I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
Alright, alright. But apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
If Farage wins does that mean 'we're a shithole and we don't care' becomes the new anthem of British patriots? Before he imposes mass taxes on all foreign travel and flights so everyone bar the super rich has to holiday in Blackpool and Bognor anyway!
Graham Norton is such a great host for this. My wife absolutely loves his commentary every year. It's really helped her to understand how to be damning with faint praise over the years.
A title that says all that needs to be said about our goldfish culture. By Saturday its a definite stretch. By next Monday they will be completely forgotten.
A title that says all that needs to be said about our goldfish culture. By Saturday its a definite stretch. By next Monday they will be completely forgotten.
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Yes, quite
The first step in dealing with a big problem is accepting that it is happening. This is often not easy, it's like admitting you've gone beyond "a bit chubby" to "frankly obese" and you will need a major lifestyle change, much of which will be tedious and painful, certainly at first
But that cruel realisation has to dawn, before we can go anywhere
My sense is that quite a few Brits have now made that step towards reality - this country is slowly but steadily turning to shit - hence the remarkable surge towards Reform. This does NOT mean Reform have the answers, probably they don't - but at least people are comprehending we need a radical change. The status quo will not do
In that sense the rise of Reform is, in itself, a hopeful sign
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
If Farage wins does that mean 'we're a shithole and we don't care' becomes the new anthem of British patriots? Before he imposes mass taxes on all foreign travel and flights so everyone bar the super rich has to holiday in Blackpool and Bognor anyway!
Graham Norton is such a great host for this. My wife absolutely loves his commentary every year. It's really helped her to understand how to be damning with faint praise over the years.
We demand Dr Death and the Tooth Fairy ! (Hosts, 1991)
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
My current carer is Polish. Settling down ATM with a British lad. We do have a Turkish barber in the ,town.
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Yes, quite
The first step in dealing with a big problem is accepting that it is happening. This is often not easy, it's like admitting you've gone beyond "a bit chubby" to "frankly obese" and you will need a major lifestyle change, much of which will be tedious and painful, certainly at first
But that cruel realisation has to dawn, before we can go anywhere
My sense is that quite a few Brits have now made that step towards reality - this country is slowly but steadily turning to shit - hence the remarkable surge towards Reform. This does NOT mean Reform have the answers, probably they don't - but at least people are comprehending we need a radical change. The status quo will not do
In that sense the rise of Reform is, in itself, a hopeful sign
Of course the problem is that Reform will do Fuck All about it either. They are as deluded as the other two
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Yes, quite
The first step in dealing with a big problem is accepting that it is happening. This is often not easy, it's like admitting you've gone beyond "a bit chubby" to "frankly obese" and you will need a major lifestyle change, much of which will be tedious and painful, certainly at first
But that cruel realisation has to dawn, before we can go anywhere
My sense is that quite a few Brits have now made that step towards reality - this country is slowly but steadily turning to shit - hence the remarkable surge towards Reform. This does NOT mean Reform have the answers, probably they don't - but at least people are comprehending we need a radical change. The status quo will not do
In that sense the rise of Reform is, in itself, a hopeful sign
Graham Norton is such a great host for this. My wife absolutely loves his commentary every year. It's really helped her to understand how to be damning with faint praise over the years.
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Yes, quite
The first step in dealing with a big problem is accepting that it is happening. This is often not easy, it's like admitting you've gone beyond "a bit chubby" to "frankly obese" and you will need a major lifestyle change, much of which will be tedious and painful, certainly at first
But that cruel realisation has to dawn, before we can go anywhere
My sense is that quite a few Brits have now made that step towards reality - this country is slowly but steadily turning to shit - hence the remarkable surge towards Reform. This does NOT mean Reform have the answers, probably they don't - but at least people are comprehending we need a radical change. The status quo will not do
In that sense the rise of Reform is, in itself, a hopeful sign
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Liberal society chose abortion over adoption. The 12m immigrants since 1997 more than replacing the 10.7m aborted since 1967.
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Liberal society chose abortion over adoption. The 12m immigrants since 1997 more than replacing the 10.7m aborted since 1967.
