Uk towns that have been a (surprise) let down to you

[srw]

The area around Cornmarket St and Queen St has certainly seen better days. I suspect the new Westgate shopping centre is also contributing to the general malaise. It's interesting that Jesus College have just built a large facility that I think replaced some retail space on Cornmarket St. Maybe it's a sign that the old style 'high street' is unsustainable. Although a college expansion isn't exactly innovative for Oxford, it's better than a string of tourist shops, take-outs and short lets. I also think the litter situation has got a lot worse over recent years.

The old 'Jamie's Italian' would make a great scene-setting shot for something involving zombies.

Yes, the new Jesus facility is impressive, but it's forbidding, and the NHS label doesn't help it.

Oxford has always been dominated by the gown, but until recently the town has more than held its own. I don't suppose that replacing Boswell's by another overpriced hotel will help.

Before this last weekend I was last in town for the Town and Gown 10k run. It was mainly through the Gown areas, and felt a bit smug, which wasn't the case as a Gowny resident in the 1990s. I hope the Town recovers the balls that the Cowley Road had at the time.

 

[slowmotion]

Perfect place. You can bugger off to the Netherlands every night.

I've buggered off to the Netherlands five times from there. The Dutch-run Stena ferry is great fun but I've always ground to a halt trying to ride up the ramp.

 

[Adam4868]

Too many to list here but a lot of them are places that have suffered economically over the past 40 years or so, particularly places that were once thriving seaside resorts such as Ilfracombe, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Blackpool. Empty shops or charity shops everywhere.

Just saying....Blackpool attracted a record 19 million visitors in 2021 despite Covid, a tourism report has revealed.The council said that they saw a 75% increase in footfall on the seafront compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
But I get your point 😁

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Fort William - loads of concrete poured between a big hill and a pier.

Bodmin - full of tourists but nowhere to eat.

Portsmouth - when I was last there in 1985 it was brilliant. Returned in 2021 and it was a tired old dump.

 

[StuAff]

Fort William - loads of concrete poured between a big hill and a pier.

Bodmin - full of tourists but nowhere to eat.

Portsmouth - when I was last there in 1985 it was brilliant. Returned in 2021 and it was a tired old dump.

Portsmouth is not a town. I'd agree, parts of my home city are indeed tired and a dump, but parts are still, nonetheless, lovely. And it's not Southampton.

Bodmin seemed to have many places to eat when I was there in June. Had a very nice cream tea…

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Portsmouth is not a town. I'd agree, parts of my home city are indeed tired and a dump, but parts are still, nonetheless, lovely. And it's not Southampton.

Bodmin seemed to have many places to eat when I was there in June. Had a very nice cream tea…

I was there in March. Went to eat in the evening - first place was closed at 7pm, second place was closing at 7.10 and the third place (a pub) had 2 locals outside who, when I asked if they were serving food replied "I wouldn't if I were you chum".

Ended up in a Wetherspoons where I had a slab of some kind of "meat" with cold chips and a pint of something yellow, fizzy and unpleasant.

 

[Jameshow]

Fort William - loads of concrete poured between a big hill and a pier.

Bodmin - full of tourists but nowhere to eat.

Portsmouth - when I was last there in 1985 it was brilliant. Returned in 2021 and it was a tired old dump.

Shrewsbury got to the top of the hill only to find all the food shops were down the hill it was 8pm still to ride on to Chester so subway it was 12" please and 3 cookies, big bag of crisps, pepsi (full fat) and a coffee sure poor girl though I had mates round the corner!!

 

[BoldonLad]

I have already given quite a list in an earlier post.

Visited Maidenhead last Saturday (1st October), would have to add that to my list.

Filthiest public toilets I have ever seen (that is in the world, not just UK), no discernible town centre, dead rats lying about in the multi-storey car park next to Sainsbury's.

 

[Dave7]

Margate.
TBF I am going back a good few years.
I was doing a survey so thought myself and good lady could enjoy a night there.....what a dump that was.

Ditto for Scarborough which did have many happy memories (1968) ......how did that go down hill like that.

 

[mjr]

Just saying....Blackpool attracted a record 19 million visitors in 2021 despite Covid, a tourism report has revealed.The council said that they saw a 75% increase in footfall on the seafront compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
But I get your point 😁

Despite COVID? Because, more like: nice places like Norfolk were fully booked and foreign travel was variously banned or risky during 2021. I guess Blackpool still had space?

 

[Adam4868]

Despite COVID? Because, more like: nice places like Norfolk were fully booked and foreign travel was variously banned or risky during 2021. I guess Blackpool still had space?

Meaning Blackpool has been packed with tourists since opening up from lockdown.One person's idea of a dump doesn't necessarily make it so.Well 19 million visitors say different,not that I've anything against "nice Norfolk",but it being busy wasn't the reason Blackpool was lol.More that people weren't flying abroad. But I doubt it's in the same league regarding tourism figures anyway.

 

[MontyVeda]

But it used to have Blobbyland. 😂

Don't mention Blobbygate!
That fiasco cost us a million in compensation

I hope the Eden of the North isn't going to be a repeat performance

 

[Rusty Nails]

Just saying....Blackpool attracted a record 19 million visitors in 2021 despite Covid, a tourism report has revealed.The council said that they saw a 75% increase in footfall on the seafront compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
But I get your point 😁

Interesting statistics. Years ago Blackpool had a mix of day-trippers and people staying in hotels/flats/B&Bs. My impression, which may well be incorrect, was that Blackpool has lost many of those types of holiday makers and I can see how visitor numbers rose for a while in the pandemic as people stopped going abroad for breaks and made more use of day trips.

My visits to Blackpool years ago were short breaks in hotels for the Lights and good nights out. My last visit was for work purposes ten years ago.

 

[Adam4868]

Interesting statistics. Years ago Blackpool had a mix of day-trippers and people staying in hotels/flats/B&Bs. My impression, which may well be incorrect, was that Blackpool has lost many of those types of holiday makers and I can see how visitor numbers rose for a while in the pandemic as people stopped going abroad for breaks and made more use of day trips.

My visits to Blackpool years ago were short breaks in hotels for the Lights and good nights out. My last visit was for work purposes ten years ago.

After all the investment from this goverment 🙄 Theres still a lot of people come for holidays,maybe not so much weeks as you say day trippers etc.But after the lockdowns it's been manic.Id say slightly less this year but all through the kids holidays it was packed,you can struggle to find a room on a weekend.Good for the town with people not traveling abroad etc.One thing Blackpool has going for it is the name,everyone knows it.You can't buy that PR branding.Theres been a lot of overseas visitors this year aswell which was good to see.We get the extended season now for the illuminations which are staying on until the new year I think.
Anyway enough of the self promotion....just like to defend my hometown now and again 😁

 

[StuAff]

I hope the Eden of the North isn't going to be a repeat performance

Eden Project North is being built by the same team that built the original site in Cornwall, it's not a franchise/just trading off the name. And they know what they're doing. That is a terrific place, this one might not be a guaranteed win, but the odds are favourable.