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It’s been exactly one month since leaving London and returning to the North. The North is a big place, so I’m talking more specifically about West Yorkshire and the area where I grew up. If you tuned into our last post, you’ll know the van wouldn’t start on the morning of the big departure from London. Thankfully, it eventually did, and off I went with a surge of excitement as I drove along the South Circular. I made it to the North a day later, after a brief visit to Shropshire and the Defence School of Photography for one last time.
1 | It’s Grim Up North
We Brits love talking about the weather, so this seems like a good place to start.
The cliche is true; it really is grim up North. Granted, it’s winter, but by ‘eck it’s grim up North. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t see the sun for so long, apart from all those years ago when I was stuck in a submarine.
While Stace is kicking back on a sun lounger, moaning about the heat in Dubai, I’m freezing my backside off in what feels like an endless winter.
2 | Northerners Love a Chat
When people found out we used to live in London, they would often ask about the capital’s perceived unfriendliness. You know, the whole “don’t talk to people on the tube” thing. I’ve spent a long time pondering this over the last few years.
I don’t think London is unfriendly. I think it’s a bit of a paradox, thanks to the population. Once you get chatting to people, most are friendly. The pressures of London life don’t give people an easy ride. Being packed on the tube like a sardine day in, day out does not make for one of the most pleasant things in life. That, combined with the financial burdens of living in the capital and the busy roads and streets, is likely to reduce people’s tolerance. But break through those barriers, and you’ll find plenty of friendly folk.
That said, it was immediately noticeable that people in the North are chattier. Does that mean they are friendlier? Perhaps not, but they certainly love a chat. And that has to be better than ignoring one another in favour of our screens.
3 | It’s Industrial
This is perhaps one of my favourite bits of West Yorkshire. Its roots in the Industrial Revolution remain strong and are evident everywhere. Although the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution are often credited to Ironbridge Gorge, the North was a powerhouse for Britain during this period.
The Industrial Revolution has left us with brilliant architecture, canals, and a few museums to enjoy, like the Bradford Industrial Museum. Production has changed over the years, but there’s still plenty around, along with tons of heavy haulage to boot. Perhaps that’s why all the roads are knackered.
4 | It’s Old School
My Grandma used to take me to a baker’s in a town called Brighouse. I can only describe it as a bakery in a garage, because that’s what I remember. I set out to see if it’s still there, which it is. The bakers are still wearing their white baker jackets and hats, and they are still selling the most gorgeous, spicy ginger biscuits from what still appears to be a garage. Clearly, it’s not a garage, but it resembles one because it’s at the back of a terraced row of houses. It’s brilliant to see this tiny, independent bakery still alive after 175 years.
There’s also still a Wimpy in Huddersfield, people still use ‘cash pound notes’ as my dad would say, get cash back at the supermarket, Farmfoods still has a button to summon taxis for their customers, and people are still using those clamshell leather coin purses.
5 | Parts Appear in Decline
Perhaps the saddest part of returning to my roots is this. West Yorkshire, much like the British Empire, and almost everything we thought great that’s gone before, appears to be in decline.
In the 19th century, Bradford processed two-thirds of England’s wool and was considered the wool capital of the world, specialising in worsted cloth. This brought vast amounts of wealth and, combined with abundant iron ore, coal, and water, powered the Industrial Revolution. Today, this isn’t the case.
As these industries have been offshored due to lower production costs, and along with other factors, Bradford has become one of the most deprived areas in the country. Bradford isn’t alone. Dewsbury, with its grand town hall, beautiful train station, impressive viaduct and what was once considered one of the finest open markets in the North, is now a shell of its former self.
That said, there are two benefits to this history. One is that this wealth helped build some of the country’s most impressive areas, with gorgeous stone mills, houses, and canals. Bradford has some of the highest concentrations of Victorian buildings in the country, and if you look up, you will see their beauty still stands. Bradford is also home to one of the most remarkable town halls in the country, along with one of the country’s most impressive bookshops in what was the Wool Exchange.
The second benefit is that many of the buildings across the county are still standing. As councils have slowly let developers demolish the character of towns and cities around the country, the lack of investment in West Yorkshire has left many of these buildings still standing. Many are derelict, but they still stand, and that has to be better than tearing them down and replacing them with this soulless modern architecture that’s popping up everywhere.
Every person I’ve spoken to at length about the state of these places since returning has, without prompting, moaned about the local councils. Perhaps they have to share some of the responsibility for the decline, but they can’t carry the baton for all of it.
It’s not all in decline, of course. There’s still plenty of activity and nice places to visit, and there appears to be some investment around the county, and places like Leeds are doing pretty well.
6 | It’s Still Ace
Despite any of the negatives here, it’s still great in West Yorkshire (apart from the weather!). There’s so much going for it. There’s a rich history, fantastic walks, gorgeous scenery, and tons of impressive architecture. And within an hour, it’s possible to be in any number of iconic places, including York, Ripon, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Saltaire and out into the great Yorkshire countryside. Plus, the fish and chips are better (it’s the beef dripping they are cooked in 🤫)
It’s been a pleasure to be out of London, re-exploring the places I remember from my childhood, plus a few further afield. It’s been such a breath of fresh air that I’ve had little time for social media. I’m too busy exploring and chatting rubbish with everyone.
Pics
Below are a few pics from around the bazaars, including Leeds, Bradford, Hebden Bridge, Pateley Bridge, Tadcaster and the Bradford Industrial Museum, plus a couple of puppies.
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