Birth rates have collapsed even in countries where abortion is illegal. I guess you could make contraception illegal, or perhaps make it so a woman is not allowed to resist a man, but I'm not 100% sure those policies would be popular.
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
The shops in town and city centres are worse than earlier decades.
And the pubs and restaurants are better.
Though this only applies to towns which were big enough to have branches of M&S, HoF, Debenhams etc.
Smaller towns do not have the blight caused by the loss of the big chain shops.
The trick to living in this country is to live in a nice part of a cheap area and only visit big town centres when you want a new restaurant experience.
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Liberal society chose abortion over adoption. The 12m immigrants since 1997 more than replacing the 10.7m aborted since 1967.
Birth rates have collapsed even in countries where abortion is illegal. I guess you could make contraception illegal, or perhaps make it so a woman is not allowed to resist a man, but I'm not 100% sure those policies would be popular.
Wages went down and rents went up. Hungary is giving a lifetime 25% tax cut to women who have children. Abortions are down 50% and divorce rates are lower. Liberal societies are declining while conservative societies prosper.
Head of JP Morgan bigging up Starmer & Reeves in The Times
Jamie Dimon: Rachel Reeves has got it right — I’d love to help
He has waded into British politics before, memorably during Brexit, when he warned that JP Morgan could cut up to 4,000 jobs in the event of a vote to leave. Since then, its workforce in Britain has grown by 6,000. Does he regret his remarks? “No. If someone asks me a question, I answer it as best as I can.”
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Liberal society chose abortion over adoption. The 12m immigrants since 1997 more than replacing the 10.7m aborted since 1967.
Birth rates have collapsed even in countries where abortion is illegal. I guess you could make contraception illegal, or perhaps make it so a woman is not allowed to resist a man, but I'm not 100% sure those policies would be popular.
Wages went down and rents went up. Hungary is giving a lifetime 25% tax cut to women who have children. Abortions are down 50% and divorce rates are lower. Liberal societies are declining while conservative societies prosper.
But have they answered the big question -
If a plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border, which side do you bury the survivors?
Head of JP Morgan bigging up Starmer & Reeves in The Times
Jamie Dimon: Rachel Reeves has got it right — I’d love to help
He has waded into British politics before, memorably during Brexit, when he warned that JP Morgan could cut up to 4,000 jobs in the event of a vote to leave. Since then, its workforce in Britain has grown by 6,000. Does he regret his remarks? “No. If someone asks me a question, I answer it as best as I can.”
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Liberal society chose abortion over adoption. The 12m immigrants since 1997 more than replacing the 10.7m aborted since 1967.
Birth rates have collapsed even in countries where abortion is illegal. I guess you could make contraception illegal, or perhaps make it so a woman is not allowed to resist a man, but I'm not 100% sure those policies would be popular.
Wages went down and rents went up. Hungary is giving a lifetime 25% tax cut to women who have children. Abortions are down 50% and divorce rates are lower. Liberal societies are declining while conservative societies prosper.
Who are you voting for in the Eurovision Song Contest?
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Liberal society chose abortion over adoption. The 12m immigrants since 1997 more than replacing the 10.7m aborted since 1967.
Birth rates have collapsed even in countries where abortion is illegal. I guess you could make contraception illegal, or perhaps make it so a woman is not allowed to resist a man, but I'm not 100% sure those policies would be popular.
Wages went down and rents went up. Hungary is giving a lifetime 25% tax cut to women who have children. Abortions are down 50% and divorce rates are lower. Liberal societies are declining while conservative societies prosper.
Hungary spends 5% of GDP on measures to try and get its birthrate up.
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
The shops in town and city centres are worse than earlier decades.
And the pubs and restaurants are better.
Though this only applies to towns which were big enough to have branches of M&S, HoF, Debenhams etc.
Smaller towns do not have the blight caused by the loss of the big chain shops.
The trick to living in this country is to live in a nice part of a cheap area and only visit big town centres when you want a new restaurant experience.
As a general rule of thumb, you still can't go that wrong by starting off by living in a town or city centre, and as you get older slowly moving further and further away from one - until you hit retirement, when you then want to try and find the sweet spot of a rural-ish area with an older demographic and decent facilities (the coast is typically a good bet).
