To ask for your experiences with Bath/strange atmospheres

@Kingcole I can’t remember the exact name, I’m looking through my emails now to find my air b n b booking. There was just a lot of the same, and hardly any people ? I just found it unsettling

Ok and last one. High Wycombe - like being in Hot Fuzz / League of Gentlemen. Went to a scruffy looking suburban pub and Was approached to join an bible study group and also asked twice if I wanted to buy coke. It was a Tuesday.

Swavesy @Chillicheese123?

Haworth, York and Ludlow bring me out in metaphorical hives give me a city any day.

Also - I’m not sure what it’s called but near Cambridge there’s a massive swath of the countryside which is completely new build. The land is completely featureless and it’s just a maze of new build estates with new build schools and care homes, shops (loads of Co-Ops?) and just flat land stretching around with half built stuff on. Really hated it

Portsmouth has a creepy post apocalyptic feel to me

Tatasmalatarocks- sounds lovely, your description is making me really jealous!

I think you can find this anywhere and it depends on what else is going on in your life at the time, I’ve met some lovely friends here, not loads but enough, all are sociable friendly non snobby over 35s (and I’m 50 odd). I’m not judgemental but if you don’t like Bath where exactly do you like? I’ve lived all over, Canterbury, Oxford, Bristol, twickenham, St Albans - and Bath is the best to live in ‘for me’ . Maybe not for everyone, but for a great many it’s got a lot going for it. It’s all a matter though of if you have friendships, good work, good personal situation etc— if other shit is going on then ‘anywhere ‘ can be crap. On a lovely day here with views up to the hills and twinkling lights in houses and a red sunset- it’ pretty much as good as it gets in the UK - if you need to be somewhere with ‘life’ . What I will say as well is the experience on a nice day is totally different to if it’s pissing down and windy , so if you visit on a shit day— that kind of stays with you—

I live in Bath- love it! Never felt that way at all

You protest too much
Just chill and enjoy living in one of the most stunning cities in the country

Saladaysior, what do you know about my life? You know i dont like Bath and thats it. What do you know about moving? the logistics, the planning. This just up and move is a very silly attitude. You dont just do whatever you want whenever you want. The most effective plans dont work that way.

"To answer you username, I'm a bit of a stuck up snob who happened to grow up on a council estate, so have no problem relating to people in the nice parts of Bath"

Ok, fair enough. Anyone else from Bath care to chip in? With actual experience and analytical view not just "I like Bath OK!"

What I'm thinking (No, not "YOUR ALL WRONG BECAUSE I SAID!)" is perhaps in my experiences in Bath are due to attracting certain types unwittingly. If I went driving around in a Ferrari and wore all Gucci clothes I would attract a certain type of people. Doesn't mean the majority of the people in that place are shallow, but I drew the majority of the ones who were based on the Ferrari and Gucci". My intial experiences in Bath have been largely formed on this attention I seemed to be getting inadvertently and it isnt really appreciated. The questions, the weirdness. I didnt come to Bath to be a celebrity. Other people seem to be granted quiet and left alone and I wasn't and I definitely resent this. Some of the attention however wasn't positive and was just downright hostile, very passive aggressive or SUPER awkward. It definitely wasnt the place where I can politely mind my own business.

Never been to Bath unfortunately so can't join in that argument.
However - I was finding the general discussion of places that give you weird vibes an amazing distraction so here's my contribution - Malta. Felt menacing and was on edge the entire time I was there, have never felt like that anywhere else in the world. Weird.

@usernameusrnme unless your extreme hatred of everything about Bath has only emerged in the last month, that’s a ridiculous answer.

Im so glad im not the only one who dislikes Brighton.

Not me - maybe knittingaddict?

Yes me, Freezerbird.

To answer you username, I'm a bit of a stuck up snob who happened to grow up on a council estate, so have no problem relating to people in the nice parts of Bath.

Seriously though, I'm not a parent of young children any more and I hate socialising, so you're asking the wrong person. The few I know are mostly perfectly nice ordinary people, but then I'm no class warrior.

Saladaysior I can assure you that now is not the time in the middle of all thats going on to be moving anywhere. Not sure if you're being serious or not but If you tried to move anywhere now you would be met with serious derision and for good reason as the main objective is saving people not moving to a nicer house/flat. As I said time is important and just doing whatever I like because I want it now is very childish. I haven't even gone to the shop because its about protecting people not thinking solely about myself.

Saladaysior. Also I find it genuinely fun to look at things and look for flaws and faults to seek improvement. Not everyone likes to do that I agree. Some people find it weird yes. But to be in an environment where everyone wants everything to stay exactly the same is too much. Whats worse is when they get upset for you seeking improvements or even questioning things at all. Nothing is perfect and finding improvements, even marginal fractional ones is satisfying. But when I meet people who insist not only on not bothering to change but even question change its not great.

