Dec 10, 2022·edited Dec 10, 2022Liked by Dan Hayes
This is generally a fair article but it’s interesting that it doesn’t mention the town centre regeneration or the jobs created there. Pictures of this would have given a more balanced view: the two old ladies would have seen Matilda in the new and very fancy Cineworld in the Glassworks centre.
I’m new in town but grew up in a similar demographic in Newport South Wales. When I left school in 81 unemployment was over 1 in 10 in that town and was created by declining coal and steel industry locally.
But what I loved about Newport, I love about Barnsley- it’s a spirit of open slightly cheeky friendliness. I hope there are better times ahead for us all.
Also, re anti-depressants the journalist might read and consider Johann Hari’s book, ‘Lost Connections’.
Thanks for reading Ezzie. Maybe I should have mentioned the town centre regeneration. I did see the cinema and the library, and they do look good. The council is clearly trying to improve the area, and should be commended for doing so. I didn't want it to come across as it was bashing Barnsley, or its people. Many of these themes could be seen all over the country, not least in my hometown of Bolton. I suppose I just wanted to think about why Barnsley might be particularly badly hit. And I think it's about a place which had a really strong sense of identity and purpose which has been taken away. And the jobs that are most common in the area now (in logistics or the service industries) are never going to replicate what those traditional industries provided. Thanks for reading and commenting. Dan.
I grew up in Staincross Barnsley and left Uni in the middle of the miners strike. There were no jobs in Barnsley so headed south, like many of my peers to find work. 32 years later I have moved back to Barnsley and it is SO much better than it was then. The Glassworks ( which you didn't mention) is a new £200m+ hub at the centre of the town; the Seam digital campus is the focus point of 250+ tech businesses in Barnsley and high-speed internet has allowed a new generation of well paid jobs to thrive in the borough. Affordable housing and the wonderful countryside is attracting a new generation of young people into the area and retaining people who grew up in the town to stay here and have families. There is a very different side to Barnsley than the one you portray.
That is not to discredit your journalism ( which I highly rate and appreciate) or belittle the very real issues than far too many people have in their lives now- it is a tragic fact of life for far too many people in the UK, but I would love to host you back in Barnsley Dan to show the other, more positive, side of this wonderful town and its friendly, open and honest people.
Hi Simon and thanks for your very interesting comment. I suppose what I was trying to do was answer the question of why antidepressants are so common in the borough. However, that has obviously made the piece fairly one-sided. I did see the Glassworks and the rest of the town centre's regeneration, so I do know positive things are happening. I would be very happy to return soon to look at the other side of Barnsley. All the people I met were lovely and cared very deeply about their town, and I hope some of that came across. Thanks again for your comment. I'll be in touch. Dan.
I guess what would make for an interesting article in that case, Dan, is for you to consider why, in the light of all the investment, is Barnsley still so depressed? A breakdown by qualifications, say, and age might start to shed some light. Is there a disproportionate number of disabled people (ie those claiming disability benefits) in Barnsley? I think I've read somewhere that there is. Has the new investment provided jobs for a wide range of people, or is there a certain swathe left behind? I don't know the answer, as a Sheffielder who'd seen the headlines I just assumed the problem is economic deprivation due to a lack of well paid, meaningful jobs - which could these days could be applied to plenty of places, Sheffield included.
Firstly, Dan, well done for being open about your use of medication. If you need it, you need it. Nobody would even dream of telling people with diabetes to come off their insulin, and psychoactive medication is the same. Anyone thinking otherwise has bought into the myth of mental disorders not being "real" illnesses. (#MeToo, btw, since the birth of my last, now 40!)
Secondly, it isn't just Barnsley, is it. It's the whole country, including the rural poor who rarely get a mention as they're living in largely comfortably-off areas, so don't show up in the data. My view is that we are finally coming to the end of the material benefits of the Empire. It had to come at some point, and I think that that time is now. One could point to various hastening events, like the pandemic, and the European war in Ukraine: but anyway, it's happening. I remember the 1950s. People didn't have cars, and didn't go to cafés for coffee and carrot cake. No matter: kids could play in the street, and their mums (always mums then) drank tea and munched rich tea biscuits in each others' kitchens. We can go back to that. It's a lot of capitalism that won't survive! (See "The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists" by Robert Tressell.) Like Starbucks, the car industry, 75% of the toy industry, etc., etc.
Thanks Ruth 🙏 The thing I wanted to avoid was coming across like I thought I was visiting a zoo, so I thought a bit of personal honesty would help avoid that. And secondly, you are right. It’s not just Barnsley, my hometown of Bolton could easily be in the top ten I’m sure. How these places escape perpetual poverty will be a big aspect of our political discourse over the next few years I think. Thanks for your comment. Dan.
This thoughtful article contrasts markedly with a similar visit report by BBC Look North's reporter, aired one day last week. Look North also spent time in Barnsley town centre but majored on regeneration efforts, e.g. around the Glassworks, as described in the comments posted below by Simon Biltcliffe. I am confident that both reports are accurate and impartial, but reflect different aspects of today's Barnsley because they approach the subject from different starting points. Perhaps there is more to explore about the reasons for heavier prescribing of antidepressants here than in other local towns.
