Does going to Heathrow airport count? Quite happy in my sheltered Pembrokeshire village..
Don't understand why people live in cities..
I've been there a few times for gigs, shows, industry events, once during my A Levels to visit the galleries and once for a WoW guild meet up. Nice place to visit, wouldn't want to live there. I found New York to be more impressive, but London's admittedly more convenient. Plus it smells less than Paris! 😛
I go there now and then to remind myself why I shouldn't go there.
Oh, apart from the time I went to the Iron a Maiden Clive Burr charity gig, which was next to the Thames. Only time I've been to a gig where inside smelled better than outside!
It does make me laugh that Londoners accuse others of being parochial. Its the most parochial place in the whole bloody country. Politics, the media, the arts, everything, is so self-absorbed, inward-looking and insular, with little or no interest in anything going on outside its own ego-fuelled epicentre, - and in some cases the kind of patronising, condescending contempt shown above - its laughable
😆
You sound like a jilted lover.
binners - MemberYes, its the capital city. But its not the centre of the whole ****ing universe. Take economic policy in this country. Its being made to almost exclusively benefit London, to the total exclusion of 'the provinces'. We're all being hung out to dry so that our great Metropolis continues to benefit, and effectively be subsidised by the rest of the country.
...and then you hear "But we have to give London the best of everything, at the expense of everwhere else, because London is where everyone wants to go!" As if one doesn't lead to the other.
Moving the beeb's the perfect example, yes you need to artificially create reasons to relocate an organisation like that but that's not because London's just naturally better- it's because it already has a load of artificial reasons to go there.
I love London but it's a bloodsucker of a city, and it's managed to convince its victims that they should be grateful to be bitten.
I went through Stoke Newington last night.... so many Jewish folks in one place before either. Bit rough around the edges mind, but that’s what the outerskirts of Town’s like innit.
that's Stamford Hill - well known for its Hasidic Jews. If you see any Toyota Previas round there, best steer clear - driving standards are questionable.
Toyota's? If Prestwich is anything to go by, I thought Volvo estates were compulsory for Hasidic Jews? But, yes, driving standards are indeed [s]questionable[/s] life-threateningly terrifying! As can be noted from all the dings and scrapes all over said Volvo Estates
Never been there before, never seen so many Jewish folks in one place before either. Bit rough around the edges mind, but that’s what the outerskirts of Town’s like innit.
Thats the thing see, never been up there in all the time I’ve been here riding the City, and what looks like a thriving Jewish community that I never knew existed.
It's a very large community to the extent there is a large Eruv in north london. used to work in that neck of the woods a lot as you head a little north you get to the Turkish heartland of London, great food and handy for proper industrial sized consignments of smack.
I generally have to go every four to six weeks for the day ot overnighter.
I am underwhelmed by the massive hustle and bustle. I live out of town but even leeds being the closest big city I avoid.I just dont like it.
It's a very large community to the extent there is a large Eruv in north london. used to work in that neck of the woods a lot as you head a little north you get to the Turkish heartland of London, great food and handy for proper industrial sized consignments of smack.
😆
I did see a fair number of Turkish folks standing outside restaurants on the road bellowing down thier mobiles, that was funny.
Thing is, see it's only up the road. That's the mad bit about it. The canal I use frequently, has loads of gravel sections, way quieter than Regents Canal (which is mental busy in anything nearing rush hour) and when you hit Walth' the wetlands have some wide open expanses of gravel tracks/sustrans routes/open parkland which you can segment yourself on or just pootle.
So, will I go back? I might start to rideout a bit up there as part of a loop to do some discovery yes. I'll keep an eye out for Toyota Privas, what about shagged out M3's with matt black paint and blacked out windows?? Or Merc AMG E classes in shiney black with chrome bits dangling off them???
8)
Been approximately five times in my life, was offered a job there straight from university on good wages, turned it down, hate the place. I like my fresh air and fields too much.
I go a few times a year, usually for work which I hate with a passion as it's usually a day sat in ridiculous traffic (my work involves kit that isn't transportable by one man on the tube) with people being rude, everything costing a lot and hotels that cost a reasonable amount of money being utterly revolting. That and the terror of going out to get food at night and feeling like you're going to be stabbed.
I felt like a wimp once in Croydon for going from the hotel door to the hotel car park, driving to the supermarket to buy a sandwich for tea to eat in my room. The next day I met our drilling crew from Doncaster who had driven 300 yards down the road to buy tea and eat it in the van for fear of being attacked.
I get that it might be a bit of a laugh if you're young but I can't see why you would want to pay five or six times over the odds for rent when you could live in a much nicer house in a place that'll offer everything you need on a smaller scale pretty much anywhere else in the country.
