Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is our town a shithole..

860 replies

FroggletTowers · 12/06/2025 13:53

Or is this happening anywhere else?

I have been discussing this with friends, family and colleagues recently so won't name our town for privacy reasons, but it is a regular, large town in England, UK.
Nothing particularly special or awful about it, previously.

Since the pandemic, the entire vibe has changed. Almost unrecognisable.
Yes, we have some heavy shop closures like many towns, but the council kept it looking decent as much as it could. Some nice buildings and nature areas, etc.

What stands out most, apart from the general vandalism and dog shit is the weird accumulation of male groups hanging around boozing in public.

So far they have taken over the local park, river walks and nature reserves. They often cluster beneath bridges or across paths where people like to run, cycle walk dogs or take children, making it less safe and filling these areas with waste. Off road bikes have ruined the nature reserves, so less people visit Sad

Sadly the authorities don't seem to be doing much about it, it is as if these people don't have to abide by laws that the rest of us have to. Some buildings adjacent to these areas have windows put through on a regular basis, even in what you'd call 'nice' areas.
Many of them cluster at river bridges and block the path for others, most are very drunk or out of generally.
It isn't unusual to see a large man passed out across the pathway, blocking anyone getting past. If you had a pram or bike it would be really uncomfortable to have to rouse a large drunk at 2pm in the afternoon. Most are local men, with a growing amount of middle eastern men. The vast majority of them are unstable.

We see less women out cycling, walking or exercising now, and this encompasses both MC and WC areas. These people seem to have just multiplied and spread across the entire borough and have taken over all public space.
We live in a decent area that is now seeming to go downhill.
It isn't unusual to see day drinkers sat alone, surrounded by cans on a quiet residential street. And they won't move to let you past.

It's really depressing.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Luddite26 · 14/06/2025 20:14

I have noticed my local council are putting a lot of cameras on litter bins!

Crikeyalmighty · 14/06/2025 20:13

@Ontobetterthings I lived in Wolverhampton for a couple of years ( met a guy who lived there) early 90 s and even then thought Dudley was truly awful - in all honesty I thought most of the West Midlands was bloody grim with a few exceptions and that was saying something as I came from the East Midlands

Luddite26 · 14/06/2025 20:08

We visited Scarborough during the pandemic and we're shocked at some visions of child poverty. Bare foot kids playing in a car park in what was once a beautiful Victorian Square. There was washing being dried out of third story windows and just an air of shocking neglect. The pandemic lost tourist areas huge amounts of revenue.
But the council have really invested in some projects to restore certain areas which really make you want to go back.

Luddite26 · 14/06/2025 20:01

The biggest problem with law breakers In my local vicinity, not in the city centre, is it's a rat run to the motorway and we often go for a walk in the evening rush hour and have counted 8 out of 10 drivers rushing along exceeding the speed limitas they are still in motorway mode, while using their phones cos you can see how their heads are tilted in certain parts of the road where they feel safe to have a quick glance. All driving very nice expensive cars but knowingly breaking the law as they go along in their little bubble.

Ontobetterthings · 14/06/2025 19:59

Shuttupmeg · 12/06/2025 14:46

I live in Dudley.

You want to experience a shithole, come here. Just off to do the school run. Watching the parents on the playground is like Jeremy Kyle live.

Edited

I was just going to say is it dudley? I visited recently and was really shocked. I've never seen so much rubbish on the street. All next to empty bins as well. It was shocking how deprived it is.

Luddite26 · 14/06/2025 19:45

bipbopdo · 14/06/2025 14:55

That’s still not enough to keep a family and multiple horses on

And educate them all round the table. Must be a bloody big table.

Crikeyalmighty · 14/06/2025 19:03

And yes I think we need to bring in a tourist tax in certain places with hotels and airbnbs — and given the amount of Welsh coaches we get too non stop in summer and the hassle they cause with parking and clogging certain areas , I would tax coach loads too

Crikeyalmighty · 14/06/2025 19:01

@justasking111 nope I agree- we have a similar situation in Bath - it is lovely and not dead and bustling - but we have visitor numbers it struggles with, particularly in summer and whilst tourists bring money into retail and hospitality etc, they aren’t necessarily contributing directly to all the extra costing pressures this brings -

justasking111 · 14/06/2025 18:46

We're in a tourist area there are times and places we know to avoid in the tourist season because so many people like to visit, enjoy the events. Have a holiday, spend days on the beaches, forests, mountains. But a side effect of this is that retail, hospitality, survives year round. We get very little trouble, bored kids mostly.

