My Town

[Kell]

Well, here it is, the thread to tell everyone a little about where you live. Come on, tell us all about your home town (or city, village, hamlet, whatever - even if you live in the middle of nowhere!).

[Kell]

Aberdeen - The Silver City - Energy Capital of Europe

 

I currently live in the beautiful city of Aberdeen, up in the North East of Scotland, right on the coast. Many (in fact, most) of the buildings here are built of granite & when the sun hits them, they literally sparkle (hence the nick-name The Silver City). Contrary to popular belief, Aberdeen usually gets more hours of sunshine every year than almost anywhere else in Britain! (This from a place renowned for its constant rain!). We also have access to North Sea Oil & have vast wind farms off the coast as well as on land, so we've been awarded the title of Energy Capital of Europe - rather prestigious!

 

I feel pretty lucky to live here, as not only do I have all the convenience of city-living, as soon as you're out of the centre of town, it changes completely & the 'burbs are more small-town-ish. There are many beautiful parks & public gardens, including the famous Winter Gardens at Duthie Park, which are almost entirely indoors in a massive greenhouse-like structure which displays plants from all over the world & the Cruickshank Gardens at Aberdeen University (we have 2 Uni's - there's Robert Gordon's too) which is so beautiful I had to have my wedding pictures taken there.

 

We have a wonderful beach with golden sands, but unfortunately, it's marred by the fact that we also have Britain's largest seagulls which aren't at all afraid of people & will quite happily swoop down & pinch your fish & chips rather than hunt for food in the natural way.

 

On the other 3 sides of the city we have some of the most beautiful countryside you will ever have the pleasure of seeing - all rolling hills & green fields, with two rivers running through it (& through the city itself), the Dee & the Don (our football team, Aberdeen FC is nicknamed The Dons after the river closest to their grounds at Pittodrie).

 

Aberdeenshire has literally hundreds of standing stone circles, single standing stones & recumbent stones - if you go hiking, you can't help coming across several all in the same area. There's a rich Celtic history here & some of the folks in the highland areas still speak Gaelic as their 1st language with English as their 2nd (our local TV station, Grampian TV, stills runs Gaelic programmes to cater for this). Lots of castles, both ruined & maintained - all wonderful to explore. There's also the Whisky Trail, the Coastal Trail & Royal Deeside (where the Queen stays - Balmoral!) to see.

 

All in all, you couldn't ask for a nicer place to live.

 

And before anyone asks - I'm not even Scottish - I'm originally from Northumberland, so I'm a Geordie lass - LOL!

[Freewheeling Andy]

London

 

This a big smelly town, which was built on some marshy land on a river in the south of England. It's got a fair bit of history, has been burned down a few times, and rebuilt, and has some interesting buildings and some very horrible ones. Lots of people live here, and most of them are actually rather nice and friendly, if a bit weird. They have a reputation for being rude, but that's probably a bit unfair. Everyone is obscenely rich but quite, quite ugly, and the streets are paved with gold and dirt.

 

The people who run the world live here, working in an underground secret society that exist in tunnels attached to our underground railway. It is a continuation of the old East India Company, and they own everything on the planet, and pull the strings of governments. Living underground they've evolved to be only 3 foot 6 tall, and are very pale, and are blinded if they ever encounter real sunlight.

 

It is the best city on earth.

[Kell]

LOL! That's the funniest description on London I've ever heard! I was in London just olast week & had a whale of a time there. There were loads of folks wandering aruond the Hammersmith aera wearnig Dream Theater t-shirts (I was one of them) & they were all nodding at each otehr & saying "hello" even though nobody knew each other. Right enough, other folks (who weren't wearing the t-shirts) were looking at us a bit funny. Maybe they thought WE were that secret society! Of course, we were all wearing stilts to hide the fact that we're all only 3 foot 6 - LOL!

[Maureen]

London

 

...........streets are paved with gold

.

 

Hold on...it wan't like that last time I was there. Let's see which is the next flight to London! :?

 

Honestly Andy I loved reading this.....what you forgot to mention is that it is a mixture of people from all over the world...it's like a Benetton ad.

[Maureen]

I copied this bit so all the bits and pieces are totally accurate

 

 

It's such a small place. It is just an archipelago of islands about halfway between the coasts of Sicily and North Africa. Set in the clear blue Mediterranean Sea, the Maltese islands are the most southerly European country. The archipelago consists of five islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino, together with two other uninhabited islands Cominetto and Filfla. The total area is approximately 316 sq kms (Malta 246 sq km, Gozo 67 sq km, Comino 2.7 sq km). The longest distance in Malta from North West to South East is about 27 km, with 14.5 kms width in an East - West direction. The Islands are only 90 km south of Sicily and 290 km from the northern coast of Africa.