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Liberal society chose abortion over adoption. The 12m immigrants since 1997 more than replacing the 10.7m aborted since 1967.
Birth rates have collapsed even in countries where abortion is illegal. I guess you could make contraception illegal, or perhaps make it so a woman is not allowed to resist a man, but I'm not 100% sure those policies would be popular.
Wages went down and rents went up. Hungary is giving a lifetime 25% tax cut to women who have children. Abortions are down 50% and divorce rates are lower. Liberal societies are declining while conservative societies prosper.
I will also put in a word for Sheffield, which is also in my top 5 favourite British cities. It has the following going for it: - The hills. Nowhere else like it in the UK. Every bit of it affords a view of other bits of it. - The entire southwestern quadrant, which includes the most pleasant suburbia in the UK. Dore, Totley, Ecclesall, Fulwood, Broomhill, Nether Edge, Crosspool, Brincliffe, Millhouses, Ranmoor. And I have a soft apot for Crookes, where I lived for two years. If, as I did, you first approach Sheffield from the west, your first - indeed only - impression is that this is a very comfortably off city. - Some of the city centre, which is quite pleasant. - West Street/Division Street/Devonshire Street, which is a cool urban quarter without ramming its coolness down your throat and/or mugging you (either literally or metaphorically). - The Peak District: when I lived in Crookes, 30 minutes walk to the east was the city centre, 30 minutes west was the Peak District. Very few cities transition so suddenly from city to really good countryside. - The Leadmill, which has been the best nightclub in the country for about 30 years (though I understand it is being evicted? sob.) This isn't just a man reminiscing about his lost youth - it's pretty widely recognised as among the best of its sort consistently for years. - People are friendly. That's what tends to get trotted out about places with nothing else to offer. But it's genuinely true, more so than Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, York or Glasgow or Newcastle. - The cost of living: for, say, half a million pounds you can live ina nicer house in a nicer suburb in Sheffield than almost anywhere else in England.
On the downside, the retail offer of the city centre is pretty poor - many cities were damaged in the 90s by massive shopping malls in adjacent boroughs, but Sheffield was the only city that chose to kill its own city centre. And there is real poverty in the poor bits - my wife went to Pitsmoor last week; she knows the rougher bits of Manchester and Salford but was quite taken aback by NE Sheffield.
On the whole though, it's a pretty good city. Of all the places I could live in the UK it comes in the top handful.
Just this week I was clicking around and landed on a Latvian music site, where one chap looked vaguely familiar. Turns out my old physical chemistry lecturer, who inspired my lifelong ignorance of Miller indices, was moonlighting as a Latvian musician. https://dziesmusvetki.lndb.lv/en/person/?id=157
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Liberal society chose abortion over adoption. The 12m immigrants since 1997 more than replacing the 10.7m aborted since 1967.
Birth rates have collapsed even in countries where abortion is illegal. I guess you could make contraception illegal, or perhaps make it so a woman is not allowed to resist a man, but I'm not 100% sure those policies would be popular.
Wages went down and rents went up. Hungary is giving a lifetime 25% tax cut to women who have children. Abortions are down 50% and divorce rates are lower. Liberal societies are declining while conservative societies prosper.
Hungary spends 5% of GDP on measures to try and get its birthrate up.
Its TFR is ... 1.52
It's an utter failure.
Also I thought we were trying to reduce the population..? It is hard to keep up with right wing talking points
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Liberal society chose abortion over adoption. The 12m immigrants since 1997 more than replacing the 10.7m aborted since 1967.
Birth rates have collapsed even in countries where abortion is illegal. I guess you could make contraception illegal, or perhaps make it so a woman is not allowed to resist a man, but I'm not 100% sure those policies would be popular.
Wages went down and rents went up. Hungary is giving a lifetime 25% tax cut to women who have children. Abortions are down 50% and divorce rates are lower. Liberal societies are declining while conservative societies prosper.
Hungary spends 5% of GDP on measures to try and get its birthrate up.
Its TFR is ... 1.52
It's an utter failure.
