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Original poster

To think our towns and cities are just so run down lately, and our standard of living has decreased significantly?

543 replies

blahhhhg · 08/04/2025 16:42

I don't know if I'm just feeling a bit down and bitter lately but I just feel like lately our country seems to have gotten very run down. I went out into town today and couldn't help but notice how grotty and rundown everything looks. Litter everywhere, security guards everywhere - in nearly every clothing shop there is security on the door now, security wandering up and down the high street. It makes you feel really unsafe but they must be there for a reason now? Shops are dirty; filthy floors and used Starbucks cups just left off the shelf for some poor worker to clean up. Clothes for sale that are covered in makeup stains. I just found it really depressing. It's just not one town either, I've noticed it nearly everywhere I've been. I'm in my late 20s so it's not like I've had decades of life experience to draw from and I have a rose-tinted view of yesteryear, but it seems that in the last 5ish years things have really declined.

OP posts:
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SoOxon · 10/04/2025 15:56

ViciousCurrentBun · 08/04/2025 17:02

@4pmwinetimebebeh I am much older again, close to 59. When. I was a girl there was an old chap in our town who would tip his hat to women in the street. It was deemed exceptionally bad manners to even eat in the street. I mean it wasn’t perfect but people worried about appearances more. Plus kids would be actually punished for bad behaviour, again no one wants beating kids to be ok but maybe no fear at all is a reason?

A perceptive post VCB.

PandoraSox · 10/04/2025 15:57

suburburban · 10/04/2025 15:40

Yes you make a valid point but even so I still think it is an issue with certain cultures

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Here are some stats. Women from certain groups are more likely to not be working primarily due to family and caring responsibilities. Women from other groups are more likely to be in employment than UK born women. Interestingly, overall migrant men are more likely to be in employment than UK born men.

To think our towns and cities are just so run down lately, and our standard of living has decreased significantly?
To think our towns and cities are just so run down lately, and our standard of living has decreased significantly?
SoOxon · 10/04/2025 15:59

it was never the same after Wayfarers closed and that was a while ago - when people do not have aspirations they give up striving

SoOxon · 10/04/2025 16:11

SoOxon · 10/04/2025 15:59

it was never the same after Wayfarers closed and that was a while ago - when people do not have aspirations they give up striving

this was a response to Enigma53 (Southport)

Trumptonagain · 10/04/2025 16:17

Livingbytheocean · 10/04/2025 15:09

It does boil down to having standards, maintaining and enforcing them. The council workers appear to
not even know what that words means, much less the capacity or ability to apply it effectively. I despair at the ineptitude and the waste.

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This..I totally agree..

I grew up in an area where a majority of homes were council owned, and staff were employed by the council, as opposed to being all contractors here now, and every so often a member would come round and give your door a knock if your hedge was over grown, or in our case the rose bush had grown through the chain link fencing and was protruding onto the footpath, or your garden looked a bit unkept.

I can also vividly remember playing out when a local police officer pulled up got out of his car and ticketed every car that was parked half on half off the grass verges outside the houses.

Now they just seem to turn a blind eye to their own rules...

I don't really see that this is all down to lack of budgets.
I'm all for rules in whatever form needs be but any authorities should stop pushing them out unless they have the means to fully implement them...

Just gives the go ahead for people to see that they can keep pushing with no actual consequences.

I will say private car trader numbers have got really bad over recent years with using so many of the roads for parking their sales cars on instead of having a traders court to sell from, some are left for months on end and having now received many complaints the police and DVLA do a sweep every so often and wheel clamp/tow/ticket these cars.

suburburban · 10/04/2025 17:19

PandoraSox · 10/04/2025 15:57

Here are some stats. Women from certain groups are more likely to not be working primarily due to family and caring responsibilities. Women from other groups are more likely to be in employment than UK born women. Interestingly, overall migrant men are more likely to be in employment than UK born men.

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Thanks

JHound · 10/04/2025 17:27

PandoraSox · 10/04/2025 15:57

Here are some stats. Women from certain groups are more likely to not be working primarily due to family and caring responsibilities. Women from other groups are more likely to be in employment than UK born women. Interestingly, overall migrant men are more likely to be in employment than UK born men.

Edited
Show quote history

Thank you.

Cable1905 · 10/04/2025 17:46

Yolo12345 · 08/04/2025 20:07

Since Brexit there is a lot less cash flowing into the country, less structural funding, regional funding, social cohesion funding, research funding etc…

I travel a lot in Europe and the contrast is getting starker and starker. Most towns and cities on the continent have lovely town centres, unblemished pavements and roads, beautiful and preserved architecture, power washing of facades… or to mention the bustling town centres with quality food shops and so on. The UK would need massive investment to begin to catch up.

