I moved back to the Cronx three months ago. Had to change at Redhill for Reigate whenever I didn't ride home. Every time those doors opened and that stench from Cormonger's Lane hit me I shuddered. Still cycle through the town centre regularly on the way to better places. The wildlife living there make even Croydon's pondscum look reasonable. It's like literally all the dregs of Surrey have been housed there.
Exiled - my mate is (truly) a rocket scientist for Roxel in Kiddy, but nights out have long ceased to start round his gaff. The town is cut in half by the dual carriageway and the retail park is a shoddy, soulless template box. Well done for escaping! Bewdley's nice!
I moved back to the Cronx three months ago. Had to change at Redhill for Reigate whenever I didn't ride home. Every time those doors opened and that stench from Cormonger's Lane hit me I shuddered. Still cycle through the town centre regularly on the way to better places. The wildlife living there make even Croydon's pondscum look reasonable. It's like literally all the dregs of Surrey have been housed there.
80p drinks at Liquid used to bring out some really interesting characters. Think the entire population of Cromwell would come out for it
Exiled - my mate is (truly) a rocket scientist for Roxel in Kiddy, but nights out have long ceased to start round his gaff. The town is cut in half by the dual carriageway and the retail park is a shoddy, soulless template box. Well done for escaping! Bewdley's nice!
Ha, my mate did his work experience there when we were at school. He had to sign the official secrets act which got him out of doing a presentation to the class like the rest of us had to! They had an explosion there the once too which blew out half the windows on a nearby estate.
It's a highly dubious story, but I was told that after the breakup of the USSR, some papers were leaked that showed where the Ruskies had been pointing a load of their Nukes and, apparently, Kiddy was on the list because of the rocket testing facility. Succesive governments and the rise of cheap far eastern labour has done much of the work for the Russians though.
Another vote for Luton but if anyone's been unfortunate enough to go to Hatfield there's a rumour they filmed an apocalyptic film there because they didn't have to build scenery
Edmonton, Alberta (sorry Exiled - talking about the downtown core here - not the bits around Whyte Ave)
Boooooo!!!
It's true, it's not the finest City Centre in the World and is eerily quiet for the centre of a major city but there's no way it deserves mentioning in the same breath as the likes of Luton and Crawley.
I have recently started a new job that involves a fair bit of travelling around the country. I have visited town centres that, in the past, I would have only ever 'by-passed'.
Here I am tonight in my hotel room in Crawley after just popping into town to get some cash. Only ever been in the area before when flying out of Gatwick. I have to say, it is the most soulless, ugly, unappealling hole of a place, really dire! It's up there with the Brentwood's and Great Yarmouth's of the country as places to avoid unless you really have to visit.
So, it begs the question, where have you been (town centre only) that you would never go back to unless you had no choice?
PS: Apologies to any Crawley folk who have since moved on. All I can say is no wonder you did!!
Do you really mean Brentwood? I'm not a TOWIE fan but always think Brentwood looks well kept and up to date in say comparison to some other high streets. Wouldn't call it a hole anyway.
Edmonton, Alberta (sorry Exiled - talking about the downtown core here - not the bits around Whyte Ave)
Boooooo!!!
It's true, it's not the finest City Centre in the World and is eerily quiet for the centre of a major city but there's no way it deserves mentioning in the same breath as the likes of Luton and Crawley.
Whereabouts in Edmonton do you live Exiled?
The city centre does appear dead at night and it's a bit dated as well in my opinion. As I said south of the river around Whyte is much more interesting.
Anyway Calgarys fledgling pro-soccer team play their first proper game this weekend against the Whitecaps u-23s - the battle of Alberta is not too far off.
Luton also. Always wondered what goes through the mind of some poor b@stard fresh off the plane from Podunkowa, Poland in search of a better future when they see it.
The only place I have been to where Burger King is considered haute cuisine by the locals and - this was in 1996 - you could buy a terraced house for 8K.
Honorable mentions to Chatham and the dodgy part of Hastings.
Is Mitcham (as someone previously mentioned it) really a town centre ? I lived there 30 years ago & it was called Fair Green, in that there was a green with shops surrounding it. Has it changed THAT much ?
Too right about Crawley. I used to travel to random towns on business and there are some nasty town centres: I'd nominate: Basildon, Derby, Bradford, Luton, Leicester, Barking, almost everywhere in Scotland although Cumbernauld is particularly horrible and Antrim is probably the worst town in Northern Ireland - and there are some right holes there. Jeez there are too many to mention, so my worst town centre award goes to Harlow: souless dump. Oddly, Sydney Australia is somehow in reverse: the town centre is great but the burbs are really nasty, run-down and derelict looking places.
Comments
Erith
Laindon
Well done for escaping!
Bewdley's nice!
Croydon
Felixstowe
It's a highly dubious story, but I was told that after the breakup of the USSR, some papers were leaked that showed where the Ruskies had been pointing a load of their Nukes and, apparently, Kiddy was on the list because of the rocket testing facility. Succesive governments and the rise of cheap far eastern labour has done much of the work for the Russians though.
Two communities make up the town - heaven help either of them if they even try to integrate. Quite unbelievable.
Regina, Saskatchewan - the big park is lovely, the rest sketchy as hell
Winnipeg, Manitoba - unfriendly natives, colder than the Antarctic - nice architecture though
It's true, it's not the finest City Centre in the World and is eerily quiet for the centre of a major city but there's no way it deserves mentioning in the same breath as the likes of Luton and Crawley.
Stevenage
What's wrong with my manor?
The city centre does appear dead at night and it's a bit dated as well in my opinion. As I said south of the river around Whyte is much more interesting.
Anyway Calgarys fledgling pro-soccer team play their first proper game this weekend against the Whitecaps u-23s - the battle of Alberta is not too far off.
Just don't go there.
The only place I have been to where Burger King is considered haute cuisine by the locals and - this was in 1996 - you could buy a terraced house for 8K.
Honorable mentions to Chatham and the dodgy part of Hastings.
I'd nominate: Basildon, Derby, Bradford, Luton, Leicester, Barking, almost everywhere in Scotland although Cumbernauld is particularly horrible and Antrim is probably the worst town in Northern Ireland - and there are some right holes there.
Jeez there are too many to mention, so my worst town centre award goes to Harlow: souless dump.
Oddly, Sydney Australia is somehow in reverse: the town centre is great but the burbs are really nasty, run-down and derelict looking places.