{"id":1838,"date":"2014-12-18T08:00:24","date_gmt":"2014-12-18T08:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/damesnet.com\/?p=1838"},"modified":"2014-12-05T17:34:56","modified_gmt":"2014-12-05T17:34:56","slug":"10-reasons-why-its-not-grim-up-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/damesnet.com\/?p=1838","title":{"rendered":"10 reasons why it’s not grim Up North"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Liverpool:<\/a>

Liverpool: Three Graces\/Kevin Jump\/flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

I suppose it should come as no surprise that Shula Archer (off The Archers<\/em>, in case you\u2019re wondering) is northist. She was first in with her request to withdraw her stake in the family farm when her brother announced his intention of selling up and moving to Northumbria as she couldn\u2019t see the point in having an investment in a farm \u2018up North\u2019. You could almost hear the shudder in her voice as she uttered the words \u2014 and she\u2019s from the Midlands, for heaven\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n

So for those who\u2019ve rarely stirred beyond the confines of the M25, here, in no particular order, are 10 reasons to love the North.<\/p>\n

\"Rochdale<\/a>

Rochdale Town Hall\/RHL\/flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

Town halls<\/strong>: Manchester, Rochdale, and Leeds are but three examples of these fabulous expressions of civic pride. Rumour has it that Hitler would have had Rochdale\u2019s town hall dismantled, shipped back to Germany and rebuilt if he had won.<\/p>\n

Laughs<\/strong>: I once spent a week in the \u2018parents\u2019 dorm\u2019 of a children\u2019s hospital in Liverpool, and realised I was in the presence of highly\u00a0talented raconteuses. For further evidence, see Morecambe and Wise, Peter Kay, Sarah Millican, George Formby, Ken Dodd,\u00a0etc., etc.<\/p>\n

Scenery<\/strong>: There\u2019s lots of it and it\u2019s not all like the Lake District; there are the shimmering sandflats of Southport, the Celtic twilight of Lindisfarne, and the views from the Transpennine Express for a start.<\/p>\n

Booth\u2019s supermarkets<\/strong>: Going since 1847, with lots of lovely local fish and meat, home grown cheeses and other confections. Sadly, Knutsford in Cheshire is their southern-most branch.<\/p>\n

Theatres<\/strong>: Liverpool\u2019s refurbished Everyman Theatre, cradle\u00a0of some of our most distinguished actors, has just won the 2014 Stirling architecture prize; Manchester\u2019s Royal Exchange provides a futuristic space capsule in a grand old commercial building, ready to transport you anywhere; and the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough supplies productions to London and around the world.<\/p>\n

Language<\/strong>: It\u2019s just more vivid, expressive, and unpredictable than Down South. Who can fathom the deep mystery of \u2018I\u2019ll go to the foot of our stairs\u2019 as an expression of surprise? (And why does an internet search for enlightenment about its origins bring up an ad for Ugg boots?)<\/p>\n

Friendliness<\/strong>: This is related to the reason above, of course, but my totally unscientific research confirms that there are fewer faces like slapped arses and more convivial conversations on trains north of a line between Colwyn Bay and Skegness.<\/p>\n

\"Rhubarb\/Oatsy<\/a>

Rhubarb\/Oatsy 40\/flickr<\/p><\/div>\n

Food<\/strong>: Lancashire and Wensleydale cheeses, black pudding, Eccles cakes, Yorkshire rhubarb and Yorkshire parkin, Craster kippers \u2013 what\u2019s not to like? One delicacy I haven\u2019t tried, though, is black peas served in a cup at Stalybridge station buffet. You won\u2019t find anything like that at Guildford station.<\/p>\n

Trams<\/strong>: It\u2019s hard to believe that trams used to come all the way out to my part of South London, but in Manchester they\u2019re back, triumphantly so. Somehow, the gentle tooting of trams is a wonderfully atmospheric part of the aural landscape \u2014 and they get you from A to B swiftly, too, of course. The DLR and Croydon Tramlink combined only cover about a third of the distance covered by trams in the north.<\/p>\n

Art<\/strong>: There\u2019s a lot of impressive art built into the abovementioned town halls, of course, but elsewhere you can hardly move for superb collections in inspiring buildings, from traditional municipal galleries like Manchester Art Gallery, to private collections like the amazing Bowes Museum, to the adventurous programmes of the Baltic on the banks of the Tyne, not forgetting Liverpool\u2019s numerous galleries, including a Tate.<\/p>\n

Oh, and if you like football, there\u2019s quite a lot of that Up North, too.<\/p>\n

So all power to the Northern powerhouse . . .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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