Much in our region to be grateful for

I THINK it is time that people in the North East, particularly certain contributors to these columns, took stock of the positives of living in the North East and perhaps be grateful for what they have.

Having spent much of my life in the South East I can speak with some authority in the comparisons.

The NHS set-up and service in this area is far superior in all aspects. My family have had dreadful experiences in the south east, including the London hospitals.

Housing is far more affordable here with younger people having a better chance of owning their own home. The roads are far less congested here, believe it not. I worked one mile from my home and commuting took 40 minutes by car. I needed the car for my work so walking was out.

The cost of living here is cheaper, including leisure, be it theatre, concerts, football or eating out. There are no party cities in the south east, people can’t afford them.

Thousands of proper jobs are being created here building trains, electric cars, batteries for the same, offshore wind farms being built and serviced. Surely this is the “Powerhouse”.

Finally, commuting in the south east by rail can take up to four hours per day if the unreliable trains run as they

should, and they are greatly overcrowded. The new Metro trains should greatly improve even the better system we have now.

As for the moaners about cancellation or delay of HS2-plus or whatever, this would have been well into the future as HS2 is nowhere near completion.

Meanwhile, the East Coast Main Line is being upgraded. I have read complaints that the journey time from Newcastle to Manchester and Liverpool will not be reduced by much.

Surely this is just political claptrap. How many people from the North East regularly travel by train to Manchester and Liverpool which would justify spending billions of pounds in upgrading the service to save half an hour or so?

Stop living in the past, the future looks bright and exciting. I’m staying.

Brian Taylor, North Shields