Edinburgh doesn’t have a river flowing through its centre. It’s not really coastal either so I guess it’s quite unusual.

Never really thought much about it, but it is definitely true. Nearest river of any size is the Water of Leith which isn’t really that close to city centre, and the city centre is about 5 miles inland from Leith (the port) which is quite a distinct place.

Most other cities seem to be one or the other. I guess it’s because it grew up around the castle so is sort-of a hill top city. Like Macchu Picchu (sort of).

its not a city.

I don’t live in a City 🙂 🙂 🙂

It’s not as nice as Cheltenham, but not as bad as Gloucester

Birmingham has more canals (both distance and number) than Venice.

I live in Todmorden.
A virgin is defined as a girl who can run faster than her brother.

I’ll just take a fleece, looks like it might cloud over………

Stockport has more fly-overs than any other city in the uk with an average of 7 at any given moment, as it’s right under most of the uk flight paths and right on the landing / take-off path for Manchester airport

The river mersey starts in stockport at the point where the Tame and the Goyt meet, the latter having been joined by the Etherow some miles previously in Marple. It is subsequently joined by the Irwell and the Bollin

Edgeley Park in Stockport is the closest Football League ground to the river Mersey

The river Taff in Cardiff used to run down where Westgate street is now – the one where the Millenium stadium access is. That’s why there’s a side-street called Quay street despite being currently nowhere near water.

It was just a tiny village on land owned by the Marquess of Bute until someone built a railway (or was it a canal) down here and a port from which to ship coal.

The Coal Exchange building in Mount Stewart Square is where the world’s first million pound deal was made.

Cardiff Bay existed almost as a seperate town with a fair old gap between it and the city. This led to a quite seperate insulated community (Butetown) full of racial diversity and attitudes somewhat different to the mainstream. There were lots of terraces down there but I suppose a lot of it was flattened during the war.

There are two Wagamamas – mmmm, lovely 🙂

There are salmon in the River Taff.

You can get a water taxi from town to points around the Bay and even to Penarth, but it’s ridiculously expensive.

My home town was voted UFO capital of the UK in the mid-nineties!

The Screen Room cinema in Nottingham is the worlds smallest publicly accessible cinema, with 21 seats.

The Broadway Cinema in Nottingham was chosen for the UK premier of Reservoir Dogs.

Cork is the second largest natural harbour in the world (don’t know which is the largest)

Cork has a bridge which you drive on the right in both directions (it has a weird 1-way system). It is the only place in Ierland where you drive on the right legally

Many people assume that Huntingdon is where the Roman encampment used to be, partly because it was chartered earlier. But in fact, the Romans were based in Godmanchester just over the river and Huntingdon developed from where the merchants and prostitutes congregated.

Some poeple might say that they never really left, ‘cos most of Huntingdon is still a hole.

Beagleboy, are you, ahem, local?

New Mills is the only town in the UK to have a park *under* the town since the town is built on both sides of a 30m gorge. The rivers that join in the gorge (Sett and Goyt which later join the Mersey at Stockport as nbt says ^^) powered several mills, one of which is the longest continuously operated mill in the UK. It closed in 2000 after 210 years production and the area is now industrial heritage land hence the “Park Under The Town” moniker.

Recently, waterpower came back to the area when a small hydro-electric plant was installed on the original weir built for the mills – the electricity that it produces powers the local Co-op supermarket!

Stockport Viaduct is made of 11,000,000 standard bricks.

Gloucester Cathedral has the largest stained glass window in the country.

Cheltenham Ladies College students are rich and dirty.

All 100% of FACT

In the 17th century many of the victims of Matthew Hopkins (the self-styled “Witchfinder General”) spent their last days imprisoned in Chelmsford, before being tried at the Assizes and hanged for witchcraft.

Cork is the second largest natural harbour in the world (don’t know which is the largest)

Are you sure? I thought that was Mahon in Menorca (Sydney being the largest)

The first ever English Bicycle was made in Coventry. Built in 1870 it was called the ‘Ariel’

It would appear, from Google, that the definition of a natural harbour is so loose that although everyone agrees that Sydney is the largest, loads of places claim the next few spots 🙂

Given I don’t even live in a town, let alone a city, I’ll tell you something surprising (at least to you it would seem) about the city you live in, Stu_N.

It’s only ~2 miles from Edinburgh centre (reasonable definintion: Princes Street) to Leith. The Water of Leith flows within 1/2 a mile of Princes Street.

Sheffield has 7 hills and 7 rivers – like Jerusalem

Blimey, where do I start?

Ok so, just a couple…

I was born near the World Famous Hackney Marshes, which has the most football pitches, in one area, in the World.
Right next to the Marshes is the Lesney Products factory, where Matchbox toy cars were made.
Just down the road in Bow, is the Bryant and May match factory, where the Matchgirls’ Strike was a key date in the struggle for the rights of Women in Britain.
Bow is also the place where India Pale Ale was first developed.
Bow Bridge saw battles between English and Danes, and was the edge of the Danelaw.
It was also reputed to be the first stone bridge in Britain.
The East End is incrediby rich in History, of course, and is the birthplace of movements such as the Salvation Army, and Dr Barnardos childrens’ movement.
An area noted for it’s peoples’ resistance to facism and racism, highlighted by event ssuch as the Battle of Cable st, and the first Rock against Racism concert.

Actually, I doubt if many areas in the UK are as full of historical an inertesting facts!

Ibuprofen was discovered in Nottingham and HP sauce was first made here.

The first Rolls Royce cars were built in Manchester. In Hulme, to be precise.

Most “Tree-ed” city in the UK.

2 million trees, compares to 500,000 people.

Oh, and I believe the word ‘crap’ originated in the East End!

Preston is all the better for me being in it

it also had the first UK KFC outlet and has achieved little since

Manchester, like Birmingham, didn’t really exist before the 17th century.

Crowthorne, I live in the same village as the Yorkshire Ripper.

The spitfire was desgined and tested in Southampton.

Preston also had the first UK motorway, didn’t it?

Bristol has a very high rate of bicycle theft.
😐

From Wiki (so must be true):

Cork Harbour is a natural harbour and river estuary at the mouth of the River Lee in County Cork, Ireland. It is one of several which lay claim to the title of “second largest natural harbour in the world by navigational area” (after Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia). Other contenders include Halifax Harbour in Canada, and Poole Harbour in England.”

Preston also had the first UK motorway, didn’t it?

well, if we’re being accurate, the first uk motorway bypassed Preston…read into that what you will 😆

twinklydave – that first KFC, it wasn’t the one near Samlesbury was it?

Oh, and I believe the word ‘crap’ originated in the East End

Not true.

The landing site of the first sub-orbital ballistic missile is on my way home.

we have two senior football grounds closer than anywhere else

The UK’s first traffic light and drive-thru MaccyD are in Wolverhampton

twinklydave – that first KFC, it wasn’t the one near Samlesbury was it?

i think it was the one in the city centre, which is still going today