Norwich is a backwater of a place and difficult to get to

[fire3822 0]

I think Steve Bruce was being sincere in his sentiment but chose the wrong words.I too live in Kent,in Canterbury which is in many respects very similar to Norwich having a Cathedral,castle,lots of medieval  streets with a vibrant cosmopolitan feel about it etc only a lot smaller.Norwich can be difficult to get to depending on which way you go (I have been caught in several miles of tailbacks caused by a traction engine on the road before) & you have to make a conscious effort to get to Norwich as it''s not on the road to any other main cities for example but it has a charm & sophistication that is addictive.I''ve supported Norwich since the mid seventies & come to Norwich not just for the football but to bring my wife & kids up to stay on other occasions for the shopping,pubs & particularly for Pedro''s Mexican restaurant which we all love.It has always amazed me that you can drive for miles through very rural areas to then be confronted by a massive city.Don''t be angry with Mr Bruce but instead be proud that you live in one of the two best cities in the country.

[Puzzy magnet 0]

[quote user="7rew"][quote user="Big Dog "]

"Finally I have lived here in the North West for 19 years and so long as you pick the right areas to live (true of anywhere in the country) it is a marvellous area to live with major Cities, stunning sceneray on the doorstep and excellent airlinks with the rest of the world."

Erm, which "cities" would those be? Lmao.

 

[/quote]

Manchester.  Liverpool.  You may have heard of them.

I''m amazed anyone is arguing against the hard to get to bit.  It is just a FACT.
[/quote]

I''ve heard of them. I''ve even had the misfortune of going to them every now and then - as football dictates. To class them as great cities is laughable. New York they ain''t.

 

[Leedscanary 337]

I made the journey from Leeds to Norwich last Friday afternoon to attend the Pups meet on Friday night, then the Wycombe game on Saturday.

I can honestly say the worst part of the drive was from Leeds on the A1 to Doncaster. A trip that should take 45 mins, took 90 mins due to to volume of traffic and 50 mile an hour average speed traps.

I had no problems at all on the A17 or the A47 apart from the gatso''s - there seemed to be plenty of overtaking opportunities as and when I needed them.

The journey back, I left Norwich Airport Park and Ride at 6.30 on Saturday night, and was home in Leeds by 10.30.

[pete_norw 0]

[quote user="*Superflash*"]I too found Bruce''s comments a little silly, it''s really not that difficult to get to at all.IT might be a little long in terms of distance, but anybody with a brain can take a look at a road map or a train journey planner.

And not to mention our own international airport that also has domestic flights all over the country, perhaps he is afraid of flying

[CiderkiddCanary 0]

If they would just go round Elveden ..

[SwindonCanary 455]

Try making the journey from Swindon to Norwich every other week

Norwich is remote !

[Crafty Canary 495]

[quote user="Big Dog "][quote user="7rew"][quote user="Big Dog "]

"Finally I have lived here in the North West for 19 years and so long as you pick the right areas to live (true of anywhere in the country) it is a marvellous area to live with major Cities, stunning sceneray on the doorstep and excellent airlinks with the rest of the world."

Erm, which "cities" would those be? Lmao.

 

[/quote]

Manchester.  Liverpool.  You may have heard of them.

I''m amazed anyone is arguing against the hard to get to bit.  It is just a FACT.
[/quote]

I''ve heard of them. I''ve even had the misfortune of going to them every now and then - as football dictates. To class them as great cities is laughable. New York they ain''t.

 

[/quote]

I used great meaning significant. Surely even you can''t deny they are significant cities in the UK? Of course they are not New York, that''s in the US and we are talking about North West England. I would call you a dipstick but I''d probably be bigging up your level.  

[Webbo118 0]

[quote user="Christov"]Norwich is a real pain in the backside to get to!  Now being exiled up north I can see how bad transport (road) links are.  I actually came back this weekend for the Wycome game and it takes as long to do the 90 miles between Norwich and the A1M as it does the second 130 odd miles north bound!  The A17 and A47 are aweful roads that really need to be dueled all the way, unfortunately because of the cost that is never going to happen.[/quote]

The only reason they haven''t been made into motorways is that there are no government ministers (past or present) who studied at the U.E.A.!

[Theres only one Ken Foggo 0]

One of the problems with Norwich is that people who have never been there assume it is as remote as say, Plymouth or Carlisle. They don''t realise it is only a couple of hours from London. No other country in the world would consider a town only two hours away from its capital to be "remote". In America, anywhere that near to New York is practically regarded as local to New Yorkers!!

