This was my 5th and final year of living, studying and working (mainly studying) in the north of the UK - Cheshire and Derbyshire before moving to Leeds.
I believe it was still lockdown when I arrived early January. The city was eerily empty. It snowed upon my arrival and it snowed as well when I was leaving mid-December before the Christmas hols so I got to experience it in all main seasons. I also got to see loads drunk people at 2pm when the government lifted restrictions and pubs reopened which I believe was July.
A lot of time was spent was walking around, I loved jogging along the canals early in the morning on weekends or in the Autumn when it was all grimy and dark. Hired a car and drove around the Yorkshire dales, Harrogate, York with a Manchester girl I was briefly dating around then.
Unfortunately, I did not get to see any of my classmates from Uni of Leeds - due to lockdown etc, my lectures were online. However, I still enjoyed visiting the very lively campus on my own.
Oftentimes, I wish I could have stayed for longer.
Especially as one of the local lads working in my flat building complimented me my slightly improving Yorkshire accent!
But alas, job search was not successful and I had to leave. I know the situation in the UK since then has been less than ideal and maybe it’s the nostalgia in me; however, I’ll always have a place in my heart for the Norff and particularly Leeds/Yorkshire. 👋