Although I live fairly close to a major one I am very much more of a Seaside / Beach & Countryside type (even from a young age)

No real surprises here this year, I think I commented on it last year...so figured why not again?

Any folks from around the WORLD thinking of visiting this GREAT Isle? well it might give you some ideas?
The Beauty about Great Britain (besides it being beautiful is that ALL of these PLACES are easy to visit with our wonderful island only measuring approx 800 miles in length including Scotland, leave out Scotland (and you shouldn't it's AMAZING!!!) and ALL of the rest here are within easy reach of a day's trip.

Not much has changed that I can see from last year but there are again, a few interesting results!

TOP 10

Pretty much as expected (THEY ARE NOT THE BIG CITIES of the UK bar just ONE really & that IS in SCOTLAND) they are all lovely (& for the most part smaller types) rural & with interesting things on display & they are...

1) YORK...Been plenty of times & it's still a joy, the shambles narrow street makes you feel like your back in OLD VICTORIAN England.
Cool KEEP (castle like structure) on a tall hill (don't worry there are steps leading to it)
You should take the delightful river trip cruise...Kingfishers a plenty (a lovely bird)
Cathedral & wall walks all add to the character of this place.

2) BATH
Haven't been here since a child but it has an old ROMAN BATHS which is second to none!

3) EDINBURGH...Well I can wholeheartedly recommend SCOTLAND although I have never properly visited this place.
We prefer the off beat tracks of Scotland, the little islands like IONA (Incredible...you take 2 ferries & a lovely smaller, quick ferry ride to the small island itself which is as picturesque as anything else worldwide) ARRAN is as they say like SCOTLAND in miniature with two very differing sides, should you ever head there explore the castle ruins!

4) CHESTER (not too far from us) & it is delightful.
River, Historic WALLS (along which you walk on around the city), Old Bandstand area (like in the cartoon TRUMPTON...well you just don't see these anymore in towns & cities) & some terrific Antique shops & if your in the area & heading there from MANCHESTER then you might want to stop at the AWESOME Huge RADIO TELESCOPE at 'JODRELL BANK' (I can only think that these places out there are not sending communication over the airways in this manner otherwise they'd have plenty to deceiver, then again maybe there is no one left on the likes of PLUTO to send any such signals)

5) DURHAM...Might this be because of the CASTLES & such like in the Area? yup we have a lot of Brilliant castles on this isle.

6) SALISBURY...in the news recently thanks to the RUSSIANS.

7) TRURO...Yes been down to Cornwall & Devon a number of times (a popular area for we Brits to head down to for obvious reasons)

CANTERBURY...Again, not been since I was a kid, PLENTY OF HISTORY to be found here.

9) WELLS

10) CAMBRIDGE.

I won't list ALL the rest here but OTHERS of INTEREST for differing reasons...

13) INVERNESS...Again in SCOTLAND & this Area is simply STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL, still haven't spotted NESSIE yet though

16) STOKE on TRENT...this was something of a surprise to me, especially being so high up the list.
Been through Stoke & wasn't overly impressed but perhaps it's the surrounding areas (even though it says it's the most favourite CITIES)

18) BRIGHTON...has always been popular with a variety of different people.
They really should FINALLY do something with that wreck of a 2nd pier resting in the sea!

22) LONDON!!!!
Commented on how surprised (or perhaps not really) that this was as low down as 22.
We can forgive the majority of so called BIG NAME CITIES (apart from EDINBURGH) not making the TOP 10 but 22nd!!!
This isn't so bad (it's not down in 40th or 60th) but I do think some have figured LONDON out thesedays?
It's incredibly EXPENSIVE, a basic terraced house (2 up 2 down) I think will set you back £300,000+ & that's on the outskirts of London.
Many of the people here now (not all I know) are well to do, professionals or Russians that have bought up much of the place! (At least LONDON is safe from any bombings from you know who )
LONDON just seems way too busy for people away from it, that having been said, it's hard to argue against the BRILLIANT TOURIST PLACES on OFFER, too many to mention actually but would I want to live in City Centre LONDON? not a chance!

23) NEWCASTLE...Big Surprise!
Perhaps many of those living here voted for it (only joking)
Being a FOOTBALL fan I've felt sorry for their fans for a long time now...an owner who offers them very little investment (the fun recent joke that got me laughing was that MIKE ASHLEY had bought someone called FRASER but it was a HOUSE.

24) NORWICH...never been.

27) MANCHESTER, ah Manchester but boy have you changed.
Not the old North West mill City of old, it's changed out of ALL RECONGNITION, I suppose it had too.
Has one GREAT classy Football Team (CITY) & one that used to be ok before they got a MOAN-RINHO person in there.
SALFORD KEYS is amazing!
The CITY centre has changed much since I was a young boy/teen in the 1980's.
And keep it quiet but it seems this place is the most up & coming CITY to live in...I just don't want it being turned into another LONDON!!!
The people here (for the most part) are salt of the earth, friendly & good people (just like me )

28) LIVERPOOL
Pheww we pipped them, wouldn't want to live there but LIVERPOOL is a GREAT place to visit with PLENTY again of interest.

