General Chat

Paul, It is in the list somewhere, here's what it says on the website: MILTON KEYNES 1. Take a perfectly harmless country village. 2. Hijack it and create a monstrous atrocity of a town/carpark/city/B&Q backyard. I mean, the concrete cows are probably the only redeeming feature in this lego land hell, it even appeared in a roller-disco inspired Cliff Richard video. The worst part of it is the fact that it was supposedly based on an american design, what do they know about creating a good community? The resulting mess consists of London rejects, yokels dazzled by the bright strip lights and glittering examples of how badly the last two decades contributed to fashion. All walking round and round and round the only 'shopping/entertainment area' in the place, apart from the 'theatre district' (chain bars all in one place), the industrial parks,.oh and the man-made lakes... :-)

BASILDON I heard a story that the whole town centre was designed as a wind break to shield shoppers from heavy winds. Unfortunately they built the town facing the wrong way and the centre now acts as a wind tunnel. This centre recently recieved a new clock tower that was opened by the Queen. The only problem since has been that the vicar in charge of finishing it ran off with the money. It has so far rung twice and may soon be pulled down. The town itself offers a wide variety of nothing to do. Most people can be seen dragging their depressed and lifeless carcasses from Burger King to McDonalds in the hope of finding some variety. I once rang talking pages to find a resturant in the town and was given the number for a Pie and Mash shop. The town has only three major employers left, Ford, the Social and the Mental health services. Dull stupidity. Casual racism. In- bred sociopaths. Basildon. :-)

lol thanks, had seen it before, rather amusing

Lucia Couldn't comment on the rest of it as it's not high on my list of childhood places to revisit! However, the town centre really is windy city. It's horrible. Arthur - where do you live (approximately of course!) Daisy (Essex girl)

Think even an Essex girl can work that one out then Arthur! lol Just for the record, I grew up in Billericay. Daisy

It's ok Arthur I know you weren't. I don't take offence easily - too busy sitting on it usually! lol Hubby grew up in Islington and also went to Sarfend a lot. We still take the kids there for fish and chips and a walk along the pier when we go to visit my parents. Daisy (You can take the girl out of Essex.....)

My Mum and Dad are probably there right now Arthur! Daisy

Arthur - I'm not far from H*****, I'm in the flitch town... near the airport! becx

Yep, Middlesbrough is nothing to write home about, but given that it's surrounded by heavy industry and docklands then it's hardly going to be a picture postcard place.

I live in Middlesbrough, number 10 on the list....The town itself is crap because the council let it get that way, they knocked down some it's most beautiful buildings to make way for a overpass.. However, this town does have a great heritage, and some lovely parks....and I believe people make a town, and the majority of people here are great.

What is wrong with Bath? And isn't it a city?

More than surprised Tilbury isn`t there

I live near Windsor and like it lots - odd that that's been voted for when it's so near to Bracknell and Slough

I live near Bath - it's very touristy and spendidly Georgian (and it is a city), but, yes, it could do with smartening up in some respects. I think Basildon would be on my list, and Coventry (no offence to anyone who lives there!)

St Albans is'nt too good according to that book either. Jo.

And yet St Albans has Verulanium!!! Perhaps there should be a book entitled Crap Compilers. Daisy

Don't bother going to Basingstoke. It really is crap. Thankfully, I dont have to live there and I feel sorry for the poor sods that do. In 1961 'them that thinks they knows best' thought it a very clever idea to take a nice market town, with a population of just 16,000, and make it an overspill town for London. Just 9 years later the population had risen to 47,000, and it now tops 90,000. It was turned into a sprawling concrete jungle with endless uninspiring housing estates, a pitiful shopping centre (with Europe's largest multi-storey car park on top) and a ring road with enough roundabouts to make you dizzy. Carole

I live in the town rated as 4th worst in the first book of this type that came out. I don't know who they asked for that list but I like living here.

I've never lived in any of them, but the majority of my ancestors lived in Sunderland (when it was the world's biggest ship-building centre). They moved away in the 1920s. My maternal Grandmother's family were Scots from Glasgow (been through it just once, so can't comment), and, as a child, I used to attend Church in Clapham (which is not a town, but a district of South London). Clapham was quite well-to-do in Victorian times, then went downhill a bit, but has been 'gentrified' in parts, since the 1980s, by 'young professionals' who wanted to live somewhere affordable within easy travelling distance of jobs in Central London. As a result, property prices rocketed. I've only been to Luton once - and that was enough. It was a Saturday morning (probably the worst time). My husband was driving, I had the map, and we got lost in heavy traffic in a one-way system. Ended up going round the same big roundabout 3 times, encountered 'no entry' signs everywhere and ended up arriving very late for our appointment. Never again! CB >|<

What has poor old Bath done to get on the list.What was the criteria used to qualify-Rose How did Weymouth get left off-Now there is a Cr-p town-Covered with filthy chewing gum.