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AIBU?

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Original poster

To hate the town in which I live?

185 replies

CuckooLuckoo · 14/08/2018 16:13

I've name changed as it might make me identifiable .

I live in quite a rough town in an area of the UK that is commonly thought of and joked about as being full of unintelligent, inbred people. I absolutely hate it here.

I grew up in a really lovely place with friendly people and then when I was 15 my parents decided to move to this area because of my father's work. I started at school here and absolutely hated it. I ended up leaving school at 16 and getting a job and for some reason just never moved away. DH is not from here but also moved here as a child like I did.

Reasons I hate it here:

Its very very rough. Especially the town centre. It's like being on the Jeremy Kyle show when you walk through town.

People who are from the area are extremely rude and unfriendly. You are not considered a local unless you are someone's cousin and someone has known you since birth. If you chat to someone, for example, who is serving you in a shop, they look at you like you're absolute crap. Every single friend that I have is not from the area originally.

There is nothing to do here at all; if it's a rainy day the only place to take kids is a smelly, dirty soft play place that has drug addicts in the door way. We have no decent shopping centre, no decent cinema, no ice skating/roller skating/trampolining places for kids, no decent restaurants or pubs (stabbing is a problem in pubs here it seems). There is literally nothing to do!

The general 'rough-ness' of the area worries me for my DC growing up.

It's in the middle of nowhere! You can't just pop to another town for the day without driving for an hour!

I really want to move away from the area but DH won't. We both have businesses, mine I could run from anywhere but DH's is more local. We do have a really nice house in a nice village on the outskirts of the town, but this doesn't override all of the negatives of the town for me. DH hates it here and hates the local people too but won't move.

I actually feel constantly down and depressed living here. If we go out for the day away from the town and to another area I perk up a lot and feel so much happier.

AIBU to hate where I live? Is anyone else in the same position?

OP posts:
OliviaStabler · 16/08/2018 05:57

Please move. I was brought up having to go to school with lots of 'rough' kids, it was awful.

Sorry but I'd move and if dh chose to stay, that would be up to him. Life is too short to live in a miserable shithole.

wombat1a · 16/08/2018 04:48

I think Norfolk is fantastic, would not want to live in KL though. Defn look at a small village away from the towns. The community spirit in those is often great.

To the poster who thought Watton - well that's my nearest town and I think it's more than good enough for my needs.

EddyF · 16/08/2018 04:08

Thank you so much deptfordgirl. That's really good to know.

deptfordgirl · 16/08/2018 02:48

Eddy please don't worry. I'm from Norwich and it's lovely and your niece will be fine at UEA. It actually has the highest number of people staying in the city after graduating than any other university. All counties have bad areas and Kings Lynn in on the border, quite far from Norwich.

Stringofpearls · 16/08/2018 02:24

Surely it can't be as bad as Bridgwater?!

Kokeshi123 · 16/08/2018 02:18

Could you use the "schools" angle to try and persuade your partner to move somewhere nicer within commuting distance in the next few years? I know someone mentioned a secondary school that was rated "good" but personally I wouldn't trust the rating--any school in an area as grim as you say is likely be poor by national standards (low aspirations among pupils and parents, difficulty keeping good teachers).

EddyF · 16/08/2018 02:18

Is it near Norwich uni? My Niece is hoping to move there for uni from London and is an ethnic minority. I worry for her as she generally an anxious person and very very quiet. We know nothing about the area. Thanks

LittleMy77 · 16/08/2018 02:04

Don't move to Peterborough! Its only saving grace (imo) is its the last stop on the fast train before London.

The best restaurant according to the locals, was a Harvester. Schools were shit, and one of the biggest attractions was an out of town Tesco

footphobic · 16/08/2018 01:21

True there are some pretty grim places in Norfolk, but to slate the county as a whole is unfair and the posters that have said they won’t bother to visit will be missing some beautiful places, so I come to the defense of Norfolk!