Aaaahhhhh the Orthodox Jewish beatiful women of Prestwich. How many times I've ridden/driven through there and stared at those beauts 😀
the terror of going out to get food at night and feeling like you're going to be stabbed
oh you poor thing 😥
even Croydon's not THAT bad.
i wouldn't want to live there but i can't comprehend anyone who can't find something to enjoy there. They must be so devoid of fun.
Hold on.
Salford media city? Wasn't the artificial reason for having the BBC hq in London because that is where the majority of international media in the uk are based? Not really that artificial a reason. Lets see how much of the media industry are attracted up North..... If its so good, why is the pull of the movement of the beeb required.
Also. When companies wish to set up European hq's and choose to do it in London, I imagine the will of those senior staff going there will form part of the decision? Possibly the availability of qualified staff too?
Ho hum. Another day in the capital.
Salford media city? Wasn't the artificial reason for having the BBC hq in London because that is where the majority of international media in the uk are based? Not really that artificial a reason. Lets see how much of the media industry are attracted up North..... If its so good, why is the pull of the movement of the beeb required.
T.V/film production is based in west London, it’s where all the studios/prop houses/set builders/costumiers/podt production houses are, while radio and soaps/sport can easily be done in manchester there is zero pull north for those people/companies
all national news production has to have a big presence in London for obvious reasons supplemented by regional offices.
i would imagine the move north was to free up some valuable land/buildings and drop a lot of london weighting. there will be no other media shift to Manchester.
brakes - Member
even Croydon's not THAT bad.
"cough", is not serious riiiight? 😆
Well I have been to Croydon once, the train from London Bridge to Kingswood broke down there and I had to hope over the platform to get another..
Scared me shitless it did 😆
there will be no other media shift to Manchester.
There was a rumour that Susanna Reid left the Beeb to ITV and back to London cos' she hated Mad'chester..
It does make me laugh that Londoners accuse others of being parochial. Its the most parochial place in the whole bloody country. Politics, the media, the arts, everything, is so self-absorbed, inward-looking and insular, with little or no interest in anything going on outside its own ego-fuelled epicentre, - and in some cases the kind of patronising, condescending contempt shown above - its laughable
Try Los Angeles. The LA Times daily paper is about the size of the Times, Guardian, Independent, and Mail put together, with perhaps two pages of national and international news.
And you'll be lucky to find anything like the variety of food there, too.
And as for travel around London, the Tube is bloody brilliant, crowded at times, sure, but just wait a few minutes for a less crowded train; I've let two go before now, but that only added ten minutes to the journey, and I've done Chippenham to Hammersmith King's Mall car park in exactly an hour and thirty minutes, while it's not unusual to take an hour to travel twenty five miles into Bristol, and even Bath can take nearly forty-fifty minutes, and that's only twelve miles!
I much prefer London to Bristol, although it's much better gig-wise these days, compared to fifteen-twenty years or so ago.
I am, BTW, now 60, and relish any opportunity to go to London, it's no more smelly or polluted than any other busy city.
Next trip up is on September 5, to see Kate Bush, with a couple of friends; should be a great day. 😀
Been twice. Was visiting friends stayed at theirs, most toursity thing I did was visit the milenium dome. Otherwise just out on the piss in the town round about Camden market first then Covent garden I think' canny really remember tbh. 2nd time down at a preseason friendly Celtic v QPR. Just got blootred as per.
Safe to say I haven't seen the best of the city' and its been about 12 years or so since me last visit. I would go again just haven't came up with and excuse to go tbh, was rather head into mainland Europe if getting away.
I'm 36.
Been a few times. Like the nice areas around Richmond, could live there.
Felt much safer there than I did around Mankychester, that is one vile city/area
36
The real problem with places like London is you don't have stuff like this a few hundred metres from your back door
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(BTW there's a bloody great Munro hidden by that rain cloud)
No offence but everytime theres a London thread someone posts desolate wind-lashed moors (etc) as though riding 6hours a week living like a hermit makes up for it.
😆
I guess there are those that go there and just assume that it's 8 million all crammed in like Soho/Westminster, and black snot. But even somewhere as close to the centre as Putney is in many respects just like a small town. A high street, a tescos round the back, a handful of pubs, and a load of housing. It's just that the housing on one side merges in to that of Wandsworth on one side and Barnes on the other. And to the South it merges on to more park and common than probably almost every single town in the country.
Oh and the council tax was peanuts. There are places where the monthly bill exceeded the annual bill for Wandsworth, even when Wandsworth has the extra surcharge for the parks.
