Dear readers — the tracker shows we're almost a quarter of the way to our campaign target, but we've still got a long way to go and just three weeks left.
We know we can get there. And if we do, we will commit to five things that will make Sheffield better: tackling disinformation, nurturing local talent, good news editions, more council chamber coverage and deep dives into Sheffield's inequalities.
But we'll only make it if lots more people get on board. Pay what you want for two months, and get us to our target 👇
Bally Johal is a difficult man to get hold of. The first time I speak to him over the phone a few weeks ago, he’s wary of saying too much. “I know the kind of journalism you do,” he says. “Why do you want to speak to me?”
Assuring him that I’m only interested in speaking to him about Victoria Quays, the home of his bar and restaurant True Loves, he calms down. But he can’t speak this week as he’s currently preparing for a street food market in Leeds. I arrange to meet him on Thursday afternoon. But when it comes to it he’s not available then either, as he’s too busy cooking.
Trying my luck that evening, I wander down to Victoria Quays and track him down at True Loves. He’s there, standing behind the bar in a backwards baseball cap with a gold chain and sunglasses around his neck and handlebar moustache. But there’s a problem. He’s just about to start a game of poker.
“Call me tomorrow at 2,” Johal says. I do. Answerphone. My attempts to get some sort of quote out of this elusive figure are drawing a repeated blank.
Until about a year ago, everyone knew who the face of Victoria Quays was: Richard Henderson. The owner of everyone’s favourite spot, the Dorothy Pax, was well-intentioned and slightly eccentric, in a good way. But Henderson’s quest to bring affordable live music to the quays was ultimately doomed. And now it’s the owner of the bar that was next to the Pax, True Loves, who seems to be the big mover and shaker: Johal, the man I need to talk to.
Low quay
There’s always been a glaring question hanging over Victoria Quays. Our friends and rivals in Leeds and Manchester have turned their waterfronts into buzzy hangouts (Granary Wharf and New Islington respectively). But “VQ” has never had anything like as much going on. The vibe on your average afternoon was often more bleak than chic.
But in the last couple of years, two big things have changed.
This story is free to read. You just need to sign up to join The Tribune's mailing list. And why wouldn't you? You'll get our journalism in your inbox the second we publish, keeping up to date on this and all our stories. No card details required.
Already have an account? Sign In
