Biggest Shithole in the UK

[DickieDonkey]

Am retiring soon so want to relocate away from the rat race but everywhere I consider away from the Home Counties seems to be regarded as a dump. Money goes further away from the SE, I thought about Norfolk which is within reasonable distance of civilisation but my friends think that it is backwards/racist. Is it true that Lincs/Cambs/Norfolk is best avoided. AIBU to move?

Message to several posters on this thread - North Yorkshire is beautiful. We have some amazing small towns, inland and on the coast. Our little villages are second to none and we also have York, with its history and amazing buildings. People here on the coast welcome newcomers and being integrated into life of the town is fantastically rewarding. I've been here 3 years and feel I'm a true part of the social fabric of Scarborough. I've never been happier or more fulfilled in my life.

Please don't move here and bring down the tone of our county. Thanking you very kindly.

I find your post incredibly ignorant leckford

Not everywhere north of the SE is cheap as chips so if can afford it look at Stamford in Lincolnshire one of the market towns in Rutland such as Uppingham or Oakham.

Lol at Scotland.

There are lots of total shit hole towns in Scotland. The scenery is nice but a lot of the towns are pebble dash, tracksuits and Londis.

Costal West Wales is lovely and also the Towy Valley is beautiful if you don’t want the sea right on your door step. Specific places I would retire to in a heartbeat would be llandeilo, fairyside, llanstefan, saundersfoot and maybe somewhere in the Gower but it’s pricey there.

I’m cringing at the idea that the anodyne, parochial Home Counties are seen as more desirable than other parts of the country.

The Home Counties region is literally the last region I would consider moving to if I ever left London.

Born and bred North Londoner here who has lived in a few foreign countries and different places in the U.K. but have to say the places I’ve visited within the U.K. that I would really rather not live in unless I bloody had to are Portsmouth, Warrington and Morecambe - grim, grim and grim.

So Leckford appears to be believe that to be properly English you can’t like coffee shops, arts or be ‘diverse’.

I’d happily stay miles away from the part of England that Leckford and their type live in. Probably lives in one of those house with a giant St. George’s flag in the garden and shares Facebook posts about apparently not being allowed to say Merry Christmas because it offends people. No thanks.

Matildalamp Erm ok. I don’t think you argue with actual geography but there you go.

Oh I see someone else has just mentioned Scotland too...

I don't find the OP goady(could be maybe) because having had to live in the home counties for 5 years, I've met lots of ignorant, bubble living snobs. they don't even realise they are snobs, they have never left the home counties apart from possible Gap year traipsing round some poverty stricken country, holidays aboard or Cornwall.

They live in a Thatcher's 80s view of Britain, anywhere north of the home counties is uncouth, grim and gritty.

They are pleasant people who are curious to hear about were you come from, but can't hide there disbelieve at your description norther parts of the country.

Not all people in the home counties are like this obviously but there are a lot.

To those people I say stay were you are, the rest of the country was never good enough for you before. So fuck off with you wanting to save a bit of money now and putting prices up and out of reach for locals because you and friends want a naice cheap house to retire in.

There's no Booths in the Home Counties, just saying

Yes, I am genuine. Thank you for your input, I am compiling a list of potentials and will let you know my assessment of these places once I have visited (starting with Norwich and the surrounding towns).

I’m finding it strange that some PPs are having digs at London when the OP isn’t even from there?

Ha exactly @Tellmetruth4, thought I was losing it there for a bit.

Bit like conflating the city of Manchester with The Lake District 🤷🏻‍♀️.

northernlites you can see Blackpool from Barrow on a nice day!

Also, it's right on the edge of the Lake District National Park. But don't come there, we're... Full up.
I'm just glad nobody has mentioned my home city yet; usually gets slagged on these threads!

The OP did not say she thought everywhere outside the Home Counties was a shithole. She said that when she mentions places she might like to retire to, other people say they are backwards, racist etc.

Admittedly it's pretty silly of her to even consider believing her friends, plus very surprising that by retirement age she hasn't experienced any of these places herself. But she hasn't expressed any actual opinions which justify the 'stay put, we don't want you anywhere near our lovely homes you hateful bigot' reactions.

The UK becomes more of a shit tip the more South East you go. It's like there are isobars or something marking out the worsening shitness.

I live in Cheshire - not too far from Manchester, Cheshire, Liverpool, Leeds etc. and I’m surrounded by countryside. Reasonable prices too!

Oh btw, I had lived in London, Home Counties and Oxfordshire all my life and moved to Cumbria 5 years ago. It's fantastic. It would be foolish to deny that there are parts of the county where I wouldn't live for any money though.

Admittedly it's pretty silly of her to even consider believing her friends, plus very surprising that by retirement age she hasn't experienced any of these places herself

and that is the ignorant bubble I was referring too. As I said when you talk to them they don't even realise they are snobs. It also shows in the way she wrote the OP and title.

She is now only interested on places outside the home counties, because it will save money.

I know lots of people from the home counties I would happily recommend places too.

I’m from Norwich. I wouldn’t live anywhere else! We are not racist (apart from the odd few but you get that everywhere!)

Norwich is beautiful and it was just voted one of the top 10 cities in Europe by one of the broadsheets (can’t remember which). Plus you have north Norfolk beaches which are just amazing.

Feel free to message me for advice on towns/areas x

Isle of Sheppey is beautiful.... 👀

@DickieDonkey where specifically in the Home Counties do you currently live?

Dover 🤣