Ever visited somewhere for the day and been really disappointed?

[Summerhouse2013]

We travelled to Yeovil in Somerset yesterday for the day, wow, we were so disappointed.

It was like a ghost town. Most of the shops were shut, only a handful were open. And towards the bottom area of the town most of the shops were completely closed down.

I'd always got the impression there was a lot more to Yeovil.

We left after an hour as there was nothing to do.

They are just so underwhelming aren't they . My dds love them and dd1 is making noises about going to Germany this year I've already loudly declined !

I would be interested to know how old some
of the people commenting on Warwick Castle are. I am 40 and I remember it being described as ‘commercialised’ in the 90s. It was bought by the Tussaud group in the late 70s!

yes absolutely, what a waste of money, all that way - daughter and sil went to Chatsworth instead of Germany/Bavaria at her behest so think she felt a little crushed.

My mental picture of a market especially at Christmas is obviously more romantic than reality.

Tbf I think the November fayre is so you buy their overpriced gifts as presents

Spa water isn't good for you unless it tastes awful!

Bath is looking very down on its luck now. The old Georgian buildings look great from the outside (not so great inside - I've worked in several of them!) but the "fake" ones of the Southgate end look tired and shabby already and so many shops closed with homeless sleeping in the doorways and litter everywhere.

Most of the independent shops have been squeezed out by a combination of high rents and high business rates and even the big chains are now saying enough and withdrawing. No wonder Bath Council is feeling the pinch but they don't seem to wise up and look at what is going on.

The city has coasted along on tourist money for years but with some things now closed indefinitely, Avon St car park (which is the main short stay) being redeveloped and big name shops closing there is less and less to attract.

Companies are also preferring Bristol to Bath and lots of Bath offices have closed which combined with WFH means far fewer local office workers shopping at lunchtime so less trade from them too. I had an appointment this morning on the edge of the city and briefly thought about going in for a mooch around the shops. I decided it probably wasn't worth it and came home.

Oh is that how we measure how beneficial something is by how how disgusting it tastes😃

Yes wise counsel!! Warm ‘bad eggs’ water

Yes. Return flight after a week in Florence was a dump. We had a few hours to kill in Pisa before going to airport and it really is as you described. Scruffy, falling down tower, restaurants were dire and couldn’t wait to return to airport.

I also found Verona overhyped, especially Romeo and Juliet balcony though did see opera and vineyards there. Florence is nice but once you’ve done the main drag and round of museums, art galleries, there really isn’t much there apart from crowds and I much preferred quieter Siena (and stayed there next time). The noise from the air b n b in Florence next to market made me rebook and rethink accommodation there too on next 2 visits.

I think part of the problem is tourist agencies who are too good at promotion. This affects Pisa and Dublin. The tourist agencies promote the same few photos making it look lovely. Tourists go and realise that is all worth seeing, everything else is boring or shit.
I mean when you go to Pisa you know the tower is the main attraction. But you still think there would be nice restaurants and shops for the tourists.

I blame Go Jetters

So sulphurous 🤢

Yes it’s an odd one for sure. Also, the marketing (and pricing!) makes clear that it’s an attraction rather than simply a historical interest site, so I wonder why people are spending so much on going when it’s clear what you’re going to get?

I much preferred quieter Siena

It's wonderful, isn't it? We had a lovely stop there before exploring the "classic" bits of Tuscany and finished at some amazing hot springs. It took the Pisa taste out of our mouths nicely, luckily we had been there first, would have been rather a low note to end a trip on.

Quite a few sneery posts on here.
Places like Morecombe, Bridlington, Scarborough and Blackpool have been neglected for years. These areas are the some of the most deprived in the country with the worst life expectancy in the UK.
https://unherd.com/2022/11/the-betrayal-of-britains-seaside-towns/
If you are from a naice market town in the home counties Harrogate will be a let down. Not much different to Tunbridge Wells.
Hebden Bridge. Yes it's an attractive town with a decent community spirit but it's now full of expensive coffee shops and trendy gift shops selling boho tat. Scratch beneath the right on m/c veneer and there's still a fair amount of deprivation made worse by locals being priced out by creative types from Manchester, Leeds or even London.
Whitby. Typical northern seaside town, really struggling with folk buying up property for second homes/air bnb. Council is trying to put a stop to it before it goes the way of RHB and Staithes. I don't think there can be anymore room for more bloody cafes and tasteful trinket shops.

@Samphiredragonfly No one is have a personal go at you. Really, what a dull, sanctimonious lecture to put people in their places. Every thread, someone like you turns up, every thread.

I’m surprised how many people are slating Dublin - it’s one of my favourite cities and we visit often. But I will say it’s not really a place to drag children around. Dh and I always go alone, stay in a posh hotel and basically eat & drink all weekend! The live music is fantastic (O’Donohues Bar is my favourite - people just turn up and play) and I love just wandering around soaking up the atmosphere, it’s always so buzzy and lively and everyone’s in a good mood(prob coz they’re tipsy!) We usually do a bus tour and always have afternoon tea in Bewley’s. I love all the independent cafes and shops and Grafton Court - there was a fantastic piano player last time.

And having Irish grandparents I love the Irish people, it feels like home to me ☘️

@midsomermurderess no offence taken.
people are sneery about certain places. Try living there. It’s no fun 😂

Ah thanks @Itakecreaminmycoffee.
I'm glad you like it.
I can see where people who didn't enjoy Dublin are coming from too.
I wish our police were more visible on the streets.

I agree with this, so much!

Certainly not <slicks back hair>

Seems like it's often to do with unrealistic expectations, or bad weather, or both?

A few thoughts on Bath...

I wonder if the fact that the whole city is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is a little misleading, in some ways. If you visit expecting every building to be historically significant you'd be disappointed. Some parts were bombed quite badly in WW2. And, like everywhere else, there are issues with traffic, homelessness and empty shops, as well as pockets of deprivation. It doesn't exist in some weird bubble.

Most of it is lush though, and if anyone's planning a visit, please don't be put off by this thread!

Many places I have visited abroad that are World Unesco designated are much better throughout.
The basic issue is that much of Britain is now a shithole.

This sums it up though. People including me are complaining about not enough to do. You are basically saying you drink in pubs with music and go to cafes. Great that you enjoy that, but that sounds like an incredibly boring weekend to me.

But even if, like me, you don't do much drinking in pubs, I just don't see how parks, seaside and harbour, scenic train rides, many museums and galleries, Georgian streetscapes, Botanic gardens, Glasnevin cemetary, guided historic walks covering anything from Vikings to revolution to James Joyce, three cathedrals, numerous other churches, and a number of theatres, add up to not enough to do.

There are things to do you can do anywhere like go to a very ordinary park. The amount of things that are a bit different take an afternoon to do.