I still remember the first time I set foot in London more than 20 years ago where I stayed with my mates in Stockwell, I thought the whole place was a bit grim ... errmm ... so I thought I would escape the grimness by moving north ... damn ... it's still very grim. The whole place is grim even at where I am now.
FFS could someone switch on the light and build some warmer houses please. I know we need to preserve the heritage but cummon ... it's freezing my nuts off.
😯
Got to go there tomorrow, hate the place, crowded, busy and it's worse now they don't speak English, I shall go have my meeting, lunch and hope to get back in time to be on the water after work. It does at least only take 37 mins on that hi speed train, the best thing to come out of Lunnon.
The real problem with places like London is you don't have stuff like this a few hundred metres from your back door
And what else is a few hundred meters from your back door? Not a much I expect, which is fine if that's how you like it, but it would be naive to think that everyone living in a big city craves that desolation and being in the middle of not a lot 345 days a year.
as a city dweller I don't see not having a desolate empty landscape on my doorstep as a "real problem" if I did I wouldn't live in a city.
It does at least only take 37 mins on that hi speed train, the best thing to come out of Lunnon.
You willingly choose to live in Ashford?* Well there you go, not everyone thinks the same (I can't stand that artless shi**hole)
*36min away on the HS service from st pancaras.
When I moved back up north I said 'wheres the ****ing flowing singletrack. Its all double track'.
I still say this 80% of the time. Theres no FLOW.
I've been as a child and quite a few times more recently. It can be a nice day/weekend out. Have friends who live there, they seem to enjoy it, can't seem to shake the feeling that they live there because they have to though (jobs wise).
Annoying because there are a fair few IT jobs going down there, which doesn't particularly make sense, as we tend to be able to work from anywhere :). I know I couldn't do it because I want to be able to put emphasis on doing what I want with my free time now that I'm free to lead my life post Uni.
I wish more folk hated London; there'd be less ****s aound and more room for us Londoners. 😉
I don't understand the obesession with money though; yes, it's a n expensive place to live, but if you get the balance right, you can be lauhng. I have a leisurely 25 minute ride in to work, my wife walks in. We are very licky to be mortgage free, and be sitting on a goldmine should we wish to uproot. We both enjoy our jobs, and have what we consider to be a fantastic lifestyle. 'Touristy' stuff? Rarely go to the west end, but will catch several exhibitikns/visit the big museums/galeries several ties of year, but also do stuff that's way off the tourist trail; local venues, small theatres, music gigs in pubs etc. Never short of something to do or invitiations, in fact we end up having to chose between several different things very often. Food; no need to go to overhyped 'michelon' places if you know what's good.
I recently had to suffer oming back in on a train from Luton airport; 6.30 and the train was packed by St Albans with the most boring ****s you can imagine, going to work in the city. Probabyl thinking they're so clever because they earnso much, but forget that they spend a massive, miserable chunk of their lives commuting in at great expense. Dead by 68 because they've overworked and overstresed so much, chasing the dream. Idiots. All that and you end up a boing **** in a souless commuter belt town. Well done.
44. Born and bread. Lived here allmy life. Wouldn't even dream of moving to any other UK city, save perhaps Bristol . Newcastles' surprisingly ok too. Leeds, Manchester, Biringham (urrgh)- no thanks. All the negatives with hardly any of the positives. Biking? Fortunately we have a bit mre going on than just riding bikes at the weekend. Nice to get away now and then; we're thinking of buying a farm in Cumbria actually. We can do things like that you see, as we're so rich. 😆
As for driving through centrl London from Canary Wharf to Condor; idiot. There's a very good Evans in CW that specalises in road bikes! Youdeserved to suffer! 😆
Binners has a point about social cleansing I think. Unless you're a couple and both earning 60k plus you'll be finding it hard to make the most of all the opportunities and the place becomes unattractive. There's been a few reports this year of employers saying they can't afford to get graduates into London any more - rent/mortgage too high to be able to pay them a living wage.
Boris better keep an eye on that - London needs people at every income level to work - it's a working city with cleaners/waiters/office workers as well as the City boys, oligarchs and chief execs. If it's too pricey for the mid or lower paid, the whole place will decline. The rich need everyone else to be there too. Bit like the aristocracy need the working class to run their estates and the middle class to manage them...
Interestingly housing prices have been dropping for the last few months. A bust (20-30%) will do the place some good in the long run to keep the new and younger generation moving in...
brooess - Member
There's been a few reports this year of employers saying they can't afford to get graduates into London any more - rent/mortgage too high to be able to pay them a living wage.
Shouldn't they just relocate their office to other part of the country? 😯
Unless you're a couple and both earning 60k plus you'll be finding it hard to make the most of all the opportunities and the place becomes unattractive.