Also I thought we were trying to reduce the population..? It is hard to keep up with right wing talking points
I'm so clever that only I understand how clever I am
Inter alia, this explains the last twenty years of conversation on PB
I'm not even joking. I asked the cleverest person I know (me) how clever I am, and that person confirmed it
I can speak the following languages.
English, Latin, Greek, German, French, Urdu, Punjabi, and American.
That is the sign of true intelligence.
And yet, you live in..... Sheffield
Yeah, I could be one of those sad Londoners who live in a million pound shoe box or I can live in a very nice house.
Tough choice.
There are many markers of high intelligence. "Living in Sheffield" is, I fear, not one of them
There is a story of Queen Victoria on the royal train heading north to Balmoral. Apparently she loved all the varying views. However as the train pulled into Sheffield she would ask her equerry to close the curtains, and not open them until the regal train had entirely exited Sheffield
It depends where you live. Dore & Totley is staggeringly opulent.
Yes on Dore & Totley; it's where the nobs and the Cleggs live.
I don't want to be too rude about that house, but it's cookie cutters 2010s footballer in a leafy bit of Cheshire with Peak District wallpaper - no character.
Leon's just wibbling from his own lack of experience !
I've been to Sheffield several times. It's a shithole. Most northern English post industrial citiies are, I am afraid. Grotty, ugly, declining (again), riven with new racial divides, vape shops, despair. Indeed the decline and grot is spreading south (and the south has shit-holes of its own). And the weather sucks
I really really really wish this wasn't true, but it is. Hopefully down the line a new government can at least improve the economic sitch, and the architectural nightmare, even if they can't improve the weather
@Cookie gives us hopeful posts from Manc, so we shall see
There are a few acceptable places to live in the UK. Central and central ish London. The nicer suburbs of London. Posh cathedral cities (but not all of them). Cornwall and Devon in general, the nicest parts of the Home Counties and Welsh Marches, wilder bits of Scotland if you can cope with the winters and the midges. Er, Southwold?
I hesitate to say you need to get out more, but perhaps get out different. You have missed out the whole of: Lincolnshire (have you never been to Stamford?), Cumberland and Westmorland, Yorkshire, Edinburgh, Norfolk and almost all of Suffolk, Sussex, Northumberland, the entire of the Scottish side of the borders, Wiltshire and Doset, Northamptonshire. And Yorkshire.
Apart from that you are on the right lines.
I did say I was being provocative
However, you also forget I have travelled the entire world, pretty much. So I can compare multiple places in a way 99% of PBers cannot. Half of you barely go over the Channel
Britain, as a place to live, is falling behind quite badly, in terms of quality of life, beauty of surroundings, urban architecture
I'm a patriot. I wish this wasn't true. But it is
The UK has always been a crap place to live if you like nice weather. However we made up for that with quite handsome cities, free speech, a high trust society, social homogeneity, low crime, political stability, notably high incomes, lush green countryside, and clean bracing coastlines etc
One by one we have lost and are losing all of these, which makes the UK, steadily, much less attractive
I've noticed the scuzziness of my town worsening over the last 5-10 years.
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
Liberal society chose abortion over adoption. The 12m immigrants since 1997 more than replacing the 10.7m aborted since 1967.
Birth rates have collapsed even in countries where abortion is illegal. I guess you could make contraception illegal, or perhaps make it so a woman is not allowed to resist a man, but I'm not 100% sure those policies would be popular.
Wages went down and rents went up. Hungary is giving a lifetime 25% tax cut to women who have children. Abortions are down 50% and divorce rates are lower. Liberal societies are declining while conservative societies prosper.
Hungary spends 5% of GDP on measures to try and get its birthrate up.
Its TFR is ... 1.52
It's an utter failure.
2010 to 2023 abortion in Hungary fell from 40,449 to 21,136. Source abort-report.eu via grok.
Comments
Lots of Turkish/Albanian barbers all over the place, lots of carers from overseas (usually sub-saharan Africa), some people with serious addiction and mental problems walking round, and a noticeable number of hijabs, which were once non-existent. And, in general, young men (in particular) in their twenties being noticeably fatter with bad beards and really shit tattoos.
