Any info on Middlesbrough, UK?
Apr 2nd, 2004, 12:04 AM
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Any info on Middlesbrough, UK?
Can someone pls tell me a little but more about Middlesbrough in the UK? I am going there for 6 wks in May-June 2004 for a clinical elective but have hard time finding info about it. I would love to travel around that region as well, any tips for a solo female traveller from Australia? Do you recommend the Young Person's Railcard?
Apr 2nd, 2004, 12:24 AM
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Middlesborough itself is no tourist destination, as it's a large industrial town of no special charm. It was built on coal and steel, both now in serious decline, and while some areas have been redeveloped, esp in the old docks area along the River Tees (home of its Premier league football club and modern shopping and leisure centres), there's still a lot to remind you of its past and present decay. Parts are pretty rundown, with high crime and unemployment.
Luckily, it's situated in a very attractive part of the country. Just to the south you have the glorious expanse of North Yorkshire Moors and the pretty town of Whitby and village of Robin Hood Bay. To the west and north you come to North Pennines which adjoins Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the Norman cathedral city of Durham (World Heritage site). Nearby Beamish has a fascinating open museum of its Victorian and industrial heritage. You'll find people very friendly and approachable.
Luckily, it's situated in a very attractive part of the country. Just to the south you have the glorious expanse of North Yorkshire Moors and the pretty town of Whitby and village of Robin Hood Bay. To the west and north you come to North Pennines which adjoins Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the Norman cathedral city of Durham (World Heritage site). Nearby Beamish has a fascinating open museum of its Victorian and industrial heritage. You'll find people very friendly and approachable.
Apr 2nd, 2004, 12:52 AM
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From the always reliable craptowns.com:
Town/Village: Middlesbrough
Amenities: The Malt Shovel - top pub
Not strictly a town, but it is undisputed armpit of the nation. Main toursit attraction? A transport bridge. Poisonous industrial fumes drift down one dismal, windy road. Outsiders will be lucky to leave unbruised.
It is interesting to hear some of the misapprehensions that people Not From The North East hold of the area.
They may refer to a warm and friendly welcome. They may enthuse about the accent. Career-students might enthusiastically pipe-up on the topic of the cost of beer. Someone who has replaced their life with football might also interject, to inform you of its premiership-status team.
Unfortunately, with the immediacy of a javeline poked sadistically through the spokes of someone's speeding motorcycle, this is where these facile and hopelessly optimistic statements must end.
#1 'A Warm and Friendly Welcome'
This is a notion you mightly idly allow to float around your head as you tread the broken and thoroughly animal-defacated paving-slabs of the town's main High Street, Linthorpe Road. Maybe its the warm welcome Barry Scally has for you, as he politely requests "twen'-y pence forr the bus 'orrm, me-ate." A warm welcome may also lie in the bosum of Kelly Scally, as she inquires if you're "lookin for buznizz." If you're really lucky, she might ''ave a meerrt ooo fancies you."
I'm keen to point out that in fact, at least amongst strangers, the warm rarely welcome exists. I've been beaten-up for a
cigarette.
#2 'Nice Accent'
The real Middlesbrough accent it seems is the blighted child of a Scouse father and a mother who has mild traces of Newcastle in her accent. It is more evident in the younger generation what the true sound of the accent is , and it usually sounds like its going to scrounge a cigarette from you or steal your bike.
#3 'Cheap Beer'
If you are a student, then the University of Teesside's Student Union (http://www.utu.org.uk) might be the place for you. Here you might find that the assertion of 'Cheap Beer' holds true. Yet this is not 'Boro', as it is affectionately known, itself.
This is a protective bubble, a false community of students, by students, for students. If you have a drink with student chums in the union, you are drinking Cheap Beer In The Union, not in Boro. Step outside of this bubble, and beer-prices are roughly in line with most of the North of the UK.
To drink in the town itself, at least as a student, is a risky affair. To drink outside of the town, is simply suicidal.
#4 'Good Football Team'
If you support a team that is not Middlesbrough, then you have two choices;
a - Don't go to Middlesbrough;
b - Change your allegiance.
STICK TO THE MAIN STREETS
To begin with it is hard to argue with the state of Middlesbrough town centre. It is indeed a cross between Royston Vasey and a 1920 Pit village. However, Middlesbrough isn't just the town centre.
In favour of Middlesbrough is its location. Middlesbrough is a short drive to the North Yorkshire Moors, including the picturesque villages of Castleton, Rosedale and Goathland (where Heartbeat and some scenes from Harry Potter were filmed). Without a doubt the North Yorkshire Moors has some of the country's most beautiful walks and it this that attracts many people to live in Middlesbrough.