29) PLYMOUTH...A nice naval city.

30) CARDIFF (After St David's which is superb) the only other Welsh City to make it in the Top 30.
35) BRISTOL...Popular with Students!

CITIES not as popular...

40) LEEDS...been to Leeds years ago & left me cold.
41) NOTTINGHAM...Yup ROBIN HOOD's home but at the moment it's getting a bad reputation & probably needs a SHERIFF here (if not one by the name of Nottingham )
44) Sheffield...it's a shame many of these in the lower places are to be found in the NORTH & MIDLANDS regions.
47) Birmingham...anyone not living in Birmingham would understand this placing, it's almost become the place you pass through to get somewhere else & I always smile when hearing it's England's 2nd capital, yeah right!
50) Leicester, it may be low down but it does have some nice areas & one GREAT PLACE...THE SPACE CENTRE, if your a space fan or have kids or are a SPACE FAN & HAVE KIDS give it a go, it's a great day out & like Jodrell Bank it has a PLANTARIUM which features a great MOVIE SHOW (well when we last went there)

We then get to the lower placed CITIES mentioned & you have to feel a little sorry for them but the people in these CITIES will probably know different & again it's no surprise really that these are located in the MIDLANDS (Birmingham Area) & up there in the NORTH EAST...

Hey British GOVERNMENT...it's NOT all about LONDON you know
Get some of that money INVESTED in places like these...

COVENTRY, WOLVES, BRADFORD, SUNDERLAND & HULL are all heading south of 50th place.

An interesting list but they'll be places even those listed down from even these just above...it's about finding these places & hopefully improving (if they can?) these places.

Needless to say....THE FUTURE will be very different, it may well be that people throughout the world may gather in one or two mega cities at some stage (something right out of a JUDGE DREDD comic) but I hope not...

It's my hope that somehow, some way, I am able to properly retire in a nice quiet coastal or countryside area.

And with that i'm off to the SEASIDE....BLACKPOOL has had some nice improvements of late & is always a FUN place to visit.

What was I saying?

The Manchester Region...keep it quiet, it's an up & coming Area!

Well those of us in & around this area already knew this...much DEVELOPMENT in & around the area & we knew that prices had been on the UP for some time but I noticed LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION returned last night on Channel 4 & where did they head off too in this first programme?

Yup MANCHESTER...

It seems the secret is out, in fact, I was KO'd be some of the house prices here...

In SALE (got a family member that lives here) which is on the outskirts region of Manchester, they found for a nice young couple a good reasonably sized house but I wasn't even sure it was a Semi Detached House, needed some work but it was way over £300,000, what!!!!!
Shocked! wish I could GO BACK IN TIME

Even property quiet a bit further out from Manchester, in the Bolton region were fetching almost £200,000!!!!

These prices compared to LONDON are nothing like, thankfully, but I remember not too long ago a house in SALE could be picked up for £150,000...now it's DOUBLE!!!

Maybe Manchester & it's surrounding close by Regions is becoming the new LONDON, it was mentioned interest & prices had increased far more than LONDON...but WHY? ARGHHH

Folks are going to get priced out of another MAJOR CITY in Great Britain & any chance of buying a decent house or even a 2 up 2 down might be out of reach to most of us!!!

No wonder we have now become a country of mainly RENTERS.

Still a TRULY Beautiful Island group of Countries (ENGLAND, WALES, SCOTLAND & Northern Ireland) although I also LOVE Ireland being as my family originally came from here.

We are (for the most part) still a GENUINE, HONEST to GOOD type of people...perhaps one of the NICEST, OPEN & FRIENDLY types in THE WORLD (especially up NORTH & in SCOTLAND) it's a SHAME we are removing ourselves from the EU, it didn't have to be so but quiet frankly when those in charge there TREAT YOU WITH DISTAIN & NEVER LISTENED to US...then it was time to very sadly EXIT.

The EU may well work out (they'll struggle just as we if there is no deal but should that be the case so be it, we'll be OK)

When you have EU leaders & folks unelected making MAJOR choices that not just we but others did not like & they wouldn't even discuss it then those are conditions we could not live with (well some of us) but it shouldn't have been so.

Like I said previously the guy who dropped us in this mess & has retired with his pipe & slippers, ex prime minister David Cameron went CAP IN HAND to the EU asking for a few deals to help him persuade folks back in the UK to vote to stay in...

THE EU sent him AWAY with his tail between his legs...they gave him NOTHING...fairly STUPID by the EU & they're leaders (Juncker & Barnier) seems quiet silly by them now don't it?

Now we have BREXIT...going well isn't it?

Well, at least we still have a GOOD & (mainly) HONEST (away from the politicians) People & a superbly HISTORIC group of Countries here but as for Manchester. hmm couldn't you go to Birmingham or Newcastle or somewhere else?

Good Programme though.