To be fed up of mnetters behaving as if everywhere outside London is the third world

[continuallychargingmyphone]

Ok an exaggeration but only a slight one

I live up north. We have a John Lewis here and everything.

If you are only looking at the major theatres ShreddedBanksy that will restrict you to two theatres. If you knew these cities better you would know that there will be up to about a dozen smaller venues all producing plays from up and comings and people the big venues aren’t interested in. Thls is what regional theatre goers sniff out and what makes their experience more interesting and stimulating in many ways.

I live in Edinburgh. I have lived in London. Edinburgh is home and imo best city in the world but I did really enjoy living in London.

London has so much going on and is totally totally different. Very different feel about it and more cultural diversity.

Edinburgh is like a wee village masquerading as a city, except for during August when it is hell on earth trying to get anywhere 😂. It's such a lovely place the rest of the year, I feel so lucky to be here.

I live in London but am from the north and go back to visit regularly ahah I couldn’t survive London without having that.

To be honest though the average person doesn't go to the theatre several times a week
Both dd and I are average and no vested interest. When dd was at home she would go at least once a week and I go about twice a month. There are lots of schemes for young people to go to the theatre very cheaply in London and my dd has made many friends through them that also go very regularly.
I can also get cheap tickets by going last minute through sites like Today Tix etc.

If you are only looking at the major theatres ShreddedBanksy that will restrict you to two theatres. If you knew these cities better you would know that there will be up to about a dozen smaller venues all producing plays from up and comings and people the big venues aren’t interested in. Thls is what regional theatre goers sniff out and what makes their experience more interesting and stimulating in many ways.

This. I went to a pub theatre event in my city the other week it was brilliant.

To use your hour and a half example if you are in the NW you have the Royal Exchange (including the studio), playhouse and Everyman (including their studios), the Contact theatre, all the many smaller theatres in those cities including the King’s head, the Lantern etc (too many to mention) plus if you go over to Bolton you have the Octagon. Then you have the excellent theatres at the universities including the Rose Theatre at Edge Hill University. If you know where to look you could see plenty of great plays every week. For example Lizzie Nunnery had ‘To have to shoot an Irishman’ on at the Everyman and then the Rose Theatre before moving on. I appreciate this may not be enough for a person like you who wants to see a new play every evening but for most people the content of what is being produced in the NW is outstanding and sufficient for their needs.

Nobody is making the point that they absolutely compare ShreddedBanksy but I do say that you can see great productions several times a week. We all know that London is fantastically funded and we in the regions get nothing. That is the way it is because it suits the metropolitan. I have no idea what the situation In Birmingham is like so can’t comment but the theatre scene in the NW is thriving and vibrant and innovative despite everyone having to do it on a shoestring.

People go on and on about London and its museums and theatres etc and whilst yes im sure there are a vast array of them but how often does the average Londoner go to them and im sure there will now be posters saying they go several times a week but i bey there are many more Londonerz who rarely if ever go to a museum or theatre .

They have zero understanding that the rest of the country just doesn’t have public transport anywhere near as good as London’s We do know that - remember most Londoners came from somewhere else. But the fact that public transport is good is one of the reasons we live in London. Ditto access to culture, a broad range of restaurants, excellent schools. I find driving tedious and loathe car culture. I simply wouldn't live somewhere that required a car.

We live in London and have a Day Out to the museum district or or other landmark location around twice a month. It’s not just the big places though, there’s so many smaller, utterly fascinating museums eg the museum of brands and packaging or things like my 15 ds has recently done a completely free 6 week coding course at Imperial College and I have just been given subsidised tickets for carols at the Royal Albert Hall in December by a friend who does educational block bookings. When we come out of there we will do a circuit of winter wonderland and it won’t realky matter if it’s “not worth it” as I see so often worried about on here because if it’s crap we can just go and have a look at the Peter Pan statue and then take a walk down oxford street to Hamleys or Fortnum and Masons or walk the other way to look at all the Christmas windows at Harrods. It’s having all this at your finger tips that I love. I’ve lived here for 15 years and I still get a kick out of that.

Re the theatres. I found that while the Barbican and the National were great, some of the West End productions were not so fresh.

The Royal Exchange can hold its own with them.

