Well, here's a book I purchased a few days ago, and it's got me laughing!!   You might go to a book store and get a copy for him.  And I am not making this up!  It's real!  It's titled:

"The Idler Book of Crap Towns - The 50 Worst Places to Live in the UK."   The back cover reads, "Crap Towns lifts up the concrete slab in the garden of England and reveals the shady, corrupted towns lurking in the dark corners of the nation, from inner-city poverty to self-satisfied middle England.  Edited by Sam Jordison and Dan Kieran."

Yes, this is a British book.  ISBN: 0-7522-1582-5  Copyright by Dan and Sam Ltd.  First Published 2003.

And, after you read this book, if you dare, you can actually visit these places.....  Won't he be surprised!!  There's one quote that gets me, "Hull - it smells of death..."