Thanks Frances. I didn’t see the Look North package but will look it up. As you say, there are multiple ways to view this. Hopefully I can go back to Barnsley one day and report on all the good stuff that is happening. Thanks for reading and commenting. Dan.
I read this after returning from a family lunch in Doncaster with a lovely auntie who is the last of a large Rossington pit family on my wife’s side.
She is upbeat about life in the new Rossington. What upsets her is the impossibility of seeing her GP to talk about her personal health problems: blocked by a receptionist offering either a telephone appointment or go to A&E.
How about a similar piece on the apparent inertia of the NHS to return to a properly responsive service now most people think COVID is over?
Thanks Mick! Really glad you liked it. And yes, that's the benefit of going to a place and wandering around, rather than doing everything online which is increasingly the way with modern journalism.
You wrote a great perceptive, and shocking, piece there which, to my mind, resonates with places all around the UK in 2022, and now, like it or not, I can’t stop thinking about Orwell’s masterpiece, Road to Wigan Pier, and the effect his reporting of the wretched sights (he saw) had on me, and most of my class mates it should be said when we read it all those years ago. But thanks for writing it, not easy I’m sure, especially when you're witnessing the subject, and it’s effects, close at hand - excellent first account journalism - no one does it any more.
I'll echo others' comments: this is a thoughtful piece, refreshing both for its personal honesty and the time spent on location actually talking to people. The point made by some about regeneration is well made. What regeneration gives us is hope, rather than a solution. It will take rather more than new - or, preferably, reused - buildings to make either place feel like itself again, but without them the hope would be even less present. We also need to remind ourselves of the stories that we have inherited and will add to. There's a danger of thinking that with the loss of our traditional work our story has come to an end, leaving us floundering, but it has merely taken an unexpected turn. It's still the same narrative. My heritage work aims to keep the things that help us to recall the story so far, but I want to see the next chapter too.
Excellent state of the nation article Dan. Spot on chronicle of Broken Britain. I enjoy these long, in depth Tribune reads. Although sad about the contents - all the things we have lost as communities and as a region. Boosterism and bluster is no substitute for decent jobs, community and identity.
This is generally a fair article but it’s interesting that it doesn’t mention the town centre regeneration or the jobs created there. Pictures of this would have given a more balanced view: the two old ladies would have seen Matilda in the new and very fancy Cineworld in the Glassworks centre.
I’m new in town but grew up in a similar demographic in Newport South Wales. When I left school in 81 unemployment was over 1 in 10 in that town and was created by declining coal and steel industry locally.
But what I loved about Newport, I love about Barnsley- it’s a spirit of open slightly cheeky friendliness. I hope there are better times ahead for us all.
Also, re anti-depressants the journalist might read and consider Johann Hari’s book, ‘Lost Connections’.
Thanks for reading Ezzie. Maybe I should have mentioned the town centre regeneration. I did see the cinema and the library, and they do look good. The council is clearly trying to improve the area, and should be commended for doing so. I didn't want it to come across as it was bashing Barnsley, or its people. Many of these themes could be seen all over the country, not least in my hometown of Bolton. I suppose I just wanted to think about why Barnsley might be particularly badly hit. And I think it's about a place which had a really strong sense of identity and purpose which has been taken away. And the jobs that are most common in the area now (in logistics or the service industries) are never going to replicate what those traditional industries provided. Thanks for reading and commenting. Dan.
Another brilliant article. So well written. My home town is Rotherham and I recognise many similarities with Barnsley. It’s sad.
Thanks Eileen 🙏 Really glad you liked it. Yes, you're right that many places would have seen similar stories, my hometown of Bolton to name but one.
I grew up in Staincross Barnsley and left Uni in the middle of the miners strike. There were no jobs in Barnsley so headed south, like many of my peers to find work. 32 years later I have moved back to Barnsley and it is SO much better than it was then. The Glassworks ( which you didn't mention) is a new £200m+ hub at the centre of the town; the Seam digital campus is the focus point of 250+ tech businesses in Barnsley and high-speed internet has allowed a new generation of well paid jobs to thrive in the borough. Affordable housing and the wonderful countryside is attracting a new generation of young people into the area and retaining people who grew up in the town to stay here and have families. There is a very different side to Barnsley than the one you portray.
That is not to discredit your journalism ( which I highly rate and appreciate) or belittle the very real issues than far too many people have in their lives now- it is a tragic fact of life for far too many people in the UK, but I would love to host you back in Barnsley Dan to show the other, more positive, side of this wonderful town and its friendly, open and honest people.
Hi Simon and thanks for your very interesting comment. I suppose what I was trying to do was answer the question of why antidepressants are so common in the borough. However, that has obviously made the piece fairly one-sided. I did see the Glassworks and the rest of the town centre's regeneration, so I do know positive things are happening. I would be very happy to return soon to look at the other side of Barnsley. All the people I met were lovely and cared very deeply about their town, and I hope some of that came across. Thanks again for your comment. I'll be in touch. Dan.
