In praise of … Newark

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/30/n-praise-of-newark-nottinghamshire

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One of the incidental excitements of parliamentary byelections is that they sometimes occur in places less generally known than they should be. So the politicians, the canvassers and the media scrum that will now converge on the Nottinghamshire town of Newark – even though Nigel Farage isn't running – are set to discover one of the best-looking towns in England. Already, as the story of Patrick Mercer's departure broke, there were enticing TV shots of the marketplace, with its fine 18th-century town hall: whether packed on a market day or more tranquil at other times, a delight. From one of its pubs, Gladstone addressed the electors after winning the seat in 1832; he was then a Conservative. And then, just behind the square, there's one of the best medieval churches in England; and beyond, the castle and river. There are also two railway stations, to one of which those who love towns ought to come – byelection or not.