London - the centre of England ?

S S

Southern

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9 Aug 2015
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I'm lucky to live within the M25 in the sense that I'm close to London (well, I'm not that bothered, but most people love visiting it).

London seems to have basically everything important in England/the UK:
-Central government institutions
- Economic centre for England
- 'National' Museums
- Most national/international media headquarters
- Fashion capital of England
- 'National' football stadium (Wembley, not swamp)
- WImbledon tennis
- Disproportionately high number of private institutions like Private Hospitals

Am I wrong or can someone make a case for Manchester or Birmingham? I think most of the rest of the country has been neglected greatly.

Also, how does it compare here to countries like France (Paris), Italy, Spain (I believe it is more split between Barcelona and Madrid), Poland, Russia? Do they just have one vastly dominant city/region, or is there greater distribution of resources/investments
 
Southern said:
I'm lucky to live within the M25 in the sense that I'm close to London (well, I'm not that bothered, but most people love visiting it).

London seems to have basically everything important in England/the UK:
-Central government institutions
- Economic centre for England
- 'National' Museums
- Most national/international media headquarters
- Fashion capital of England
- 'National' football stadium (Wembley, not swamp)
- WImbledon tennis
- Disproportionately high number of private institutions like Private Hospitals

Am I wrong or can someone make a case for Manchester or Birmingham? I think most of the rest of the country has been neglected greatly.

Also, how does it compare here to countries like France (Paris), Italy, Spain (I believe it is more split between Barcelona and Madrid), Poland, Russia? Do they just have one vastly dominant city/region, or is there greater distribution of resources/investments
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One of the most famous cities in the world, bound to be like that. As Churchill said Manchester is the belly and guts of the UK. Fuck Big Ben!
 
Wimbledon is a bit daft to include. That's historical rather than cultural.
Hospitals I have no idea about, but there are more people in London, and more very rich people.

Russia has St Petersburg and Moscow.
I think Paris has most French things.
Italy has Milan.

I think that in the last two hundred years, Russia, Italy and Spain with split centres were politically divided and had separate seats of culture (for Russia, the size of the country may have led to that); France/UK weren't really, and centre on the capital.

The UK is strange in that the north is the centre of the industrial revolution, but the NW has fewer grand historical buildings (e.g. no-one's going to rate most cathedrals in the north west very highly, apart from maybe Chester). I don't know what the oldest building in the NW is, not counting Hadrian's Wall! Chatsworth at a stretch?

There's not that much in Birmingham that springs to mind historically (over 200 years old).
 
This country is too London centric. Billions ploughed into building capital projects while the rest of the country is pretty much left to its own devices.


15 billion alone poured into Crossrail, while we get a poxy fucking half arsed tram that you can shove up the governments arse.
 
Southern said:
...I think most of the rest of the country has been neglected greatly...
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ray21 said:
Liverpool is the anus.
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Love London, but it is great to get back up North to Manchester. Different cities and lifestyle. Not many Londoners could live here same way few from Manchester area could settle there. In my opinion of course
 
MillionMilesAway said:
Wimbledon is a bit daft to include. That's historical rather than cultural.
Hospitals I have no idea about, but there are more people in London, and more very rich people.

Russia has St Petersburg and Moscow.
I think Paris has most French things.
Italy has Milan.

I think that in the last two hundred years, Russia, Italy and Spain with split centres were politically divided and had separate seats of culture (for Russia, the size of the country may have led to that); France/UK weren't really, and centre on the capital.

The UK is strange in that the north is the centre of the industrial revolution, but the NW has fewer grand historical buildings (e.g. no-one's going to rate most cathedrals in the north west very highly, apart from maybe Chester). I don't know what the oldest building in the NW is, not counting Hadrian's Wall! Chatsworth at a stretch?

There's not that much in Birmingham that springs to mind historically (over 200 years old).
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Exactly, Germany is gray in terms of having lots of urban centres. Italy is a bit better than UK, Spain is pretty good too partly because they have effectively 3-4 autonomous regions.

Otherwise France is all Paris, Poland is all Warsaw, etc
 
I couldn’t settle when there at 18 but now I am older I think I could live there and enjoy it now. A nice apartment close to the River, loads to do. Good pubs. Nice.
 
Just spent the afternoon in Sloane Square. Now back in ancoats. We can’t compete. A world class city.
 
r.soleofsalford said:
This country is too London centric. Billions ploughed into building capital projects while the rest of the country is pretty much left to its own devices.


15 billion alone poured into Crossrail, while we get a poxy fucking half arsed tram that you can shove up the governments arse.
Click to expand...
This ! All day long. So they build HS2 but it has to start at London!. Why not start it in Manchester and link with Brum and Leeds. The tram is a disgrace.
 
Lived in London, worked in London, got pissed in London. It's a City like any other. Except bigger and with less soul. Loads to see and do makes it stand out a bit but apart from that...

I prefer smaller Cities, more soul.
 
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