Why I buzz off Teesside, and why you should too.

People from Teesside don't always have the best things to say about where they live. I personally have many good things to say about our little patch. When I was younger I was definitely not as passionate about the Tees as I am now. It's hard to understand what you've actually got in your town when you're young as you don't have the freedom to explore. My nights were spent on MSN or roaming the streets. I can see how I'd never find Teesside interesting when those were my pastimes.

Now that I'm older and I've had the chance to explore Teesside, as well as many other cities in the UK, I can see the greatness we have here in the North East. Forget all the big busy cities, Teesside is where it's at.



In cities, I always get so irritated by how busy it is. So many people, so many cars, never getting anywhere and always feeling so squished in public transport. When I'm in Teesside I enjoy the quiet. Don't get me wrong, on a Saturday in Middlesbrough centre you can find me getting irate, but it's nothing as bad as being on Oxford Street or in Trinity Leeds.

Fair enough in comparison to cities, we may not have the most popular shops or common chain eateries but what we do have is creativity and entrepreneurship. The wealth of independent retail outlets and restaurants we have makes our area so very unique. So what you have a Byron and a Zizzi's, have you tried a Mohujos' Burrito, Songbird Bakery's cupcakes or Cena's amazing pizzas? No! Well, get yourself to the North ASAP.

If we ever do happen to be treated to a chain restaurant/store, you can bet we'll be super excited about it. Everyone in cities has everything at their fingertips.

When you've ventured up here you can stay and enjoy the fantastic views. Yes yes, I hear you, we have a lot of industry and to some people this can be ugly, but take a look in a different direction and you see wonderful greenery or the beautiful North sea. Teesside boasts some great seaside locations including Saltburn which frequently gets 'yarn bombed', Seaton Carew, Hartlepool and Redcar. Once you've indulged in a lemon top near the sea you can then hop in the car for twenty minutes and reach the North Yorkshire Moors.

Take a trip up Roseberry Topping or pop up to see Captain Cook's monument. Once you reach their summit you'll get some amazing vibrant views of the local area and farmlands. It's truly stunning and you'd never realise you were so close to Teesside. Although dog walkers and hikers are usually a friendly bunch, the people of Teesside are always pleasant people to be around so you'll definitely find you start up a conversation wherever you go.



On Teesside, we're not shy of fancy places for a night away or a tasty meal. Wynyard Hall is probably one of the most well-known Northern county homes but we've got some other gems including Crathorne Hall, Hardwick Hall and the most recent addition to the bunch, Acklam Hall which was previously an old school.





I must not forget to mention the two aspects of Teesside which really sell it. That has to be Middlesbrough F.C and the parmo. People in Middlesbrough have a real passion for the Boro. You have to admire the Boro's fighting spirit to get back into the Premier League and of course, their heavy partying the night after. Northerners know how to get on it, that's all I'll say. When you've had a hard night the only thing that will make it all better is a parmo.

What's a parmo you ask? A parmo is a Middlesbrough delicacy which involves deep frying a chicken breast covered in breadcrumbs, slathering it in bechamel sauce then covering it with cheese and sitting it under the grill to make it oozy and gooey. When it's done and you're ready to have it with the usual chips, salad and garlic sauce. You can't have it without garlic sauce, it's like an unwritten rule...

I'll finish this post by mentioning the area's enthusiasm. Okay in recent months we've not had the best of times, but I think the majority of us are always looking for the positive. There may have been a loss but there is now room for a number of opportunities.

We've got so much to offer which I think people from outside the area, and sometimes locals,
don't realise. I'm always so keen to buzz about Teesside and get people to come and experience it. I think when you visit you'll definitely have a change of heart about the area.
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