To ask if you think this very ‘unmumsnetty?’

[BologneseGurl]

If someone were looking for a place to live and there criteria were -

”I’m looking for somewhere run down with a few ropey pubs”

LIGHTHEARTED

Omg yes !! Billy Elliott springs to mind

YES! Montpelier. Bells Diner, junk shops and rotting cars. Wasn't it all a lovely, muddly, magical shit hole.

@BologneseGurl - When the 70s people of Montpelier had kids we just moved up the road and never left.

We lived in a house in the late 80's that was very near to an estate with a really rough pub.
We had some great nights out in it. Friendly, fun. You could go in in your slippers if you wanted.
Sunday lunch was good. They never served any food except crisps, but nobody said a word if you took a pie in!
Darts. Can't remember any karaoke, but they definitely had some acts on that sounded like it.
My favourite was a very ropey Elvis impersonator in full wig and white suit. The more you drank, the better he sounded.
Fun times.

Educating Rita does too.

Oh gosh my ex of several years is from
there !

Yes also

Rita Sue Bob too

Sounds excellent!

Ha love it !

I understand what you’re asking even if others can’t possibly comprehend what you mean 🙄.

I know someone who loved back to a ropey hometown and described it as being like a scraggy old cardigan. It might not be an obvious choice but it was hers and it was comforting and felt right.

London Road area in Brighton

I won the meat raffle once. My flatmates were pissed off, two were veggie but more importantly second prize was a roll of underlay, we could’ve really done with that.

Report what?

Oki doki - Whitstable was grim 50 years ago, decaying almost, so was Margate and it got worse over the next three decades. Then it got hyped-up and supposedly trendiest but its underbelly is still grim. It's turned into a fur coat and no knickers type of place.

Folkestone was genuinely quite nice 40/50 years ago but has gone down hill greatly. I don't know Foord.

Kent's a peculiar county. It used to have very high per capital wealth alongside quite severe poverty and deprivation.

Ah I know someone from there

I feel happier and more myself in places like this.

It's how I grew up and the people are the sort I understand best and get on with best. We often have similar views on state involvement, services and police. Because I grew up with the people in the outer edge of skanky for these area's, I am EXCELLENT at not seeing things, minding my own business when wanted but being involved when needed, so don't have trouble in them. I like in turn, to have people the fuck out of my business. It's a world where I understand how life works.

I accept there's often higher crime, drugs and deprivation alongside. So I've given my kids a different life and a different world in a very different sort of area, because it did cause me some serious issues in my younger years. I work in this sort of area by choice though and intend to move back when my kids are grown and flown. I feel on edge when I'm surrounded by the middle classes the whole time. Might be a joke on here, but I'd genuinely prefer to live beside a crack house more than someone with the kids in private school and 3 holidays a year...

You need to move up north, lots of places like that in greater Manchester and you’d have loads left over from 600k.

Folkestone was genuinely quite nice 40/50 years ago but has gone down hill greatly. I don't know Foord.
Yeah, it's a hell hole. Not at all full of lovely places to eat and drink with beautiful views and artwork.

Why are people baffled? Surely it just means OP wants to go back to a more gritty (but salt of the earth) type environment rather than the more ‘mumsnetty’ leafy avenue in Barnes.

It’s making me think of the kitchen sink dramas of the 60s.

Yes - Margate’s still described as very deprived

I know Tankerton in Whitstable very well

Folkestone seemed deprived in the 2005 - 2008 era tbh - I witnessed M&S going in the main town centre and also the Pizza Hut restaurant

Cathy Come Home, anyone 🤣
Ive never actually watched it

A Taste of Honey was my favourite.

Thanks for the heads up

I love Stretford and Urmston in Manchester

I’d probably think they were banking on the area very soon being ‘gentrified’, with an ‘artisan’ baker, etc. - and prices on the up.

Honestly though, I think your opinion of living in a rough area changes. When we first moved out, the local serious drug dealer lived a few doors up. Kept themselves to themselves, we knew to cross the road before his house, not make eye contact etc and some of the conversations we overheard were quite amusing. We do think of that time fondly.

As an adult with more life experience and children, the idea of living there horrifies me.

Ah I know what you’re saying - you have to be streetwise in these areas