibly?) in the pipeline, it still doesn't seem entirely clear whether or not they've actually ceased trading. (Gone bust, whatever.)
No doubt more will emerge in time. Phil Robins has occasionally posted on here before, perhaps when the dust has settled we might even hear what's going on direct from the horse's mouth as it were.
> I do know that the performance coaching part of the clubs has shifted location to the Foundry but is still being run by Adam Harrison as before.
Oh cool. I think in my friend's case it was more a course of fairly basic instruction rather than coaching, but I'm not completely sure so I'll pass that snippet on, ta.
Anyhow, in her case it wasn't a huge amount of money and she can afford it so it's a minor annoyance only really, not something to be losing sleep over.
In reply to deepsoup:
Unfortunately if a business goes into receivership (and I'm not sure if the Edge has) then all creditors are treated the same and get a percentage of their debt from whatever assets can be realised. This is why companies in administration don't have to honour gift vouchers
I know Phil lost money when certain other businesses went bust, and from the look on his face when I saw him on Monday, its not a decision he's taken lightly.
In reply to deepsoup:
> It turns out a friend of mine had just paid for a series of lessons for her kid. I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but does anyone happen to know if there's the smallest possibility of folk who've just paid for memberships and such getting their money back?
As I understand these things, the business secured creditors and staff come first in the pecking order, and any money that's left over after that gets divided up amongst customers etc.
However, if they paid using a credit card and the course cost over £100, tell them to check for protection under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. The credit card company should be obliged to cover the loss in this case. I think.
In reply to flaneur:
Could we even see the growth of chains along the lines of Awesome Walls buying out the smaller independent walls, or even marketing more aggressively to kill them off, as has happened in most other areas of business?
(Note I don't allege AW would do this, but another chain might well come along and do it - and AW is the only example so far of a chain that looks like it will get quite big quite quickly)
Neil
In reply to Neil Williams:
> Could we even see the growth of chains along the lines of Awesome Walls buying out the smaller independent walls, or even marketing more aggressively to kill them off, as has happened in most other areas of business?
> (Note I don't allege AW would do this, but another chain might well come along and do it - and AW is the only example so far of a chain that looks like it will get quite big quite quickly)
Given that The Edge has closed less than 12 months since Awesome Walls opened in Sheffield, it's hard not to speculate that they have been pushed under by the opening of a chain branded wall just down the road.
Sad times
In reply to wrekrab:
I really don't think AW have that much to do with the Edge closing - for sure, competition may have taken some customers away. However I think the Edge was suffering long before AW turned up - I first went back in 2009/10 and it was great. Well maintained, good routes regularly being put up. Over the years however it just felt like it was falling apart very slowly - the care didn't seem to stick around. Honestly not surprised this has happened but its a shame nonetheless.
In reply to batterj2:
That's why I don't allege they did it here. However it has happened in every other area of business, and if indoor climbing continues to grow I suspect it might well happen there as well. Though the high cost to entry into the business may make it relatively limited.
Neil
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The Edge Climdomain_7 Wall Sheffield
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