The steel industry in Sheffield has become a major part of the history of England, having affected millions of people over the centuries and adding greatly to the cultural and economic makeup of both the city and the nation. When an industry becomes as big as it did in Sheffield in the 19th century it takes on an iconic appeal that can be relevant to the entire population. This mixing of ideology and industry, this intertwining of steel, the industrial revolution and of what Sheffield means to the country of England would be the ideal subject matter for a television documentary. 

 

By using the example of the city of Sheffield and the industry of steel, a television documentary could talk about the bigger issues of industrialisation and how things have changed in the years since the peak of Sheffield steel. A television documentary that focused on the industrial changes in Sheffield could be very popular, especially one that documented the traditional lifestyles of steelworkers as examples of what steel truly used to mean to the city. This archaeological social type approach could be very successful as it would give viewers something to relate to in the lives of steelworkers. It may be very easy today to produce perfect Loose Flange (Lose-Flansche) parts in modern factories, but the history of the steel industry was not quite so ideal.

 

Sheffield has been famous world wide for many of the different fields of steel work that the city participates in. Cutlery and tableware have always been very popular in Sheffield steel plants, as has other tool making and siverware production. The history of the steel industry in Sheffield could be a fascinating subject matter for television if approached in the right way. The first recorded mention of steel making in the city was in 1692, growing slowly at first but much faster later on. The crucible method of steel manufacture was introduced in 1751 and this dramatically expanded steel production in the area. The crucible method re melts fragments of blister steel and removed the impurities as a substance known as slag.

Some people may say that steel production and its history is not that interesting of a topic for TV. The Magna science adventure centre in Sheffield however, has shown that steel can be fun if approached with a fun attitude.  This centre exists primarily for children and shows that the world of steel production is certainly not boring. From the working class Kelham Island area of Sheffield city to the shops all over the world stocking steel parts - such as ROFI in Germany, steel manufacture has changed the world. A television documentary could talk about these large changes and root them in the city of Sheffield. This method of using a single city and the lifestyle of its people to talk about a big subject could work very well in these circumstances.