T'up North

There are endless debates as to where the "North" of England begins. My dad thought that Manchester where Julia comes from was in the frozen Arctic wastelands, whereas a college friend who was born in Carlisle thought that Manchester was in the South Midlands. A recall many years ago staying in a hotel in Winchester and this debate was taking place in the letter columns of a local paper. One writer said that north was anything north of the A34 (a local arterial road) and that London was the most southerly of the northern fishing ports!
Anyway this week I had to spend a couple of days in Sunderland at a customer. I stayed overnight at a hotel in Roker on the beach front. The weather was lovely and I was astounded at how lovely it was. It was just a shame that I was working and could only enjoy the scenery on an evening and before breakfast stroll.