this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2025
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Casual UK

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The monkey rings that bell, but the times it rings it don't seem to be associated with the clock.

The building used do be a church, so maybe this is payback from Satan?

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Don’t worry, things will improve if/when you move to the south of England.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I guess the equivalent to Blackburn in the south would be somewhere like Stevenage, or Staines, maybe.
Liverpool town centre was a UNESCO heritage site. The Angel of the North, Durham cathedral, etc etc etc. Don't pretend the south is prettier than the north. The weather's mildly better and there's more money to be made, I'll give you that. But it costs hugely more, and people are a lot less friendly in my experience (and all the polling I've seen on the matter)

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I’m leg pulling. I’ve walked over a large part of the north and the landscape is more varied and interesting, I’ll give you that. I’d love some of your hills down here.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

There are some lovely hills down south! The Chilterns and the Cotswolds are gorgeous. I used to live in Hertfordshire though, definitely a contender for the most uninspiring landscape in the country.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I’m actually in the Cotswolds and yeah, we have some very picturesque villages but I’d love some higher hills to walk on and some old growth forest. Everything around here is managed to within an inch of its life.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yeah I remember thinking that living in the Cotswolds might be a bit stifling. Can you easily get to the forest of Dean from where you are? I've spent a few days exploring that and I'm sure I remember that some of that is primeval. I thought it was absolutely glorious anyway and I'm going again this year. I guess the nearest proper mountains to you are the Brecon beacons? Nothing you can just pop to though for sure. I'm in Liverpool, so it's an hour or so for me to get to the Dee valley and Snowdonia, for which I am very lucky.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I’m very, very envious of your proximity to the national park formerly known as Snowdon.

The Forest of Dean is about 90 minutes by the time we’ve got stuck in traffic on the way to Gloucester, got around Gloucester, slogged it down the single carriageway road around the top of the Severn and got into the forest proper, so it’s do-able if we’re bored. Much quicker to get to the commons and beechwood, or what’s left of the wychwood or head down to the Avebury/stonehenge landscape.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

That's annoyingly slightly out of reach for such a cool place. Sounds like it's just far away enough to rule out for a relaxed day trip. These others all sound really nice actually, I've never heard of the Wychwood, I'm gonna research it.
Has Snowdonia changed its name? I went last year yet still missed that memo.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Wychwood is lovely (and has a great brewery nearby in Witney) - well worth a look in if you're in the area.

Snowdonia and the Brecons have been re-Cymraegified FWIW; though I doubt the new names will become part of the national consciousness for a while...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Both Snowdon and the Brecon Beacons have changed their names in the last few years.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1wj98yx5n4o

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Ah so it's switched to its Welsh name officially. I wholeheartedly back this decision, and it also means we don't have to change any road signs.
It's even possible to maintain crappy dad jokes, like "because it gets snowed-ON".
How would you visually represent a valley using just a letter? Er, with V? (Yr wyddfi).

... Ok, it needs work.

[–] FlyingSquid 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I wouldn't mind living in the south since that's where most of my family is, but I don't even know if the country I'll end up in will be England, because I'm applying all over the UK.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Any luck on the job front so far? Anything we can help with?

Which part of southern England does your family originate from?

[–] FlyingSquid 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Unless you can get me a job, I'm afraid there's no other help I need right now, but thank you.

My family is mostly in Bristol these days, although they are spread out a bit in the region, some in London and even one across the border in Swansea.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Wish I could get you a job, but I’m being made redundant at the end of next month myself so I wouldn’t recommend the employer!

Is there nothing around the Bristol area? When I was last job hunting about 6 years ago it seemed very busy there as the up and coming IT city.

[–] FlyingSquid 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I'm sorry to hear it! I'm not in IT though, I'm afraid. I'm in media- audio and video production and post. Not too many jobs available in Bristol doing that at the moment, and the ones that there are, I've applied for.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Isn't there a load of video production jobs round Manchester-ish, or have they all gone now?

Regardless, there's normally quite a bit of video work available across the M62 corridor (I used to do a lot of freelance video work for many years, and still do occasionally), you shouldn't need to suffer the horrors of going "Down South".

[–] FlyingSquid 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

If there are, I've applied for them. I go to every job site out there.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Bless you. You have my sympathies! I wish you luck!

[–] FlyingSquid 3 points 3 days ago