[Nuff Said 5,118]

[quote user="Big Dog "]

Christov - I tried living up North for 3 years. It''s wank.

[/quote]"Up North"! Could you make a more sweeping generalisation? You''d be up in arms if a "Northerner" called you a cockney, but it''s more accurate than merging Liverpool with Aberdeen.

[hurricane 0]

Well im glad we are isolated and hard to get to. Its what makes norfolk special. Put an electric fence up around our county boarder and keep the buggers out i say! We dont want to become a damn London ovespill!!!

[Metatron 0]

"The only reason they haven''t been made into motorways is that there are no government ministers (past or present) who studied at the U.E.A.! "

Maybe not, but we''ve had recent Government ministers from Norwich MPs (Clarke) and born in Norwich (Ed Balls). Neither as Minister for Transport though and maybe that''s what makes the difference.

Sure,the transport links aren''t great, but I think Bruce''s use of the word ''backwater'' is a bit patronising to be honest. This is a vibrant city with a rich cultural life...and sometimes we even have a decent football team!

[Robert Ketts Yellow Army 15]

[quote user="Bob Franklin"]

Says our once much beloved Captain ! Thanks Steve, I''m only surprised you din''t prefix the comment with the traditional "No disrespect intended but...."

......... and, did anybody read the lengthy report in the Times today (only two games last night of course) ? Is anybody else sick to death of the constant references from commentators to Norwich supporters being royally entertained because of the large number of goals being scored at Carrow Road ? Well, the Times says :

 "But at least the Carrow Road faithful are being entertained now that they are in League One because 5 goals last night brought the total at the ground this season to 20 in 270 minutes !" 

Yeah,, really enjoyable seeing sides such as Colchester, Wycombe and now Sunderland banging them in against us. they really must think we are ignorant in-breds to believe that we enjoy being humiliated week in week out.

OK, that''s off my chest. Sorry about that !

[/quote]

The Editor of The Times, James Harding, is an Ipswich fan

[Robert Ketts Yellow Army 15]

[quote user="hurricane"]Well im glad we are isolated and hard to get to. Its what makes norfolk special. Put an electric fence up around our county boarder and keep the buggers out i say! We dont want to become a damn London ovespill!!![/quote]

Exactly: my dear old Dad said Norfolk should be devolved and have its own parliament because people in London don''t know where it is

[Robert Ketts Yellow Army 15]

[quote user="Nuff Said"][quote user="Big Dog "]

Christov - I tried living up North for 3 years. It''s wank.

[/quote]

"Up North"! Could you make a more sweeping generalisation? You''d be up in arms if a "Northerner" called you a cockney, but it''s more accurate than merging Liverpool with Aberdeen.
[/quote]

I live in the North. It isn''t as bad as people believe.

[southstand 0]

[quote user="Big Dog "]

[quote user="Christov"]
Norwich is a real pain in the backside to get to!  Now being exiled up north I can see how bad transport (road) links are.  I actually came back this weekend for the Wycome game and it takes as long to do the 90 miles between Norwich and the A1M as it does the second 130 odd miles north bound!  The A17 and A47 are aweful roads that really need to be dueled all the way, unfortunately because of the cost that is never going to happen.
[/quote]

Not our fault you live in some northern sh*thole pal...personally I think we should dig a trench on the Lincs border.

[/quote]

You make your own point about the palce being an ia backwater

No motorway in sight, la dual carriageway is a luxury, tractors governing the pspeed of traffic and pace of life - wake up to the world and the 21st Century -lovely place really

[BlyBlyBabes 0]

[quote user="southstand"][quote user="Big Dog "]

[quote user="Christov"]
Norwich is a real pain in the backside to get to!  Now being exiled up north I can see how bad transport (road) links are.  I actually came back this weekend for the Wycome game and it takes as long to do the 90 miles between Norwich and the A1M as it does the second 130 odd miles north bound!  The A17 and A47 are aweful roads that really need to be dueled all the way, unfortunately because of the cost that is never going to happen.
[/quote]

Not our fault you live in some northern sh*thole pal...personally I think we should dig a trench on the Lincs border.

[/quote] You make your own point about the palce being an ia backwater No motorway in sight, la dual carriageway is a luxury, tractors governing the pspeed of traffic and pace of life - wake up to the world and the 21st Century -lovely place really[/quote]

Tractors are still needed to grow food in the 21st century.

