Last summer I took a short jaunt to the Perfidious Albion, and this is a short post -mostly pictures – on the experience thereof. It was a good trip to highlight how I categorize types of cities when I travel. I will note that this is not based on the broader politics of the world or the country at hand, but simply on my experience – usually short – of the city I visit, the “vibe” as the kids say these days. So the fact that England as a country is a shithole has no real relevance in this particular case.
The categories for today’s exercise are: What a shithole; it is a nice place to visit but I would not want to live here; I can see myself living in such a place. These are based on several factors like how safe and clean it is, how noisy, crowded, polluted it seems, the shops, cafes, bars and restaurants, plus cultural venues, and the general feel of the place. For me, along the obvious – jobs and economic opportunities – the cafes and bars are the positives of a city, the beneficial effects of agglomeration and should compensate the negative effects like noise and pollution.
Manchester was the first place I visited and it is firmly in the shithole category. From the first moment to the last my mind always had the word filthy in it. There was trash everywhere, on every street, in every nook and cranny, sometimes a lot. The ehm… unhoused were also ever present, in any place that was somewhat sheltered by a building or other. I do not like walking of streets strewn with trash myself, it ruins the aesthetic. What also ruins the aesthetic is the absolutely hideous architecture in Manchester. As I have made clear in many a post, while not a huge architecture aficionado, I like the nice stuff and I generally dislike most modern e.g. post ww2 architecture. Manchester was a good representation of what I consider ugly architecture. I did not like the look of individual buildings and I did not like the look of the whole.
In the case of Manchester I was rather disappointed by the specialty coffee scene, the wine and whisky bar scene. If you live in trash at least you should have better bars. So this made the city one I would neither visit again nor live in. The good stuff did not compensate the bad stuff. One thing I liked was the hotel I stayed at and which I mostly recommend. The Allen had one of the most comfortable beds I ever slept in for a hotel, though keep in mind my budget usually keeps me out of the premium hotels of the world, so my comparison may be limited. Also, as I arrived, they had a happy hour with 1 pound oysters and reasonably priced bubbly, which is always nice. The breakfast was good and the only thing I disliked was the anise smell of the soap, I usually do not even notice this and this is the first time the smell of the soap bothered me.
Shrewsbury is a nice place to visit but I would not want to live here. It is a smallish city which preserves the old architecture, has a nice park and a decent number of pubs with one or two nice restaurants. There is a river one can boat on, and it was clean and quiet. Well too quiet, really, I would get bored quickly living there. No specialty coffee and no serious wine/whisky bars. You can see everything worth seeing in a couple of days, I would think. I stayed in The Shrewsbury hotel, owned by Wetherspoons, which was acceptable, though a bit worse for wear. I had a traditional Sunday lunch – and by that, I mean all the trimmings though not that good, which is very traditional.
The third city, and the one I can see myself living in, is Bristol. It was fairly large with plenty of amenities, but it did not feel all that crowded or dirty. It was clean for its size, the architecture was not bad, the traffic seemed OK and I generally liked it. Great specialty coffee, better pubs and restaurants than Manchester and an overall better feel to it. Not much trash, not many homeless. It had several nice parks – Manchester had no parks close to the center – many leafy streets and an iconic bridge. I liked my stay there and would consider revisiting, for the city and the sounding countryside. I would rank this a clear first on my list.
England is not a bad place to visit overall. The countryside is nice and so are some cities. The full English breakfast are always good and I particularly like the beer. I mostly drink cask ales while there, as I cannot really get them on the continent. They are crisp, bitter and low alcohol, all good things about beer.
Bonus: From Bristol I took a day trip to Bath, which is in the nice to visit category, though the Roman baths are expensive to tour. I walked around – they have great parks, saw the famous royal crescent, and drank an awful English red wine at a hipster wine bar.
Bonus 2: Berwick upon Tweed is again a quiet place that is nice to visit, would not live. It is even smaller than Bath and Shrewsbury, with just a small number of pubs and shops. But it is pretty, like many old small towns.
I’ll never know.
Outstanding warrant?
I’ve made it this far in life without a passport. I doubt I’ll ever have one.
My last passport expired without stamps in it. But I am on my fourth one now (still has no stamps, but it has 9 years to go).
I like Quebec.
To each their own. I’ve never been to NYC, but I’ve been to São Paulo six times (always transiting through in and out of Brazil). I don’t have a lot of American cities in general under my belt and not a big desire to see them. Euro cities are generally better. Presently a few miles out a dirt road from a Mexican fishing village. I’ve seen four cows so far and three people on the beach besides us. I’ll take outdoor adventure places almost every time.
