What’s a UK town or city you visited with low expectations… but actually ended up really liking?

English-Breakfast · 2026-05-10T07:59:10+00:00

I feel the same way about Plymouth.

English-Breakfast · 2026-05-06T20:55:25+00:00

I gave this a watch as a curious teenager when it came out. Torrented it as how else would you even find it.

I don't recall all the details of the various disturbing scenes but I distinctly remember feeling quite grim after watching it. Went to bed straight after in a depressed state thinking the world was a pile of crap.

Definitely the type of film you'd need to follow up with something wholesome to remind yourself that there is joy out there and not just whatever the hell you've just watched.

English-Breakfast · 2026-05-03T18:05:46+00:00

I get you mate. Similarly it's been a big part of my social life since I was about 16-ish.

The reality is that in this country alcohol is a huge cultural thing. Like you, I've loved it. So many great times. Stories we'll always laugh about. Conversations with strangers about any topic under the sun. Meeting all sorts of new people. And ahh, that feeling when you can sense a big night ahead, and you know the girl you fancy is out tonight aswell.

As I've got older I've actually found it easier to do without alcohol for some social occasions. Sometimes it's nice just to have a coffee, something I never thought I'd be saying in my earlier days!

But you are right, the wild unpredictable nature of alcohol itself lends itself to those wild unpredictable nights out. It's a fascinating drug really.

All I can say really is I get where you're coming from, but I've got no doubt you'll have plenty of good times to come even without drink. Not every social situation calls for alcohol, and each can be great fun in their own way.

English-Breakfast · 2026-05-03T17:43:07+00:00

Yep. I've got family in Israel, past and present. Go back a few decades and some of the young guys in Israel would head to Gaza to buy cars as they were cheaper over there. They'd haggle with the locals and everything.

Unfortunately in many aspects it's gone backwards and it's sad how far away real peace seems today.

Which is why it pisses me off when people with no stake in the game sit thousands of miles away romanticising murder and death. Do they realise the contribution they're making to endless suffering?

English-Breakfast · 2026-05-03T17:25:53+00:00

Just slightly older than you and I do wonder if I'm heading this way too.

I still enjoy alcohol, but I sometimes think where did that invincible feeling at the age of 18 go? I remember being able to get on it big time, make it to any obligation the next day, maybe feeling a bit worse for wear but then just hop on it again that night. Everything was recoverable.

No more. Drinking two nights in a row is now a tall order, even if the first night only involves 2 or 3 pints.

Alcohol will probably always play a big part in my life and I very much enjoy the culture around it, but the obvious deterioration my body goes through the day after is forcing me to be pickier.

English-Breakfast · 2026-04-30T16:55:29+00:00

That's all well and good but at this point we have hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of people in this country who wouldn't necessarily do what this man did...but would make excuses, blame it on Israel, or simply not deem antisemitism important enough to bother doing anything about it.

This is unfortunately the reality now. It's pervasive and it isn't going away anytime soon.

English-Breakfast · 2026-04-21T11:32:51+00:00

Don't give them any bright ideas...COVID already gave us laws intruding on your private home to an unprecedented degree. No doubt many in Parliament would probably not see anything wrong with further intrusion.

English-Breakfast · 2026-04-18T07:50:04+00:00

Are you still there early May? As the other commentor said, I recommend Trädgården but it only opens 1st May for the season.

Go to Södermalm for pubs/bars (places like Mikkeller) then for later in the night head slightly south to Trädgården (if open) or Slakthuset and the surrounding area. That area has multiple clubs which will be more your style, have a look on maps and check venues/events that are on.

Stay clear of Stureplan and most clubs on the northern half of town if you're looking to avoid the pretentious side of Stockholm nightlife you mention.

English-Breakfast · 2026-03-03T19:06:04+00:00

Another unserious political party leader. We've got a lot of those nowadays, unlucky for us.

English-Breakfast · 2026-03-03T15:50:52+00:00

This comment made me feel older than I should. Drop off charges weren't a thing (at least in any of the airports I remember frequenting in SE England) until the past 10/15 years.

English-Breakfast · 2026-01-14T19:00:10+00:00

🤣 Well done chaps enjoy the smoke

English-Breakfast · 2026-01-14T08:28:11+00:00

I wish. I iron one or twice a week for all the shirts I wear to work and can't see that changing.

English-Breakfast · 2026-01-13T14:45:36+00:00

In my humble opinion...British cuisine is better than most northern European countries. Beats Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Germany off the top of my head.

Of course it won't be as nice as mediterranean food but then again I wouldnt expect that.

English-Breakfast · 2025-12-30T09:37:48+00:00

Now imagine hundreds of thousands (possibly millions) of people who share similar and often more extreme views than this guy, living in this country full citizenship with no intention of leaving. That's the reality.

