Today I'm happy about......

[Harry Genshaw]

Next door neighbour's a nice young bloke, Wanderers fan, who I normally just nod hello to and share the odd pleasantry. I got chatting to him this afternoon and quickly realised he was leathered from drinking whilst watching the match.

The beer had made him quite chatty and he finished up telling me he could get me 2 tickets for any home league game for a tenner each through his work. All I have to do is knock on his, the day before any game I fancy going along to

Love my new best mate me

[Montreal Wanderer]

Next door neighbour's a nice young bloke, Wanderers fan, who I normally just nod hello to and share the odd pleasantry. I got chatting to him this afternoon and quickly realised he was leathered from drinking whilst watching the match.

The beer had made him quite chatty and he finished up telling me he could get me 2 tickets for any home league game for a tenner each through his work. All I have to do is knock on his, the day before any game I fancy going along to

Love my new best mate me

Cast your bread upon the waters. Lend money to someone who needs it and look what happens. Things are looking up, Harry!

[Bruce Rioja]

Cast your bread upon the waters. Lend money to someone who needs it and look what happens. Things are looking up, Harry!

Not had any tickets out of him yet though has he, Monty? I was promised Ashes tickets for today at O/T by some handcart last Friday. Still no tickets and play for the day appears to have closed.

[bwfcdan94]

Jeff Steeling apparently went of on one again yesterday about how great the north east is in response to that Conservative twit.

[thebish]

not really sure what your particular beef is about the North East... having lived there - I can say it is a fabulous place to live...

It is preposterous to make sweeping statements about an entire region!

in the place I lived - a stone's throw from middlesbrough and not far from the Redcar you disparage so much - we had the North Yorkshire Moors, the Dales, the Northumbrian Coastline and Edinburgh - all within fairly easy reach... add to that fantastic towns and cities like Durham and Newcastle and there is plenty to make life good.

[Gooner Girl]

not really sure what your particular beef is about the North East... having lived there - I can say it is a fabulous place to live...

It is preposterous to make sweeping statements about an entire region!

in the place I lived - a stone's throw from middlesbrough and not far from the Redcar you disparage so much - we had the North Yorkshire Moors, the Dales, the Northumbrian Coastline and Edinburgh - all within fairly easy reach... add to that fantastic towns and cities like Durham and Newcastle and there is plenty to make life good.

You've lived in lots of different parts of the country Bish, which has been your favourite?

[bwfcdan94]

not really sure what your particular beef is about the North East... having lived there - I can say it is a fabulous place to live...

It is preposterous to make sweeping statements about an entire region!

in the place I lived - a stone's throw from middlesbrough and not far from the Redcar you disparage so much - we had the North Yorkshire Moors, the Dales, the Northumbrian Coastline and Edinburgh - all within fairly easy reach... add to that fantastic towns and cities like Durham and Newcastle and there is plenty to make life good.

I have nothing against the north east there are some very nice places especially in the countryside and in fact while I reserve the right to think of places like Redcar, Middlesbrough, Grangetown, Darlington and Hartlepool are slums I also reserve to the right to say I think Durham is the nicest city in the country if not Britain, I will also point out that nearly everywhere in the countryside in the north east is nice and have no problems with Sunderland or Newcastle in fact I would happily live in them (admittedly small parts of Newcastle are horrible but most places have a couple of rough parts). While I am at it I quit like Guisboruough and have nothing against Stockton either nor Whitley bay nor Berwick and I really like Chester le street so why on earth do you think I have it in for the north east so much because I said a few bad things about Redcar and Middlesbrough, I could have said the same about Burnley, Colne and Nelson does not men I hate Lancashire. I was pleased Jeff was sticking up for the north east as the rural areas are all beautiful and some of the towns are quite nice (admittedly some others aren't but that is the same with most places).

[Harry Genshaw]

Cast your bread upon the waters. Lend money to someone who needs it and look what happens. Things are looking up, Harry!

Not had any tickets out of him yet though has he, Monty? I was promised Ashes tickets for today at O/T by some handcart last Friday. Still no tickets and play for the day appears to have closed.

Cheers Monty - hadn't thought of it like that.

Bruce! You old curmudgeon! Hope you get sorted for today or Monday

[thebish]

not really sure what your particular beef is about the North East... having lived there - I can say it is a fabulous place to live...

