Middlesbrough centre experience.

[Mountain Climber]

Went into Middlesbrough shopping today and was quite shocked at people clearly high on illicit subtances walking around, unchallenged, shouting abuse at everyone and no one in particular, or singing and dancing wildly to the buskers music. I did spot two patrolling community support officers, or whatever they are named these days, who were laughing and joking as they strolled around. ( Coincidently, never in the vicinity of the anti social behaviour I observed at all) And the same noisy man was walking around shouting for quite a while.

There were elderly people and families trying to shop in peace and it is shocking that they have to be witness to this. At one point a man had left Poundstretchers, I think asked to leave by the store security man by the look of it, and he then casually strolled along hurling expletives at everyone. He was looking around wildly as if he was experiencing paranoid hallucinations. This sight, and men riding on bikes shouting at each other, though only feet apart, with voices like fog horns made for a very unpleasant experience. Why do people with empty heads make so much noise?

A woman marched along singing loudly, stopping occasionally to dance, with the shoppers parting at each side of her to make sure they was a distance between them and her due to her unpredictable behaviour. WTF is going on? Surely the Mayor as he walks from the town hall to the centre must observe all this?

What is our town coming to? and am I the only one observing this is disgust? I recall with nostalgia the late 1970s when walking through the town centre was a pleasurable experience, with no community support officers patrolling, and yet now we have more anti social behaviour that seems to go unchallenged. Maybe I am too old and have to accept that this is now the norm. I just think it is all so sad and avoidable.

 

[Johnny Vincents Motorbike]

what did you buy ?

 

[Mountain Climber]

what did you buy ?

I would have bought a powerful gun if it would have been easy to purchase one!

 

[the_holgate_roof]

Towns a total dump now, can’t remember the last time I went down there, must be many months, as you say really displaying the signs of social deprecation coupled with mental health issues, simply moving all the restaurants into a leisure quarter isn’t going to solve all that.

 

[BoroFur]

When in town I always comment that Middlesbrough's finest are out in force today.

Lots of issues at play here:

Mental health
Immigration
Substance abuse
Homelessness

I wouldn't know where to start to put all of that right. Money would help.

 

[boot boy ally]

I would have bought a powerful gun if it would have been easy to purchase one!

You were unlucky,time and place.Happens in any town centre. Middlesbrough is no different to any other place

 

[Mountain Climber]

Towns a total dump now, can’t remember the last time I went down there, must be many months, as you say really displaying the signs of social deprecation coupled with mental health issues, simply moving all the restaurants into a leisure quarter isn’t going to solve all that.

This is a few times I have been there recently and have witnessed an increase in such anti social and bizarre behaviours. Community support officers do their jobs I dare say at other times but I haven't seen any people behaving like this spoken to once. The other week a group sat outside Greggs, a family by the look of it, and were shouting and screaming at each other and again this goes unchallenged. This went on for quite a while too. People walked by warily trying not to make eye contact with these people.

 

[Mountain Climber]

You were unlucky,time and place.Happens in any town centre. Middlesbrough is no different to any other place

I am still proud to be from here and live here. The vast majority are still the friendliest, most down to earth, hospitable people around. And I have travelled extensively with work in this country so this is not just bias. I do not want this town to become so unruly and lawless that people do not feel safe shopping.

 

[Youngie]

Place is a shell of its former self. I used to love working in the centre when I was a young lad starting out in retail… I don’t recognise the place now.

as for those saying you were unlucky and it’s not like that all the time… I hate to break it to you but it is and will only get worse

 

[Priv]

You were unlucky,time and place.Happens in any town centre. Middlesbrough is no different to any other place

I was in stockton town centre on Saturday, first time my Mrs had ever been. She was horrified, asked why the hell we’d stopped here and was genuinely worried what the kids might see. She grew up in Accrington which isnt exactly a good place to live but she was adamant it was much worse and it does make you question just how bad our towns look to outsiders.

 

[Ex pfc wintergreen]

what did you buy ?

I Shouldn’t.

 

[Mountain Climber]

I was in stockton town centre on Saturday, first time my Mrs had ever been. She was horrified, asked why the hell we’d stopped here and was genuinely worried what the kids might see. She grew up in Accrington which isnt exactly a good place to live but she was adamant it was much worse and it does make you question just how bad our towns look to outsiders.

