But Spennymoor, with its boarded-up high-street shops, remains an uninspiring sight.

ECONOMIST: The north-north divide

The hooded man was about to move out of sight, turning into his street.

NEWYORKER: Midnight in Dostoevsky

This was how we spoke of the local people: they were souls, they were transient spirits, a face in the window of a passing car, runny with reflected light, or a long street with a shovel jutting from a snowbank, no one in sight.

NEWYORKER: Midnight in Dostoevsky

While a street full of stuffing, tomatoes or oranges might not be the most beautiful sight to behold, some messy festivals result in a painted wonderland.

BBC: The world��s messiest festivals