Norwich is a great small city with a beautiful cathedral, really nice vibe there. I lived over the Suffolk border and it was my usual place to shop until we moved last year, now I’m stuck with Ipswich.

The Broads are lovely as are lots of the north Norfolk and coastal villages with their welcoming pubs. Lots of nice places to visit, stately homes, quirky places for kids like Bewilderwood. Thetford Forest. Holkham beach is honestly just stunning, one of the best in the country. It definitely has its plus points.

Stillme1 · 16/08/2018 00:25

sacredgeometry - Sounds like you have found a cracking place to live. I am looking in Scotland for a new home. I am trying to work out where you can be. Can you give a hint? Is it East or West? Your description makes it sound so ideal
A PM would be fine if you don't want to go public

TIA

ScreamLikeYouMeanIt · 16/08/2018 00:15

Nowhere can be worse than Skegness, although it does hold a special tacky place in my heart with many happy childhood holidays spent their in the 00's

On second thoughts maybe Blackpool could take that title....

BonnieF · 16/08/2018 00:11

Us northerners think everywhere south of Leicester is posh, so I’m quite surprised to hear King’s Lynn is a dump.

Is it really in the same league of grimness as places like Stoke, Grimsby, Mansfield or my personal nomination for ‘worst shithole in England’, Skegness?

ScreamLikeYouMeanIt · 16/08/2018 00:05

Jupiter9 there certainly are some extremely bizarre people out in the tiny hamlets around the spalding/boston/wisbech/Kings Lynn area if you get my jist....

Jupiter9 · 16/08/2018 00:00

Are they all in breeds.

ScreamLikeYouMeanIt · 15/08/2018 23:57

Ahh yes I know KL well. You say it's down and out, but we regularly used to go on day trips from Spalding as it 'offered' more. I never rue the day I made it out of Spalding...

W0rriedMum · 15/08/2018 23:50

I have been all over North Norfolk and love it - Wells, Blakeney, Holt, Burnham Market. I haven't seen as much Joules in years! It's a lovely area.

I would accuse the OP of lying only I've also been to Great Yarmouth which is awful (sorry to any readers who live there). Of KL is as bad, I can understand the OP's view.

Norfolk - like London - seems to be a place of extremes.

Lim3Trousers · 15/08/2018 23:37

I've had some lovely days out and holidays in Norfolk eg Norfolk Broads, Wells, and other coastal towns. The Queen has a house there ! This year has been lovely due to the good weather. However, like any other place, it may be different if you live there like no motorways

Thinkingofausername1 · 15/08/2018 22:53

Oh gosh! I think Norfolk is beautiful. However I felt the same about my hometown. But I was able to move away, so really feel for you.

GreenTulips · 15/08/2018 22:50

If you have a business and can afford to rent - I'd suggest you move and let DH decide what he wants to do.

Is losing you a better alternative to moving house? He sounds lazy and is giving no thought to yours or the children's wellbeing.

ThisIsNotARealAvo · 15/08/2018 22:48

Which of the secondary schools are 'good'?

Springwood got Good in 2017.

Branleuse · 15/08/2018 22:30

I thought you were gonna say clacton or yarmouth.

Can you move closer to norwich

Rebecca36 · 15/08/2018 22:28

Swaffham is lovely Bloodybridget. The book shop is well known (there's another famous book shop at Holt I think).

So many lovely places in Norfolk, why stay in a grotty town? North Walsham is nice.

Iswallowtoothpaste · 15/08/2018 22:21

Move to Yorkshire. It’s a shit load better up here

Bloodybridget · 15/08/2018 22:17

Just had three lovely days in Norfolk. We stayed in my SIL's house in Swaffham - less than half an hour from KL and it seems like a nice little town to me, I've been several times. Lovely bookshop!

Moussemoose · 15/08/2018 22:09

Which of the secondary schools are 'good'?

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