h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ok. So, person who wrote this entry. Have you ever been to any town or city other than Ipswich. I'm pretty sure that if you had you'd never have written such a glowing report of what is one of the worse places I've ever had the misfortune to exist in.

I think I might write an alternative entry.

I didn't write the entry, but I have lived in a fair few towns and cities around the country, so I know what of I speak here.

Ipswich isn't the greatest of towns by any means. But it is a good one.

I used to move around because I was in the bar trade, and that is the reason that I moved to Ipswich. But I liked it here. It was safe. There are far less idiots in Ipswich than in any other town or city that I have worked in. Sure at times it seems dull, but hey, most people around here like the quiet life. And there are places to go if you want a bit more excitement.

Ipswich has more national chained pubs than a larger city, such as Peterborough. It also has more decent independant freehouses.

Ipswich has as many nightclubs as a couple of other towns and cities I've worked in. And in general they're pretty good, except for the bouncers and the odd eegit.

Shopping in Ipswich is a blessing. I've only just come back from a fortnights holiday where I've shopped in Leeds, Halifax, Bradford, Leicester, Nottingham, Northampton and Peterborough. Not one of these places had the atmosphere that Ipswich does. Mind you, Ipswich is bleeding expensive to park a car in unless you use the park and ride system. But the people are more relaxed. They don't go around elbowing each other out off the way to get to the shelves. Even the Big Issue salesmen and women are more laid back. They great you first, often with a good morning, and usually wait for a response before tryign to take your money from you. And all of them are willing to just stand around and talk.

The one way system is horrendous though. Worse than Leicester, which is a lot more confusing than Cambridge. It's often quicker to stay on the A14 and go 7 miles out of your way to approach Ipswich from the other side than it is to try and navigate the town centre.

So, yes I agree, Ipswich can be so laid back as to need to check for a pulse every now and again. But it does have a life. A nice sedated one.

Have you ever lived anywhere else? And by lived I mean actually stayed for more than a couple of weeks, and not as a student.

Well well well!

someone makes the effort to sing the praises of his locale and suddenly the local populus cries NO!

Thanks for the vindication Pastey

In answer to your query, Nutshell - I have laid my hat and called
it my home for at least a 3 month period, in the following places:

Monxton, Amport, Shipton Bellinger and Andover, in Hampshire;
Hatfield (yes, that one) and St. Albans, in Hertfordshire;
Harare, Zimbabwe(my mother's homeland), and of course Ipswich.

I deeply resent the implication that because I choose to acknowledge the good things that are all around me, I must be some untravelled and ignorant straw-sucking bumpkin. I love where I live because of the people I know here and the good that they do for me.
If you don't like it here I can only assume that it is because the people you surround yourself with are people who give you cause to carry that sentiment around with you - in which case I have two alternative suggestions for you.

1. get some new friends. You work out no 2 for yourself.

ironic

I don't really think that Nutshell was implying any references to bumpkin type personalities. At least I hope not.

Ipswich is one of those funny towns though. I know that when I first moved here I wasn't all that keen on it. Mostly though because the people who were coming into the pub I was working at then were some of the biggest aholes going. Thankfully most of them have moved off, mostly to stay at her majesty's pleasure, and there are a decent set of people there now. It takes time, but when you move to any new place it's the same. Often the first few people you meet turn put to have absolutly nothing in common with you except that they too are often new to the place. After a while though you tend to meet new people of similar views and intrests, and places seem to get better. At least that's what I've found.
I came here from Leciester, and found Ipswich town centre to be tiny where you didn't really get much selection. In a way I still find that, but I can always order the things I can't get in town from the net. And it makes those times when I'm back in a city all that more 'special'

sorry!

no need for an apology

Hi all.
Just a trivial point: There's an Ipswich in Queensland, Australia which I had the misfortune to grow up in. If there are those who wish to rubbish the Northern Hemisperic original Ipswich, they should come down and visit the southern version, which should show them exactly what country bumpkin living is all about.

Hey, our Northern Hemispherical footbal team didn't get the nickname "Tractor Boys" for nothing

I have a friend (named Heather) who lives in Ipswich, and from the little I've seen of the town, I'd have to suggest a holiday in Bracknell, in Berkshire, to any of you natives who think you have a bad deal!

The nickname of the 'tractor boys' did not originate in Ipswich. The nickname of Ipswich Town is 'The Blues' hence their theme tune 'I've Never Felt More Like Singing The Blues'.

The original 'Tractor Boys' are the Earl Soham Victoria pub football team who play their home games in the village of Debenham in Suffolk. They gained this nickname when they won the Carlsberg pub cup at Wembley in 2000, just a few weeks before Ipswich Town gained their promotion to the Premiership at Wembley. Many of the Debenham fans visited Wembley twice in one season as they are also Ipswich Town fans. The nicknmae that George Burley so despises suddenly became Ipswich Town property!!

Actually to raise a mute point, Ipswich Town have had the Tractor Boys nickname for a long time. It goes back many a moon to when Ransomes was still one of the major employers in the area. Ransomes were, a major tractor and mower manufactor. The lads from the factory gave the area of the country the Tractor Boys nickname, and that then sort of stuck to the main local football team. Burley, and his predecessors, not to mention the players have done their best to get rid of the name, and almost succeeded until the recent premiership farce when the local Ipswich paper decided that it was a good way to get the fans and the local people to support the team.