Middlesbrough: Behind the headlines, God is at work

In the words of TV and radio presenter Jeff Stelling, “Middlesbrough is a darn fine place to live”.

He famously proclaimed this in his defence of the town after it had been named the worst place to live in Britain. In his passionate praise of Middlesbrough, Stelling waxed lyrical about the positives of the area, pointing to famous landmarks such as Roseberry Topping and the Transporter Bridge, as well as some of the remarkable people associated with the town, including Chris Rea and Brian Clough. He argued that those who spoke so disparagingly about Middlesbrough had obviously never really been there. In this article, I intend to do much the same as him.

Middlesbrough has its problems, and I have no intention of pretending otherwise. But it is also a town with a proud history, remarkable people, strong communities and countless stories that rarely make the national headlines. So, rather than allowing Middlesbrough to be defined solely by poverty, crime, disorder or tragedy, I want to offer a different picture of the place I know and love.