HAVING taken in the sights, sounds, and dare I say it, the people of Carlisle since moving to this historic city just two weeks ago, the question that immediately pops up is – does it do itself justice?

Like many people who have 'been' to Carlisle, my impressions of the city have been almost exclusively crafted by glumly wandering outside the railway station and waiting for my connecting train on a Friday evening.

Seeing the stunning citadel buildings and being enticed into taking a closer look, I'd peer down the 'lively' Botchergate and quickly scurry back to the safety of the station platform.

However, after being unexpectedly offered the chance to live and work here a few short weeks ago, I received mixed responses to the enquiry of 'what’s Carlisle actually like?'.

My first job was finding somewhere to live, and two things struck me.

Firstly, I wondered why the house prices are so cheap compared to other cities.

Secondly, from first coming to the city centre along Warwick Road from the M6, Carlisle's architecture, from modest terraced streets to the many varied historic buildings on the way, is simply stunning.

Even my mother, who was driving, was impressed – 'Oh, it's actually really nice, I like it'.

Having wandered around the city for a couple of weeks now, my opinion hasn't changed.

Granted, I’ve probably only seen about a quarter of it, but having lived in many towns and cities, big and small, across the north of England, Carlisle is, for the most part, visually spectacular.

Not just for the unique craftsmanship exhibited on its buildings, but its green parks, its riverside areas, and next, its history.

Considering myself a bit of a history buff (I always went for the yellow questions in Trivial Pursuit), I had little idea of Carlisle's Roman history.

While cities like Chester and York are considered 'Roman' cities, Carlisle isn't considered in the same bracket, but why?

We have Hadrian's Wall on our doorstep, yet to me, and many others, its association is with Northumberland.

One could argue that Chester was just a stop-off on the way to Carlisle in Roman times, but these famously 'Roman' cities make much of their ancient heritage and gain huge prestige from it, not to mention investment and tourism.

One of the most common observations people had when I enquired about Carlisle before I moved here was the number of empty shops in the city centre.

Sadly, Carlisle does not seem immune to the trend with has led to the decline of many town and city centres, and yes, there is an air of dereliction of certain parts of the centre, but there still a host of retail outlets to make a shopping trip to Carlisle more than worthwhile.

Some locals have told me in no uncertain terms what they think of the state of businesses and shops in the centre, and of the recent governance of the city.

As a total newbie though, Carlisle feels like a city with a plan.

While certain parts of the city centre do have the feel of a building site currently, we can see an example of what can be achieved in the new-look Devonshire Street – one could almost imagine one was in Paris, or Vienna (OK, maybe stretching it with that one).

The plan to bring the university into the centre demonstrates a city that is actively trying to re-invent itself in line with modern trends.

This potential revitalization of the centre may well give more national chains and local independents the confidence to set up shop here to supplement the great businesses already here.

Lastly, the people of Carlisle are, on the whole, a delight (I have to say that, I know).

It’s rare to sit in a bar, or café, for example, and not strike up a conversation with someone, and there is an overt friendliness and openness in the people I meet that adds to the vibe of the city as a whole.

Thumbs up to the taxi driver, for example, that gave me a fascinating insight into the history of the McVitie's factory in Carlisle, and the fact that it also houses a shop where you can buy the biscuits from the source!

Most locals are proud of their city, and rightly so, but Carlisle on the whole seems to have an identity crisis – its parts are so much greater than the perception of its sum, both inside and outside of the city.

People in Cumbria and beyond may not feel the need to go to Newcastle, Manchester, York, or Liverpool for special shopping trips and city breaks in the future – Carlisle has the potential, given time, to become more of a 'destination'.

How can anyone deny that this a realistic ambition this when you look at what the city itself has to offer, the surrounding countryside, not to mention the magical Lake District on our doorstep.

In short, Carlisle is ace.