There’s a reason why Breezewood, PA is a meme: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/breezewood-pennsylvania
Where in Mexico? We go to a place near San Blas and it’s wonderfully rural and the beach is amazing.
I make a point of stopping at the Breezewood exit, every time I drive to a match in the midwest. Fuck the haters.
There’s no point in going to the Breezewood exit when any interstate exit will do.
It looks like 100 places I’ve been through. I was not familiar with the meme, but it’s retarded.
That’s the exit where you have to get off the freeway to get on the other leg of it, right? Or am I thinking of a different annoying tourist trap exit in PA?
I was not familiar with the meme, but it’s retarded.
Is it your view that large parts of America are not soulless eyesores because they are just a collection of the same corporate chains?
Those choke points populated with corporate chains exist because the people with money in pocket to spend reward them for existing.
And I would agree they are soulless. But I do not agree that they represent America.
It’s my view that there is nothing special about Breezewood. And most cities are soulless eyesores.
We are outside of Los Barrilles, Baja Sur. It’s on the Sea of Cortez halfway to La Paz from Cabo. So far I’ve caught about seven or eight species of fish surfcasting from the beach out back. I usually go on a boat for tuna, marlin and pelagics when we are here, debating whether to do so tomorrow or just lounge, swim, snorkel and surf cast. We have been down this area over ten times in the past decade or so, absolutely love it, it is the opposite of Cabo or Cancun. We just rent a house on or next to the beach. Never been to San Blas area but I’d love to go, I’m a huge fan of Mexico and LatAm. All together spent about 3 years south of the border.
Yup. We rent a big place up on the cliffs and just chill. Headed back this winter. Such an amazing place and such nice people.
The views ain’t bad either.
Nice! I always prefer renting a house as then you can cook a lot of your meals, especially with kids, that is a very nice thing. Which San Blas, the one in Nayarit, close to Purto Vallarta? I have to get over to that general area
Nayarit. And the best part is that there are wonderful housekeepers that cook amazing food. Fresh squeezed OJ and homemade tortillas every day!
Let me know if you want specifics.
Nice Tundra, I will hit you up for info if we make it out that way. Do you rent the same house each time? How far from the airport in PV is it?
There are a bunch of houses available so we’ve had a couple different ones. It depends on the size of the group. They are all lovely palapa style houses and the landscaping is such that you feel isolated even though the houses are relatively close together. There is also a pool for the residents. I love it.
It’s a couple hours from the airport and transportation is organized by the onsite manager.He’s a great guy and can help set up excursions, too. They recently completed a nice highway so the drive is far less terrifying than the first time we went!
I mean, I live like 30 minutes from Breezewood. But other than that, theres no reason to visit. Although, as a kid, you’d go to the abandoned turnpike tunnels to get high.
Thanks Pie. Fun to follow you on your travel.
Heheh when it’s all in once place, no need to go anywhere else.
Pie, you will not be able to answer this question, but I must ask it anyway.
They have canned beans in a traditional English breakfast. Are these the same kind of beans as Van Camp pork’n’beans that you use for beanie weenies and BBQ beans?
Nice article. British food to me is … suboptimal. I survived on corn flakes.
I have no idea what those you mentuon are. Mostly heinz canned beans.
That’s them, different brand
British food to me is … suboptimal.
That’s why I ate at Indian and Spanish restaurants while I was there.
Yes, the beans in an English breakfast are basically the same as American pork and beans.
Yes. Maybe a bit more tomato-y. Heinz is popular
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_Baked_Beans
You can find those at Cost Plus or even Kroger here.
I’ve seen the British ones on the shelves in our grocery stores (in the “Ethnic” row even) and at World Markets.
Swap out corn flakes for Weetabix and you’ll be eating like Merry Olde England
*think of a hockey puck of compressed wheaties
I love those: kinda malty. The Canadian ones are inferior.
I wish to subscribe to your newsletter. Unfortunately the Canadian ones are the only ones available around here anymore.
My first memory of Brit food was us getting yelled at for taking too much food in the mess hall. Never had anything like that in an American DFAC. Other than the small portions, it was pretty good. The wrapped premade sausage rolls were meh.
On our passes, the street food was also decent. Ate bangers and mash at some random chain pub. Fish and chips at Southampton next to the naval base. Beer at the time was crap. Mostly Carling and Stella Artois at the pubs we were taken to.
Do wish I could get Yorkie bars (Not for Girls; NAAFI version Not fo Civvies) here in the US again.
Yes. Sweet BBQ sauced tinned beans. That and the tomato are the parts of the full English I don’t like. Every other component, I’ll eat the hell out of. Even the black and white puddings (the girlfriend refuses to taste them).
