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.

I cant believe someone put Livingston! Not the prettiest building granted, but they have great shops, and the Designer outlet mall is pretty good.

Someone mentioned East Kilbride-the part from the bus station is admittedly pretty grim, but the rest of it is fine. Problem is the owners of the "centre" stuck up the business rates so it doesn't attract as many new businesses,especially with a recession. Silverburn was opened under some regeneration scheme, and some people have flocked there.

My list of crap towns north of the border is this

Paisley
Kilmarnock
Dumfries
Irvine
Saltcoats
Motherwell
Wishaw

and don't get me started on the hellholes that are Ardrossan,Stevenston and Kilbirnie.

Been to Rochdale, my dh played a gig there and nearly got beaten up along with the rest of the band. It's still not as bad as Oldham though. The first gay pub established in Oldham was torched. Every time you watch Police, Camera, Action they seem to be in Oldham. They still think shell suits rock. It's full of binge drinkers and racial tension. That old woman who got mugged and lost her husband's urn full of his ashes - that was in Oldham.
It even had racial riots.

It's a small town with a big problem and I left as soon as I possibly could. My folks still live there though and happily agree that it's a shithole.

Pleased to see some Stevenage defenders!

It's not pretty
It's not got very many independant shops
It's frankly terrifying if accessed via the train station

But!

You can buy what you need in lots and lots of big name shops
There are a few niceish coffee places
There's a bit of nightlife

And most importantly..

It's not Luton!

Did saying 'Hatfield is much worse' count as defending Stevenage?
No I do have fond memories of shopping trips to BHS and the market with my mum and granny.

Can't believe Penzance was mentioned. Also Norwich. And we used to go to Jaywick on hols - not much going on but not grey and lifeless like some of the depressing shitholes in the north that have sadly lost their industry and all hope.

As for Croydon, at least there's some money there and the big office blocks are all shiny. May be a shithole in parts but it's a shiny shithole, which is more than you can say for places like Oldham. Croydon does have lots of shops. Which is something.

Newport.
I went there for the passport office, and was very very scared. You can spot all the people that are only there for the passport office.... They all look a bit shocked to be somewhere so bloody awful. I will never forget to renew my passport again for fear of having to go back. (shivers with remembered trauma)....

Seen Colchester mentioned a few times - have only got to page 3 so don't know if anyone has already said this but its not terrible at all - unless you go there at night on a Friday or Saturday, or unless you are in the wrong bit (that side near the bus station/Queen st etc down to St Boltophs is the crap bit). Just normal High Street/Head St/Culver Square/Culver st etc is fine, by normal standards. Sure it aint Winchester but really, its fine and what I like about it is down Trinity St and Sir Isaacs walk etc there are still a good number of independent shops and independent coffee and eatery places, some non-profit charity types with home cooked food and "real" coffee, etc, plus independent craft and trinket shops in Crouch St, excellent hairdressers, plus all the normal high street gubbins and 2 fairly decent department stores (though I'd love a House of Fraser or John Lewis and have heard roumors that one is on its way?)

Having lived in a few UK places I'm surprised its had so many mentions...its got a lovely old feel and lots of listed buildings and cobbled streets...its okay? Town hall is nice? Castle? Castle gardens? C'mon peopel! Get a grip

Tis shit of a Saturday evening of course but the middle class set head out to the Michelin starred restaurants in constable country and the northern villages...

Someone mentioned Northfield, Birmingham - as far as shops go I think its pretty good. The people hanging around there can be scary though, i taught some of them. I wouldn't go there at night.

Blackpool! Its like Jeremy Kyle Live. Also Widnes- smells of nappies.

NorthernWreck - ah but it's not why I'm moving there. I'm really happy with regular city life and all the services and choices and upsides and downsides, and travelling to a coast when I fancy bracing sea air etc.

Ah well. I'll have to get on with it, but went again this week and nope - got no positive vibe really. Still had a claustrophobic depressed feel. Lovely beach obviously, but my reality will not be beach based. I can see outdoorsy types liking it.

Think I'm a shoppsy type

No freaking Waitrose. I'm going to be a long way from their amazing lamb mousaka. That Trotters on the A64 though- those sausages are amazing. I can see there will be many trips out there.

We are thinking of maybe one of the more markety type towns between York and Scraborough - maybe Pickering or Malton. We stopped off in Pickering and it had a nice relaxed feel about it. Bit closer to the bigger stuff I value and really handy for Scarborough based work. We'll see. House prices scary!

Yes Tatty I've tried telling them all that already but they won't listen - they still keep mentioning it! They clearly don't get around much if they think it's one the 'worst' list. (I think they must all have friends and family who live at the dodgy end. It's the only possible explanation.)

on the worst list

Dontask I live in the place you stopped off and it is really lovely here. The schools are brilliant, the people are really nice too.

If you have boys then the railway is always a hit. 60's weekend in June is always fantastic.

I would never want to live anywhere but here.

Ulverston-a very large culture shock for a Norwich girl.

Wakefield

Bradford

But posh places to live have their downside too I live in a very affluent part of the country now and I miss markets and pound shops, eveything is so expensive.

Ooh don't ask-Pickering is lovely. Malton is good too with good transport links to York and Leeds. But, yes, house prices there are high as it is in the magic triangle between York, Leeds and Harrogate.

If you have to move to Scarborough invest in some good walking boots (see! shopping!) and learn to love the wonderful countryside!
Don't forget to have day trips to Robin Hoods Bay and eat at the Dolphin.

Tatty I think you have named the few parts of Colchester I actually like! But you missed the attraction that is the Zoo. Guilty pleasure of mine. Overall Colchester is alright not entirely convinced, even though I'm something like the 4th generation of my family to live in this town just needs a good clean. preferably late on a Saturday night

Colchester definitely needs a good clean up of the population

Oh there you are madam! I have been looking everywhere for you. Stop fiddling with your 0's!

:o A 0 day keeps the stalkery at bay

I was keeping up with the 0's but then there was a 'g' and then there wasn't, and then there was an extra 'e' and now there isn't an extra 'e' or a 'g'

New Ferry and Rock Ferry - it's not the 80s, they were grotty in the 70s.

We used to use the launderette in New Ferry as it was cheaper than the Bebington one, but you had to stay to make sure that you didn't get your washing nicked.

tb I didn't know we'd get quite so specific, but nothing has changed. I'm in Bebington, but thankfully we've got a washing machine!

I must've bleached Motherwell from my brain.
I have to take a supply of pins to put in my eyes when I go there.
And :

"Happiness is Motherwell in your rear view mirror"

Most of these places sound exotic and exciting to me.

Maybe people who are familiar with a place go off it and the grass is always greener?

Lots of town centres are slightly depressing (e.g Hastings) due to bland shops/tired architecture, or a bit grot with some nice parts/architecture (e.g where I live has some lovely old buildings and some fairly grim but not totally awful 50's flats & 60's office blocks). But that doesn't mean they are total grotsville and worthy of a mention on this thread.

Some places are totally shite, sadly. Ruined. Maybe once were nice villages but now are little more than a load of roundaboouts & junctions.