I guess what would make for an interesting article in that case, Dan, is for you to consider why, in the light of all the investment, is Barnsley still so depressed? A breakdown by qualifications, say, and age might start to shed some light. Is there a disproportionate number of disabled people (ie those claiming disability benefits) in Barnsley? I think I've read somewhere that there is. Has the new investment provided jobs for a wide range of people, or is there a certain swathe left behind? I don't know the answer, as a Sheffielder who'd seen the headlines I just assumed the problem is economic deprivation due to a lack of well paid, meaningful jobs - which could these days could be applied to plenty of places, Sheffield included.
my PA will get a date in the diary for a return match ( literally if you fancy seeing Barnsley play!) lisa.bowen@webmartuk.com
Firstly, Dan, well done for being open about your use of medication. If you need it, you need it. Nobody would even dream of telling people with diabetes to come off their insulin, and psychoactive medication is the same. Anyone thinking otherwise has bought into the myth of mental disorders not being "real" illnesses. (#MeToo, btw, since the birth of my last, now 40!)
Secondly, it isn't just Barnsley, is it. It's the whole country, including the rural poor who rarely get a mention as they're living in largely comfortably-off areas, so don't show up in the data. My view is that we are finally coming to the end of the material benefits of the Empire. It had to come at some point, and I think that that time is now. One could point to various hastening events, like the pandemic, and the European war in Ukraine: but anyway, it's happening. I remember the 1950s. People didn't have cars, and didn't go to cafés for coffee and carrot cake. No matter: kids could play in the street, and their mums (always mums then) drank tea and munched rich tea biscuits in each others' kitchens. We can go back to that. It's a lot of capitalism that won't survive! (See "The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists" by Robert Tressell.) Like Starbucks, the car industry, 75% of the toy industry, etc., etc.
Thanks Ruth 🙏 The thing I wanted to avoid was coming across like I thought I was visiting a zoo, so I thought a bit of personal honesty would help avoid that. And secondly, you are right. It’s not just Barnsley, my hometown of Bolton could easily be in the top ten I’m sure. How these places escape perpetual poverty will be a big aspect of our political discourse over the next few years I think. Thanks for your comment. Dan.
This thoughtful article contrasts markedly with a similar visit report by BBC Look North's reporter, aired one day last week. Look North also spent time in Barnsley town centre but majored on regeneration efforts, e.g. around the Glassworks, as described in the comments posted below by Simon Biltcliffe. I am confident that both reports are accurate and impartial, but reflect different aspects of today's Barnsley because they approach the subject from different starting points. Perhaps there is more to explore about the reasons for heavier prescribing of antidepressants here than in other local towns.
Thanks Frances. I didn’t see the Look North package but will look it up. As you say, there are multiple ways to view this. Hopefully I can go back to Barnsley one day and report on all the good stuff that is happening. Thanks for reading and commenting. Dan.
Dan's article gave a real feel about Barnsley past and present! I liked your openness and self-disclosure.
Thanks Paul 🙏 I was slightly nervous about my honesty but I’m glad you appreciated it!
I read this after returning from a family lunch in Doncaster with a lovely auntie who is the last of a large Rossington pit family on my wife’s side.
She is upbeat about life in the new Rossington. What upsets her is the impossibility of seeing her GP to talk about her personal health problems: blocked by a receptionist offering either a telephone appointment or go to A&E.
How about a similar piece on the apparent inertia of the NHS to return to a properly responsive service now most people think COVID is over?
Have a good holiday and keep the copy coming!
I do like the way the insights come from the story and the people you interview- and are not imposed by the writer.
Good journalism again from the Tribune.
Thanks Mick! Really glad you liked it. And yes, that's the benefit of going to a place and wandering around, rather than doing everything online which is increasingly the way with modern journalism.
Dan,
You wrote a great perceptive, and shocking, piece there which, to my mind, resonates with places all around the UK in 2022, and now, like it or not, I can’t stop thinking about Orwell’s masterpiece, Road to Wigan Pier, and the effect his reporting of the wretched sights (he saw) had on me, and most of my class mates it should be said when we read it all those years ago. But thanks for writing it, not easy I’m sure, especially when you're witnessing the subject, and it’s effects, close at hand - excellent first account journalism - no one does it any more.
I'll echo others' comments: this is a thoughtful piece, refreshing both for its personal honesty and the time spent on location actually talking to people. The point made by some about regeneration is well made. What regeneration gives us is hope, rather than a solution. It will take rather more than new - or, preferably, reused - buildings to make either place feel like itself again, but without them the hope would be even less present. We also need to remind ourselves of the stories that we have inherited and will add to. There's a danger of thinking that with the loss of our traditional work our story has come to an end, leaving us floundering, but it has merely taken an unexpected turn. It's still the same narrative. My heritage work aims to keep the things that help us to recall the story so far, but I want to see the next chapter too.
Excellent article Dan,thank you.
Excellent state of the nation article Dan. Spot on chronicle of Broken Britain. I enjoy these long, in depth Tribune reads. Although sad about the contents - all the things we have lost as communities and as a region. Boosterism and bluster is no substitute for decent jobs, community and identity.