molgrips – Member
Bristol's hardly the South West proper tho is it?

Other than the inarguable fact that it is in the South-West, most of the people who live there would culturally identify with the South-West, the Bristolian accent is clearly West Country and the city itself is the largest city in the South-West, you're absolutely right.

Where do you live? I heard some knob on the BBC describing Reading as a West Country city earlier.

What to do for 4 hours in Waterloo.

OK – I'll try

Within a 10 minute walk

The London Eye
The London Aquarium
Borough Market
The Tate Modern
The Old Vic
The New Vic
Cuba Cuban Restaurant superb food the best Mohitos
Culture Grub The best noodles Ive had anywhere
Gabriels Wharf
The IMAX
The Southbank
Hayward Gallery
National Theatre
Konditor and Cook
Covent Garden
Jacks Bar
The Oxo Tower

I reckon there's a few hours there.

I've always thought of Gloucester as being west country too.

The North starts at Barrow in Furness, everywhere south of that is collectively known as "Shandyland" 😛

It's right on the edge of the South-West, its accent is just like most of rural Southern England (Herefordshire anyone?). And it's right on the very edge of what you'd call the South West anyway and closer to Wales and the Midlands than anywhere else.

I said hardly the South West PROPER, meaning that the South West is a place noted for its countryside, moors and coastline, not cities. So someone from Bristol is hardly a Wurzel.

Shandy?

While happy not to be described as a wurzel, bristol is definately south west. Having said that, I'll often refer to it as west country. The accent is more somerset than hereford.

re the premis of the thread though I don't wish I lived up North, having grown up on the cultural desolation of Cumbria I'm a happy southerner now (although to be fair by Southern I mean New Zealand so maybe that colours my opinion somewhat – being all mountainy and singletracky and stuff)

backhander – Member
I've always thought of Gloucester as being west country too.

It is.

The historic counties of Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, and Gloucestershire plus the City of Bristol.

Not to be confused with the ancient kingdom of Wessex which is larger and incorporates the aforementioned plus Hampshire (and I.of.W), Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

So where's Herefordshire come then?

I said hardly the South West PROPER, meaning that the South West is a place noted for its countryside, moors and coastline, not cities. So someone from Bristol is hardly a Wurzel.

Posted 1 minute ago # Report-Post

By that logic Plymouth, Exeter and any other city in a predominatly rural area fail to qualify, but there will always be centres of population even in relatively sparsely inhabited areas.

Bristol definitely feels West Country to me.

Herefordshire is west mids is it not?

molgrips – Member
So where's Herefordshire come then?

The West Midlands.

Got a half day at work tomorrow, can't decide whether to go for a ride in The Dales, on The Moors or go for a spin around Dalby Forest…think I'll have a nice pint and then decide.

Hmmm I'm split between the Quantocks, S Wales, Mendips, Exmoor or even Dartmoor if I fancy a longish drive. 😀

The historic counties of Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, and Gloucestershire plus the City of Bristol.

And as a westcountry born and bred lad.. I grudgingly agree with this too.. regardless of 'official' classifications or historical documentation.. the accents are similar enough up that way to the ones that feature all the way down to Penzance.. and that's good enough for me and I'll bet me cider on it bey..
Accents from certain estates in Brizzle and Plymuff can be quite hard to distinguish between.. Although some people would argue that the Brizzle contingent just fake their accent for kudos and /or a giggle..
I nearly fell off me haystack too when I heard Westcountry accents in Gloucester the first time I was up there..
Oh and FWIW… Anywhere North of the corner of my house is full of Northerners by my measure..

So where's Herefordshire come then?

they are Welsh… Same as Bristolians

Same here Pogo (apart from the pint). Going to mtb all around our local trails, which will be 4 minutes from my door, into proper hills and look out for all the wildlife.

In a few years time we're selling up and heading further up North.

5mins, 20mins, 60mins think it'll be the moors, out the door on my bike, ooh country side, aaahhh peace and quiet, fresh air and lovely beer mmmmmmmm…..

Most Londoners i know would love to be up North but cant face taking a pay cut from their over inflated salary nor the prospect of owning a place they live in that has stairs on the right side of the front door!

Can i just say that working in saddleworth looking at the moors all day is rubbish, its such a distraction!

Just to check, when people say the south (as in south of England) I'm assuming they mean like Sheffield maybe? And the midlands would be the bit between Sheffield and Leeds (ie Wakefield / Barnsley) – no?

On that basis I don't know what people are saying about there being no singletrack in the south.

The West Midlands is flippin Brummies.. Which Herefordshire most definitely is not. It's the land that the rest of the country forgot about!

Anyway. Wales FTW. Everything the North has but better, and nearer to the airports.

CFH, don't patronise me, that's just insulting – no offence taken though, i know you can't help it. X

Jools, thanks for trying, but 'walking around, use public transport, look at stuff, buy stuff', is why i'm currently a bit bored with London*.

for example: borough market = walk around + buy stuff.

tate modern = walk around + look at stuff (and i've been there about a dozen times)

london eye = buy stuff + use public transport + look at stuff

etc.

i'm hoping for something like 'frisbee golf! dry-stone-walling! make-a-hat! find-some-shirts-that-fit! something different…

but it looks like i'll settle for the old stand-by of 'finding somewhere quiet to read the guardian'.