Utter bollocks. We're on nowher enear that, and have as I said a fantastic lifestyle (we think so anyway). WE just don't have massive finacnial demands on us though mortgage, credit, travel costs etc. The notion that you need to be super-rich to enjoy living in London is rubbish; granted, it's vvery (increasingly) difficult for the very poor, but if you've got a brain in your head, it's not vastly more difficult than living in any other city.
Unless you're a couple and both earning 60k plus you'll be finding it hard to make the most of all the opportunities and the place becomes unattractive.
Absolute twaddle. Even paying high rent/mortgages costs the majority of London's gets by quite happily on considerably less.
OK for a visit but would never want to live there. Can't imagine why anyone who loves the outdoors/adventure would do TBH.
Air quality and the tube are absolutely horrific - cattle get treated better.
as a city dweller I don't see not having a desolate empty landscape on my doorstep as a "real problem" if I did I wouldn't live in a city.
I have beautiful woodland with river gorges right on my doorstep, then rugged open moorland a slightly further walk away - I also live in a vibrant town with a great gig venue, an independent cinema, and loads of interesting stuff going on all the time. I can be in central Manchester or Leeds in 30-40 minutes where there's loads more going on.
London isn't the only place where culture happens.
33
Loads of times
"Best city in the world" - which others have you visited to compare it to?
I've been in London for more years than I spent in the north 😯 20+years! I started in the south(Lewisham!!!) and have lived West ,East and been in the North 10 years.It is an amazing city and when I am away from it ,I now miss it.
I love the mix of cultures&haveEnglish,Spanish,Italian,Romanian,Polish,Irish,Somali,****stani,South African,Isreli,Chinese,Indian and Iraqi neighbours/friends. Only trouble is with the Cumbrians 😉
It's easy to slip around town and avoid the congestion if you know where you're going. We regularly go into town/soho for a mooch around galleries & always Liberty's!.The improvements to kingsCross area are amazing imo
I enjoy living in the North London Alps,where we are,not far from the O.P.,there is a real comunity spirit - now we have Li'l J, even more so.
I can be in central Manchester or Leeds in 30-40 minutes
Comiserations. 😉
Is this one of those 'where I live is better than where anyone else lives and i'm better than everyone else cos I'm so clever' type threads? Just enjoy what you have. Personally, I'm a city boy, and love living here. I can appreciate other people making different choices/enjoying different things. Get on with your own life and don't worry about others.
No just trying to counter smug nonsense like this from people who think London is the centre of the universe.
44. Born and bread. Lived here allmy life. Wouldn't even dream of moving to any other UK city, save perhaps Bristol . Newcastles' surprisingly ok too. Leeds, Manchester, Biringham (urrgh)- no thanks. All the negatives with hardly any of the positives. Biking? Fortunately we have a bit mre going on than just riding bikes at the weekend. Nice to get away now and then; we're thinking of buying a farm in Cumbria actually. We can do things like that you see, as we're so rich.
And 'oh living a fantastic lifestyle in London is easy when you don't have a mortgage'. Really? I wonder why more people don't try that? 🙄
Get on with your own life and don't worry about others.
Unless you're a couple and both earning 60k plus you'll be finding it hard to make the most of all the opportunities and the place becomes unattractive.Utter bollocks
With 2 bed flats in Sydenham and West Norwood (until recently not very desireable) now going at £350-400k and even renting such a place c £1200/month, how does someone on median wage of £35k have the spare cash to go out?
And 'oh living a fantastic lifestyle in London is easy when you don't have a mortgage'. Really? I wonder why more people don't try that?
Precisely. You're very lucky/have worked very hard to get there, sure, but it's hardly the norm for your average Londoner is it?
hora - Member
When I moved back up north I said 'wheres the * flowing singletrack. Its all double track'.I still say this 80% of the time. Theres no FLOW.
Christ on a bendybus. Sometimes the vacuous stupidity of the bilge that spills forth from your keyboard amazes me.
Heres a thought for you.... maybe if you ever turned up for the rides you say you were going to turn up for... instead of sitting on the internet, thwapping on about road bikes, then stripping and rebuilding [i]yet another[/i] frame, before going for a ride, on your own, in the Peaks, on a route that everyone and his *ing uncle knows, because its in MBR every other month, then you'd know where the 'flow' was 🙄
Is there a leopard spots jersey for Hora?
Stumbled upon (new to me) another cracking Pub in Old Holborn last night, genteel, tables out front in the sunshine, quiet, beautiful buildings and some rather lovely Ladies in light flowy dresses relaxing after a days work in Lincolns Inn.
I’m going back there.
😀
