20:49, Wed 27 Mar
Whilst I must admit to having a bit of a love/hate relationship with the city of Birmingham itself (sorry...), I honestly believe the West Mids is one of the best regions in the UK. Particularly Worcestershire, which I'm most familiar with.

It's a fantastic place to live, unrivalled transport links, loads of beautiful countryside, incredible restaurants, and some cracking towns and cities..and the people are ace; full of spirit and character.

Literally the only downsides I can think of, are we're a bit far from the sea, it's home to the vile (fannys), and our police force are tossers.

Anyway, I'm pissed, up the west mids.
20:51, Wed 27 Mar
It’d be much better if it wasn’t called the West Midlands. It’s such a shit generic name.
20:59, Wed 27 Mar
"The Shire"
“Oh Nikola Zigic”

H
21:01, Wed 27 Mar
You mean Greater Birmingham?
21:04, Wed 27 Mar
I only really see the West Mids as the urban area that encircles Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and Black Country and all the other areas as county regions, eg Nuneaton in Warwickshire or Redditch in Worcestershire, I would never refer to those places as within the West Midlands, I suppose its wherever you choose to draw the boundaries.
21:11, Wed 27 Mar
Worcestershire Parkway really is one of the transport wonders of the world.
21:16, Wed 27 Mar
sandpit72
I only really see the West Mids as the urban area that encircles Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton and Black Country and all the other areas as county regions, eg Nuneaton in Warwickshire or Redditch in Worcestershire, I would never refer to those places as within the West Midlands, I suppose its wherever you choose to draw the boundaries.

Depends whether you are referring to the (smaller) Metropolitan area or the (larger) Region

"The West Midlands (Region) is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of International Territorial Level for statistical purposes. It covers the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. The region consists of the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire."
23/01/20 Mad: I'll stop moaning now.
21:19, Wed 27 Mar
Worcestershire Parkway really is one of the transport wonders of the world.

I do quite enjoy the coffee van. Nice view as well.
21:22, Wed 27 Mar
It hit it's peak in the late 60's, since then it's gone down the pan like the rest of the country
Every government has its secret service branch. America, CIA; France, Deuxième Bureau; England, MI5. NATO also has its own. A messy job? Well that's when they usually call on me or someone like me. Oh yes, my name is Drake, John Drake.
21:24, Wed 27 Mar
It hit it's peak in the late 60's, since then it's gone down the pan like the rest of the country

Do you sit in the kop, row 32?
21:26, Wed 27 Mar
No
Every government has its secret service branch. America, CIA; France, Deuxième Bureau; England, MI5. NATO also has its own. A messy job? Well that's when they usually call on me or someone like me. Oh yes, my name is Drake, John Drake.
21:31, Wed 27 Mar
It’s to easy 5o say everything’s going down the pan. Some things are getting worse but other things are getting better.

I think if those who say how great things were back in the day were transported back for a week or two they would be somewhat disappointed and struggle with the loss of comforts taken for granted nowadays.

People will always look back at there youth and say they were better times. Getting older has its issues.
21:50, Wed 27 Mar
Thanks for your reply MM. Another dictator on this forum 👍
Every government has its secret service branch. America, CIA; France, Deuxième Bureau; England, MI5. NATO also has its own. A messy job? Well that's when they usually call on me or someone like me. Oh yes, my name is Drake, John Drake.
22:09, Wed 27 Mar
The West Midlands, excluding the shire counties, is beyond awful.

Brum, Coventry, Wolverhampton all horrendous, even Solihull rapidly getting worse. We can thank successive awful Labour and Conservative governments for what they've done.

Warwickshire and Worcestershire countryside and towns are far nicer in pretty much every way.
22:27, Wed 27 Mar
Bollox, the people in the West Midlands are some of the friendliest, most unassuming people going. Pretty hedgerows are great but our people are what make it special.

Mercia will rise again.