Where on earth are you lookking for the Flats in mamchester for 6k a month Shredded i have nust had a quick google most flats in the cented of manchester are in the £800_£1000/month some are more expensive but 6k?

The problem is the UK is too London-centric. I’m from London and love it but currently in Brum and loving it also. Birmingham has changed dramatically over the last 5 years in a bid to take some of the focus off London “redistributing” to the rest of the UK.

Currently visiting the states and it always impressed me how many different cities one can choose from and have access to all the things expected in a “London” type city.

I don't know AamdC I work with letting agents and I do occasionally put tenants into very expensive short lets, c£1K a week. But they are very, very posh, well appointed, very secure, panic alarms etc etc. Not intended for regular letting.

£6K a month out here would get you a manse house, Georgian town house etc. 5+ bedrooms, all en suite, 3+ reception rooms, garage etc etc.

Exactly Curious .

When I lived in Cambridge I went to three or more shows a week, because I could. When I moved to London I paradoxically found myself going to less theatre, not because of the prices but because so much sells out so quickly, so the chances of getting a pair of decent seats for the next day is low. So unless I plan way in advance for big theatres, I'm more likely to be going to the same sort of fringe shows available in smaller cities.

I love London and have been here nearly 20 years now and grew up where it was the nearest source of clothes shops and culture, but it would be nice if it were a bit less crowded. One reason I moved to London was the homophobia I encountered in other places - thankfully things have improved in most of Britain. If I was 21 now there's lots of cities I'd be happy to live in.

@AamdC
As I said earlier, I love in zone 1. I’ve been to the theatre less than 5 times in the whole 30 odd years I’ve loved here. I’ve been to the main museums a couple of times. I avoid the west end as it’s too busy, I’m more likely to leave London and go to shopping centres on the outskirts for shopping.
I live in the southbank and hardly ever walk along the river. Don’t think I’ve ever visited pubs or restaurants along there. The novelty of seeing those things had worn of long before I had kids.

most Londoners came from somewhere else. But the fact that public transport is good is one of the reasons we live in London. Ditto access to culture, a broad range of restaurants, excellent schools. I find driving tedious and loathe car culture. I simply wouldn't live somewhere that required a car

This. I grew up dependent on being ferried around by my parents). Teenage me was so envious of Londoners who had so much freedom with such fantastic public transport.

The theatre is amazing, I see a lot of amazing productions - but that's a minor consideration in comparison to the thing that really makes the difference for London / not London for DH and I : work

If we moved anywhere other than commuting distance from London then that would mean a pretty radical shift in career, as my industry is pretty much entirely London based. I really love what I do and the opportunities would be much more limited (I'm freelance so get to work with lots of different companies / lots of different projects), as the work just isn't really there outside London. I'm sure that will change over time as more companies relocate and certain industries aren't so London centric

I'm from Manchester and pretty much every single one of my mates lives in London/SE. It never occurred to me that I would live up north as an adult - my assumption was always that I'd move to London after university, because that's what you did.

In fact regarding flats in the centre of mancheter i have just seen one for about £1350/month I lnow manchester city centre fairly well , so i know its fairly central. It has a cocierge service and is in a complex with a sauna and a pool .

For some maybe banana but im slso from manchester. And still live in greater Manchester i think i know one person who settled in the south east after university, many people have settled in othet cities and countries though .

AamdC Absolutely!! It varies massively - hence my point about some industries being very London centric (as mine is) and others not at all, so not so limited by location

1500 is a lot of money for someone on an average wage. You would get a five bed executive detached round here for that price.

I'm from Manchester and pretty much every single one of my mates lives in London/SE. It never occurred to me that I would live up north as an adult - my assumption was always that I'd move to London after university, because that's what you did.

Interestingly I’m sure I read that young people are now starting to spread to other cities instead of London & lots of people are relocating from London to other cities. I personally would much rather move to another city then move to zone 6 or the home counties. 4 of my friends/neighbours have moved & only one has gone to Surrey, the others went to Manchester, Edinburgh & Bristol. They still wanted all the amenities but a lower cost of living.

Completely agree about the overcrowding, I avoid a lot of really busy areas nowadays as I can’t stand the crowds. I remember when I could get a seat on the northern line at Clapham!