We all moan about the litter the selfish ones leave behind, loathe the disposable BBQ which is a fire risk..

Our council are broke, they don't clear away tourists litter promptly , they've shut public toilets, the parking meters and double lines have increased to raise extra money.

We do have a county line drug problem from the cities in England to the ferry port. They're after our kids. The police carry out raids, arrest, prosecute and imprison. But like whack a mole another gang pop up.

I don't think anywhere is without its problems.

Crikeyalmighty · 14/06/2025 18:22

Well it’s interesting - we popped over to Salisbury today given that Bath where we live is a nightmare what with a huge open air Robbie Williams concert plus the university open day - absolute bedlam. now I’m sure Salisbury has its issues but as an outsider, it was fun, lovely market , pretty clean , nicely bustling and whilst there are some empty shops as there are anywhere it felt bustling and thriving, I saw very few gangs hanging around or masses of homelessness or weed/drugs - I’m sure it is there in pockets and certain areas- but it certainly wasn’t the overriding vibe. - Thing is I think we have places that whilst there are still ‘issues’ still feel vibrant and a pleasant place to be -other places not so much at all - and we are all gravitating to these nicer places if in a position to do so -

Bickybics · 14/06/2025 18:19

I saw some pictures of my home town in the 1980s and it really got me thinking.
I don’t think the death of the high street is due to Amazon. It’s due to chains taking over towns from the 90s.
In the 80s there was a real mix of independent and chains in town, at least 50/50 maybe even more independents and by the 90s it started swinging the other way. There’s a pic of Next in my town in the 80s and it’s so small, a few years later and it was one of the biggest shops in town.
we became far too reliant on big businesses to fill our towns. Maybe that’s why the ones that had lots of independents have failed better. Every time one fails it leaves a hole in the high street.
That and the fact the buildings aren’t owned locally anymore, owned by companies in London charging huge rents.

Parsley1234 · 14/06/2025 16:55

@PandoraSocks in your opinion

Slatterndisgrace · 14/06/2025 16:52

justasking111 · 14/06/2025 16:50

I hope you have a lovely time 😊

Thank you! 😊

justasking111 · 14/06/2025 16:50

Slatterndisgrace · 14/06/2025 16:49

Oh wow! Hoping to have a holiday there next year.

I hope you have a lovely time 😊

Slatterndisgrace · 14/06/2025 16:49

justasking111 · 14/06/2025 16:45

Indeed 😊

Oh wow! Hoping to have a holiday there next year.

PandoraSocks · 14/06/2025 16:46

Parsley1234 · 14/06/2025 16:41

@PandoraSocks great different experience we agree to disagree ❤️

Na. I am right and you are wrong 😇

justasking111 · 14/06/2025 16:45

Slatterndisgrace · 14/06/2025 16:21

Where is it? I’m getting a Wales vibe!

Indeed 😊

Parsley1234 · 14/06/2025 16:41

@PandoraSocks great different experience we agree to disagree ❤️

PandoraSocks · 14/06/2025 16:37

Parsley1234 · 14/06/2025 15:36

@PandoraSocks whatever you think I’m just saying what I know to be true for working there

And so am I.

Rapunzle · 14/06/2025 16:26

@FroggletTowerswithout further information on your geography & the socioeconomic factors specific to your local area it’s impossible to fully comment imo. Apart from the general trends being seen everywhere with retail nose diving & the impact of empty retail premises being vandalised & used for anti social behaviour. What big employers did/does your town rely on, does it depend on any tourism & what is its history - industrial, market, new or county town? Who is your MP & has your local council changed party? There are so many other factors before you could properly explain the change surely?

Slatterndisgrace · 14/06/2025 16:21

justasking111 · 14/06/2025 16:19

It
Happens every few years. But here flooding isn't a rarity. The water that runs off the mountains and hills ends up in the valley 🤷‍♀️

Where is it? I’m getting a Wales vibe!

justasking111 · 14/06/2025 16:19

Slatterndisgrace · 14/06/2025 15:37

Hmm, not so good then.

It
Happens every few years. But here flooding isn't a rarity. The water that runs off the mountains and hills ends up in the valley 🤷‍♀️

Slatterndisgrace · 14/06/2025 15:37

justasking111 · 14/06/2025 15:35

Well a couple of miles down the road when it rains heavily the stream becomes a river which rises over the bridge flooding the area which means you can't get into town so you're stuck until it subsides.

Hmm, not so good then.

Parsley1234 · 14/06/2025 15:36

@PandoraSocks whatever you think I’m just saying what I know to be true for working there