Anything more boring than motorway driving?

If you reduced the pace of your life you''d likely enjoy things rather more and live longer. And all in a healthy environment.

[:P]

OTBC

 

 

[Camuldonum 0]

 

I think, in Colchester, Bruce could be in a fight for mercenary t*****s with your bloke.[:P]

[Camuldonum 0]

[quote user="BlyBlyBabes"][quote user="southstand"][quote user="Big Dog "]

[quote user="Christov"]
Norwich is a real pain in the backside to get to!  Now being exiled up north I can see how bad transport (road) links are.  I actually came back this weekend for the Wycome game and it takes as long to do the 90 miles between Norwich and the A1M as it does the second 130 odd miles north bound!  The A17 and A47 are aweful roads that really need to be dueled all the way, unfortunately because of the cost that is never going to happen.
[/quote]

Not our fault you live in some northern sh*thole pal...personally I think we should dig a trench on the Lincs border.

[/quote] You make your own point about the palce being an ia backwater No motorway in sight, la dual carriageway is a luxury, tractors governing the pspeed of traffic and pace of life - wake up to the world and the 21st Century -lovely place really[/quote]

Tractors are still needed to grow food in the 21st century.

Anything more boring than motorway driving?

If you reduced the pace of your life you''d likely enjoy things rather more and live longer. And all in a healthy environment.

[:P]

OTBC

 

 

[/quote]

A backwater just as great, by the way, is Lincolnshire.  Thankfully no one goes there and long may it remain so. Only a short stretch of Mway heading out of it.

Long may it remain so.

[Ron Jeremy, City fan. 0]

 

 

I think I''d be tempted to change this sentence to ''As an Englishman born and bred I find many of my countrymen to be insular and rather narrow minded in outlook''. And I have plenty of German and French mates who would certainly agree with this view of the ''Island Monkeys'' as they call us [:D]  

 

Speak for yourself;  and as for the French, that''s just jealousy - having been part of Germany several times in their recent history.

[macdougalls perm 0]

[quote user="Ron Jeremy City fan"]

 

 

I think I''d be tempted to change this sentence to ''As an Englishman born and bred I find many of my countrymen to be insular and rather narrow minded in outlook''. And I have plenty of German and French mates who would certainly agree with this view of the ''Island Monkeys'' as they call us [:D]  

 

Speak for yourself;  and as for the French, that''s just jealousy - having been part of Germany several times in their recent history.

[/quote]

I claim to speak for nobody else, hence the constant use of the word ''I'' - that''s the clue [:D]

And, Cam, good point well made - ha ha [:)]

[Mr.Carrow 376]

I read somewhere that Norwich has one of the highest percentages of students staying on in the City once their studies are over- i`m sure they wouldn`t stay in a hicksville.  Also the highest percentage use of ebay- again, doesn`t really tie in with the backward yokels thing....Seem to remember Norwich scoring highly in "Test the nation" as well?

Anecdotally, i play footy with an Iraqi lad who came here via Felixtowe and Ipswich and i`ve never heard a more glowing tribute to my City in comparison to those two dumps when talking to him a couple of weeks ago.  Fair brought a tear to my eye [:)]

 

[Shaun Tilly Lace 0]

[quote user="JimRoyle"]One of the problems with Norwich is that people who have never been there assume it is as remote as say, Plymouth or Carlisle. They don''t realise it is only a couple of hours from London. No other country in the world would consider a town only two hours away from its capital to be "remote". In America, anywhere that near to New York is practically regarded as local to New Yorkers!!
[/quote]

All Englishmen/women lose sight of what a tiny, insignificant country we live in; so all this north, south and midlands crap and, as you say, considering a place two hours from the capital as being remote and isolated, must be laughable to somebody from a huge country such as Australia, Russia or the USA. Even the state of California is bigger than the UK and it is by no means the largest state in the USA.

[Pudd 1]

[quote user="Bob Franklin"]

Says our once much beloved Captain ! Thanks Steve, I''m only surprised you din''t prefix the comment with the traditional "No disrespect intended but...."

[/quote]can you really disagree though? Norwich is a pain in the backside to get to/from - we''ve got nineteenth century road standards and from birmingham you can get to moscow quicker that you can to norwich (that bit''s from pies and predudice)!

[Puzzy magnet 0]

[quote user="Pudd"][quote user="Bob Franklin"]

Says our once much beloved Captain ! Thanks Steve, I''m only surprised you din''t prefix the comment with the traditional "No disrespect intended but...."