The intelligent inhabitants of Middlesbrough stay away from the scally's of the Boro and live on the outskirts of Middlesbrough in the plush green suburbs of Nunthorpe, Marton, Ingelby Barwick, Stokesley and Yarm. Here the non-scally residents are shielded from the drug dealers, prostitutes and heroin addicts that frequent the back streets of the Boro. And who can name a town or city that does not suffer drug problems and prostitution?
Finally, Middlesbrough now has one of the country's best managers helping to guide the Boro in the Premiership. Now that we have rid ourselves of the folly that was Robson, Middlesbrough FC is now seen as a rising star with its manager Steve McClaren strongly tipped as the next England Manager.
All in all Middlesbrough isn't too bad. There's worse places to live, but I would recommend that you stay out of Middlesbrough at night, and during the day stick to the main streets.
Town/Village: Middlesbrough
Amenities: The Malt Shovel - top pub
Not strictly a town, but it is undisputed armpit of the nation. Main toursit attraction? A transport bridge. Poisonous industrial fumes drift down one dismal, windy road. Outsiders will be lucky to leave unbruised.
It is interesting to hear some of the misapprehensions that people Not From The North East hold of the area.
They may refer to a warm and friendly welcome. They may enthuse about the accent. Career-students might enthusiastically pipe-up on the topic of the cost of beer. Someone who has replaced their life with football might also interject, to inform you of its premiership-status team.
Unfortunately, with the immediacy of a javeline poked sadistically through the spokes of someone's speeding motorcycle, this is where these facile and hopelessly optimistic statements must end.
#1 'A Warm and Friendly Welcome'
This is a notion you mightly idly allow to float around your head as you tread the broken and thoroughly animal-defacated paving-slabs of the town's main High Street, Linthorpe Road. Maybe its the warm welcome Barry Scally has for you, as he politely requests "twen'-y pence forr the bus 'orrm, me-ate." A warm welcome may also lie in the bosum of Kelly Scally, as she inquires if you're "lookin for buznizz." If you're really lucky, she might ''ave a meerrt ooo fancies you."
I'm keen to point out that in fact, at least amongst strangers, the warm rarely welcome exists. I've been beaten-up for a
cigarette.
#2 'Nice Accent'
The real Middlesbrough accent it seems is the blighted child of a Scouse father and a mother who has mild traces of Newcastle in her accent. It is more evident in the younger generation what the true sound of the accent is , and it usually sounds like its going to scrounge a cigarette from you or steal your bike.
#3 'Cheap Beer'
If you are a student, then the University of Teesside's Student Union (http://www.utu.org.uk) might be the place for you. Here you might find that the assertion of 'Cheap Beer' holds true. Yet this is not 'Boro', as it is affectionately known, itself.
This is a protective bubble, a false community of students, by students, for students. If you have a drink with student chums in the union, you are drinking Cheap Beer In The Union, not in Boro. Step outside of this bubble, and beer-prices are roughly in line with most of the North of the UK.
To drink in the town itself, at least as a student, is a risky affair. To drink outside of the town, is simply suicidal.
#4 'Good Football Team'
If you support a team that is not Middlesbrough, then you have two choices;
a - Don't go to Middlesbrough;
b - Change your allegiance.
STICK TO THE MAIN STREETS
To begin with it is hard to argue with the state of Middlesbrough town centre. It is indeed a cross between Royston Vasey and a 1920 Pit village. However, Middlesbrough isn't just the town centre.
In favour of Middlesbrough is its location. Middlesbrough is a short drive to the North Yorkshire Moors, including the picturesque villages of Castleton, Rosedale and Goathland (where Heartbeat and some scenes from Harry Potter were filmed). Without a doubt the North Yorkshire Moors has some of the country's most beautiful walks and it this that attracts many people to live in Middlesbrough.
The intelligent inhabitants of Middlesbrough stay away from the scally's of the Boro and live on the outskirts of Middlesbrough in the plush green suburbs of Nunthorpe, Marton, Ingelby Barwick, Stokesley and Yarm. Here the non-scally residents are shielded from the drug dealers, prostitutes and heroin addicts that frequent the back streets of the Boro. And who can name a town or city that does not suffer drug problems and prostitution?
Finally, Middlesbrough now has one of the country's best managers helping to guide the Boro in the Premiership. Now that we have rid ourselves of the folly that was Robson, Middlesbrough FC is now seen as a rising star with its manager Steve McClaren strongly tipped as the next England Manager.
