Jem, my favourite film is Terence Davies's 'Distant Voices, Still Lives'(1988) because it has lots of pub songs I can empathise with - my own parents and their generation sang in pubs. I laughed and cried through the film again earlier this year, when Terence Davies was present at the NFT. He was very amiable, not at all like some grumpy directors I could mention.I like 'The Long Days Closes' (1992) as well, - I think that was the one with the father dying of TB, and the boy going a lot to the cinema. There's another follow-up based on his memories of his aunties, starring Gena Rowlandson but I can't remember the title.

In my opinion Lancastrians are much more cheerful than Yorkshire people. Morecambe and Wise, Ken Dodd, and my favourite, Victoria Wood were born there, not to mention George Formby, before your time, and Gracie Fields, of course. My theory is they did all the singing and cracking jokes to take their minds off the work and surroundings. My parents also took me to the pictures twice a week as soon as I was no longer a 'babe in arms' and not allowed. Preston, my home town, was a bike-ride away from Blackpool, so maybe that helped. Victoria Wod had a pretty bleak childhood, as I read in her biography recently, so maybe she just absorbed it from the atmosphere.

Sheila

I'll keep an eye out for those, thanks.

I know Leigh (well, I've been there) and Preston. It's not that grim up north, is it?

Nik.

Preston became a city recently and I like the way the University of Central Lancashire has transformed the centre, but my sister who still lives there is not keen.

No, it's not so grim at all.

Sheila

I had thought Mischief Night was a fictitious invention

No it's real. Eclipsed a little by all that US post ET trick or treat stuff but Mischief Night still happens in these parts - all to do with throwing flour and eggs at people's doors and cars and bending garden gates - I have no idea why

Had forgotten about it but saw a placard at the local newsagents urging teenagers not to get involved the other day...

Think it comes a few night before Halloween...

I will pass over that red rose slur on us jovial Yorkshire folk

Sarah

Cornelia - I lived in Ribchester for a while - beautiful village!

You must know the difference between Lancs and Yorks - Yorkshire is all hills and moors and Lancashire is all mills and whores. (Actually that SOUNDS funnier than it reads!)

Can't stand Gracie Fields but love Victoria Wood. And Peter Kay of course, Bolton God.

Nice to meet someone who likes similar films too!

Great, Jem - I hadn't heard that one about the mills and moors.

Sarah, my best friend and an ex-husband derive from Yorkshire - well, Hull and Tees-side respectively. Yorkshire is one of my favourite holiday places - love all that Bronte stuff, and Harrogate, etc. I used to hitch-hike a lot from Preston to Stockton across the moors in my younger days - through Ilkley and Otley. Fantastic scenery.

Sheila

I used to be a huge Joy Division fan in my youth and am dying to see this film. For anyone who has a certain image of the music and is put off, try listening to a track called Atmosphere on headphones (preferable out walking somewhere lovely on a frosty day. 'Tis blissful. A really beautiful piece of music.

Caroline, the scenes of Curtis and his band performing the songs are amazing. You are in for a treat.

Sheila

I love some Joy Division and can't wait to see the film. Samantha Morton is always worth watching. I've heard it's dreary but then so are Joy Division. You can have too much of it, believe me.

I laughed at the key twirling incident and the tale of cinema confrontation. We had some guys chortling and talking into mobile phones behind us during The Return of the King. It went on and on until my bf of the time shouted - yes, I do mean shouted - 'will you just f***ing shut the f*** up!'. The silence that followed was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, but you know what, they shut the f*** up.

JB

Samantha Morton gave one of her best performances, although I agree all of them are good. She had me believng it was all set in the earlier era and she really was a teenager.

My sister who lives in Australia says she liked the employment exchange scenes - why weren't there more officers like Ian Curtis? Also, the interior with the clothes rack on a pulley, which she remembered from childhood days.

Sheila

Yes, Samantha Morton is a really classy actor, isn't she? She seems to escape all the crap that the other young British 'celeb' actresses get. I think that's cos she's choosy what she appears in.