Rutland Cutlery, Sheffield, July ’09:

What do you think of when you think of Sheffield? Steel? Football, either United or Wednesday? Brit pop favourites Pulp? Knives and forks? An historic Sheffield cutlery firm, which was rescued less than six months ago 2008 and was due to celebrate its 300th anniversary this year 2009, has shed almost all its 70 strong workforce and gone into administration.

Rutland Cutlery Co Ltd, 73-101 Neepsend Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S3 8AT Originally part of the “Osborne Tableware” Group, who produced blanks for the cutlery industry. Rutland worked as blade grinders and polishers for the cutlery industry. Osborne tableware group went into administration, and sadly ceased production in January 2009.

Osborne Tableware lays claim to being the city’s last volume cutlery manufacturer. As Nickel Blanks, the company supplied more than half of the ‘blanks’ cutlery companies turn into finished knives, forks and spoons.

The group includes knife blade forgers Jessop and Smith, handle makers and knife assemblers Beatson Drake, blade grinders and polishers Rutland Cutlery and polishers and platers Classic Cutlery.

Another historic Sheffield Cutlery Firm, which was rescued in 2008 ago and was due to celebrate its 300th anniversary this year, has shed almost all its 70 strong workforce went into administration January 2009 Osborne Tableware was acquired in September by local entrepreneurs David Kynman and Paul Coleclough.

There is not much, to see but you can still smell and feel the history of this place, it has seen scrapers in the last few weeks our visit being 19, and the 20 July 2009 there was water from a leaking pipe on the lower floors, a kettle stood with one mug, as though waiting and there was little indications of it,s past but it lay empty, striped of what made Sheffield, over time we are seeing the demise of our history, Rutland Cutlery Co Ltd stands empty at the side of the river don over the road from another Sheffield grate Samuel Osborn it reminds you of what is being lost, the for sale boards on there and likewise here, no doubt we will see it demolished and more over priced accommodation one to watch we guess?

Stood in what is now a empty shell, the 8pm sun setting outside over Sheffield, alone it comes home to you what has been lost here, not just 70 jobs, with this has gone something more, it might be cool to be into pulp, all right if you are down with it Reverend and The Makers, on Sunday 26 July they play Tramlines a free music event, to put Sheffield on the map, meanwhile what was Made in Sheffield has now come to an end and to be frank it is like losing a friendship a loved one it leaves you empty and cold knowing you are standing in a space what helped made Sheffield.

The loss of Rutland Cutlery Co Ltd is a loss for Sheffield, we have always made it clear urban exploration is something more than just an adrenalin rush, it is about using the privalge of photography to document remember our collective heritage and history, go view the 160 images we have taken over time, we have given a CD ROM of these images to Sheffield Libraries Service for there archives, for us owning a camera is a tool of propaganda one that we shall continue to use and when you see the sad demise of grand lady’s such as Crooksmoor Church Sheffield Old Crown Court words do fail you what is like to stand in such empty spaces and we shall never begin to even give across what it was like to be inside George Barnsley and Sons, as each sun sets of Sheffield it sets over the demise and ruins of what made Sheffield, then you need ask why we are Anarchist?