Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough is a town and district in North-East England, with a resident population in 2001 of 134,855. 2005 mid-year estimates suggest a population of 144,823. However, the total un-official population for the Middlesbrough urban area (including the greater Eston area) is closer to 190,000.

Smoggy

The derogatory label Smoggy (or Smoggie) has from the late 20th century onwards been applied to people from Middlesbrough and the rest of surrounding Teesside area, due to the past concentrations of particularly steel and chemical industries (and the pollution from them). However any such worries about Middlesbrough's air quality today are unfounded, with air quality matching the standard of most British towns and cities - and exceeding many. The more correct term for a local would be Teessider.

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Middlesbrough also had the misfortune recently to be listed in The Idler magazine's book of Crap Towns, an index of the supposed 'worst places to live in the UK' submitted via a website. It should be noted however, that not many towns and cities were not included in the list, which included such diverse places as London, Brighton, Chester and Bath. Unluckily enough for the town, this was not the last time it was to feature in such inauspicious circumstances - for in 2005 it was then declared the '5th worst place to live in Britain' in a controversial Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer Channel 4 programme of the same theme.

Related Topics:
The Idler - Crap Towns - Brighton - Chester - Bath - 2005 - Kirstie Allsopp - Phil Spencer - Channel 4

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