We have our own Language - Maltese - which borrows from English, French, Italian and Arabic languages, but most people also speak English fluently and a lot of people speak Italian - mostly because we get a lot of Italian TV stations. The Villages in the South and South East of the Island are typical fishing villages, with lots of "Luzzus" in the harbour, and where it is quite customary to see old fishermen mending their nets, and having an afternoon chat and gossip in the village cafes. The Northern parts cater to the tourist industry - lots of hotels, restaurants and nightclubs - which in summer stay open almost all night.

 

All over the island pre-historic sites still tell their stories, and even us locals can be impressed when we pay a visit.....

Malta is mainly Roman Catholic - and we have a collection of unique churches all over the island - some housing beautiful treasures.

The island is overpopulated and noisy - just like one city during the week - especially peak hours when all the people and their neighbour are in the car driving to work or taking the children to school.

Just a ferry crossing (30 mins max) away is the little sister of Gozo - which we call the island where time stood still - some old women still wear the old village clothes over there - and wash their clothes by hand!!! I cannot really describe Gozo - it's like going back in time - and some people on the main island look down on the Gozitans because they still cling to old customs.

The weather here is very hot during the summer - 35C and more (sometimes 40C) and wet cool winters. It is windly almost all year round - and it never snows All during the summer we have a "festa"in one village or another - with some villages holding spectacular fireworks to the envy of their neighbours The capital city - Valletta - was built by the knights of st John in the 16th century - and most buildings and palaces are still unchanged. It is an everyday occurance to see tourists taking pictures of doorknobs and intricate sculpures in the streets of Valletta.

[Michelle]

I wish we'd gone over to Gozo now.

 

My favourite place was Mdina.

[Kell]

I think I'd prefer the South of Malta, away from all the nightclubs & obviously "touristy" bits. And Gozo sounds really interesting too - I can hardly believe there's a place in the so-called developed world where people still do their washing by hand - that I'd have to see! It all sounds lovely!

[Maureen]

My favourite place was Mdina.

 

...oops I forgot to mention the silent city!

[Maureen]

I think I'd prefer the South of Malta, away from all the nightclubs & obviously "touristy" bits.

Well the north is newer, with all the pros and cons....

 

And Gozo sounds really interesting too - I can hardly believe there's a place in the so-called developed world where people still do their washing by hand - that I'd have to see! It all sounds lovely

!

They also make home made honey and lace, some of them still start cooking soup at 9am to leave it simmering there on a very slow heat till lunchtime when their farmer husbands come to eat from the fields ....life is very slow there....The island were time stood still.

[Maureen]

I wish we'd gone over to Gozo now.

 

My favourite place was Mdina.

 

Where did you stay here Micha?

[Kell]

Where I'm from: Ashington, Northumberland - World's Largest Mining Village

 

I grew up just over the border into England in a little town called Ashington, which was, at one time, the largest mining village in the world till the pit closed & they reclassified it as a town due to population growth.

 

Ashington never really recovered from the pit closures in the 80's which spurred a mass exodus for places where there were actually jobs with prospects (hence we headed up to Aberdeen when I was 11 years old).

 

Folks in that particular corner of Northumberland are known collectively as Geordies & the accent is extremely recognisable - it's very lilt-y & sing-song-y. People in Newcastle (the nearest city) are known as Toonies (Townies), in County Durham they're Mack'n'tacks * & when you get as far south as Sunderland, make sure you don't mention monkeys! **

 

There are LOADS of castles in the area, many of them are still lived in. A notable example of this is Alnick Castle which is home to the Percy's (Duke of Northumberland - you may remember him from Blackadder!).

 

Again, there are a fair few standing stones & stone circles & there are very close ties with Scotland (which is less than 100 miles away from Ashington). Lots of open fields & rolling hills - very pretty scenery. As it's North of Hadrian's Wall, I guess the Roman's lumped us in with the "Heathens" from across the border - LOL!

 

The Geordie people are some of the friendliest you'll find in the world - folks still wander in & out of each other's homes & they think nothing of putting folks up for the night even if they barely know them. And people tend to use the back door still - front doors are for brides & corpses only!

 

Newcastle, famous for it's Brown Ale, has a fantastic nightlife - people travel specifically to the city for the weekend just to take in the pubs & clubs, & there are many very fine restaurants down on the riverside which is lit up beautifully at night. There's also great shopping, both throughout the town & in shopping centres such as Eldon Square (which has the old grassmarket attached) &, out at Gateshead, the massive Metro Centre where you could shop all week & still not go into every shop! If you can't find it there, you can't find it anywhere!

 

One last point of interest - Northumberland is still technically a Kingdom in its own right - even if we don't have a King there!

 

 

* In Ashington we "mayk a cayk & tayk it to the bakers", in Durham they "mack a cayk & tack it to the bakers" - it's all in the pronunciation.

 

** A monkey washed up on shore way back when & they thought it was a French man, so they hanged it - it's all really rather embarrassing (there's a pub in Aberdeen called "The Noose & Monkey" which is run by a couple from Sunderland).

