Due to travel to the NW of England for a week - would you still go?

[Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrringles]

We are due to travel to the NW of England to explore the area and visit a few towns (Preston, Chorley, Lancaster, Lytham st Anne’s and Manchester) with our children by public transport. With all of the rioting (I know there is some elsewhere in the country), I feel really apprehensive about it. Would you still go? Is it as bad as the newspapers are showing? Keeping in mind we will be travelling by train and bus, so may pass through places that are being effected badly by the riots.

YABU - still go.

YANBU - don’t go.

I'm in Preston.
None of the places have had issues, except a small demo in Prsston with one arrested. No trouble or violence.
Come to the North West, the areas mentioned are lovely. You will gave a great time.

I’m also in that area. Everything is absolutely fine, business as normal. Don’t give it a second thought.

The north isn’t under attack it is very small pockets of idiots and trouble, majority of us are carrying on as normal.

I was on Manchester saturday. Everyone was going about their business it was a very small part of the city affected. There were people as normal enjoying their saturday. The protest was kept to a small area. Which was easily avoided.

The actual amount of thugs ( not protestors at all!) was minimal and they were out numbered by anti hate protestors

I did not and would not feel unsafe or let those racists stop me visiting my city.

My family live in most of those places mentioned and promise not to be riotous if they see you.

What the hell are you watching, OP, if you think the entire NW has been consumed into a war zone? You know that millions of people live here, right? And that most of us are just getting on with life and haven’t even noticed anything out of the ordinary?

Another NW person here (Preston). Was in the town centre this morning. Nowt going on.
Waves to all the Prestonians, Mancs, Lancastrians and Boltonians on this thread - hope I’ve not left anyone out.

It's fine. The press coverage makes it look far worse than it actually is in terms of scale.

In my local area the racist protesters were told to do one by the local community. Actually quite a nice feeling of everyone pulling together to be fair.

Oh FFS, of course you still go! You do know that millions of us are living in the NW with no issues whatsoever, OP? Don't fall for media outlets who try to make an unnecessary song and dance about things.

If it rains, these so called hard morons will stay at home anyway. Scared of getting wet.

I’m just home from a week in the areas you mentioned - stayed in. Holiday Inn and also with family. Visited Preston, Lancaster, Morecambe, Bolton and Halifax and had no issues. Didn’t go into Bolton town centre in the day it said there was a protest but have family there and in the other places mentioned and they just stayed out of the town centre on the day they knew things may happen. It seems it’s just one day in one place. I was a bit wary but honestly found it was fine. People were just going about their lives in a normal way but avoiding areas where there may be problems. Can you check local newspaper Online pages for the places you are due to go? Do you have accommodation/ trains prebooked that you need to stick with ?

Good question OP. We are a mixed race family (I am ethnically Indian, husband white). I have spent time in all of the places you mentioned and really enjoyed going. Lytham St Annes and Blackpool can be great fun with kids. However, I am the rest of the family are now apprehensive. I think there are some basic steps to take. Avoid late at night and weekends on public transport. Travel as a family and avoid any kind of confrontation. Apprehensive as I am, if I sop indoors the racists win.

It will be fine.

I live in Manchester, and even though the disorder on Saturday was obviously awful, it was pretty much contained to a very small area by the riot police and a few road closures. People (including me) were still doing their shopping, going to galleries/museums/theatres etc, while it was all going on.

I don't know Preston or Chorley particularly well, but they aren't really tourist places. I'd be surprised if Lancaster and Lytham had any unrest to be honest.

YABU, but living in the area you're planning on visiting, I’d say YABU on the choice of destinations!!! They’re hardly tourist hotspots!

Yes I would still go. The country hasn't turned into a war zone. Just some bloody idiots who think smashing up a library will help 🙄.
There are small pockets of issues. If you happen to come across anything, just move out of the area.

I believe the hotel was targeted because Asylum seekers were being housed there

Please try not to worry and still go and enjoy your holiday

@Justkeepsmilingx No, nothing is set in stone at the moment with accommodation/trains. It’s reassuring that you have been and found it fine.

@Soontobe60 We aren’t visiting for a holiday, we are viewing houses (relocating). It feels like the worst timing tbh.

Thank you for the helpful comments. We live no where near the area, so we only have the news to go on at the moment. So it’s good to get local opinion on it all, and good to hear that it’s not as bad as it has been portrayed.

I'd be surprised if Lancaster and Lytham had any unrest to be honest.

Whoever tried to organise a 'protest' in Lancaster clearly wasn't a local!😂

I've been for a nice walk along Lytham prom this morning. There's bluegreen algae in the lake preventing boating but apart from that, unsurprisingly, it's normal self.

And I went to Southport on Friday for something arranged before the tragic murders. It seemed entirely normal except for people pausing respectfully by the flowers outside the Atkinson.

Absolutely I'd go. If you're walking round the streets of a city you won't typically find a riot drops out of the sky and catches you unawares. It can happen, but its very rare. Typically you will see people congregating, a high police presence, hear some rowdiness, and can move away and keep away from that area. You can also keep an eye local news and police updates.

Are you white?

We are literally all just going about our lives up here, nothing to worry about at all

They’re targeting hotels which have been taken out of normal business to house asylum seekers.

The rioting is very localised - it's not civil war!

All of those places will be fine.

Listen to everyone’s answers. I was at the Stand up to racism counter protest yesterday in Lancaster and we outnumbered the knuckle dragging idiots by 100s. They were literally laughed out of the city. We are like the rest of the NW very multicultural and it’s great living in a diverse area.

Same. Didn't notice anything