It's not grim where I am - about 10 miles outside of Newcastle. We've the Northumberland coastline and countryside, and not so far away Newcastle city centre which has some lovely buildings. I will, however, admit the weather could be better!
Brighouse, Halifax, Huddersfield, Bradford, Keighley.... all grim, nowhere near former coal mines.
Cross the Pennines into Lancashire and Greater Manchester, plenty more.
As well as Wakefield, I have lived in Bradford (born there), Colne (grew up there), Manchester and Liverpool. I have a fair amount of Northern knowledge to know that nice, wealthy towns are few and far between up here.
I have also lived in Nottingham, Leicestershire, Norfolk and Oxfordshire, so have plenty of other parts of England to compare it to.
But you fail to qualify anything. Your arguments are, that northern towns are shite because YOU think they are. Makes for a bit of a shit thread really.
The definition of north on here is a bit of skew. The northern counties of England are Cumbria, Northumberland and Durham. Yorkshire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire are North Midlands.
And I don't care what you soft southern gits from Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool say. You are not Northern.
Look at a map.
I live in Lancashire and I've never heard of the North Midlands in all my life.
So either it is a made up thing that you've just invented or it is a real thing and Lancashire's not part of it.
I'm off up Scotland shortly and pondered about returning back down via Newcastle as i've never been. Not really a big city lover but been told i should visit. Are there any suitable areas to park up overnight in a Motorhome/Camper?
The police station compound should be a safe enough place ..!!:D
There are some beautiful areas in Lancashire. The industrialised towns are just a small part of it, and most would now probably come under Greater Manchester.
Ah, the words from that famous song from the early 90's.
On my long bus journey from Wakefield to Brighouse via Huddersfield, I can't help agreeing with it. Huddersfield and Brighouse are dire, dirty and look stuck in a time warp.
The villages I pass through are nice, as is the countryside, but the towns are something else. OK, not all Northern towns are run down, but plenty are, and look beyond redemption.
Do people from outside the North hold the "It's Grim Up North" view? Is there some truth in the song title?
You just haven't driven far enough north...come see me
But you fail to qualify anything. Your arguments are, that northern towns are shite because YOU think they are. Makes for a bit of a shit thread really.
Where do you live exactly and I'll sum up your town for you?
That's a very sweeping generalisation completely ignoring and overlooking some of Britains most beautiful countryside.
To be precise I don't like the East Midlands and Staffs. The rest of the West Midlands is is lovely. The only bit of Yorkshire I like are the North York moors and the dales.
Do people from outside the North hold the "It's Grim Up North" view? Is there some truth in the song title?
I'm not from outside the north (disclaimer).
I love my home town, we have lots of independent shops as well as the usual charity and chain ones, we have a thriving community with loads of stuff going on and it's bloody gorgeous looking and surrounded by fabulous countryside.
To be precise I don't like the East Midlands and Staffs. The rest of the West Midlands is is lovely. The only bit of Yorkshire I like are the North York moors and the dales.
So you've never been anywhere in the Peak District? Parts of that lie within Staffs. If you went to Stoke-on-Trent which is in the County of Staffordshire (or Staffs) then yes, you were in a shit hole. You need to be a manic depressive to survive more than an hour there.
Staffs covers too broad an area to be specific and ranges from built up parts full of ugly concrete block office buildings designed by overpaid lunatics on drugs to miles of open green belt land. But unlike London i only have to walk across the road to experience the latter.
And that doesn't include the various other food awards including AA Rosettes etc. My own home town has at least 10 superb quality places to eat of various different cuisines and we're a tiny market town.
I love my home town, we have lots of independent shops as well as the usual charity and chain ones, we have a thriving community with loads of stuff going on and it's bloody gorgeous looking and surrounded by fabulous countryside.
It's fine up on the moors......just a pity the local councils ban overnight parking along any coastal areas. I was set to overnight at Flamborough Head. Huge big empty car park. Cafe and Pub right opposite. But no chance.....the barriers come down after 9pm and any vehicle on there gets locked in.....with a parking ticket slapped on. >:(
Shame that they chase potential business away. Obviously raking in too much money already.
Comments
I'm not totally into gardening, but I do think gardens should be kept tidy.
The weather's terrible here.
But you fail to qualify anything. Your arguments are, that northern towns are shite because YOU think they are. Makes for a bit of a shit thread really.
I live in Lancashire and I've never heard of the North Midlands in all my life.
So either it is a made up thing that you've just invented or it is a real thing and Lancashire's not part of it.
It is an informal phrase, commonly used by those of us further north to (disparagingly) refer to Leeds/Manchester.
That said, Lancashire I certainly north of that, being as it is in line with North Yorkshire which I wouldn't consider 'Midlands'.
It certainly does get a bit silly when the like of Staffordshire start claiming to be in the North mind
The police station compound should be a safe enough place ..!!:D
I really don't like the Midlands, Lancashire, Yorkshire. Grim, cold, Godawful food.
Although York and Durham look great. (Never been though).
Google is your friend!! :cool:
You just haven't driven far enough north...come see me
I love you Scots, and your city has improved so much over the years.
Where do you live exactly and I'll sum up your town for you?
Love you too
Although Id happily sacrifice that love for a bit of independence
And that's where the similarities end
Ive gone right off you
>:(
Lots of things have been around for ages, of course. No one's heard of all of them.
And I see it says Lancashire's not in this loosely defined place.
Thought it couldn't be, else I would have heard of it.
To be precise I don't like the East Midlands and Staffs. The rest of the West Midlands is is lovely. The only bit of Yorkshire I like are the North York moors and the dales.
I'm not from outside the north (disclaimer).
I love my home town, we have lots of independent shops as well as the usual charity and chain ones, we have a thriving community with loads of stuff going on and it's bloody gorgeous looking and surrounded by fabulous countryside.
Staffs covers too broad an area to be specific and ranges from built up parts full of ugly concrete block office buildings designed by overpaid lunatics on drugs to miles of open green belt land. But unlike London i only have to walk across the road to experience the latter.
Some of the peak district is in Staffs, Cheshire etc, but it's mainly in Derbyshire.
I'd much rather go to France or Italy than wander round the East Midlands looking for the bearable bit tbh.
Seriously? What a load of shite. Some of the country's best eateries are in the North of England.
Yorkshire now boasts the largest number of Michelin Starred restaurants than any other county (outside of London).
And that doesn't include the various other food awards including AA Rosettes etc. My own home town has at least 10 superb quality places to eat of various different cuisines and we're a tiny market town.
Shame that they chase potential business away. Obviously raking in too much money already.