A writer praises the North

Since I know you don't get enough of me writing about the North, and writing, and northern writing, there's an article of mine over at Women Writers School about that very thing.

An anchor I saw in Cumbria, not the one that tethers me to the north

You'll recognise it by the photo above, and my unbridled enthusiasm. And the mention of Luddites. Some of the other writers that Laurie Garrison has invited to add to her Literature and Place theme have covered exotic places like San Francisco and Bhutan so you can be an international jet-setter from the comfort of your armchair.

As ever, thoughts welcome. Do you love all my references to northern this, that and the other or do you sigh every time it comes up? Does fiction set in a place that's familiar to you have an additional hook, or do you like reading yourself into places you'll never visit? If you're a writer too, is there somewhere that has that magic for you?