City of Teesside

Jimstewart said:
Yeah fair enough. I just don’t think anywhere on Teesside not just Middlesbrough has anything about it that suggests it should be considered a city. It wants to try being a half decent town first.
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Only speaking for myself obviously - and you'll know from the other thread that I'm a staunch and proud Yorkshireman - but "Teesside" means absolutely nothing to me - I have no affinity to it at all, and if I'm honest, I'm not even sure what it is
 
TeaCider said:
Have you seen some of the places that have been given city status?

St Davids has less than 2,000 people.
St Asaph has just over 3,000.
Closer to us, just look at Ripon.

I doubt they have much in the way of infrastructure either.

Then, there's your own example of Sunderland, any criticism of Middlesbrough can equally be laid at them.
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I also take your point that some tiny places are given city status which you never think would be.
But let’s be honest here when people think of a city in the north they think Newcastle or Leeds. In the north west they think Liverpool or Manchester. In the midlands they think Birmingham. South west they think Bristol. Wales they think Cardiff and south east London.
When you fancy a city break you don’t say to your lass let’s book Ripon up sharpish. Ask anyone from down south if they think Sunderland is a city. They would think you are off your t*ts.
 
El Guapo said:
Thing is, if the Teesside area of Stockton/Boro/Billog/thornaby could get city status, as Teesside city or whatever, then the joined up thinking of having 1 city authority or council rather than separate councils would surely lead to creation of a singular proper city centre and ‘zoning’ and bring in more investment and attractions. Might take time but would evolve.
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Yes from me - and the above post is close to my reasons why
I would hope it would make sense economically and benefit everyone over time
 
Jimstewart said:
I also take your point that some tiny places are given city status which you never think would be.
But let’s be honest here when people think of a city in the north they think Newcastle or Leeds. In the north west they think Liverpool or Manchester. In the midlands they think Birmingham. South west they think Bristol. Wales they think Cardiff and south east London.
When you fancy a city break you don’t say to your lass let’s book Ripon up sharpish. Ask anyone from down south if they think Sunderland is a city. They would think you are off your t*ts.
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Didn't it used to be something to do with having a Cathedral.

EDIT: not any longer apparently

commonslibrary.parliament.uk

What makes a city?

This Insight examines how a place becomes a city, whether ceremonial and local government structures signify a city status, and how city status can be lost.
commonslibrary.parliament.uk commonslibrary.parliament.uk
 
TeessideCleveland said:
Yes from me - and the above post is close to my reasons why
I would hope it would make sense economically and benefit everyone over time
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It seems to me that you have different types of cities . The likes York and Bath and Chester that have obviousl historical feels to them. Liverpool, Glasgow and Newcastle built on industrial rivers that have turned into vibrant modern cities with great nightlife and student population. Then you’ve got little ones like Ripon that are really just market towns. You’ve obviously got the odd chitpit like Sunderland as well. No idea how that happened.
I fear we would fall into the Sunderland category.
 
TeaCider said:
Have you seen some of the places that have been given city status?

St Davids has less than 2,000 people.
St Asaph has just over 3,000.
Closer to us, just look at Ripon.

I doubt they have much in the way of infrastructure either.

Then, there's your own example of Sunderland, any criticism of Middlesbrough can equally be laid at them.
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Ripon?

Beautiful part of the world.

Absolutely no way comparable to Middlesbrough.
 
No.

No way can the area of Middlesbrough be considered a city.

Some will say it should because equally less deserving areas have been granted "City" status. Two wrongs don't make a right.
 
I’ve no idea on who decides if you get city status or not but if they come here and get off the choo choo in a station that Newton aycliffe would turn its nose up at have a walk up a derilict Albert Road and turn right past a closed BHS and Debenhams they can have a tour of the beautiful bus station where a butcher sells fresh meat next door to the men’s bogs. On exiting the bus station they could stroll up a semi deserted captain cooks square and onwards towards the pub formerly known as the shipmate where the vista is one of half demolished houses and six stone women with more eyes than teeth. Swing a left down past the old Jack Hatfields and the derelict ABC they can go towards the two streets that have managed to breath some life into the place baker and Bedford .
They then go through the delights of the dundas arcade past last orders back door where 6 regulars are ten pints in before dinner time sharing the same fag.
They probably won’t be able to through the front of the station to get their train coz that’s been shut for donkeys so will either have to go in the side way up dozens of stairs or around the back where they can take in whatever the bongo is these days. Then they go back to the smoke and grant city status.
 
Jimstewart said:
Wouldn’t whoever decides whether you can be a city or not want at least some of that in place before it happens. I mean would you give city status to a town that has Gresham yards from its centre? Would you give city status to a town that has a railway station that’s no better than Hartlepool’s?
Would you give city status to a town that greets its incoming visitors by rail with the view of the toothless patrons of last orders on their third pint by 10 am? Would you give city status to a town and its council that’s spent the majority of the last 50 years systematically demolishing the majority of decent buildings the place had to offer?
Not sure I would.
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You just described; Liverpool.
 
Same_as_before said:
You just described; Liverpool.
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To an extent. The Albert Dock is fantastic we have nothing that is comparable. Our Cathedral was torched theirs are tourist attractions even the one that was bombed in the war
St George’s Hall is amazing from the courtrooms to the cells and the amazing grand hall. We would probably have found a way to demolish it for a flyover just like Wilson st . Pubs like they philharmonic have been cherished in Liverpool whereas here the Shakespeare is a closed amusement arcade , the masham sells trainers and the welly is awful. The only saving grace has been the regeneration of the Zetland. Lime st is on a different level to the disgrace that we call a station and the city centre in Liverpool boasts all of the high st big names. The Liver building and all of the architectural heritage has been preserved whereas here where the opera house stood we have then oven. Where the bodega, the Brunswick and the royal exchange stood we have a flyover. Where the odean stood we have a car park. The infirmary arch remains and the rest replaced by a monstrous Aldi. It’s criminal. But the two places are in no way comparable where city status is concerned.
Before the regeneration of Liverpool happened there was still a lot to work with. I don’t see that here.
 
The Albert dock wasn’t always fantastic though was it? No reason why with city status and joined up thinking we couldn’t develop into a great city - gotta start somewhere though.

edit: and I hear what you’re saying about other buildings etc and the A66 route was criminal really, but there’s no reason we couldn’t develop into a modern city going forward.
 
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El Guapo said:
The Albert dock wasn’t always fantastic though was it? No reason why with city status and joined up thinking we couldn’t develop into a great city - gotta start somewhere though.
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No it wasn’t but it was there to regenerate. This place has been lost for generations. Even Hartlepool did something with their marina and the headland is still a community supporting at least half a dozen original pubs shops and cafes.
over the border is nothing, just wasteland and small industrial units. Middlesbrough dock is nothing. Middlehaven has been a joke for 25 years.
The town as had its character destroyed by successive councils for donkeys years and the same can be said for Stockton. Billingham town centre is an eyesore, the remnants of the Golden Eagle still tower over Thornaby and Redcar is the seaside ton they forgot to close down.
It’s a crying shame. It’s also a million miles from what could ever be described as a city.
 
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