Mark Steel's In Town

Mark records a show in the Blackfriars Arts Centre in Boston, Lincolnshire, celebrating sprouts, chavs, Puritans and the Boston Stump.

This week, Mark performs at the Blackfriars Arts Centre in Boston, South Lincolnshire - a town which Mark finds off-putting due to its sheer flatness. It is so flat, that the driving instructors know of only one place in the town from which it is possible to do a hill start.

Mark celebrates the town's oldness, including the Boston Stump, which is the largest church in England that is not a cathedral. He also defends the town from accusations of chavness, despite the fact there is a shop in the town called "It Must Be Stolen".

Mark looks into the history of the town's constant flooding that has occurred due to the Boston's flatness. There is also worry that in due to rising sea levels, in 100 years Boston might be gone. However, on the plus side it might wipe out the huge Brussels sprout farm.

He then looks into the history of Puritanism, which resulted in some people leaving and the founding of the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is just a shame that no-one from the American Boston knows about the English Boston.

Mark then covers the town's desire to build a bypass. It is so strong that a "Build a Bypass" won several seats in the local council elections. Plus there is also the troubled history of Boston Football Club. However, there is still that small hope that one day that Boston, Lincolnshire, might be one day the real home of Cheers.