All in all Middlesbrough isn't too bad. There's worse places to live, but I would recommend that you stay out of Middlesbrough at night, and during the day stick to the main streets.
Apr 2nd, 2004, 01:53 AM
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It's a decade since I used to commute to the place, and it may well have got worse since then.
But this Craptowns thing is THE worst face of modern Britain, where moaning can sometimes be a national sport.
The whingers we didn't manage to export to Australia - and reading Craptowns makes you realise how we've only scratched the surface in getting rid of them - dump every moan they can invent, and drone on forever about how vile EVERYWHERE in Britain is.
The write-up for Liverpool, which I visit regularly, is just like this. Yet my 86-year old mother walks, alone, through its most deprived areas every day and never suffers anything worse than to trip on the ice.
Boro is certainly not the nicest place in Britain (though its hinterland probably is), and there's no doubt it has more than its share of of the problems of deindustrialisation. But take all descriptions of towns in Craptown with a very large pinch of salt. The whines practically all come from the kind of Brit who hasn't even got the feck to go to Oz and be a whingeing Pom.
But this Craptowns thing is THE worst face of modern Britain, where moaning can sometimes be a national sport.
The whingers we didn't manage to export to Australia - and reading Craptowns makes you realise how we've only scratched the surface in getting rid of them - dump every moan they can invent, and drone on forever about how vile EVERYWHERE in Britain is.
The write-up for Liverpool, which I visit regularly, is just like this. Yet my 86-year old mother walks, alone, through its most deprived areas every day and never suffers anything worse than to trip on the ice.
Boro is certainly not the nicest place in Britain (though its hinterland probably is), and there's no doubt it has more than its share of of the problems of deindustrialisation. But take all descriptions of towns in Craptown with a very large pinch of salt. The whines practically all come from the kind of Brit who hasn't even got the feck to go to Oz and be a whingeing Pom.
Apr 2nd, 2004, 02:57 AM
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Middlesborough isn't as bad as it's 'craptowns' review suggests, just in case that has worried you! There are some areas you wouldn't visit alone at night, but I don't know of any large town without some unpleasant areas.
I guess if you're on elective you're probably in hospital accommodation, but if not Yarm and Guisborough are both nice places to live.
There are a lot of good weekend trips to make from Middlesbrough; in an hour you can get to Durham (old university town with a famous cathedral), Newcastle (lively city good for shopping, eating, clubbing, theatre), or York (historic minster, pretty old town, good shops). Slightly further afield, Edinburgh, Leeds and London are all do-able as day trips. For trips into the country you can go to Whitby, the Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland (probably worth seeing at least one castle) and many other places.
Young Person's railcards are worth it if you're going to spend more than £60 on rail fares, as they cost about £20 (possibly slightly less - I don't have the up to date price) and give you 1/3 off fares. If you make several weekend trips you probably will spend £60.
I guess if you're on elective you're probably in hospital accommodation, but if not Yarm and Guisborough are both nice places to live.
There are a lot of good weekend trips to make from Middlesbrough; in an hour you can get to Durham (old university town with a famous cathedral), Newcastle (lively city good for shopping, eating, clubbing, theatre), or York (historic minster, pretty old town, good shops). Slightly further afield, Edinburgh, Leeds and London are all do-able as day trips. For trips into the country you can go to Whitby, the Yorkshire Dales, Northumberland (probably worth seeing at least one castle) and many other places.
Young Person's railcards are worth it if you're going to spend more than £60 on rail fares, as they cost about £20 (possibly slightly less - I don't have the up to date price) and give you 1/3 off fares. If you make several weekend trips you probably will spend £60.
Apr 2nd, 2004, 06:59 AM
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if you do a Google on "Middlesbrough tourism", it'll link you to a page on the local council website with lots of links to local tourist boards and attractions, but the link's a bit long to post here and I'm blowed if I can find it from their homepage
www.middlesbrough.gov.uk
You might also find this one useful:
http://icteesside.icnetwork.co.uk/travel/daysout/
www.middlesbrough.gov.uk
You might also find this one useful:
http://icteesside.icnetwork.co.uk/travel/daysout/
Apr 3rd, 2004, 05:09 AM
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Thank you all for RSVP-ing. Hmmm...I am a bit apprehensive about going there now but am keeping an open mind. I suppose I will be spending weekends just travelling around the region and anticipate the expenses in travel and lodging.
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