Things you’ll know if you grew up in Peterlee

If you didn’t hang out at the Apollo Pavillion, did you even grow up here?

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People living in the city will always be complaining about how busy the trains are or the cost of living but what they won’t know is what it’s like growing up in a small British town like Peterlee. For most people outside the North East they’ve probably never heard of the place so here’s a summary of what’s it’s like growing up here.

There’s nothing to do

The single biggest problem. You’re certainly familiar with the word bored because that’s all you ever were.

Bumping into everyone you know

Going down Asda without bumping into anyone you know is a rarity. Before you’ve even left the fruit aisle you’ve seen your next door neighbour, the barman from Vibe, and your auntie. An hour and half later you’ve finally picked up the apples you went in for.

Everyone knows your business

Small towns are generally a close knit community and everyone seems to knows everyone or their families in some way. You tell your grandma about the new job you’ve been offered, then she tells the next door neighbour then before you know it you’ve got the whole East Durham district congratulating you on the job you only got offered three hours ago.

You have to travel everywhere

Because there’s nothing to do where you live you have to travel to the nearest city to do anything. This turns out to be an expensive day out because you have to pay for public transport or pay for petrol money. As if getting the bus wasn’t bad enough you’ll have to endure Peterlee Bus Station with all the smells and questionable people it brings. With only one bus from Peterlee to Newcastle per hour it’ll be a miracle if you get a seat.

Trying to explain where you’re from

I can’t stress how difficult this is when you meet someone new. Explaining this tiny little town to someone from Manchester becomes quite a challenge. They simply won’t understand “Peterlee” and “County Durham” is a bit too broad. To make the whole thing easier you just say you live just outside Newcastle, which is actually 25 miles away.

You’re amazed by a city

When you do visit a city it feels like it’s a different world from little old Peterlee. You’re amazed they have more than pound shops and charity shops and more than McDonalds to eat. There is actual things to do and you’re not confined a to a small little town. Amazing that these people have everything they need on their door stop and you have to get the bus to Sunderland just to visit Primark.

School Rivalry 

There’d be intense rivalry with the local school. You hated everyone in the other school and argued your school was the best. When in fact both schools were awful.

The Park

Every park in the area would be filled with teenagers binging on cheap cider before causing mayhem in Asda underground car park arguing with the Asda staff and the boy racers.

Eating Out

Wetherspoons was the closest thing to eating out and Peterlee spoons is more like the local drunk hang out than a family night out. In fact I don’t even think anyone eats in Peterlee spoons they just drink their lives away.

Nights out

A night out in Peterlee will literally consist of Spoons and Vibe, not the best of places but we make do with what we’ve got and still enjoy our night.

The News

Whenever Peterlee made the news it would be for something utterly embarrassing or awful that would make you want to curl up in a ball of shame and pretend you didn’t live there like the the famous Christmas tree.

Some people never leave

You judge the people that have stayed here all their life never ever moving anywhere else. I just wonder what it is they like about Peterlee enough to spend over 70 years here.

You defend your town when outsiders slag it off

You may always diss Peterlee yourself but if the area receives bad press or an outsider dares say anything bad then all hell will break loose and you’d defend Peterlee like it was your flesh and blood. Don’t cross a Peterlee person we can handle anything.