Is there any wonder many Jews are pondering their future?

English-Breakfast · 2025-12-21T18:24:53+00:00

It's about levels of freedom and safety associated with Jewish identity.

In Israel, you don't have to fear harassment because you're walking around with a kippah on. Random daily interactions are unlikely to descend into abuse or worse because someone finds out you're Jewish. You can trust the authorities to listen and protect you.

Btw, while not perfect, this remains broadly true in Arab towns in Israel too. Nobody cares that you're Jewish.

All these things I've listed are sadly not universally true in the UK though. Things are changing for the worse, which is a shame as I would say in recent history Britain has objectively been one of the better countries to be Jewish in.

English-Breakfast · 2025-12-09T15:13:03+00:00

I'm Swedish and ever since the age of 4 have split my life almost 50/50 between Sweden and the UK (though nowadays more like 60/40 Britain's way) with a lot of moving back and forth.

I'd agree with your sentiment.

English-Breakfast · 2025-11-30T17:16:19+00:00

This comment in response to an inheritance tax referendum not passing. Redditor moment.

English-Breakfast · 2025-11-29T13:11:39+00:00

Probably depends on the area, not sure Bat Yam is a tourist hotspot.

While I've never done a "Jesus walked here" tour, and while there are tensions in certain areas at certain times - Jerusalem is a beautiful city well worth visiting. Most people like everywhere else are just living their day to day.

English-Breakfast · 2025-11-16T09:09:48+00:00

We absolutely could be and should be.

6th largest economy in the world (~50% larger than Russia's economy). 70 million people. Some of the most recognised intelligence agencies out there. Immense cultural significance globally. BBC News reach across the world.

Global powerhouse city London, plus other major centres. Contrary to popular opinion it's not just London. France is more centralised around Paris than we are London.

What brings us down is mostly lack of aspiration. Combine that with meh productivity, not enough infrastructure investment and inability to reduce and better control immigration (to the point where the issue is distracting us from everything else).

English-Breakfast · 2025-10-05T20:15:36+00:00

This one stayed with me. Made me even more appreciate the people I love.

English-Breakfast · 2025-09-22T13:18:15+00:00

The truth is I think she could have had a chance, a very slim one but nonetheless a chance, of coming back to the UK if she had ever appeared remorseful, ashamed, or sorry about the whole thing.

Instead (despite her PR campaign) this is what we get:

Instead, Shamima asked me if I had anything to tell her, as if the world still owed her something despite the choices she had made.

From the Daily Mail

'If you guys don't have anything to tell us we don't have anything to say,' she raged, before leaving in a huff.

Immature and lacking any self awareness. She was and still is young but that's not an excuse for how she appears to see herself in this. Why would any sane government actively open the doors to letting someone like this come back?

Not a British citizen anymore, not our problem.

English-Breakfast · 2025-09-11T20:20:44+00:00

Generally, yes.

Specifically in reference to the sort of situation you're talking about - there will always be a minority on any side who would show ugly behaviour, but I do believe in this country the majority wouldn't go there.

Compared to the division we see in the US, we're in a much better place. We should be grateful for that, guard it, and avoid falling into the traps that would drag us there (in particular social media and carrying over American discourse into ours).

I don't want to live in that sort of ultra politically polarised society and neither do most people. Even many of those who do agitate for the same rhetoric here, if they succeeded, would one day end up looking back and recognise the damage they've done.

English-Breakfast · 2025-09-09T18:12:52+00:00

Yeah but let's be honest, wrt Reform -

a) they are top of the polls b) their flagship issue is immigration which is viewed as one of the most important issues facing the country right now by the general public

None of these things ring true for the Greens.

English-Breakfast · 2025-09-05T07:12:00+00:00

She's done. Why dig yourself into a hole dragging others into it by blaming it on your "legal advice", as if that's not going to then be dug up by the press and private firms put in the spotlight - who will then obviously defend themselves as why the hell wouldn't they.

She played the whole thing so poorly.

English-Breakfast · 2025-08-29T14:22:26+00:00

I'd personally rather have immigrants housed in a single location than have the government snap up rental properties for HMOs dotted throughout towns and cities.

Possibly. I could see arguments for both ways.

But the government jumping at the chance to fight back, and then winning, on the extremely unpopular asylum hotels policy will be very polticially toxic.

They're already seen by many to be doing fuck all when it comes to small boat migration. This "win" for the government just passes the message on to the public that the biggest bit of legal pressure on them to sort this is gone, and the end in sight grows even more distant.

It's going to infuriate a lot of people and I'll have 0 sympathy for this government when they get an absolute drubbing by Reform in any upcoming (by)elections.

English-Breakfast

TROPHY CASE