Sheffield Telegraph 2014 My Favourite Places Justine Gaubert

Love made visible

Justine Gaubert is founder of Neepsend social enterprise Silent Cities Ltd, which uses digital to help anyone without a voice in mainstream society. Their Community Journalists recently played a key role in bringing in 6m for Sheffield to reduce isolation and loneliness for older people. Between 2011 and 2013, Justine was also the University of Sheffield's first Social Entrepreneur in Residence, helping students set up social enterprises. She is co-founder of one of Sheffield's first spoken word nights 'Words Aloud', and previously worked for a Sheffield graphic design agency for 15 years as a writer and brand consultant. She is 42 and lives in Walkley with her dog Stan.

#1. Dinnington Comprehensive School

Justine Gaubert Sixth Form Dinnington Comprehensive 1989.

Mum and dad were GPs in Dinnington and we all went to the local school, something I'm very proud of. It's a rare thing these days. Although it was tough at times, it was a great school, and many of my best mates are still people I went to school with. It’s where I first discovered that life wasn't a level playing field - we were slap-bang in the middle of the miners’ strike and there was a lot of poverty.

Injustice has always made my blood boil, and I think in the back of my mind, it kick-started the resolve to do something about it.

2. Dinnington Rugby Club

I started playing rugby here when I was eight until I was 13, as dad was a coach there and had helped set it up. It was for a boy’s team as there weren't any women allowed to play in those days. It caused a bit of a scandal at the time, and made the national press, which was crushingly embarrassing and hard to live down with my team mates, who just saw me as one of the lads!

When we got older, the clubhouse was where we moshed to The Smiths and passed out to the Housemartins.

This place, with its musky smell of men, frying onions, stale beer and cigarettes, holds many happy memories for me and I’m proud to say, made me the real ale drinker and crisp addict I am today! I hear they have girls and ladies teams now which is brilliant.

#3. The sound of laughing from Clarence Works, Neepsend

Gilbran said, ‘work is love made visible’, and as everyone who knows me will testify, work really is my favourite place.

The noise of people laughing and chatting that comes out of the room is my favourite sound in the world. Many people haven’t had a reason to laugh and be creative for a long time. It goes to prove something I’ve always believed: create the right environment for people to be themselves and support each other, and you can stand back and watch them flourish.

Given the right set of conditions, people’s hidden talents and innate beauty will never fail to amaze.

#4. Ball street bridge

View from Ball Street Bridge. Copyright Justine Gaubert.

I'm a bit of a bridge bore, (which comes in part from a wire rope newsletter I used to write), but if I had to pick one, it would be this one. There’s the calm stillness of the water on one side and the wild weir on the other, and the structure of the bridge is beautiful. It's a great place to clear the head with a bag of chips at lunchtime.

#5. Harthill Reservoir

The ONLY thing Sheffield is missing is the sea, so when a friend brought me here to swim recently, I was over the moon. There’s something special about doing physical exercise in the open air – whatever it is. Swimming past swans and bemused fishermen, with the swallows dipping down from the sky and electric blue dragon flies darting past your nose in a reservoir in Rotherham, is an experience not to be missed.

I’m not a serious swimmer (yet!) – we just swim round slowly and chat and laugh.

It’s a bit like going for a walk. But lying down.

#6. Richard Hawley’s voice

Copywriting for Richard Hawley’s Lady’s Bridge Tour Programme. Design by the wonderful boys from Dust Design.

Smooth Galaxy chocolate mixed with a voice deeper than Elvis, and all with a Sheffield accent. What’s not to love.

His voice and the gentle lyrics conjure up a nostalgia and a longing in me that meanders from the very soul of our beautiful city. I did an interview with him once, when my mate bagged me the gig to write the Lady’s Bridge tour programme. It was the best three hours of my life.

I’ve met him a few times after that, but I don’t think he remembers as I turn into a dribbling idiot. Sometimes maybe it’s better not to meet your hero when their work is just too important to you.

#7. Full stop café, Neepsend

This is definitely Stan’s favourite place. I get a toasted teacake (‘best butter’) from here every day, and the ladies smuggle Stan whatever roast chicken they can spare.

They run a tight ship and are always so kind and generous. We’re really lucky with all the shops in the Neepsend triangle. Lovely, decent people. Well, that’s Sheffield, isn’t it?

#8. The Sing at the Royal, Dungworth

“All the green fields, as nature doth unfold.” “In this beautiful dale…how well do I love thee.” Pints of Yorkshire Farmer with my brother Tim and sometimes my lovely cuz and other extra special guests. Overlooking the snowy hills of Sheffers.

Some of the happiest moments of my life.

#9. The Gardener’s Rest beer garden/river don

We’re spoilt for choice on the real ale pub front these days, but the Gardener’s has the calm spirituality of a church to me. After a crazy day with amazing people, my head imploding with ideas, I often go for a pint on my own, cadge a cig, and hang over the beer garden walls watching the Don.

Not that you're ever alone for long! Met some great characters here over the last few years, and have been lucky enough to end up working with some of them too.

That's the great thing about Sheffield…