Mail order here: https://tinyurl.com/49tudu7v
You should see some of our colorful cities over here.
How did you travel between the cities?
I have the same question.
I na coffin if he had to cross running water.
Don’t know about Pie, but when I was there, I took the train.
He rented a crew cab F-150 obviously.
It was brave of him to shoot pictures in daylight, too.
With authority.
Train. As most of my travells
Whatever you think of public, subsidized transport, British Rail tends to be pretty good.
Best part of Bath Abbey:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_Abbey#/media/File:Himnastigi.jpg
It’s a stunning city, all that honey-coloured (sic) stone. Feels like a Jane Austen theme park.
I visited Bath and spent a day in London in 1986. Really liked Bath and the surrounding countryside. Got to see London while it was an English city.
Just a day? 🙁
Yeah, unfortunately.
I was on my way home from a semester abroad in Sri Lanka. My roommate was doing a semester in Bath. I was able to time my connection in Gatwick to 5 days apart but no further due to Christmas travel starting.
That and I was broke.
Nice article, Pie.
I’m part English. I would like to visit Merry Old some day.
I would be perfectly happy with that breakfast, along with a gin and tonic.
One of the most bizarre instances of culture shock I ever received was due to ordering a gin and tonic. This was in a steakhouse in Toronto back in the day, and the water was apparently confused by such a complex order. I received back two glasses filled with ice and clear beverages. One was still, the other sparkling. The waiter had brought me a gin (on the rocks) and tonic (on the rocks).
Much laughter was had at my expense by the rest of the table.
Canadian NPCs hatched from eggs right before you got there.
It sounds like they got the ratios correct, at least…
Thanks for the travelogue, always like those. I’ll have to check out Bath next time I’m in England, I’m sure I’ll be there in the next few years as the wife is from London outskirts.
I took a day trip to Bath two years ago. The Roman baths are amazing despite too much information in the audio guide. I would probably have liked the city even more if I hadn’t had covid at the time. Though aspirin helped.
Right on, I gotta get to more parts of the UK. Last time there we had our three boys all at ages 7 and under. That was not a relaxing trip, but we wanted to mostly see the wife’s fam and friends. We stayed in a great Air BnB that was a 200 year old windmill that had five or six acres of orchards around it. That was a highlight and it was really reasonably priced and close to Stanstead where we were flying to Ireland to see my fam.
Mancunian bands tend to be dour. Handsome brick architecture though.
The Young Ones was filmed in Bristol, most memorably in the University Challenge episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7MumZJD97A
🙂
I should have wrote more on Wetherspoons. Very cheap, good beer, food not that great but quite well priced and you can eat it just fine.
When i was in shrewsbury i went down at 8 50 to have brrakfast on a Monday. There were a bunch of old english men just waiting about for reasons obscure to me. When the clock striked 9 the pub was legally allowed to sell alcohol and they all went for their morning pint.
This is a great article. Calling out Manchester as a shithole was awesome.
Maybe they have good music or theater or something but i really did not like it
http://s3.amazonaws.com/quietus_production/images/articles/17532/V_2_Smiths_-quietus_1427661580_crop_550x830.jpg
On Coronation Street!
Dammit
https://thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/black-sky-thinking/salford-lads-club-the-smiths-photo/
They have great music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ct-qa6SjRZo
@To’G
Thanks for that. Great article!
The did have great music once upon a time. I’m not sure about now. In Peter Hook’s book he talks about Manchester a lot. Sounded like a shithole in the 80’s too.
The onw good thing about the EU is yoi dont even need a passport to visit most countries
Turned out to be the problem.
That used to be the case here in the US between the US and Canada, that changed a while back. It was routine for yutes from 19-21 to go up to Canada to drink legally.
My mother worked for an airline when I was was growing so we travelled a lot. We took a trip to England when I was 14 and stayed in London for a few days. We visited all the usually touristy places and being a history buff I found it all very interesting. Especially seeing the wooden chopping block where many famous royals lost their heads. I remember the hotel being kind of shabby and was surprised each room did not have a bathroom, you had to use a communal bath in the hallway. As for the food, I learned to never order kippers for breakfast. I love fish and seafood but could not get a kipper past my nose, they had an over powering stench of rotten fish. There was no way I could put something that smelled that bad into my mouth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA-LxUssYJA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiciaTS5jnQ
Triggered by kippers
Thanks, Pie! Nice write-up and pics!
We went to England a few years ago and really enjoyed it. London was chock full of history. We also made it to Bath and I thought the baths were pretty amazing.
I don’t need to go back to London, but I wouldn’t mind seeing more of the smaller towns. Bristol looks amazing.