London's not bad – in fact it's just the same as everywhere else**. the bricks are a different colour, which really is interesting, but noone ever talks about that.

(*i know this is wrong, which is why i'm asking for help)

(**galleries: sheffield, pete mckee, a month of sundays, as a suggestion…)

If I wished I lived anywhere, It wouldn't be in this country, that's for sure. I can wish better than that! Everywhere is a compromise, it depends what you want, what you will settle for, where you are in life, loads of things. It's not about some stupid mystery divisive boundary line, that's for sure.

Hell No.

jam bo – Member
As far as I'm concerned the north starts on the eastbound hard shoulder of the m4.

With the Midlands stretching between there and the A303…

yunki – Member

they are Welsh… Same as Bristolians

Oi!! That's fighting talk…….. 😉

To the south is the metropolis of Greater London, to the north and west is the 'archipelago of the provinces' – city islands that appear to be slowly sinking demographically, socially and economically.

While in truth and slightly ironically London is slowly sinking into the sea and the northern hills are rising gently (I did geography at school).

If I wished I lived anywhere, It wouldn't be in this country, that's for sure. I can wish better than that!

I live in the best place for me, but were I to move anywhere else for a bit, it would be abroad, quite frankly.

I'd still come back home though.

I tell thee, all this fresh air and countryside is gonna be the death o' me…

I wish I were a perfectly shampooed unicorn floating on a bubble of my own self importance through time and space visiting alien cultures on the edge of the universe and preaching my own version of reality. But at the mo' I live in Deganwy.

I tell thee, all this fresh air and countryside is gonna be the death o' me…

breath deeply now..in..out..in..out..

"Quantocks, S Wales, Mendips, Exmoor or even Dartmoor"

Great to be here init!?

But I would also add in Forest of Dean, Cotswolds, Malvern, Longleat, Salisbury and Test Valley – also all worthwhile riding destinations within 2 hours driving.

Though frankly the riding is sufficiently diverse and challenging here on the Mendip, it's an effort to drive. But I do fancy thrashing my FS down Dunkery and Horner on Exmoor this weekend.

It's rubbish up north. No it's not blue skies again, no the trails aren't bone dry still, no the hills aren't quiet and yes it's grim grey and dull.

I like London and the south too but I love Northumberland it's my home family have farmed around the area for years. I've worked in this area for over 20 years and been at my current station for about 18 years. Would make it hard to live else where but sure I'd settle in.

Mind some of the accents in other areas would drive me mad.

And no Cheshire is not in the the north.

stumpynya12 – Member
I went to Londinium last year the beer in the Lock Tavern was good, the food was excellent and I rode around our capital on my bike. The north is just a better place to live if your a mtb'er.

Better still, Wales or Scotland.

And no Cheshire is not in the the north

Now, now, don't make me open it…

Your just below the border IHN close but still in the midlands.

Better still, Wales or Scotland.

If you like trails centres.

Most Londoners i know would love to be up North

Wheras most Londoners I know (probably a good few more 😉 ) have never even been up North, let alone want to go there. We have 5 airports here, and it's cheaper and easier to fly abroad for a holiday. Who wants to spend a week in a miserable cold damp B+B in Scarborough, when you could have 2 weeks in St Lucia for the same money?

I often read on here of people commuting for an hour, two hours or more to work. A solicitor friend of mine takes a 20 minute stroll to work every morning. Another mate, who does computery stuff, has a 10-15 minute cycle from his front door, along relatively quiet roads if he chooses. They both love living in London. Some people are prepared to spend a significant chunk of their lives sat in traffic, for the pay off of living in a quiet rural area, but others don't really want that. Horses for courses and all that.

Interesting that many on here define themselves as 'MTBer's. To me, it's just one of the activities I enjoy. My life doesn't revolve around mountain biking. I like doing other things as well. Living in London means I can enjoy these things, and don't have to travel far to do so.

I must say, on returning from North Wales on Thursday night, I was lifted by coming back into the Smoke. Rode home through the City. To me, that's just as enjoyable as riding around the Welsh mountains that I'd been doing. Different, but just as good.

I know that seems strange to some folk, but guess what? People are different.

I grew up in Sussex riding the Downs, which I loved and still do love – it just feels like home the shape of them hills – scarp and vale.
Lived in the Midlands for a dozen years riding Cannock Chase, Shropshire and North Wales.
Now living in Lancaster and getting to ride the Lakes and Yorkshire as well as abroad in Scotland and Wales 😉

Which do I prefer?

IMO the North definitely has the best mountain bike riding.

Using pure logic:
The only mountains in England are up north. Therefore mountain biking can only be done in the north of England. Wales and Scotland have the benefit of mountains almost everywhere! There are plenty of trails to ride d'arn sarf but no mountains.

Are you a mountain biker or do you ride on hills?

PS No one has mentioned Norfolk or Suffolk for the best riding in the country? 😉

If you like trails centres.

I do as it happens, I think that judging by the themes of numerous threads on here then so do most STWers. But I also love a bit of natural trail riding and (not sure if you've noticed) Wales is full of mountains & hills that are crisscrossed with miles and miles of natural trails.

Plus its full of sheep, which is a bonus.

Using pure logic:
The only mountains in England are up north. Therefore mountain biking can only be done in the north of England.

what mountains are they then? last time i was in the north of England i could see some hills with smooth tops to them but had to keep going to Scotland to see real mountains.