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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

787 replies

moogster1a · 17/02/2012 22:15

...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.

OP posts:
EauDeLaPoisson · 22/02/2012 15:20

Hastings old town is delightful. The new town (from 'del boys' onwards) is just dire. I've never seen so many drunks at 08.30am

Redshoesblueshoes · 22/02/2012 15:42

East Reading..... every time we drive through it me and dh say" what a shit hole!!!" it's become a bit of a private joke

Littleredant · 22/02/2012 16:36

Someone must have mentioned Holyhead. And what about Paisley?

Littleredant · 22/02/2012 16:39

Sorry, just saw that both have honorable mentions. Also, never ever use the ladies loo in the railway station in Stevenage.

TabbyM · 22/02/2012 16:43

Actually Cumbernauld is rather nice - the town centre is often visited by student architects as one of the first shopping centre / malls in the UK and is rather unusual, but Cumberbauld is made out of loads of smaller buts like Condorrat and Greenfaulds many of which have excellent access to greenspace and woodland. Many town centres in Lanarkshire are a bit blighted - Motherwell and Wishaw are a bit run down and even Lanark can be a bit dodgy.

LieInsAreRarerThanTigers · 22/02/2012 16:51

Hatfield is MUCH worse than Stevenage. When I was young we used to go specially to Stevenage as WGC/Hatfield had virtually no shops except Welwyn Department Store!

BrianCoxHasScaryHair · 22/02/2012 16:59

Oi - leave Andover alone, I love that town! Wink

(don't live there but have very strong connection to the place)

admittedly, bit of a crap choice of shops but the market is good.

Littleredant · 22/02/2012 18:06

Flippin' heck. Have just read the middle (16-23) pages of the thread. Some one mentioned Feltham. Had forgotten about Feltham and wish I still did.

gramercy · 22/02/2012 18:31

Actually feel depressed reading this thread. There are so many truly crap places in Britain. Utterly crap.

I had occasion to visit Pontefract last year, and through the crapness I could glimpse what was once a really nice town - lovely Victorian villas, a park. I think so many places are just like this. What on earth happened?

LouMacca · 22/02/2012 19:06

I agree gramercy

I live in Altrincham which was a pretty, vibrant and safe place to be. Now it's like a ghost town. The station was an award winning station filled with beautiful flower displays, friendly guards and a real community. Now it's embarrassing - it's filthy and you often have to step over sick on the platform on a Monday morning.

Shops are closing down (I believe it's 1 in 4) and I wouldn't dream of going into Altrincham for a drink at night, it's full of foul-mouthed hoodies looking for a fight. It's such a shame.

Spuddybean · 22/02/2012 19:14

oldqueenie is Lowestoft really awful? i have recently moved to milton keynes and everyone goes to lowestoft for mini breaks - i have been told it's lovely! (tbh they also think the harvester is the best restaurant, so i'm not holding my breath) i was going to book a b&b for me and DP, shall i look elsewhere?

thebestisyettocome · 22/02/2012 19:19

I reckon we only have ourselves to blame for all of this. We have to use high streets or lose them.

jamdonut · 22/02/2012 19:33

Loumacca what actually was it about Brid that you thought was so awful?

I'm genuinely interested. (As I chose to live here,because I thought it was great).

mrspnut · 22/02/2012 20:02

I visit Bridlington regularly as my Mil and Sil live there and OH grew up there.
I just find that the hope and energy saps out of my body as I drive closer on every visit. The town centre feels so depressing and even the updating that was carried out on Chapel Street is just another bizarre offering from Bridlington council. It is almost impossible to shop in the town as the only shops on offer are geared to the chipperatti and Hilderthorpe road looks awful with all the closed shops. I know they are planning to redevelop the area but the plans for that look crap too, a plaza is not a needed item in a town that is the least cosmopolitan in the area.

The town could be so much better, but the people in charge allow petty jealousies get in the way of actual progress. Ramsgate in Kent is another seaside town that was in a similar state to Bridliton but they have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps (albeit aided by a fast rail link to London) and it is a thriving cosmopolitan place.

browntintedspectacles · 22/02/2012 21:33

I can't believe no one appears to have mentioned Boston yet. Bedworth might just sneak it though. And there are some bad places in Cornwall. However, Plymouth is not at all bad, Spuddybean, whoever told you that hasn't been for a long time as it's far nicer than it used to be.

Kayzr · 22/02/2012 21:41

I actually really like Bridlington. I don't go very often but whenever we have been its been nice.

LouMacca · 23/02/2012 12:16

Sorry if I've offended you jamdonut I just found Brid bleak and depressing. I don't want to expand further and upset you more. We had also visited Filey, Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay that week so maybe it just paled in comparison.

As you can see by my above post about Altrincham I'm not thrilled by where I live either.....

upahill · 23/02/2012 12:33

I was sad to hear about Altrincham being a dump.
My ex boyfriend of about 25 years ago had a very glamours older sister who used to shop there a lot and rave about the nice shops.

It has always been in the back of my head to go and shop there 'one day'

I won't bother now!

SanctiMoanyArse · 23/02/2012 12:37

bridgwater; it was doing OK for a bit but last time I went back it was going under again.

I don't know anyone who shops there now unless they are without transport, and even Mum takes her bus pass and goes elsewhere.

hermionestranger · 23/02/2012 12:42

Not read the whole tread but have to add Hyde in Tameside. What a dump!

LieInsAreRarerThanTigers · 23/02/2012 12:44

I love Eastleigh! So there.

TheRhubarb · 23/02/2012 12:47

OLDHAM

I win. Don't argue.

smilingthroughgrittedteeth · 23/02/2012 12:59

Gave up reading on page 20 but want to agree with those up thread who said the Medway Towns especially Chatham

Original poster
moogster1a · 23/02/2012 13:22

i'm still sicking my neck out for Rochdale. Just looked on mumsnet local and it's not even listed amongst the hundreds of towns. Maybe people are hoping it will quietly disappear.

OP posts:
NorthernWreck · 23/02/2012 13:46

I'm sorry dontaskwhereI live but your post about Scarborough being 50 miles from a city and not having a Monsoon made me laugh. I think that's exactly why people move there!
Love Scarborough (good little theatre there btw) and the bracing sea air and great fish and chips will have you right in no time!

HATE
Kidderminster.

It makes me sad to my soul.