When I leave, part of me stays': why Scarborough's youth won't turn their backs on the seaside town they love

"I walked outside the school and there was this girl on the phone... 'I just want to know now if he has left me any money.' And I thought, you won't hear anyone say that in our town. It's just that something like that feels like planets away from where we are. We make money, we don't wait for money to come to us."

"Keane, who had to re-sit his English GCSE and admits he was in trouble at school a lot, was going to apply for an apprenticeship, encouraged by his father, who, he says, struggled to get where he is today and just wanted him to make money as soon as possible. But at the last minute he went with a friend to look at the sixth form of his local college and got on to the drama A-level course there."

In Scarborough, a Yorkshire seaside town, three teenagers—Keane, Jack, and Charlie—discuss their aspirations and the cultural differences between their community and wealthier areas. Keane, 19, shares his experience visiting a London drama school and contrasts the attitudes toward money he observed there with those in his hometown. He emphasizes that in Scarborough, people actively earn money rather than expect inheritance, reflecting the town's working-class values. Keane initially considered an apprenticeship following his father's advice but ultimately chose to pursue drama at his local college's sixth form. He works as a hospital cleaner while studying, exemplifying the practical work ethic prevalent among young people in his community.

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