Royal Leamington Spa

I lived there for five years as did the gazelle, and I was very glad to escape. Yes, it's quite pretty, especially in summer (a great place to cycle around), but boy it can be boring.

Nowadays almost everyone who lives there seems to work for the ever-expanding Codemasters or IBM.

Seems to have been invaded in the last few years by awful giant superstore-pubs, which makes it a fairly disagreeable place to be wandering around on a Saturday night at closing time.

Recommended pubs:Sozzled Sausage, Cask & Bottle (good Sunday Roasts).

Favourite places: Train station (easy access to anywhere else), M40 motorway junction (ditto).

Sidenote: Also home to the longest running and most completely reliable cannabis dealer I have ever encountered. He's been supplying the dark crumbly stuff to all stratas of the local populace for over 15 years now (his opening hours are 11am-9pm, with Christmas Day and Boxing Day off), and has a good and understanding relationship with the local police. The fact that he is tolerated by the authorities may well lead you to infer that living in Leam requires the regular use of sedatives to dull the boredom.

Town in Warwickshire, England. I lived there for a year as an Industrial Trainee student at IBM. 5 years later I was delighted to return, it being one of the nicest places I know. For the years I lived in nearby Birmingham, we would frequently consider how nice it would be to live in Leamington again.

I wouldn't recommend Friday or Saturday nights out pubbing -- it's just too crowded although that might be your bag. With crowds come aggression, though. Thursday is the best night out, in my opinion.

I don't think Leamington is boring - and if you want bright lights the "big city" of Birmingham is a short train ride away -- but I seldom feel the need. Big-name live music is all I miss locally -- there is a thriving local band scene centred around Kelly's pub. Theatre and other arts are available at Warwick Arts Centre, a short bus ride away (buses run late). There are two cinemas (one atrocious, one fine).

I want to stay here a long time. I can't be along, because the house prices are outrageous. That dealer is news to me, though...