When I lived in Scotland, I used to take many trips into England. After leaving University, many of my friends moved to far-flung parts of Britain (and the world as it turned out), so I drove many miles up and down motorways seeing various parts of the country. I worked for a University for a while in Scotland but realised it was time to move on and get a “real” job. Sadly, this meant leaving my beloved country for pastures new.

I went to a lot of interviews all over the country. I even got a few job offers (this was long before the words “IT recession” even existed). In fact, I’d covered so many miles (and my car broke down in Reading meaning I was towed all the way home – about 12 hours) that I was sick and tired of interviews so I had to make a choice.

Being a country lad (i.e. I like the countryside), I didn’t fancy living in a grimy city (like London or Manchester). Then I wasn’t sure about living in the north or south of England (not much choice really, I know what southerners can be like). So I chose Yorkshire. And I’m glad I did.

I live on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, and while there are some scummy areas around (Bradford is in Yorkshire), there’s a lot of countryside. There are lots of places to go climbing, mountain biking, hiking, shopping and even brushing shoulders with the rich and famous. I’d recommend it to anyone.

If you like your dose of history then places like York are for you. I’m not the first person to live in Yorkshire, people have been doing it for centuries. And there are loads of castles, cathedrals and ruins scattered all over the place.

Yes, Yorkshire has some nice places and a lot going for it. But, to be honest, it’s not as good as Scotland.

Update (1st Feb 2014): Well, I’m still here, so I guess Yorkshire is alright after all!