[/quote]

can you really disagree though?

Norwich is a pain in the backside to get to/from - we''ve got nineteenth century road standards and from birmingham you can get to moscow quicker that you can to norwich (that bit''s from pies and predudice)!
[/quote]

Have you been travelling in a horse and cart? Yes - zzzzzzzzzzz - there is a strech of the A11 yet the be dualled, but I do Birm to Norwich in 2 & half hours at most.

You can pretty much drive anywhere and back in England in a day. Why people get so hung up on this I don''t know. Tedious.

[ron obvious 1,502]

And what''s wrong with backwaters?When I used to go fishing I loved the backwaters. So much more interesting, quiet & secretive, with a rich inner life of their own ...Norwich is a beautiful city. Keep it that way.

[Plastic Scouser 0]

[quote]

Have you been travelling in a horse and cart? Yes - zzzzzzzzzzz - there is a strech of the A11 yet the be dualled, but I do Birm to Norwich in 2 & half hours at most.

You can pretty much drive anywhere and back in England in a day. Why people get so hung up on this I don''t know. Tedious.

[/quote]Couldn''t agree more - in the last 10 days I''ve done 4 journeys from my home just outside Liverpool to Sheringham.  Worst journey time was 4hrs 38mins - mainly due to the queues around Lynn, best journey time was 3hrs 28 mins - evening run.   It''s a 250 mile run so I consider that to be pretty average.  Yes it''s a long way but apart from that bit between Thorney & Wisbech, the rest of the run is usually pretty un-eventful.Our problem is that the people who moan about it being a "backwater" are the sorts of people who take the car down to the shop at the bottom of the street.    I remember when I was a kid, being more than happy to get a bus/train to Norwich to meet my mates for a pint & then head back on the last train.  If you suggested that to someone nowadays, they''d look at you as if you were mad.    The whole concept of travel is that it should be instant and that if you can''t get there in less than 20 mins it''s a backwater or in the middle of nowhere.I enjoy the drive down to Norfolk, I don''t see it as a bind.   I love coming back - the quality of life alone should be the massive attraction to anyone.  Sitting on the beach at Overstrand, I was thinking who the hell would rather be slogging around the back streets of Wearside....? [:^)]

[Pudd 1]

Come on.... the number of times I''ve sat in traffic at Thetford or in slow queue of traffiic on the A47. It takes over an hour to get from Norwich to Kings Lynn. Then another hour to get to Newark. The same distance in most parts of the country would be half that time.

[macdougalls perm 0]

[quote user="Pudd"]Come on.... the number of times I''ve sat in traffic at Thetford or in slow queue of traffiic on the A47.
It takes over an hour to get from Norwich to Kings Lynn. Then another hour to get to Newark.
The same distance in most parts of the country would be half that time.
[/quote]

That sounds distinctly un-nineteenth century to me Pudd [;)] 

[Puzzy magnet 0]

[quote user="Plastic Scouser"]

[quote]

Have you been travelling in a horse and cart? Yes - zzzzzzzzzzz - there is a strech of the A11 yet the be dualled, but I do Birm to Norwich in 2 & half hours at most.

You can pretty much drive anywhere and back in England in a day. Why people get so hung up on this I don''t know. Tedious.

[/quote]

Couldn''t agree more - in the last 10 days I''ve done 4 journeys from my home just outside Liverpool to Sheringham.  Worst journey time was 4hrs 38mins - mainly due to the queues around Lynn, best journey time was 3hrs 28 mins - evening run.   It''s a 250 mile run so I consider that to be pretty average.  Yes it''s a long way but apart from that bit between Thorney & Wisbech, the rest of the run is usually pretty un-eventful.

Our problem is that the people who moan about it being a "backwater" are the sorts of people who take the car down to the shop at the bottom of the street.    I remember when I was a kid, being more than happy to get a bus/train to Norwich to meet my mates for a pint & then head back on the last train.  If you suggested that to someone nowadays, they''d look at you as if you were mad.    The whole concept of travel is that it should be instant and that if you can''t get there in less than 20 mins it''s a backwater or in the middle of nowhere.

I enjoy the drive down to Norfolk, I don''t see it as a bind.   I love coming back - the quality of life alone should be the massive attraction to anyone.  Sitting on the beach at Overstrand, I was thinking who the hell would rather be slogging around the back streets of Wearside....? [:^)]
[/quote]

You can''t beat Overstand.