Have you lived in or visited England? Tell us about it!
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria County, ENGLAND (UK) (Europe) — April 2018 — Barrow-in-Furness is a large seaside town located in the county of Cumbria in the North West of England. People who live here are primarily working class, many work at the BAE Systems which work to create ships and submarines. There are plenty of job opportunities here for those who work in manual labour. The town is modest and simple, shopping is easy with most big brand supermarkets, clothes shops and a quaint market in the town centre. However, since living here a lot of the shops, pubs and bars have closed down, but small businesses are always popping up here and there. Speaking of pubs and bars, there are still plenty to choose from. Nightlife in Barrow is busy, but can get rowdy at times. For the most part it is nice living in Barrow, although there are some rough areas in the town such as Ormsgill and the place does have some problems with drug abuse and littering. There are lots of nice places to go for walks around Barrow and with it being situated in the South Lakes district it is practically on the doorstep of fantastic countryside scenery with plenty of activities and places to explore.
Feltham, Middlesex County, ENGLAND, United Kingdom (Europe) — April 2018 — The name of the town that I am currently living in is called Feltham. It is located in Outer London and is in the county of Middlesex, it is also located in the United Kingdom, more specifically England. Living in Feltham is peaceful, in the sense that no one bothers you or causes you any grief. If you are an outgoing individual, it can be quite easy to make friends however if you are not it can be difficult because individuals here prefer you initiating contact and not them. It is quite easy for you to move around London as you are very close to the train station which offer services for both London and out of London. Living in Feltham means that you are 15mins away from Heathrow airport which means easy access to travelling to different countries as you could just hop on a bus to the airport. What I like about Feltham is that all the shops are close by and if you are a single person it wouldn’t be hard for you to get your necessities. Also, if you are a firm christian believer there are quite a lot of churches within the area to tend to your needs. However, if you are from other faiths you will have to travel to Hounslow for more choices. There is a variety of schools around that would be good if you have kids, both faiths and non-faith schools. There is a community centre that sometimes has community activities for all to participate in which allows you to meet others in the area. Doctors and Library is quite close by which means that in most cases you don’t really need to leave Feltham to get what you need. What I don’t like about Feltham is that it is too close to the airport which means there is a lot of noise pollution. People here can be a bit stuck up at times and I feel they are only friendly in the summer months and grumpy in winter. I’ll blame the English weather for that. It also has a reputation for housing the young offenders prison and when you mention Feltham to people they would be like ‘ oh thats where the teenage prison is’. There is a lovely park that have been upgraded about two years ago by Hounslow council but you have those people that does not appreciate anything and broke one of the key play structure there. There is a running track so if you are into fitness there is a lot of places to work out including a 24hours gym. There are a lot of places to eat but these are mostly less high end and more commercial brands such as McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Dominos Pizza, Nando’s and much more. More about Feltham is that it house two ponds which is lovely for the kids but can be smelly at times because there are so Many ducks there.
Mirfield, Kirklees, West Yorkshire, ENGLAND (UNITED KINGDOM) (Europe) — March 2018 — It’s a small parish village that’s mostly rural. It’s the first fairtrade town in Kirklees. I like it because it’s not highly populated, but it’s a bit boring. We have a lot of farms, a small town center with a few cafes and shops and it dosen’t take that long to get anywhere. It’s nearby to Cleckheaton, Brighouse, Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Leeds. Businesses and charities organize a lot of agricultural events here and it’s always good to visit the markets to buy locally farmed produce. The maughns bakery chain makes really good teacakes and other baked products. I have lived here since around the age of 2, only leaving since to do three years of studying. The town has not changed much at all in that time. The shops in the town center are almost exactly the same from the local PC repair shop, to the toy store that’s just on the outskirts of the town. Cycling and hiking are popular sports here and a lot of people partaking in such hobbies can be found. There’s lots of nice bridleways to cycle on and walk dogs which are rather popular and flooded with people in the summer.
Leigh, Lancashire, ENGLAND (UNITED KINGDOM), Europe – March 2018 — The town I live in is Leigh. It is based in Lancashire in North West of England. I enjoy living in this town as it is well-populated with a lot of things to do. For example, we have cinema and plenty of gyms. In addition to this we have lots of supermarkets including, 2 Asda, 2 Aldi, Sainsburys, Tesco, Lidl and Morrisons, therefore there is lots to choose from. I feel that the town is always expanding as there are always new building projects occurring whether that is either shopping or entertainment or new-build houses. In terms of nightlife, it has a range of pubs and bars, however, I feel that they cater more for the younger audience. I would prefer more sophisticated cocktail bars and clubs that offer alternative music than the current chart music. Over the years, the town has expanded in terms of population, shopping and housings. A very long time ago we had a train station, however, this was taken down many years before my arrival. Having said that, last year a new bus system was created that travels directly to Manchester, cutting bus journey’s time by over a half. From this, I feel we have a good transport network system.
Paddock Wood, ENGLAND (UNITED KINGDOM) — January 17, 2018 — I grew up in rural South East England. I was born in 1965 in the tiny town of Paddock Wood. My father took a train to London every afternoon and worked overnight, coming home in the morning. My mother used to joke that the town looked like a wild west town. It had one main street that terminated in an ornate train station. All the shops were one story high and independent. There were few people. She said that all it was missing was the tumbleweed and the music. Beyond the town the fields stretched for miles. My mother used to push me around the countryside in a stroller. We covered miles. The first words I learned were “sheep” and “duck”. When I was a bit older I started to explore on my own. I got a bicycle when I was seven and I used to explore the meandering country roads and the big apple orchards. I attended the local elementary school and made some friends. I became obsessed with pop music by age eight and would sing hits by David Bowie and Slade on my way to school each morning.
In 1975 my parents moved to another small local town but I got to go back to Paddock Wood a lot in the eighties. When my grandfather passed away my grandmother moved into a senior home in …. Paddock Wood, and as a newly registered driver I got the job of picking her up on a Sunday morning and taking her home in the evening. When my father got a new car in 1982 that had a radio in it I was so happy because I could play loud music on the way home after dropping her off. I have only been back to Paddock Wood once or twice in the last twenty years. A lot has changed. There are a lot more people but it feels empty without my grandmother. Many of the fields are gone, given over to new development but at night it is still at heart a tiny rural town and after the last train has left the station you can almost see the tumbleweed drift past.