Stuart Maconie

Following the footsteps of JB Priestley, Stuart Maconie once again produces an excellent book that can be enjoyed on so many levels. The book is firstly a travel story and it has inspired me to visit places we haven't been to. His affection and enthusiasm for places not necessarily on the tourist trail is refreshing in a world of so much cynicism. But underneath this is an exploration of the English, the national mood and the state of the nation. I imagine him being charming, sitting in a show more pub engaging the locals in a discussion and he seems to have a gift for listening. He also, like me, enjoys eavesdropping and we hear snippets of overheard conversations. The final chapter is a discussion about an England that hasn't grown out of doffing caps to the rich and privileged, 'England regularly retreats into stupidity and deference, still in thrall to the vain, the dim and the laziest loudmouth in the workshop.' If you are one of those who are deferred to, then this isn't the book for you, but then you probably already dislike Stuart Maconie. show less

I loved this book. It made me feel nostalgic and homesick for the place I actually live and work in, which is no mean feat!

Maconie is unashamedly prejudiced about his love for the North, but his humour and "warts and all" approach saves him from being bigoted or boorish.
I spent the middle third of my life as an economic migrant to The South, which has many attractions, but home is where the pies and gravy are 🤎🥧🤎 and coming home is a decision we've never regretted.

I was surprised by show more how bookish Stuart is, and his references to his literary favourites was endearing. He also has me hankering for a quiet pub corner where I can nurse a pint for an hour over a book, though in reality I usually find pubs too noisy and distracting an environment, so, again, a testament to his ability to evoke a mood.
A delightful surprise of a 5⭐ read. show less

This was fab! I really like Stuart Maconie - I even made hubby buy me a digital radio when he moved over to 6music, so I could continue to listen. He has a really good turn of phrase, is funny without being silly and it generally a lot more erudite than being a DJ might give him credit for. It's an observational book, based on the surmise that the north has to start somewhere and he goes in search of where that might be (the answer seems to be Crewe - as an unrepentant Southerner that seems show more a bit far north to me; Watford would be better). He travels the north, meeting people, seeing what makes then tick, discussing the different cities and regions of the north and how they loose out simply because they are in the north. In all it's a love song to region that has it's issues (and its chip on its shoulder) but has great beauty, warmth and a lot to admire. The cover blurb has this as being in the style of Alan Bennett, and I can see what they mean, although I find this more direct than Bennett is usually. I found it interesting, with lots of pop culture references that I got in an instant as well as funny, sweet and occasionally really very right. show less

Stuart Maconie's writing is excellent, he makes me laugh and think and this is a marvellous gift. He tells me things about the north I didn't know and reminds me of places I have enjoyed visiting. He strings together wonderful stories of day trips and visits and does this very well.