To nominate as the country's worst town centre....

[moogster1a]

...Rochdale.
Good God it's a god forsaken place. There appears to be half a dozen payday loan shos, a few poundland things and some mobile 'phone shops.
It's got so bad that even maccy d's has shut down.
It's only redeeming feature is that Gabbots farm is still clinging on.

GB - it doesn't sound like there's much worth moving to. At least we have Middlebrook (which just needs a good bookshop and a decent restaurant to make it worth going to) and The Trafford Centre. Wonder how long the new pool will last?

Folkestone is abominable. There is nothing good to be said for the place and every time I have to go there it depresses me.

Brian Butterfield I am someone who moved from a crap town just outside the M25 (North) and on the M1, and chose to live in the town you mentioned! OK, the town centre is not brilliant, but its good enough for me. And the views on the front, and the beaches, are spectacular...so lucky to live here, though I know most 'locals' don't agree with me.

I think the worst 'town' I've been to is Wembley.

Also, from reading this thread, it seems like it's not the actual towns themselves you don't like, but the British high street in general. Poundland? Cash4Gold? Boarded up shops? They're everywhere. The symptom of a diseased financial system.

For some reason, I feel very uncomfortable with this town bashing- Some people really do love their home towns, for reasons far more complex than which shops are on the high street. (I know I am in the minority here. But I wanted to out myself as a town enthusiast).

DilysPrice Rocky's Burgers!! Dear God I can't believe I'm still alive after eating there on many an occasion ...sad thing is it was one of the better establishments

Daventry. Charity shops, banks, hairdressers and estate agents. Crap. But, bizarrely Waitrose too.

BrianButterfield -And I know you didn't say it was the worst,you actually made a very pleasant comment about it!

All the ones who are saying Goole? Why did you choose it?

For shopping its a fantastic shopping area theres sooooooooo many shops.
Yes its not the nicest of places to look at but where is?

Gooles not so bad. although most days if you closed your eyes and stood in the middle of town you would think you were in Krakow

Shops include:
Boyes - if they dont have it, you dont need it.
£Stretcher
Store 21
Peacocks - which is remaining open
New Look
Indpendant clothes shops which can be nice.

There are a number of banks including:
Natwest
Santander
Halifax
Barclays
Nationwide

Supermarkets throughout Goole include:
Asda
Tescos
Sainsburys
Morrisons
Co-op
Lidl
Farmfoods

Loads of pubs, a MASSIVE church which is beautiful a Victorian Market Hall.

Iv lived here 5 years this year and i am ONLY just getting to enjoy it, i had no friends, its a very clicky place to live i find but once you get your feet under the table and make friends it can be a friendly place to live. And you dont need to venture to Selby or Hull as its all in Goole - unless you need to go to Wilkinsons, in that case jump on a bus and 25min later your in Selby Town Centre.

Cowley
Reading
Bootle

Croyden gets a special mention because it won't let you leave.

Wigan

Catgirl ''hen dos puking and dry humping at 11 in the morning'' also sounds like Newquay

I believe they have become very similar mustcontrol although I believe Newquay gets better weather :)

i,see my local town has been mentioned FARNWORTH not sure if it is technically a town but its a nasty souless place not so keen on radcliffe either i,m right in the middle of both of them did nt agree with bolton though i quite like it

Am I the only one taking notes on which towns are just charity shops and pound shops?! I like charity shops and pound shops ...

And for a proper tumbleweed high street, try Newhaven ... or don't! Us Brits go to Dieppe on the Newhaven ferry and get amazing shops n markets. They come over here; on the right day they might find a veg stall, and a stall selling various neon socks and crap shoes. And a poundstretcher.

Do have a few charity shops there tho!

jamdonut & BrianButterfield I'm a fan of Bridlington too.
And compared with towns in this neck of the woods Hull is fantastic.

X2boys, I am in between Radcliffe and farnworth too

Bet we are the same place.

Smallish village, begins with l?

Jandymaccomesback
Where are you?

ENormaSnob - I know where you are!

Why has no one mentioned Livingston yet?

Rochdale shocked me because my v naice, prosperous-middle-class grandma came from there (moved away in the 50's) - but it was a total dump when I visited the graves a few years ago. Its good times are firmly in its past.

Agree with Jaywick being probably the worst place I've ever been - but is it a town?

Balsall Heath was tricky getting burgled all the time and being mistaken for a prostitute but even still was OK.

Quote. Of. The. Week.

no beginning with s next to a place begining with p bridge over the irwell theres about three shopsand a school and thats it we must live near each other though

Has nobody been to Immingham. A sure fire winner.
I also nominate:
Grimsby- clue is in the name. Freeman street is basically second hand furniture shops, bookies and dodgy piercing places. And pubs that open at 10am.
Cleethorpes- exactly like Grimsby but with a coastline. A crap coastline.
Mablethorpe- surely the worst seaside 'resort' in the UK.
Skegness- I saw a black leather pram here. Carrycot was fully made out of black leather. Why?

Skelmersdale YES! De-pressing. That town has zilch.

St Helens also bad.

Ellesmere Port, also bad.

In that order.

Is Barnstaple still shit? I visited it a few years ago but don't want to nominate it yet, in case it's suddenly become the place to be in the south west.