It really is a depressing place though, and I'm not knocking it because of the football banter. The people always seem to be walking around as miserable as sin. Had to go there quite a bit to visit somebody in hospital and although the nurses were always bright and friendly everybody else seemed like zombies just whiling their hours away.
I work with a fervent Sunderland supporter. Lives and dies for the club, won't set foot in the town unless he has to for business. It is grim