GRIM UP NORTH?

Newcastle, Alnwick, Hexham, Carlisle - there are plenty of exciting places to live in the north of England, but Easington's not one of them.

According to many independent studies, Easington comes out pretty much at the bottom of the list.

Inside Out takes Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper back to the place where he was born to find out why the residents love it anyway.

What a reputation!

Recent health, wealth and social indicator polls of local authority areas placed Easington right at the bottom, as the second worst place to live in the UK.

Over the last three years Easington has hit the headlines for an unenviable run of "worst" titles - most people on sickness benefits, worst obesity rate (at a massive 22 per cent above the national average) and poorest pensioners.

Easington fact file

Easington is located in County Durham in the North East of England.

The main towns in the district are Easington, Peterlee and Seaham.

Easington provided the backdrop for award-winning film Billy Elliot.

Easington was once a thriving mining community but since the pit closure unemployment is high.

Only 37% of pupils leaving school in Easington attain five or more GCSEs.

Easington is home to four of the oldest churches in the country.

Easington was once a thriving mining community, but since the closure of the pits unemployment is high.

The local population have much lower incomes than the national average, which might have something to do with the fact that almost half of Easington's school-leavers have no qualifications.

Only 37% of pupils leaving school in Easington attain five or more GCSEs and there is also a high rate of teenage pregnancy, all of which is contributing to a not-very-positive outlook indeed.

Life expectancy is also significantly lower than the national average due to one of the highest rates of smoking, both in County Durham and nationally.

Mental health problems are also prevalent, with 30 per cent more need for related services than anywhere else outside London.

All of these problems have contributed to some of the cheapest housing in Britain, which is great for a bargain, but not so great unless you don't mind living in the most deprived Local Authority in the North East.

On the bright side

Looking at the statistics it's easy to get carried away but the truth is that Easington does have its share of good points to counteract the bad.

Lifestyle polls aside, Easington is best known as the backdrop to the award-winning film "Billy Elliot" - it seems the positive publicity has kick-started the town into changing its image.

Since the film came out Easington Council have been striving to further improve the town's public image.

Steve Harper's view

"I'm fed up of hearing it's one of the worst places in Britain - how we're fat, thick, benefit scroungers... I'm proud of the place."

There's the Pride in Easington Programme and Liveability Fund, tackling some of the environmental and community safety issues that have plagued the town in recent years.

As part of a £300m regeneration project, Easington Council has done everything from installing new high-tech computer kiosks to help residents report everything from dog fouling to missing persons, to revamping the sea front and coast.

Residents say that the area had its fair share of problems when the pits closed 15 years ago, but there's now a new optimism with modern housing developments, major coastal improvements and new schools with state-of-the-art facilities.

Easington has also been the breeding ground for many sporting stars including football heroes Richard Ord, Paul Kitson and Newcastle United goalkeeper Steve Harper.

Harper is upset by criticism of the town and is at pains to talk it up:

"It's got fantastic beaches, a great community and most importantly some lovely people".

Heritage and nature

Among other visitor attractions is the beautiful Castle Eden Dene National Nature Reserve, situated nearby among the 11 miles of the Country Durham Heritage Coast which falls within Easington's boundaries.

Easington's coast is stunning and bursting with wildlife

Historically, Easington is one of the oldest county settlements in Britain and home to four of the oldest churches in the country, including St Marys the Virgin where Lewis Carroll met the Alice he wrote Alice in Wonderland for.

Easington also has strong historical ties with the Royal family thanks to the 12th century Dalden Tower at Dalton-le-Dale, which was passed into Royal hands when Sir Jordan of Dalden's granddaughter Matilda married William De Bowes in 1375.

There's also the Grade I listed Seaton Holme building, which was once used by Queen Elizabeth I to decree that two Easington rebels who had signed allegiance to Mary, Queen of Scots, should be put to death.

Have your say...

Despite a low crime rate and some attractive coastline, Easington doesn't seem to rank very highly with the experts.

But what would you do if your town kept coming out bottom in the national lifestyle polls - would you move or stay put?

Perhaps you live somewhere in the north of England which has an undeserved reputation and poor image?

Proud of his town - Steve Harper in Easington

Places which have suffered in the past from negative stereotypes include many former industrial communities such as Blyth, Consett, Ashington, and Hartlepool.

And towns such as Middlesbrough with its 'smoggie' image and Gateshead with its inner city slums have traditionally scored poorly in lifestyle polls.

We want to hear from you if you live in any of these towns - are things changing for the better?

Your Comments

I was once a resident of Easington, but like so many of my generation I moved away to find work elsewhere.

I haven't seen your programme but my mam told me about it this morning. I too am very fed up with the publicity that Easington gets. It's seems that the media grasp onto something and they pan it into the ground.

There are some success stories, a lot of people like Gina McKee and the people featured on your programme have come good.

I've attached a poem I wrote about the Coalfield and how it is now. I realise that it's too late but thought you might be interested anyway - it will be included in a Forward Press publication later this year titled British Isle Poets.

Living proof that Easington still feeds my soul even after 20 years away, so it can't be that bad!

PEACE IN THE COALFIELD
Where the whirring of the pulley
Or the metallic grate of the aerial flight?
Where the precious black gold
Unceremoniously ripped from this verdant pasture?
Twenty years have idled by, since last we stood on this spot
Now the silence is broken only by
The crashing of the endless tide
And the cries of the voracious birds resting on the cliffs.
Yet yonder rests a man-made hill made from slag and waste,
And a beach still black as the cormorant that has returned to nest.
The lift shaft wheel now a decorative symbol,
Where a worker can fill his cup with yesterday.
No longer do men trudge in line down the street
Dragging their feet to their next shift
Their "bait" tucked firmly under their arm,
Dreading the weary, wet and wasted hours ahead.
For here today lies the bruised remains of a once vociferous giant,
Heralded as a perfect industrial example.
Yet Nature brings her own cathartic frisson.
Now all that's left is peace.

Lisa Garside