Bristol was one of the main ports for the American trade pre-revolution.
At my age I could not care less about that stuff anymore. I chose convenience and low crime for my latest move. Oh and being nearer but not too near to family.
I like having a bunch of good specialty coffee ships near me.
http://martinostimemachine.blogspot.com/2016/12/ships-coffee-shop.html
They’d have to be really amazing. Some of the places in Tokyo and Osaka I’ve read about could be interesting. But I make coffee just as good with a burr grinder and a Hario v50, and I’ve never found a coffee shop that can run with Entenmann’s when it comes to morning pastries…
I’m too cheap to regularly frequent the coffee shops. Used to have a regular place that would fill my travel mug for $1. Now it’s $3.
I make my own when I’m at home, but I dig trying coffee places when I travel. There was a place in Asheville that made a Cubano that might be the best I’ve ever had.
I spend an excessive amount of money on coffee. I make v60 at home once a day and drink at least one double espresso at a specialty coffee shop. And they are not cheap usually. I also spend way to much on eating out.
We make coffee runs all the time on our hockey trips. At home I make my own.
Pie, don’t feel bad about eating out. If that’s what makes you happy go for it. We all have our own hobbies that probably cost way too much.
How was the spotted dick?
Scrummy!
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spotted-dick
Also tinned by Heinz.
This aircraft…
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/fatal-osprey-crash-near-japan-caused-by-gearbox-failure-f246a2e7?st=ok01vlv46gmwuq3&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Just retire the fucking things, already.
Those Romanians…
“Romania trained only three Ukrainian pilots for F-16 fighters…
…Attention was also drawn to the decline in cadets’ athletic performance due to weight gain and alcohol consumption.”
https://en.topcor.ru/50080-v-rumynii-podgotovili-vsego-treh-ukrainskih-letchikov-dlja-istrebitelej-f-16.html
No big deal, the Ghost of Kiev will fly the rest.
If you were getting trained to fly obsolete planes into the Russian air defense, would you try hard? Or get drunk and flunk out?
Drunk and flunk for me.
Next, I’d like to sell you a bridge connected to Gaza.
You work for Vox?
Most romanians who are in the position of becoming pilots at least speak english well
England is a little stabby
I thought they weren’t gonna release the kid’s name because he was a minor. I guess riots do work.
Imagine if he had a gun. Good thing for sensible gun laws.
They boarded the fucking plane and now they tell us we need to wait a fucking hour on the runway. God damn it. And we were gonna land late already. There is epic incompetence in organising flights.
The fucking sky is supposed to be big
Also the stewardes is an italian with a too large ass as she frequently hits my wide muscular shoulders when walking down the aisle past me
She’s flirting with you.
And you’re complaining?
Ask her about the mile high club.
Oooh, Italian with a big ass? I bet she can cook.
Thanks Pie, I enjoy traveling with you, Jaime, Animal, Hobbit et al. When you mention enjoying a city I tune out though. I spent a few days in Manchester and Plymouth, 1964, I took my left hand drive car with me, on the ferry out of Belgium. Then on to Ireland but rented a right hand VW when I got there. I stayed in a small village, Knocknegree, in Ireland, way more to my liking.
Eight years in Europe kind of cured me from wanting to go back. Podunkville is just the right size and I can live in the suburbs and dredge for all the lost stuff in the river.
Unfortunatly i like cities on the ballance of things. I hate the noise and the bad air quality and the urban heat island. But i like the amenities.
There are city people and not-city people. I respect everyone’s choice.
I only get bent out of shape when one side lectures me on my my choice is inferior.
I think cities are great. I object when city dwellers get authority over the surrounding non-city residents.
I got my fill of amenities across 25 years in NYC.
I am still a city boy but I like a small city now.
PS. I would live in the German town (Würzburg) where I spent 1985-6 in a heartbeat. Perfect combination of size, amenities, etc.
European ATC blows
It’s because they use the metric system.
Heh, just watched the trans vs female boxing match. It’s unfair but part of me is just happy that Perry Farrell can still get work.
Just retire the fucking things, already.
Nonsense. Convert them to battery-operated.
The pilot said on a cockpit voice recording that he believed the previous warning signals were false alarms after another cockpit signal indicated an error.
The obvious best course of action when a notoriously unreliable aircraft throws an alarm is to ignore it.
Hmmmm. Keep taking breaks and checking in. I complain to Mrs. Suthenboy that she watches TV shows where people are always drinking coffee.
I sit down, get comfortable and some character starts making coffee. Shit, now I have to get up and make coffee.
I sit down here and what do I see? Y’all talking about coffee shops.
Back in a bit.