GREAT Grimsby.
After being brought up in this area for 18 years now, I am aware of the stereotypes that Grimsby has, and most importantly, the dislike it has from youths to elders.
I occasionally see tweets and status' describing opinions such as "I hate living in Grimsby, I can't wait to leave" – but what is so bad about Grimsby?
Personally I am not a fan of this area myself, and I know many people beside me aren't – seriously, take some time out of your day and Google "Grimsby opinions".
One person asked: "What is it like living in Grimsby?" and someone's genuine reply was "it could be improved with the use of a tactical nuclear weapon".
Tad extreme, but they're definitely making a strong, opinionated point.
Isn't it ironic that Grimsby has the adjective "grim" – to mean unattractive and gloomy – within it.
I think those two words describe this area quite well. Although it originally came from the legend that Grimsby was first founded by Grim, a Danish fisherman.
Grimsby never used to be seen as unappealing or isolated. Grimsby used to be a booming town with everyone in secure jobs, earning money, all due to the fishing industry.
In 1851, the Grimsby Dock Tower was constructed which was followed by the opening of the Royal Dock, both Fish Docks, Alexandra Dock and the Union Dock – huge investments brought huge returns, foreign trade came in, timber and coal being mainstays and shipping of all kinds, as well as the fishing industry.
Grimsby went on to become the largest fishing port in the world, but after a gradual decline, Grimsby regressed.
Grimsby is known to a few people as "chav town" – but what is a chav? The Oxford Dictionary defines "chav" as an informal British derogatory, meaning a young, lower-class person who displays brash behaviour and wears real or imitation designer clothes.
In Grimsby, there are now a lot of stereotypical "chavs", however they are both young and old.
I've realised that everywhere you go there are going to be a mixture of people.
There are going to be rough areas of a town, and there are going to be more pleasant regions.
There are nicer places than Grimsby, but there are also many worse places.
There is a lot of hatred for our town that is further stimulated over the media and social networking sites.
Opinions of Grimsby, Cleethorpes and surrounding areas diverse hugely from person to person.
You can ask someone who's lived here for years whether they like it or not and they say they love it – compared to someone who's lived here for maybe a few months and absolutely hates it.
Though, I seem to see more negative opinions on these areas rather than positive.
Grimsby is hated by many, but loved by some.
But here is a positive personal opinion. I realised I've taken my home town for granted when I was sat thinking on the beach at around 6am the other day.
Cleethorpes, I believe, has some beauty within it.
Maybe you're now thinking "what's beautiful about Cleethorpes" – beauty is defined as a quality in someone or something that gives an intense contentment to the mind.
So, let's take the beach for example. I advise you to go down the seafront in the early hours of the morning (preferably not after a night out while you're intoxicated), maybe before work, before college, have a walk down the beach. Sit. Relax.
Take in the overwhelming, tranquil atmosphere and actually listen to the wind and the sea in the distance. It is extremely beautiful. It's nature.
After this, I realised that every town, every city and every country will have something beautiful, or maybe something unique that makes you realise that you're lucky to live there.
