Funny enough the Aldi near the bus station was the last place I was asked for change
Middlesbrough on a night time
- Thread starter TeessideCleveland
- Start date
I’m strictly Harvey Nicks,nowI was looking through the window for you ?
I am old enough to recall Middlesbrough of the 70s to be an extremely scary and violent place. If you were from the wrong part of town at the wrong time of night, or you were punk in a Ted's or hippy stronghold etc then you had better watch your back. In fact there were even occasional battles within the Holgate between South Bank and Stockton etc. One area against another. That is how I recall it. Not some halcyon time but all too often very bleak and sometimes sadly violent and dangerous.
I was in Leeds as a student at the end of the decade and Leeds centre was several notches up on the violence scale. There were full police vans parked on street corner after corner because the streets and pubs were so dangerous. Day time of course the area around the railway station was an NF racist stronghold, Bulldog was sold openly on streets near pubs that were no go zones.
These were the only towns/cities I knew but reading John Robb's description of Manchester in those days. A dark, soot grimy, aggressive, violent, no go zoned then it chimes the same.
I was in Leeds as a student at the end of the decade and Leeds centre was several notches up on the violence scale. There were full police vans parked on street corner after corner because the streets and pubs were so dangerous. Day time of course the area around the railway station was an NF racist stronghold, Bulldog was sold openly on streets near pubs that were no go zones.
These were the only towns/cities I knew but reading John Robb's description of Manchester in those days. A dark, soot grimy, aggressive, violent, no go zoned then it chimes the same.
newyddion
Well-known member
Ever been to Oldham?
NorthumberlandBoro
Well-known member
Very true about Boro in the 70's.
As we got into our teens back then,there were plenty of incidents where kids got set on for no apparent reason.
changingman
Well-known member
I think it's very much in keeping with other (Northern) towns and cities - Sheffield being a classic example.
Meadowhall opened 32 years and naturally attracted a number of retailers. We then had a period of around 20-25 years where shops could co-exist both at Meadowhall and in the town centre (just). Rise of online retail, pandemic, economic crises put paid to that which left the "high street" in a very transitory mode. A number of short term lets were offered to businesses but most went bust within 6 months. We've essentially ended up with a town centre with very few amenities which had led to a pretty underwhelming "no go zone", particularly after dark.
To be fair, our council are trying to redress this but it will take time. General plan seems to be an influx of hospitality establishments to make up for the lack of shops, a few business HQs will probably rent space too.
Sheffield may be an anomaly, it's effectively a "city of villages" - even when the city centre was bustling (when we moved here) and despite living a twenty minute walk I rarely ventured in, preferring to spend time around where I live.
I think you can probably count on two hands the amount of times I head into the city centre now, usually when there's a new record out that I'm after!
Meadowhall opened 32 years and naturally attracted a number of retailers. We then had a period of around 20-25 years where shops could co-exist both at Meadowhall and in the town centre (just). Rise of online retail, pandemic, economic crises put paid to that which left the "high street" in a very transitory mode. A number of short term lets were offered to businesses but most went bust within 6 months. We've essentially ended up with a town centre with very few amenities which had led to a pretty underwhelming "no go zone", particularly after dark.
To be fair, our council are trying to redress this but it will take time. General plan seems to be an influx of hospitality establishments to make up for the lack of shops, a few business HQs will probably rent space too.
Sheffield may be an anomaly, it's effectively a "city of villages" - even when the city centre was bustling (when we moved here) and despite living a twenty minute walk I rarely ventured in, preferring to spend time around where I live.
I think you can probably count on two hands the amount of times I head into the city centre now, usually when there's a new record out that I'm after!
Ironops
Well-known member
Ive not been to Boro for a few years but having recently been to both Swansea and Nottingham it seems like empty shops, rubbish strewn streets, homelessness, drug addiction and general urban decay are certainly not exclusive to Boro. I can confirm this is also the case for some of the supposedly richer parts of London too.
Archiestephens_elbow
Well-known member
Tory britain in a nutshell
The_Lizards_Jumpers
Well-known member
But Watford is in one of the wealthiest counties in England, a short train or tube ride from London, and so not really comparable other than size - it'll attract investment as people have disposable income which they're willing to spend in the town centre as it acts as a commuter town for London, where people earn decent salaries, and return to Watford to spend them.
I recently spent a weekend in Reading, I always thought it would be an affluent area,what a shock I was in for. The area adjacent to the town centre is almost a carbon copy of Linthorpe Rd, with at least 3 Turkish barbers within 50 metres , takeaway shops and a bit intimidating when walking into the town centre. The main centre “The Oracle “ is actually quite well designed and houses restaurants,bars and all the usual chains. Even during the day the main shopping street was full of people either pis$ed or off their faces, beggars and just seemed to be a very aggressive air to it. Having discussed this with my brother he assured me that Reading was like Paris compared to Slough ,which he described as awful.
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the_holgate_roof
Well-known member
I was just reading this and thought about Slough, we stayed there for a few days last year, considering it is only 3 mins on the train from Windsor, it is a million miles away in reality, very rough place.
CommanderComcast
Active member
Exactly this. I think we tend to think Teesside is worse because we know it is not an affluent area. But there's loads of town centres down South that are similarly run down. It is towns across the country. Cities in bigger urban areas seem to be fine, attracting more investment and with student populations supporting the economy. But Wycombe, Reading, Slough, Swindon, Portsmouth, Luton etc look a lot like Middlesbrough, if not worse.
Slough twinned with Acklam.
NorthumberlandBoro
Well-known member
Blackpool doesn't have a twin town, it has a suicide pact with Cleethorpes.
FlapJacks
Well-known member
I worked there in the early-mid 1990s and it was the same then.
I’d say more Ingleby Toytown , lots of chavs wearing snide labels, you know the sortSlough twinned with Acklam.
I think Middlesbrough is worse because of the exceptionally high crime rates and in particular the exceptionally high rate of violent crime.
Corcaigh_the_Cat
Well-known member
And it's been like that for years. I had a couple of flats down there in the early 2000's, Reading that is.
Never the edge to what's in the north but not pretty either.
Exactly how I'd compare it to living in Huddersfield.Living away and then coming back again makes you see it in a different light.Much worse places.