All the reasons why Ramsbottom is the best town in the North

Growing up in the Lancashire market town of Ramsbottom, moving to London came as a huge shock to the system. Returning to my hometown for some much-needed fresh air and a break from London’s hustle and bustle is always a welcome treat. Sure, the buses are late 90% of the time, rain is a daily occurrence and the majority of the population are sheep, but Ramsbottom is full of quirks that deserve recognition. Here’s a list of reasons why Rammy is the best town in the North.

You aren’t a true Rammy citizen unless you have a mug to prove it.

It is one of the few remaining towns in the UK with a completely independent highstreet

Not to sound like a complaining pensioner, but it seems you can’t go anywhere nowadays without being bombarded with at least 5 Greggs, one Primark and an influx of Wilkos. This is the capitalist society Marx warned us about. Not many towns can boast a totally independent highstreet in this current economic climate. We even have a vegan restaurant to cater for the town’s miniscule millennial crowd.

The West Pennine Moors is on our doorstep, while Manchester city centre is only a 30 minute drive away

This is the best of both worlds that Hannah Montana should have sang about.

Every second building is probably a pub or bar

What better excuse to duck into a pub than Ramsbottom’s constant rain? Rammy folk love a good tipple, being the home of three breweries, a craft ale shop and many a cocktail bar. Not only this, but a pint probably won’t set you back any more than £3, so you can successfully do a pub crawl of the Rammy mile without having to take out a small loan.

We have a whole cafe dedicated to chocolate

Enough said.

Where else would have a world black pudding throwing championship?

I’m not even remotely kidding (see photographic evidence below). With Bury being the birthplace of the black pudding, it’s only right that we hold a black pudding throwing competition. It would be wrong not to. Participants have to lob black puddings at a scaffold, aiming to knock off as many Yorkshire puddings at the top as possible. My favourite part about it is the operative word “world” here- do you think Peru has a team?

The only drama you’ll ever witness will be over stolen sheep, dog shit or poor car parking

It inspired literary greats, according to urban rural legend 

Rumour has it that Ramsbottom inspired Dickens to write his first novel after paying a visit to The Grants Arms Hotel. The hotel was originally owned by brothers William and Daniel Grant, who Dickens allegedly based the Cheeryble Brothers in Nicholas Nickleby on. Maybe I’m obliged to be wowed by this as an English student, but I think that’s pretty damn impressive. Without Rammy Dickens could have opted for a career in candlestick making instead, and Christmases without reruns of A Christmas Carol would never be the same again.

Ramsbottom Festival is our answer to Glasto

In 2011 Ramsbottom started holding an annual music festival, and has since featured a lineup of washed-up musicians such as Sinead O’Connor and The Proclaimers. Forget a 1960s camper van, you can arrive to the festival in true style on Ramsbottom’s very own steam train. Sure, The Rolling Stones never did it, but Rammy is literally redefining the modern festival. Give it a few years and Little Mix will probably be headlining.

There’s no denying that Ramsbottom is absolutely beaut, and while I may take the piss sometimes, nothing beats the town’s friendly residents and community spirit. It wouldn’t be the same without its unique eccentricities. We even have a Snapchat geo-tag and a local podcast now. Sure, it’s probably a sign of gentrification, but anybody who argues that Rammy isn’t with the current times is wrong.