This is a market town in rural Hampshire.
The first step in dealing with a big problem is accepting that it is happening. This is often not easy, it's like admitting you've gone beyond "a bit chubby" to "frankly obese" and you will need a major lifestyle change, much of which will be tedious and painful, certainly at first
But that cruel realisation has to dawn, before we can go anywhere
My sense is that quite a few Brits have now made that step towards reality - this country is slowly but steadily turning to shit - hence the remarkable surge towards Reform. This does NOT mean Reform have the answers, probably they don't - but at least people are comprehending we need a radical change. The status quo will not do
In that sense the rise of Reform is, in itself, a hopeful sign
She's 32.
Are you Leo DiCaprio?
WTF happened with Iceland? It's two of the lost boys from Peter Pan.
Actually she's very good.
Yes
You could have someone's eye out with that.
My reason for backing Finland was nothing to do with my libido, the music felt very Eurovision.
Scott Bryan
@scottygb
The BSL during Finland was incredible
And the pubs and restaurants are better.
Though this only applies to towns which were big enough to have branches of M&S, HoF, Debenhams etc.
Smaller towns do not have the blight caused by the loss of the big chain shops.
The trick to living in this country is to live in a nice part of a cheap area and only visit big town centres when you want a new restaurant experience.
Jamie Dimon: Rachel Reeves has got it right — I’d love to help
He has waded into British politics before, memorably during Brexit, when he warned that JP Morgan could cut up to 4,000 jobs in the event of a vote to leave. Since then, its workforce in Britain has grown by 6,000. Does he regret his remarks? “No. If someone asks me a question, I answer it as best as I can.”
https://www.thetimes.com/article/86208e22-a4d3-4d1b-b765-65afca3d9556?shareToken=f221c6c2f2768010c5b89162b91f9301
If a plane crashes on the Ukraine/Republic of China border, which side do you bury the survivors?
I quite like the song though. 1980 vibes.
If he wants to help out, why not, however I’m sure Labour would rather have an Oxbridge PPE graduate SPAD type than someone like Jamie Dimon.
Its TFR is ... 1.52
It's an utter failure.
- The hills. Nowhere else like it in the UK. Every bit of it affords a view of other bits of it.
- The entire southwestern quadrant, which includes the most pleasant suburbia in the UK. Dore, Totley, Ecclesall, Fulwood, Broomhill, Nether Edge, Crosspool, Brincliffe, Millhouses, Ranmoor. And I have a soft apot for Crookes, where I lived for two years. If, as I did, you first approach Sheffield from the west, your first - indeed only - impression is that this is a very comfortably off city.
- Some of the city centre, which is quite pleasant.
- West Street/Division Street/Devonshire Street, which is a cool urban quarter without ramming its coolness down your throat and/or mugging you (either literally or metaphorically).
- The Peak District: when I lived in Crookes, 30 minutes walk to the east was the city centre, 30 minutes west was the Peak District. Very few cities transition so suddenly from city to really good countryside.
- The Leadmill, which has been the best nightclub in the country for about 30 years (though I understand it is being evicted? sob.) This isn't just a man reminiscing about his lost youth - it's pretty widely recognised as among the best of its sort consistently for years.
- People are friendly. That's what tends to get trotted out about places with nothing else to offer. But it's genuinely true, more so than Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh, York or Glasgow or Newcastle.
- The cost of living: for, say, half a million pounds you can live ina nicer house in a nicer suburb in Sheffield than almost anywhere else in England.
On the downside, the retail offer of the city centre is pretty poor - many cities were damaged in the 90s by massive shopping malls in adjacent boroughs, but Sheffield was the only city that chose to kill its own city centre. And there is real poverty in the poor bits - my wife went to Pitsmoor last week; she knows the rougher bits of Manchester and Salford but was quite taken aback by NE Sheffield.
On the whole though, it's a pretty good city. Of all the places I could live in the UK it comes in the top handful.
https://dziesmusvetki.lndb.lv/en/person/?id=157
(!)
I don't think anyone will playing this lot in 50 years though.
Maybe not even 50 days for some...
Now then, wtaf have you decided to perform?