Judgement at Jury's day Inn

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), May 30, 2009

Byline: ANDREW HIRST

TIME away from the hectic hustle and bustle of family life is vital

Everyone needs it every now and again - and that's why we often opt for one night away from home, but not too far away

And, once there, it's amazing how time seems to go into slow motion. Freaky, even

For this Saturday night away we went to ... Sheffield

It's something of a strange place - a city of stark contrasts A pal of mine did his degree there - or rather didn't do it - as the social life was so good he managed to fail. Praise indeed for the place, but that was going right back to the early 80s

He's head of year at a school now so don't worry about him

Sheffield is not far from Huddersfield and yet how many people say they've been there? Of those that have, what they often mean to say is that they've been to Meadowhall

At the time of the Miner's Strike in 1984 I was a van driver and Sheffield was my patch - especially the industrial heartland that was Attercliffe

Much of that has now been bulldozed with Meadowhall, Sheffield Arena and modern retail parks there instead

Sheffield city centre is the mix of the old, new, ugly and striking It's a place of wild architectural contrasts with the worst of the 60s - building that don't just look sick they're distinctly terminal - nestling next to the strikingly modern

Hotels have sprung up right in the heart of the city - and Jurys Inn is the latest

All brick and glass it's the latest in the chain's superior budget range

It's bright, colourful, vibrant and modern inside - the restaurant has a cafe feel - and the double rooms are large

Ours had a double bed, two seater settee, long desk that doubled as a dressing table, flatscreen TV and bathroom

It ticked all the right comfort boxes - especially the king- size bed - with a view across the city towards Bramall Lane, home of Sheffield United

The drawback to these hotels is that they have no parking - none whatsoever even to drop off. You need to park across the road in a multi-storey and lump your gear across. Jurys Inn has an agreement with one opposite so you get 25% off which means you pay around pounds 7 for a 24-hour stay

Food in the restaurant did not pass the budget test, however. In fact, the meal cost more than the room, which explains why the restaurant was virtually deserted

Starters were pounds 6, mains around pounds 15 and desserts around a fiver with the cheapest wine at a tad under pounds 16 a bottle It came out at over pounds 60 for two - too much with so many other restaurants a short stroll away

Breakfast was far better value at a pounds 5 special offer instead of the usual pounds 10. It was the full English cooked affair, even down to the black pudding

Jurys Inns are now popping up all over the place in Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and London

The hotel is a five minute walk from Sheffield's City Hall - it looks more than a castle than a seat of local Government - Peace Gardens and indoor Winter Gardens, the largest urban glasshouse in any European city featuring 2,500 plants from around the world

Just off it are several galleries and exhibitions and one is a magnificent showcase of Sheffield's heritage - cutlery and metalwork. There are knives dating back to 1600 and a multi-purpose knife made from stainless steel, gold, silver and mother of pearl that puts Swiss army knives to shame

You're not short on coffee houses to choose from around that quarter - on a mild spring day it was really rather pleasant

To make it a proper weekend away, on the Sunday we drove about 25 miles south to Hardwick Hall, an Elizabethan mansion just off Junction 29 of the M1 near Chesterfield in Derbyshire

Yet another amazing National Trust treasure. This is going back in time with history coming alive in front of your eyes

The banqueting hall must be higher than our house and several rooms are in semi-darkness, lit only by candle-like lights to save the ancient furniture from getting discoloured

Step outside and you can stroll in the immaculately manicured garden for ages

A real Tudor treat to end a thoroughly relaxing weekend away

And as soon as we got back, life quickly returned to its normal frightening pace

Travel FACTS

Jurys Inn, Sheffield, is at 119 Eyre Street, Sheffield, S1 4QW

The phone number is 0114 291 2222

To book direct go to www jurysinns com Cost of a double room is pounds 69

Breakfast was pounds 5 extra person (instead of the normal pounds 10) which was excellent value for money

The evening meal was pounds 62 including wine which we felt was overpriced

Distance from Huddersfield to Sheffield is 32 miles

Hardwick Hall is just off Junction 29 of the M1 in Derbyshire and is close to Chatsworth House

CAPTION(S):

SPACIOUS: Our writer's room had a king-size bed, two seater settee, desk, flatscreen TV and bathroom. The bar is shown (left) TUDOR TREAT: Hardwick Hall, an Elizabethan mansion near Chesterfield, one of the treasures which are an easy drive from Sheffield and (left) the Jurys Inn, Sheffield, the latest in the chain's superior budget range of hotels