It is preposterous to make sweeping statements about an entire region!

in the place I lived - a stone's throw from middlesbrough and not far from the Redcar you disparage so much - we had the North Yorkshire Moors, the Dales, the Northumbrian Coastline and Edinburgh - all within fairly easy reach... add to that fantastic towns and cities like Durham and Newcastle and there is plenty to make life good.

You've lived in lots of different parts of the country Bish, which has been your favourite?

to give a serious answer - I think enjoyment of the place you live is (not all) but significantly related to what you are prepared to put in...

emotionally I prefer places with hills - probably growing up in the shadow of Winter Hill - so I feel most "at home" in places with proper hills - Devon has them - so did the North East - so did Bolton... Essex didn't, neither did the midlands to the same extent... nor did central London!

[thebish]

not really sure what your particular beef is about the North East... having lived there - I can say it is a fabulous place to live...

It is preposterous to make sweeping statements about an entire region!

in the place I lived - a stone's throw from middlesbrough and not far from the Redcar you disparage so much - we had the North Yorkshire Moors, the Dales, the Northumbrian Coastline and Edinburgh - all within fairly easy reach... add to that fantastic towns and cities like Durham and Newcastle and there is plenty to make life good.

I have nothing against the north east there are some very nice places especially in the countryside and in fact while I reserve the right to think of places like Redcar, Middlesbrough, Grangetown, Darlington and Hartlepool are slums

i lived in hartlepool for 7 or 8 years - it is VERY FAR from being a slum... how much time have you actually spent there?

[CrazyHorse]

I once spent a couple of days working at BOC Middlesbrough. I can fairly and categorically deduce from that experience that the whole of the North East is a shithole. End of.

[bwfcdan94]

not really sure what your particular beef is about the North East... having lived there - I can say it is a fabulous place to live...

It is preposterous to make sweeping statements about an entire region!

in the place I lived - a stone's throw from middlesbrough and not far from the Redcar you disparage so much - we had the North Yorkshire Moors, the Dales, the Northumbrian Coastline and Edinburgh - all within fairly easy reach... add to that fantastic towns and cities like Durham and Newcastle and there is plenty to make life good.

I have nothing against the north east there are some very nice places especially in the countryside and in fact while I reserve the right to think of places like Redcar, Middlesbrough, Grangetown, Darlington and Hartlepool are slums

i lived in hartlepool for 7 or 8 years - it is VERY FAR from being a slum... how much time have you actually spent there?

Personally I have not been their for 15 years but given I know someone who lived their for the best part of 15 years and he says he preferred Middlesbrough to Hartlepool I would say it is not exactly a thriving place. The government consider it one of the poorest places in England and it recently came 3rd in a survey of worst places to live in England although I think there ay be some bias in that as Hull came 2nd and Boro first. The local MP even said that unemployment in Hartlepool is far to high http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/ha ... -1-5675459, Terry Collier even said himself its not safe to go out in Hartlepool. However Bish despite the overwhelming evidence against your argument as I have not been there myself since I was 3 I will reconsider my judgement until I next visit Hartlepool as you said you lived their and seem to think it is actually quite a well off place.

[thebish]

Personally I have not been their for 15 years but given I know someone who lived their for the best part of 15 years and he says he preferred Middlesbrough to Hartlepool I would say it is not exactly a thriving place. The government consider it one of the poorest places in England and it recently came 3rd in a survey of worst places to live in England although I think there ay be some bias in that as Hull came 2nd and Boro first. The local MP even said that unemployment in Hartlepool is far to high http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/ha ... -1-5675459, Terry Collier even said himself its not safe to go out in Hartlepool. However Bish despite the overwhelming evidence against your argument as I have not been there myself since I was 3 I will reconsider my judgement until I next visit Hartlepool as you said you lived their and seem to think it is actually quite a well off place.

dan... you described it as a slum. it is not a slum. that does not mean it is "well off" - it is simply not a slum.

i used to live in what might more adequately called slums in Hume, Manchester in the early 70s, i also used to live in a squat in what might be described as a slum in vauxhall, London. in comparison - Hartlepool is a fine place to live.

of course - the experience of living anywhere is massively dependent on your own circumstances. To live in Hartlepool without a job is very different to living in hartlepool with a job- i had a job - but, then, that is the case anywhere.

