Reply to: The 12 most liveable cities in Britain

[MyUserName]

Nice big supermarkets round the back, don't think I ever made it into the town centre.

Without a SatNav it is close to impossible.

[MyUserName]

I've been to Basingstoke a few times.

On every visit I was completely sober which probably why I hate it. There is nothing going for it. The people aren't especially friendly and the town is not particularly attractive.

Actually, that is a fair point, I found the people very unfriendly when I first moved here. It was only when I started sword fighting etc that I made friends with other fighters, bikers etc. I had lived here for months by that point.

Not sure how to measure whether a town is attractive.? Some of the buildings are nice I suppose.

I like it as it has several leisure centres, lots of restaurants, 3 theatres, 2 cinemas, an ice rink, an indoor sky diving centre, numerous sports teams (generally the facilities for sport seem quite good), a bowling alley, a couple of museums, a good shopping centre, some good schools, the crime rate seems low and the pubs are pretty safe, there are various parks and greenery.

The transport links are good and I can get to London quickly enough to make a daily commute doable, I can get to the coast easily, Reading and Oxford are less than an hour away if I want somewhere different to shop or socialise. M3 is on my doorstep and the M4 is about half an hour away.

However, if you like clubbing there are not that many good clubs apparently. The alternative music scene seems to have died out but that might just be because I no longer go clubbing (other than actually hitting people with a club).

[Hardgraft]

Surely Edinburgh has to be on your lists?

I know it gets cold & full of tourists but you can't deny its beauty.

[vetran]

Basingstoke with a ring road modelled on Brands Hatch.

Nice big supermarkets round the back, don't think I ever made it into the town centre.

[SueEllen]

I have no idea what I have been doing with my time but in order I would go with:

Basingstoke - I have no idea why everyone hates the place. I really like it.

I've been to Basingstoke a few times.

On every visit I was completely sober which probably why I hate it. There is nothing going for it. The people aren't especially friendly and the town is not particularly attractive.

Just googled the reason why - it's an old market town that was expanded a lot in the 1960s to help deal with the London overspill.

[vetran]

Slough didn't come up???

[MyUserName]

I have no idea what I have been doing with my time but in order I would go with:

Basingstoke - I have no idea why everyone hates the place. I really like it.

Cardiff - went to university there. It was okay but did not really interact with the town much, just the university.

Portsmouth - was okay. Had a good bunch of mates and we went partying every weekend so had an awesome time. Would have done the same in any city though. Was warned that the docks were rough but they were nothing compared to South Wales. Was beaten unconscious once by a bouncer I punched, got thrown out of a club once when someone hit me and I had no idea why. He charged outside and kept punching me but I just put my hands in the air and stayed still because I saw the police riot van across the road. They bundled him and he punched them too (in case you are wondering, this was not a good idea and they simply battered him). I walked away without any police hassle.

Welsh Vallies - constant drugs, violence and tension based drinking - hardly any jobs and a lot of frustrated people. A English friend (from some city up North) of a girl from my school came to visit for the weekend and went clubbing. She described it as the most terrifying night of her life. I left when I was 18 and by then I had been at gunpoint 3 times, knife point once and broken bottle point(s) once. I had been caught up in brawls several times (I was 10 stone, I tried to avoid them) and had negotiated my way out of trouble more times than I can count.

That's it - i have never lived anywhere else.

[gingerjedi]

I've worked in Bristol before myself. The best bit I remember was in the rear view mirror.

You've obviously seen a very small uninspiring part of the city and made an assumption based on that, where were you working?

[vetran]

Belfast is great for drinkies and food.

people mainly were lovely.

Preferred Dublin though, softer accent, prettier girls.

Manchester was coming along.

Brum is still tulip last time I looked.

Glasgow was trying hard, the railway hotel was lovely 10 years ago. (not sure that's its name but it had features).

[d000hg]

I probably haven't even visited 10 cities, I prefer to put down roots!

Thinking about it...

• Chester
• Cambridge
• Durham
• Bath
• Bristol
• Truro
• London
• Glasgow
• York
• Leeds
• Glasgow
• Blackpool
• Um... that's 12 and I'm stuck... and at least two of those were passing visits only

I would say it's a safe bet I have visited more American cities than British ones!

[oracleslave]

Here's my top 10.

City of London
Edinburgh
Winchester
Newcastle upon Tyne
Oxford
Brighton and Hove
Leeds
Inverness
St Albans
York

[darmstadt]

And the award for redneck of the year with biggest vocabulary of sweeping generalisations goes to you

There must be at least 11 reasons on that list NOT to live in a city...

And Bradford is on there? The only way Bradford could make that list in 12th would be if we only had 11 cities in the country... Bradford?!!?? Jesus.

Totally agree - worked there for over 2 years until July this year. What a tulip hole. Never seen a place that has so much litter. My car was broken into and "keyed" twice in broad daylight. I saw a "youth" on a quad bike one day driving past a line of cars and smashing each window with a hammer! Was so glad to get away from the place.

Holy crap Dodgy! I agree with you again.

I've visited all the listed cities (worked in most of 'em) and found plenty to like and few things I didn't in all of 'em.

Damn, there seems to be a lot of rednecks on this forum :-)

[Peoplesoft bloke]

And the award for redneck of the year with biggest vocabulary of sweeping generalisations goes to you

Holy crap Dodgy! I agree with you again.

I've visited all the listed cities (worked in most of 'em) and found plenty to like and few things I didn't in all of 'em.

[Sausage Surprise]

There must be at least 11 reasons on that list NOT to live in a city...

And Bradford is on there? The only way Bradford could make that list in 12th would be if we only had 11 cities in the country... Bradford?!!?? Jesus.

Totally agree - worked there for over 2 years until July this year. What a tulip hole. Never seen a place that has so much litter. My car was broken into and "keyed" twice in broad daylight. I saw a "youth" on a quad bike one day driving past a line of cars and smashing each window with a hammer! Was so glad to get away from the place.

[Hardgraft]

Yes. I got lost, everything looked the same.

haha