I like the idea of a cultured restaurant quarter, and a cosmopolitan feel like London, as proposed by Andy Preston but that is just sticking a plaster on a sore. That sore is a subculture that seems to exist here. An intimidating group of people going unchallenged during the day, and maybe feeling immune from being prosecuted. A rising drug culture and the consequent mental health issues associated with this.

 

[Ex pfc wintergreen]

Can’t think how. Long it’s been since I was in the town centre day or night, I felt when I was down there it was looking rough outside the Cleveland centre going towards captain cook square, Never felt intimidated, I’m worse than the louts and drug users.

 

[Randy]

Place is a shell of its former self. I used to love working in the centre when I was a young lad starting out in retail… I don’t recognise the place now.

as for those saying you were unlucky and it’s not like that all the time… I hate to break it to you but it is and will only get worse

It's been like that for at least 15 years now.
Those who live outside of Middlesbrough can see it more obviously than those who live in it.

 

[Youngie]

It's been like that for at least 15 years now.
Those who live outside of Middlesbrough can see it more obviously than those who live in it.

It is mate. I left working in the town about 2003 and I am so glad I did.

I took the kids to creams opposite the Dickens about 2 months ago… first time I years. I parked in a sidestreet that 20 years ago was either students or families living…. It now seems all the houses are full of single men of all creeds and colours sitting on doorsteps openly drinking and taking drugs.

This area was supposed to be the regeneration of Boro of at least the last fe Mayors…

instead the place has a threatening atmosphere that I will not be going near again

 

[jeff_potato]

I haven't been to Middlesbrough centre in a long time, but have been on safari in Consett, Stanley and Newcastle during the past couple of months: all ring true with what you describe in Middlesbrough.

Newcastle is like a cosplay of I Am Legend in some parts. I saw an undercover police officer nicking someone a couple of weeks ago and he was blatantly a copper as he was the only one stood there above six stone in weight.

 

[Colgates_shaving_foam]

Spot on, I can't recall ever seeing any antisocial behaviour in London or any signs of people being intoxicated on the streets of Manchester. It's purely a Boro issue.

 

[zzzzz]

You were unlucky,time and place.Happens in any town centre. Middlesbrough is no different to any other place

No.
Just about the most deprived populated area in the UK.
Abandoned and left to its own devices by successive governments of both persuations for decades.

 

[Ex pfc wintergreen]

I think the man is relating his experience of the town centre, behaviour in other places is irrelevant, it’s not a race to the bottom.

 

[Humpty]

Went into Middlesbrough shopping today and was quite shocked at people clearly high on illicit subtances walking around, unchallenged, shouting abuse at everyone and no one in particular, or singing and dancing wildly to the buskers music. I did spot two patrolling community support officers, or whatever they are named these days, who were laughing and joking as they strolled around. ( Coincidently, never in the vicinity of the anti social behaviour I observed at all) And the same noisy man was walking around shouting for quite a while.

There were elderly people and families trying to shop in peace and it is shocking that they have to be witness to this. At one point a man had left Poundstretchers, I think asked to leave by the store security man by the look of it, and he then casually strolled along hurling expletives at everyone. He was looking around wildly as if he was experiencing paranoid hallucinations. This sight, and men riding on bikes shouting at each other, though only feet apart, with voices like fog horns made for a very unpleasant experience. Why do people with empty heads make so much noise?

A woman marched along singing loudly, stopping occasionally to dance, with the shoppers parting at each side of her to make sure they was a distance between them and her due to her unpredictable behaviour. WTF is going on? Surely the Mayor as he walks from the town hall to the centre must observe all this?

What is our town coming to? and am I the only one observing this is disgust? I recall with nostalgia the late 1970s when walking through the town centre was a pleasurable experience, with no community support officers patrolling, and yet now we have more anti social behaviour that seems to go unchallenged. Maybe I am too old and have to accept that this is now the norm. I just think it is all so sad and avoidable.

I wrote something very similar on twitter a few months ago. The mayor said I was “talking the town down”