Hume flats in the 60s (I remember locals referring to them as the piggeries - but that might be a false memory - I was talking to someone else who lived there at the same time the other day and she has no memory of that name at all...)

[Bruce Rioja]

i lived in hartlepool for 7 or 8 years - it is VERY FAR from being a slum... how much time have you actually spent there?

Likewise Darlington. I haven't lived there but used to visit frequently. It's a fine little place with a deservedly proud history. Again, Dan, on what basis do you criticise the place and how much time have you actually spent there?

[clapton is god]

i used to live in what might more adequately called slums in Hume, Manchester in the early 70s, i also used to live in a squat in what might be described as a slum in vauxhall, London. in comparison - Hartlepool is a fine place to live.

of course - the experience of living anywhere is massively dependent on your own circumstances. To live in Hartlepool without a job is very different to living in hartlepool with a job- i had a job - but, then, that is the case anywhere. Hume flats in the 60s

Harumph - That would be Hulme!

[bwfcdan94]

i lived in hartlepool for 7 or 8 years - it is VERY FAR from being a slum... how much time have you actually spent there?

Likewise Darlington. I haven't lived there but used to visit frequently. It's a fine little place with a deservedly proud history. Again, Dan, on what basis do you criticise the place and how much time have you actually spent there?

7 days for Darlo.

[bwfcdan94]

Personally I have not been their for 15 years but given I know someone who lived their for the best part of 15 years and he says he preferred Middlesbrough to Hartlepool I would say it is not exactly a thriving place. The government consider it one of the poorest places in England and it recently came 3rd in a survey of worst places to live in England although I think there ay be some bias in that as Hull came 2nd and Boro first. The local MP even said that unemployment in Hartlepool is far to high http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/ha ... -1-5675459, Terry Collier even said himself its not safe to go out in Hartlepool. However Bish despite the overwhelming evidence against your argument as I have not been there myself since I was 3 I will reconsider my judgement until I next visit Hartlepool as you said you lived their and seem to think it is actually quite a well off place.

dan... you described it as a slum. it is not a slum. that does not mean it is "well off" - it is simply not a slum.

i used to live in what might more adequately called slums in Hume, Manchester in the early 70s, i also used to live in a squat in what might be described as a slum in vauxhall, London. in comparison - Hartlepool is a fine place to live.

of course - the experience of living anywhere is massively dependent on your own circumstances. To live in Hartlepool without a job is very different to living in hartlepool with a job- i had a job - but, then, that is the case anywhere.

Hume flats in the 60s (I remember locals referring to them as the piggeries - but that might be a false memory - I was talking to someone else who lived there at the same time the other day and she has no memory of that name at all...)

The second I saw that picture I new it was the infamous Hulme crescents, wasent their a similar development disaster in Rochdale from the 70s as well.

[Bruce Rioja]

i lived in hartlepool for 7 or 8 years - it is VERY FAR from being a slum... how much time have you actually spent there?

Likewise Darlington. I haven't lived there but used to visit frequently. It's a fine little place with a deservedly proud history. Again, Dan, on what basis do you criticise the place and how much time have you actually spent there?

7 days for Darlo.

And the basis for your criticism is?

[bwfcdan94]

It was full of chavs and single teenage mums hanging outside Asda, similar criticisms of what I have listed of Hartlepool. Darlo is not as bad as Boro by no stretch of the imagination butter it is worse than Pool. I really am starting for what towns class as bum holes in the eyes of you and Bish because both of the places I have just listed have notoriously high unemployment rates (in fact I would bank on them being higher then Vauxhall Bish). So come on then seriously name a few places the two of you consider to be horrible places to live at this moment in time.

[bobo the clown]

The Piggeries were initially the high-rises in Woolton/Allerton Liverpool Bish. They were very unpopular and were eventually demolished. Later, the name was used for the High Rises in Everton. Truly awful places. Interestingly these were refurbished, students put in them and they miraculously became highly popular. Makes you wonder about Building v People doesn't it ?

Middlesbrough and Billingham is a toilet, but around it can be quite superb. I defy anyone to visit Yarm and not be impressed, Darlington is very pleasant and is barely 15 minutes from Richmond, North Yorks the Gateway to the Dales.