[Acesare*]

I am also from London (unfortunately), and I can confirm that the streets are paved with cement-plated gold - only found in this fair city.

 

I am a dying breed in London - I am British. Unfortunately, this does mean that I am unable to speak any of the local dialects and speak only to myself when out in public.

 

Londoniers are strange folk indeed - this very morning I spied one wandering down the busy Street to Oxford (where usually only visitors dare to tread). This creature, a female I believe, stalked the streets with bare feet, shouting obscenities at the plastic people displayed behind glass. It was raining, which is normal.

 

I live in a rare, treeless wood called Crickle, and travel about in a large red monster with the numbers 1, 8 and 9 emblazoned on the front. Many such beasts roam the city, each with it's own number and coachman. There are also smaller black creatures called Tacksees, which obey no laws, travel at great speed and go where they wish. These Tacksees are minded by oddly dressed men who speak in riddles and call everyone 'Guvner'. Some pedestrians will try to step in front of these beasts, they are commonly known as lemmings and are often found crossing roads at busy junctions without looking.

 

When visiting London, be sure to keep an eye out for The Royal Family - a clan of highly paid hermits with no known purpose. You may also see that tap dancing Mr Blair and his friends. They are an interesting bunch that know only what they tell each other and play a constant game of 'Mr Bush says' with some American fellow.

 

London can be a scary place, so come prepared with the usual visitors equipment of oversized map (perfect for blocking pavements), camera, plastic poncho and giant rucksack to take up as much room as possible on the always empty Underground snake line.

 

Enjoy!

 

Jo xx

[Maureen]

.Kell....sounds beautiful too.

A notable example of this is Alnick Castle which is home to the Percy's (Duke of Northumberland - you may remember him from Blackadder!).

I can

 

Hey Kell what about that bit of magic where I win the lottery - so I can spend a lot of my life visiting these places

[Michelle]

Jo, you should be a writer you know.. I loved your description!

[Michelle]

Maureen.. where did I stay? Erm... starts with a B i think. Tell me some places, and I'll see if I spot it!

[Maureen]

I am a dying breed in London - I am British. Unfortunately, this does mean that I am unable to speak any of the local dialects and speak only to myself when out in public

.

... Jo this is so true. I remember the first time I came to London I was totally amazed by this! There were 15 people of other nationalities to every British person!

[Acesare*]

I used to live in Earls Court where the foreign student population is at its highest. I lived in the same room for 18 months and in that time approximately 35 - 40 people came and went in the other rooms - I never met another person who was British. The closest I got was an Irish girl, and at one stage we had 3 or 4 Canadians. I was the only person with a job there too!!

 

Jo xx

[Maureen]

Maureen.. where did I stay? Erm... starts with a B i think. Tell me some places, and I'll see if I spot it!

 

Bugibba - North of the Island - Near St Paul's Bay (Highly likely)

Birzebbuga - South of the Island (possible)

Birkirkara - Middle of the Island - (hope not for your sake - highly unlikely)

Bahar-ic-Caghak (near Bugibba - possible)

Burmarrad - near Mosta and not far from St Paul's Bay - very small and quiet-an old village(unlikely)

Birguma - middle/North - (where the people who have money buy houses - not really a "touristy place" - unlikely)

Blata-l-Bajda - close to Valletta the capital city - (very noisy and busy - not much to see and not really a tourist spot -highly unlikely)

 

Those are the places I can think of starting with B

[Acesare*]

Jo, you should be a writer you know.. I loved your description!

 

Thanks for the compliment, Michelle. I've written the odd poem, but I'm not great with the ideas for stories - I'm a bit too practical and logical. I'm great at spouting nonsense though!

 

Jo xx

[Maureen]

[quote name="AcesareI'm great at spouting nonsense though!

 

Jo xx[/quote]

If what you term as nonsense makes other people laugh, or is entertaining - you get paid! and famous!

[Michelle]

Bugibba - North of the Island - Near St Paul's Bay (Highly likely)

 

That's the one! You can stop coming up with suggestions now! :laugh:

[Maureen]

............not far from here. Oh yes I remember you now - about eight years ago....you were walking around with stars in your eyes.....made quite a handsome couple, walking along Bugibba promenade and stopping for ice-cream in one of the kiosks. :rose:

[Kell]

I am a dying breed in London - I am British. Unfortunately, this does mean that I am unable to speak any of the local dialects and speak only to myself when out in public

.

... Jo this is so true. I remember the first time I came to London I was totally amazed by this! There were 15 people of other nationalities to every British person!

 

We went on a tour bus in London last week & we were told that if you stand in Picadilly Square for a maximum of 37 minutes, you'll see someone you know. Unless you're from the Galapagos Islands apparently.

[Michelle]

Unless you're like me, and you have no friends...! :down: