We Are Teesside

Wage levels, obesity, deprivation. There's no shortage of statistics that suggest Teesside is struggling, but are they telling the whole story?

Andrew H
The University in the centre of Middlesbrough is a fantastic educational establishment, its a shame most of the people who go there are not from the boro! With the exception of the main shopping centre, which has tried to be rejuvenated, the town is a dump. The majority of the people there don't actually want to work or even learn! The youth are not interested in being pro-active, they'd just rather hang around loitering and harassing "normal" folk and making “ends meat” by any which way they can, legal or otherwise. If the same amount of money was spent on improving the town as is given to those on the “claimed” unemployment, childcare and benefit's schemes the place could be much better than it is, sadly, this will never happen as those people who write up the statistics and the reports for the southern government don’t actually care that a once good town is in dis-array AND the populous does not help itself in any way to rectify this by its lacksidasicle approach to life. Most people of the North East are passionate and proud of their area, I ask what smoggies have to be proud about anymore? Our northern industry is immense, in reputation and quality, but all of the jobs in the area are full, and there’s nothing that is being done, or can be done, to resolve this, either from the governments point of view as they have other more pressing issues to attend to, or the general public’s point of view as they are too happy to sit and wait for somebody ELSE to get up and do something for them, and as a prime example, take a look at one of the other headline stories on this homepage!! The art of the Sickie!! What does an article like that, on a major national website say about the area?! I leave you to ponder………………

smogmonster
The longer people from south of watford keep thinking this is what it is like the better We need to keep the jewels of the north as secret as long as we can

Dominic
Teesside rocks. Shut up.

Rik
Its a dump! I lived on Teesside for 7 years and had culture shock it was so backwards. I do however think its unfair to put all the blame on Middlesbrough and Hartlepool while skipping out Stockton and Redcar - lets face it the whole of Teesside is a dump.

not telling cos i work there
Unfortunately i work in boro and i have to agree it really is a nasty place, not only the building's but the people really are a different breed, the easiest way to sort it out would be to drop a big bomb right in the middle of it.

Steve
One must remember a vital point about Middlesbrough and Teesside in general, the local authorities be they Teesside, Cleveland , Middlesbrough or the unitary authorities have been promising us better times just round the corner since the 1970s, and it never gets any better, I watched with great hope as City Challenge millions got poured into areas only 15 years ago, those refurbished areas are now derelect. Heck the Borough and Redcar councils could not even sort out a by pass road without messing it up.Middlesbrough reflects the state of the lower tees valley in general, thats why so many folks desperately try to associate themselves with North Yorks and Durham rather than be associated with Teesside. I remember the leader on one local authority stating proudly that he would build on every green bit of land in the valley if it would create jobs, and its that narrow minded outlook that has left a once beautiful valley looking like it has been nuked.

steve
Mayor Mallon tries to defend Middlesbrough but he waht to fltten half of it he can not have it both ways.The town centre a dump.

Emma
Boro is ok but there is room for improvment. I have seen better but i have seen worst. But instead of complaining baout it they should try to make it better!

stuart
The place is mess it is in its right place it really neads sorting out

Richard
Born in Middlesbrough but been living overseas for 18 years. I come back to The Boro every few years. I have to say that in my previous visits, not much had changed in town. But my last visit in September I did see signs of improvement. If we do something on the Tees like what Newcastle/Gateshead have done along the Tyne, there could be potential. But governments and councils must be pushed to get this through. Progress is all too slow I'm afraid. Too many excuses, hold ups and red tape.

Harry Newbould
I feel anger - We don't most beautiful town nor the ugliest but there are many good things the show failed to mention, or probably more to the point the researchers conveniently saw fit to leave out. Its a good job we've got broad shoulders because we get this from the southern hacks every time the Boro sign a good foreign player. "Why would he want to go there? etc" Middlesbrough people are very proud of the area and there will be angry but dignified responses to this 'show'. I am delighted that we are left to enjoy this area, the longer the area is perceived like this, the less knockers will want to visit. The Cleveland Hills,our coastline, our friendly and self effacing people, our mighty River Tees and our wonderful history sum up Middlesbrough beautifully..

Harry
It may be scruffy but parmos are the way forward

T.S Elliot
In response to these comments i have a few observations: The 'ghost ship' controversy has nothing to do with middlesbrough the proposed dismanteling of the US 'Ghost ships' was to take place in hartlepool and the mines where the chemical waste has been proposed to be dumped is under the old ICI plant in billingham. This isn't middlesbrough this is teeside and the neighbouring areas. The obesity gibe aswell is ridiculous obesity is endemic throughout the uk not just middlesbrough. as far as education is concerned i'm a university student studying english at Newcastle i have a friend hoping to study medicine at glasgow, my cousins are at hull and sheffield studying philosophy and music, and my brothers choir were runners up at the final of the BBC choir of the year award. Historically speaking teesides trying to recover from an economic backlog when i was a kid i remember coal gas silos on stockton riverfront now its accomodation for durham university and i'm only eighteen. Teeside still has a long way to come but it's always going to be my home

Steve
The whole area is a dump, in one place they are scrapping toxic ships from the US, in another they are planning on using the old mines to dump waste, recently another tees town was voted the dirtiest in the UK, Reports over recents years say the area has the cheapest crack cocaine, most child prostitutes, its got rampant crime, the only culture in the area grows on petry dishes, the city centres are a hotch potch of poor design chosen by councillors who clearly have no idea of good taste. If you are in the town centres on a night to you try to party you try to survive, Then just look at the results of the schools, the state of many of the residential areas, the abysmal transport network. Yup the survey is spot on.

TIM
ITS AN ABSOLUTE DIVE MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT.THE BEST THING OUT OF IT IS THE A19.FULL OF SMACKHEADS,AND FOREIGNERS.CANT STAND THE SMOGGIES

Irving Washington
That sounds a pretty fair judgement to me. After Stockton, Middlesbrough's got to be the worst town centre in the North East. If you don't wear trainers and hoody, you will feel over-dressed. The streets, speckled by chewing gum, give out the message "we don't really care". The whole aim of the transport policy is to make life too difficult to even think of getting into the town centre. And how do you tackle obesity if the favourite dish, indoors or outdoors, is a Gregg's pasty or a "parmo" ?Motto - "Middlesbrough - you'll need a shower after visiting it"

Linds, Middlesbrough
It really annoys me when things like this happen. Maybe Middlesbrough isn't the greatest place in the world but it's certainly improving! I moved here in 2005 and I've seen a lot of regeneration in the town centre and there are plans for more.Labelling places like this just makes it more difficult to improve as people will stick to their preconceptions. It's unhelpful and unnecessary.

Teresa Adams
Funnily enough I visited Middlesborough for the first time ever last Saturday with my husband and 17 year old son, to look at Teeside University and the town as well, where my son may spend the next 3-4 years. We were so impressed! We spoke to staff and students at the University who were proud of their acheivements in the past and of their plans for the future. In the shops staff were friendly, helpful and positive. We saw plenty of regeneration, new modern buildings and fantastic facilities for the University and the town. We saw big names in both financial and high street investors,and came away with nothing but a strong, positive outlook on Middlesborough. This is a town that appears to be really going places.

Dave Lawson
Yes it is the truth, honest!! Tell this to all the southerners and keep them in the dirty overcrowded Southern towns and cities so we can live in the clean peaceful North.

Thomas Crellin
I have been all over the country and have seen much worse places than the boro. When i was liverpool and london these places where much more run down than boro. I think its just southerners been awkward.

Harry Campbell
It is just another silly survey by people who do not have anything else to do. How many people were involved in this "In Depth" survey and where were they from? Had they all been to Middlesbrough ? Some town will always be picked for this dubious award but the folk from Middlesbrough are more resolute and humourous than most and will treat this with the contempt it deserves. Ditto Hartlepool.

Newy
Well I'm from Nottingham, and live in Middlesbrough - but I lived in Bournemouth, Dorchester and Weymouth which are in supposedly 'beautiful' Dorset. I would much prefer to live in Middlesbrough, more to do and friendlier people.