Situated approximately 10 miles south west of Durham City is the charming and remote market town of Crook. Home to over 10,000 (sometimes) happy and (mostly) welcoming residents, it is a shining example of the hospitality, which is so common place in the North East of England and if you live there, you've got every reason to be proud of that. Chances are, if you do live there, most people you work with or grew up with who aren't from there have absolutely no idea where it is, what it's like or how you're supposed to get there. Those people are missing out, badly. Alas Crook, like every other place, does have its fair share of shortcomings. And when growing up and/or living in Crook, there are some things which you realise are rather unique to this somewhat ramshackle town. Let not this detract from the pride we Crookites feel for our humble town, but these are some problems which all locals can identify with...
10. Constantly Explaining To Outsiders Where Crook Is
What is most frustrating to inhabitants of Crook who commute and attend work, school, or college in the wider area, is that no one seems to have a clue where we are. Explanations or directions often consist of instructions such as "Head straight over Neville's Cross when you get to Durham, and stay on that road for 15 minutes" or "We're about 10 minutes from Bishop Auckland" or "We're on the way if you're heading out to Wolsingham and Stanhope". It's the great tragedy of Crook that we're only findable in reference to somewhere else. But why? Do people not know that we have an abundance of takeaways, hairdressers, and bookies to enjoy - seriously, we have MORE than enough to go round. It just doesn't seem right. Birtley, West Rainton, Houghton-le-Spring, Stanley, Consett - Yep, against most other towns of comparable size around the North East area Crook just doesn't get the awareness it deserves. We shouldn't complain I suppose, it just means we there's less of a waiting time when placing a bet or getting some chips.
