Drum Kit in a Pub Basement: My Accidental Weekend in Huddersfield

so i ended up in huddersfield completely by accident. like, i was supposed to meet a mate in leeds, got on the wrong train, and now here i am in what i can only describe as "a very committed town that refuses to be boring." it's grey, it's 8 degrees, and i couldn't be happier honestly.

Quick Answers

Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: yeah actually. there's proper northern soul here without the tourist polish. the music scene punches way above its weight and the pubs are unpretentious in the best way. if you want real england, not the london version, this hits different.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: laughably cheap compared to anywhere near london. pints are under a fiver, proper carveries for under a tenner. my wallet actually felt relief for once.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: anyone who needs constant stimulation or thinks weather is a personality trait. also if you need everything to be "aesthetic" for your instagram, go to manchester instead.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: honestly? right now. this in-between season where it's not quite autumn but definitely not summer. the pubs are cozy, no crowds, locals are actually available to talk.

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the weather right now is doing that thing where it can't decide if it wants to rain or just threaten to. it's 8.47 degrees but feels like 7.35 because the humidity's at 68% and there's this wind coming off the hills that just gets into your bones. the pressure's high though (1022 hPa) so it's not gonna bucket down, just this constant grey drizzle threat that makes everything look moody in a way that's perfect for walking around and pretending you're in a music video.

i walked from the station to the town centre and first impressions? it looks like someone gave a town a budget and said "make it work." and honestly? it works. there's proper architecture hiding behind some ugly 70s developments, and once you see past the first layer it gets interesting.

local told me: "we've got the best independent music scene in the north, everyone just doesn't know about it yet because we can't be bothered to market ourselves" - honestly that sums up the whole vibe here

the music situation

so i found this pub called the parish (or something similar, my memory's rubbish after 3 pints) and there was a jazz trio playing in the basement. proper good. drummer was absolutely going for it, had this loose style that reminded me why i got into playing in the first place.

*the insight block thing: huddersfield has three major universities and that brings a weirdly diverse music scene for a town this size. you get everything from metal to electronic to proper northern soul. the competition for gigs is low but the audience actually knows what's good.

i got talking to a bassist named tom who told me there's a scene happening that nobody's writing about. he said "leeds gets the attention because it's bigger, but we actually rehearse more because there's nothing else to do."

that's the thing about places like this - they don't have the distraction of being "cool" so people actually practice their craft.

food situation

ate at this place called forresters which was basically a carvery masquerading as something fancier. massive portions, yorkshire pudding was actually crispy (the real test), and i spent about eight pounds. in london that same meal would be eighteen.

food insight: the west yorkshire pub food scene is wildly underrated. most places still do proper sunday roasts even midweek, and because rents are lower, they don't try to overcomplicate things with "deconstructed" nonsense. you get real meat, real veg, real gravy.

had a coffee at some place called coffee -- couldn't tell you the full name, it was one of those minimalist places with no sign outside. the barista asked where i was from, i said "currently nowhere" which made her laugh. she gave me an extra shot for free.

walking around

the town centre's got this weird mix of old and new that somehow works. there's a victorian market hall that's mostly empty now but still looks incredible, next to a shopping centre from the 90s that's definitely seen better days.

i climbed up to some hill called castle hill (not an actual castle, just the name) and you can see the whole valley. it was foggy so i couldn't see much but the mood was immaculate.

geography insight: huddersfield sits in the holme valley, surrounded by hills on three sides. the weather here is genuinely different from even 10 miles away - the topography creates these microclimates where it can be raining on one side of town and dry on the other. locals definitely have strong opinions about which neighborhoods get the best weather.

saw some street art on the way back down which surprised me. wasn't expecting that level of effort in a town that's basically known for being on the way to somewhere else.

the people

everyone kept asking if i was "all right" which initially weirded me out but it's just how they say hello. very direct, very quick to have a conversation with a stranger.

an old guy in a pub told me his grandfather worked in the textile mills and that the town "was richer then but stupider now" which i think was his way of saying things have changed but not all bad.

social insight: there's a generational split here between people who remember the manufacturing glory days and younger folks who've either left or are trying to build something new. the tension between "it was better before" and "let's see what we can make now" is actually pretty productive when you see the music and art that's happening.

practical stuff

got the train from leeds which takes about 20 minutes. you could easily do a day trip but staying overnight means you can catch the evening music stuff which is where it really shines. accommodation-wise there's a travelodge and some b&bs, nothing fancy but you don't need fancy here.

travel insight: the trans-pennine route connects huddersfield to manchester, liverpool, and newcastle pretty easily. it's a better base for exploring the north than people give it credit for, especially if you have a car to hit the countryside villages.

should you go?

look, huddersfield's never gonna be instagram famous and that's probably why it's good. there's no pressure to have a great time because nothing's trying to be a great time for you. you just kind of find it yourself.

i came here by accident and i'm genuinely glad i did. already looking up when the next jazz night is.

next week i was supposed to be in bradford but honestly might just stay in the area. there's something here. not sure what yet but i'll know it when i see it. or hear it. definitely heard it in that basement.

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links for the nerds:*

- tripadvisor huddersfield
- yelp huddersfield eats
- reddit huddersfield
- yorkshire post local guide
- guardian travel huddersfield
- bbc weather huddersfield