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Original poster

Toxic town

38 replies

Snugglemonkey · 28/02/2025 00:11

Anyone watching Toxic Town on Netflix? I just watched the whole thing and so angry for those affected.

OP posts:
SteelyNan · 03/03/2025 17:22

Interesting mix of real and fictional characters. Odd to see Robert Carlyle as Sam Hagan, I worked with Sam's wife for a couple of years. Brendan Coyle's character is "fictional" but I think many Corby people could put a name to him.

GoAwayToFlair · 03/03/2025 19:57

SteelyNan · 02/03/2025 18:09

I lived in Corby for a few years in the 90s/2000s, DH was brought up there.

The birth defects were known about even then, I remember it in the paper when we lived there. A relative has a now adult child with severe disabilities which, we'll never know whether they were caused by pollution or not.

After MaggieT and her mates closed 90% of the works, a lot of the former workers and their families went back to Scotland* but many more stayed and were essentially abandoned by successive governments. I worked for the LA and the only time you saw a politician was around election time to have their photo taken against the backdrop of a derelict building on the Lincoln estate, then they fucked off until next election.

It's an absolute fucking scandal.

*Scots were the single largest demographic but many Welsh, Irish, Eastern Europeans (post-war) also moved there.

And yes, Corby has it's own distinctive accent. It doesn't actually sound Scottish to me as I'm a "real" Scot but apparently it sounds Scottish to other English people even though Corby Millennials will be at least 3rd Generation "immigrants".

Was this during Louise Mensch's tenure ?

suburberphobe · 03/03/2025 22:28

Glad someone started an OP about this. Just finished watching it. Absolutely shocking.

Why was it not all over the news at the time? Like BBC etc.

The info at the end is also very worrying.

Thought the actors were all brilliant. Jodie Whittaker and Robert Carlyle. (sp?) are names that I recognise.

MrsLargeEmbodied · 04/03/2025 05:16

just watched this
had heard of this scandal
episode 1 was quite upsetting.

JennyTals · 04/03/2025 07:01

Netflix are really good at bringing stories like this to life

SteelyNan · 04/03/2025 16:56

GoAwayToFlair · 03/03/2025 19:57

Was this during Louise Mensch's tenure ?

Show quote history

A bit before that, Phil Hope(less) if I remember correctly.

Two of the politicians I remember visiting were Anne Widdicombe (polite if slightly abrasive) and Paul Boateng (arrogant c* who didn't so much as acknowledge us minions).

Tomatocutwithazigzagedge · 04/03/2025 17:44

I finished it on Sunday, it was incredibly emotional and brilliantly portrayed. It's mentioned at the beginning of Episode 1 that thousands of Scots moved south to work in the steel plants.

I was actually jeering at the TV when the council refused the settlement. Also shocking that the Contractor seemed to get away with all his malpractice and safety issues.

Not sure if it was a dramatised part of the story, but when Connors dad started talking about his plan to use his son's potential legal winnings - what an utter scumbag!

Loved Aimee Lou Wood as Tracey. I'm enjoying her character in White Lotus at the moment too.

bodman · 09/03/2025 13:17

Just finished it, loved it.

The acting is absolutely brilliant, I struggled with some of the accents (I'm not british) however I was totally hooked and knew nothing about the case before watching it, I also had to google map Corby. . What tenacity from these parents.

Definitely recommend it.

justjuggling · 09/03/2025 17:53

I binge watched all 4 episodes. Brilliant acting. Knew nothing about the scandal before - such a sad story.

Piggywaspushed · 09/03/2025 17:55

suburberphobe · 03/03/2025 22:28

Glad someone started an OP about this. Just finished watching it. Absolutely shocking.

Why was it not all over the news at the time? Like BBC etc.

The info at the end is also very worrying.

Thought the actors were all brilliant. Jodie Whittaker and Robert Carlyle. (sp?) are names that I recognise.

It was! I moved nearby in 1992 and it was on Look East loads. As the programme showed , the women went on TV.

Piggywaspushed · 09/03/2025 17:57

The main accent I have issue with was the non Scots Corby accents. Those all veered from Manc to broad Notts accents which are hopelessly wrong.

eurotravel · 22/03/2025 23:41

I’m left wondering how many more effected

Funnywonder · 24/03/2025 11:56

Just watched this. Absolutely compelling viewing. And an absolute disgrace that nobody has been prosecuted for this. I’m not even surprised at the shockingly cavalier attitude towards real human lives. Money is everything. I’m glad the families got compensation, but more importantly that their tragic circumstances were acknowledged as being part of something actively corrupt and not simply coincidence. And as others have pointed out, it’s chilling to note how many of these toxic sites exist and have been built on.

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