Take the monarchy. It keeps things the same the most part, but after 9/11 someone had the idea to play the star spangled banner during the changing of the guards and its a nice touch. Not "Nope. This hasn't been changed in (Insert number of years) Nothing wrong with tradition but inject some personal touches at times. Try to feel the mood. Bath smothers people with its own mood, not bad for tourists. What about the student accommodation situation? Why is no-one able to question the council. Or the roads. Why is the design not allowed to be questioned? Or the homeless situation? The decimated high street . Can something be done? But nope, not allowed to be questioned. If you do people think its crazy. But is questioning the possibility of improving things really that bad? This authoritative super top down attitude is oppressive to some. That could be what makes the people who are unhappy there like the OP feel that way. Ive met a lot of youngsters who say they cant wait to leave and met people in other places who are from Bath originally who said the same. Could it be improved to prevent a possible brain drain while still attracting people who love it for its beauty and looks? Maybe they improve upon their economy if they did? It will be definitely be useful now with the corona fallout. Would there be more money available for services if the talented local youngsters stayed, implemented ideas, added to the work force and kept their money Bath's economy ? It's possible, but it won't be if everyone who has ideas is shut down because "we already like it and so does our friend" close conversation.

Lockdown has been 4 weeks. I think if I despised the people, the attitudes, the architecture, everything about the place I lived in, I wouldn’t be giving lockdown as the reason I’m still there.

It takes time... not really when Bath is a place many people would give their eye teeth to live. I’d have sold up, handed in my notice as a tenant or arranged a Council swop years ago if I despised the place I lived in like you do.

But then you protest too much, so perhaps the reason you haven’t is it’s actually pretty nice

Too funny that if you raise even a mild defence when you and the place you live in are roundly slagged off as weird and parochial then that is leapt on as proof that you are indeed middle class monocultural and generally hideous 😁

I know I joined this thread late but why are people arguing over Bath? It's really not that deep 😭

Freezebird I think it was you that mentioned that you are from one of the poorer parts of Bath

Not me - maybe knittingaddict?

Saladaysior. Ok finally a response that asks an actual question.
I would like a Ferrari. Doesn't mean I'm going to buy one tomorrow. Even if I could I cant because of the lockdown. Some things are about time. Not money.

"@usernameusrnme the most defensive attitude by a country mile is coming from you! So it’s a bit much to say everyone who lives in Bath is ultra defensive and can’t contemplate anyone criticising any aspect about whatsoever"

Can you read? If not I won't post. Critique is welcome! why are you struggling to understand this? If I designed a car or piece of tech for example and you thought you could improve upon it, I would welcome hearing your ideas and then agree or disagree. My experience is people in Bath are shocked to discover another viewpoint at all. These are the narrow minds I'm referring to.

The OP said she felt depressed in Bath. Some said it might have been Radon. Some others said its fake and surfacey, not real, Bristol is better etc These are real reasons listed and not just "Its rubbish and didnt like it"

I mentioned that its a predominantly middle class all white environment despite being claiming its multicultural (Which I re-interate is total nonsense) If the OP came from London, the small feel of Bath have gotten to her. Maybe it was the Radon, maybe the social aspect as I mentioned.

The people offended have responded but not in way that actually explains anything. Perhaps you could have said its beautiful but mono architectural as I did, which might have an effect. Maybe someone from a diverse environment like London might not enjoy the largely monocultural environment at the university despite it being a very good academic institution. Perhaps its the lack of modernity and Georgian damp. Who knows. But "My friend lives there and I like it" What can anyone learn or glean from that? Put forward an intelligent response as to why its unlikely that people would feel down about the points raised not just "I like so there"

Freezebird I think it was you that mentioned that you are from one of the poorer parts of Bath. What are your experiences of going to the more wealthier or just more middle class areas and dealing with other parents or socialising for example. Maybe you've had no problem but I am genuinely interested to learn of your experiences. I've found a lot of snobbery but what are your opinions? People shutting down my experiences but not sharing their own with a bit more depth other than "I like it" isnt really adding anything.

Why live there then? Serious question. If I felt that out of sync and negative towards pretty much everything - the people, architecture, schools - where I lived, I’d make getting out my first priority.

Like I said, it’s not difficult: practically anywhere else in the UK is cheaper to live. Anyone working in Bath can live in Bristol and commute in- many do, and my friends’ kids have schoolmates who come in daily from Bristol. Or from the many towns and villagers locally.

It’s weird to have such strong feelings of negativity towards the place you live yet refuse to move. Almost like you enjoy slagging it off.