I’m sorry to say that where I live now, there is litter everywhere and it wasn’t like this a decade ago.

I see this as well. Came home today and know that I will be depressed when I go into my local town tomorrow. Why is everywhere so dirty? Can each business not take responsibility for the pavement in front of their premises. The other difference is the absence of teenagers wandering the streets and causing issues. Our town centre is a no go area at night due to the behaviour of very young teenagers. Yet I would actually pass comment if I saw more than a couple of kids out at night in a European town.

Wildflowers99 · 10/04/2025 19:52

PandoraSox · 10/04/2025 15:57

Here are some stats. Women from certain groups are more likely to not be working primarily due to family and caring responsibilities. Women from other groups are more likely to be in employment than UK born women. Interestingly, overall migrant men are more likely to be in employment than UK born men.

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There’s ’caring responsibilities’ then there’s just choosing to be a SAHM.

Wildflowers99 · 10/04/2025 20:08

safetychange · 10/04/2025 08:59

I just don't think the English realise we have a reputation for being lazy and in my opinion it's generally true. We're lazy in how we raise our DC and take care of each other and our surroundings. We are also quite literally lazy because there are thousands of minimum wage jobs available that we just do not want to do.

We've been told for far too long that we're special and I blame Imperialism for that. We used to rule the world and we cling to that notion of power and importance but the reality is that we're an embarrassment compared to the rest of Europe when it comes to how we behave towards each other. Road rage is a prime example. It is rife.

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I agree completely. The closure of industry in the 70s and 80s has been disastrous for the British public. The people who would be working in these roles transitioned onto benefits and since then we have bred an enormous underclass who are enormously expensive to maintain and cause decent working people no end of problems. Yet we have a duty to ‘keep’ them. They absolutely have not had jobs taken from them by immigrants, because they would never do any job to start with.

I think we have a lot to learn from immigrants in terms of work ethic, family values and community spirit. The ‘native British’ mindset is now selfish, entitled, individualist and ignorant. Of course many Brits aren’t like this. But many are. They feel entitled to taxpayers money, act like they’re doing us all a favour just by existing, and see every aspect of their life as the government’s responsibility.

I have nothing but gratitude for immigrants who work NMW jobs here.

JHound · 10/04/2025 21:23

Wildflowers99 · 10/04/2025 19:52

There’s ’caring responsibilities’ then there’s just choosing to be a SAHM.

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It’s one and the same no?

I was raised in an area where it had a very high South Asian descent population and loads of my school friends had home maker moms or moms who worked mainly for the family and part-time as dinner ladies etc. for a bit of extra cash.

Seemed to work well. No need for latchkeys or just kids hanging about on the street which was the case for a number of us of different backgrounds.

They also were busy with elder care too.

latetothefisting · 10/04/2025 23:11

Veronay · 08/04/2025 22:05

It doesnt increase, ffs, it gets more disporportionate as one side is bigger than the other.
The irony here is ignoring the fact that the demand for housing would be decreasing with the decreasing birthrate yet the price of property is kept high by immigration and buy to let investments. Nevermind though love, it's only your kids who are going to inherit this mess.

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one side of what is bigger?
what on earth are you on about?

No worries "love", I don't have kids 😊

Wildflowers99 · 11/04/2025 06:33

JHound · 10/04/2025 21:23

It’s one and the same no?

I was raised in an area where it had a very high South Asian descent population and loads of my school friends had home maker moms or moms who worked mainly for the family and part-time as dinner ladies etc. for a bit of extra cash.

Seemed to work well. No need for latchkeys or just kids hanging about on the street which was the case for a number of us of different backgrounds.

They also were busy with elder care too.

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But what would happen if everyone did that?

Motherknowsrest · 11/04/2025 08:38

Limmers14 · 08/04/2025 22:30

I agree with a lot of what’s been posted here. I live in St Albans so quite close to some of the not-nice towns mentioned like Luton and Hemel Hempstead. St Albans often appears on the naice cities list and so it should, it’s a lovely city however there are still issues with litter, drugs, aggressive people and l bad drivers. One thing that might be in our favour is a Lib Dem MP and a Lib Dem city council. I’m so grateful that for example, the verges are cut semi-regularly and new trees are planted. What a low bar eh?

I think we all need to take more responsibility for our areas. Yes we pay council tax, yes they should do it but they’re not. There’s no money. We all need to go out and litter pick and plant flowers and say hello on the street, not sit at home bemoaning the state of things because it’s only going to get worse if you don’t take action.

The flowers thing might not work either. I had some wildflowers overlapping my garden path just onto the main path and I had to stop the council team yanking them up. They had a big conflab about it and reluctantly decided the flowers could stay after I begged them. They are the only bright spot in our street.

almostbloody50 · 11/04/2025 08:46

I live between two market towns which 10 years ago were desirable and pretty. Now they are full of greasy spoon cafes, chain stores, estate agents and charity shops. The lovely card and gift shop is now a vape store the HsBC and nationwide bank is boarded up, the statues all have fencing around them I assume to stop kids climbing.

chewing gum on the pavements and litter, plus they want you to pay the best part of £5 to park there.

suburburban · 11/04/2025 09:01

There was a whole thing on BBC news about raids on corner shops and barbers for money laundering in Manchester. Quite depressing and probably replicated in many places.

MistressoftheDarkSide · 11/04/2025 09:28

Well my algorithms are on fire and cross referencing this morning x

YouTube has just served me a video by "Jimmy the Giant" called "The Evil Decline of Britain's High Streets". For a cheeky young whippersnapper I do enjoy his style, and his analysis is on point. Worth a watch perhaps?

User135644 · 11/04/2025 10:04

Wildflowers99 · 10/04/2025 20:08

I agree completely. The closure of industry in the 70s and 80s has been disastrous for the British public. The people who would be working in these roles transitioned onto benefits and since then we have bred an enormous underclass who are enormously expensive to maintain and cause decent working people no end of problems. Yet we have a duty to ‘keep’ them. They absolutely have not had jobs taken from them by immigrants, because they would never do any job to start with.

I think we have a lot to learn from immigrants in terms of work ethic, family values and community spirit. The ‘native British’ mindset is now selfish, entitled, individualist and ignorant. Of course many Brits aren’t like this. But many are. They feel entitled to taxpayers money, act like they’re doing us all a favour just by existing, and see every aspect of their life as the government’s responsibility.

I have nothing but gratitude for immigrants who work NMW jobs here.

Show quote history

The problem are the ones who come here and don't work/pay taxes and join that underclass and benefits bill.

I've no problem with any migrant who comes here and makes an honest living.

Dandeliontea123 · 11/04/2025 10:06

There are some genuine ones. My DH gets his hair cut at a lovely Turkish barber shop that’s been going for years and is always busy. If I wait with him they make me a cup of tea.
On the other hand, I once went to the nail bar - in the same street - that was later closed down for trafficking their staff.

Kendodd · 11/04/2025 12:01

YANBU OP
I have been to Eastern Europe twice so far this year (not capital cities) one to a former soviet country (now both EU). The towns looked very well kept, litter free, full of busy shops and restaurants and prospectus looking people. A great big difference to how poor and downtrodden the UK now looks.

PiggyPigalle · 11/04/2025 12:38

SallyWD · 08/04/2025 18:54

Turkish barbers refers to a type of barber. It doesn't mean they are all from Turkey. Just as a French manicure doesn't mean it's done by a French person.

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If that were the case it would be Turkish barbering. Turkish barber states their nationality, just as a French manicurist would.
Moot point though as few are Turkish, they think that's more acceptable than Albanian.

suburburban · 11/04/2025 13:31

Burngreave · 10/04/2025 13:04

I agree that tarmacking over front gardens, demolishing the front wall, for parking looks shit. I’m not sure it can be said to be an “immigrant thing”. I live in an overwhelmingly white British area and people have done it here. Most of the area has only been saved from it because the houses tend to have generous driveways and some of it is a conservation area.

Edited

We’ve done it as it is necessary due to controlled parking in area but we still kept a flowerbed at side

neighbour put down Astro turf in the back garden which I think is awful

taxguru · 11/04/2025 16:24

Wildflowers99 · 10/04/2025 20:08

I agree completely. The closure of industry in the 70s and 80s has been disastrous for the British public. The people who would be working in these roles transitioned onto benefits and since then we have bred an enormous underclass who are enormously expensive to maintain and cause decent working people no end of problems. Yet we have a duty to ‘keep’ them. They absolutely have not had jobs taken from them by immigrants, because they would never do any job to start with.

I think we have a lot to learn from immigrants in terms of work ethic, family values and community spirit. The ‘native British’ mindset is now selfish, entitled, individualist and ignorant. Of course many Brits aren’t like this. But many are. They feel entitled to taxpayers money, act like they’re doing us all a favour just by existing, and see every aspect of their life as the government’s responsibility.

I have nothing but gratitude for immigrants who work NMW jobs here.

Show quote history

Same applies to immigrants. They're not all the same. Immigrants from different countries have different attitudes to working etc. Some are very industrious, hard working and entreprenneurial, but others from different countries are more laid back and, yes, could be said to be lazy.

IAmNotASheep · 11/04/2025 18:37

SoOxon · 10/04/2025 15:56

A perceptive post VCB.

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@ViciousCurrentBun

lm the same age and we had a school rule that no one could eat in public wearing the school uniform.

Can you imagine that rule today 🤣How times have changed