Medway Towns?

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Discussion

BBS-LM

Original Poster:

3,972 posts

223 months

Monday 5th May 2014
quotequote all
Is it just me, or is that place a bit of a dump, I had to visit Chatham a couple of days ago, and I cannot remember the last time I wanted to get the hell out of a town like I did that place?

Roo

11,503 posts

206 months

Monday 5th May 2014
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It's where the term 'chav' originated.

Say no more.

zeduffman

4,054 posts

150 months

Monday 5th May 2014
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It's a serious blight on the otherwise pretty landscape in Kent (considering the number of people that live here).

lufbramatt

5,318 posts

133 months

Monday 5th May 2014
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As a medway resident, yes, chatham high street is awful. Has been going downhill for the last 15 years or so since Bluewater opened and the council made parking a nightmare. Even the road system is crap since they moved the bus station. Full of drunks and unemployed.

Don't have to go too far from there to find some really nice areas though. I went on a 8 mile run this morning from my house up near Rochester airfield, all around lordswood and walderslade, and al the roads I ran down are genuinely nice areas.

anomiepete

868 posts

205 months

Monday 5th May 2014
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There are lots of interesting places in the Medway if you like your history though...

Oldred_V8S

3,714 posts

237 months

Thursday 8th May 2014
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zeduffman said:
It's a serious blight on the otherwise pretty landscape in Kent (considering the number of people that live here).
Everywhere has a st place and despite being achingly pretty in many, many parts, Kent also has the Medway towns. A nuclear bomb would be an improvement.

jammy_basturd

29,776 posts

211 months

Thursday 8th May 2014
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Run away!

Hol

8,359 posts

199 months

Saturday 10th May 2014
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Roo said:
It's where the term 'chav' originated.

Say no more.
Actually Roo,
It's origins is gypsy slang for Child, or kid.


We had a few real Chavs at my School in Maidstone. It was a common term used to describe members of their family.

Edited by Hol on Saturday 10th May 19:24

Hol

8,359 posts

199 months

Saturday 10th May 2014
quotequote all
jammy_basturd said:
Run away!
laugh


Good advice.

Our last nativity play failed production, as they could not find three wise men - let alone a virgin!!





V8 FOU

2,970 posts

146 months

Sunday 11th May 2014
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OOOH Dear!

Bit of a Curate's Egg really.

I was born in Rainham and even though we left nearly 50 years ago, some parts are OK. I keep my boat moored in the Historic Dockyard (near the brewery of course!).
All a crying shame really. Agree with the comments about the traffic in Chatham, a real balls up since the Brook became 2 way. S'funny but the Brook was a place to avoid in the 40's /50's and early 60's! Good chance of getting knifed.

A lot of effort has gone into the area around the Lido / Marina in Gillingham. Just a shame that the councils make little or no effort to improve the area. The Medway Tunnel (built privately by the Rochester Bridge Trust and handed along with about £2M to run it to the council!) was supposed to help. Made access to the 24hr MacDonalds easier??!!

If you want to see real deprivation go to Bradford. For every shop that still trades, there are 20 shuttered up. Very poncey town centre with fountains though!

NickHKent

305 posts

165 months

Monday 19th May 2014
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Ah, Gillingham. Where the streets are paved with dog st.

spats

838 posts

154 months

Monday 19th May 2014
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PMSL at the oh so knowledgble haters smile

SOME of Chatham is dead rough, but then Im sure you can find the same sorts of area in many places in the UK. For example the recent programme on "How to get a Council House" there was a number of areas shown in that programme I wouldnt venture into at all, and this was supposed to be our fantastic captial city!

I live in the Medway area and find it a pretty decent place to live. Plenty to do to keep the kids happy. Plenty if green areas within walking distance. Nice local shop and decent pubs and places to eat.

As has been said above, theres plenty of nice places in Medway, you just need to stay away from Chatham high street!

NickHKent

305 posts

165 months

Tuesday 20th May 2014
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Haha Spats, I used to live and work in the area. I totally know what you mean though- for every place to avoid there is a place close by that is lovely. It's the same all over the UK.

croyde

22,701 posts

229 months

Tuesday 20th May 2014
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I have friends who could no longer afford to stay in tiny flats in London, move out that way and seem happy with the big houses that they have bought. Problem is that all town centres tend to be ste holes.

My area of SW London, where a one bedroom flat is a half a million, still has an awful high street full of rubbish, fried chicken shops, places to bet, drunks and beggars.

Mind you £1.50 for chicken and chips on the way back from the pub or station is a hell of a bargain biggrin

Inverness

545 posts

177 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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spats said:
PMSL at the oh so knowledgble haters smile

SOME of Chatham is dead rough, but then Im sure you can find the same sorts of area in many places in the UK. For example the recent programme on "How to get a Council House" there was a number of areas shown in that programme I wouldnt venture into at all, and this was supposed to be our fantastic captial city!

I live in the Medway area and find it a pretty decent place to live. Plenty to do to keep the kids happy. Plenty if green areas within walking distance. Nice local shop and decent pubs and places to eat.

As has been said above, theres plenty of nice places in Medway, you just need to stay away from Chatham high street!
Can you tell me where the good places to eat are, we've only found the Barn in Rainham.

I travel the length and breadth of the UK and if you going to single out Medway, you've never been to Merthyr Tydfil or Bridgeton near Glasgow!!!!

Hol

8,359 posts

199 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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Inverness said:
spats said:
PMSL at the oh so knowledgble haters smile

SOME of Chatham is dead rough, but then Im sure you can find the same sorts of area in many places in the UK. For example the recent programme on "How to get a Council House" there was a number of areas shown in that programme I wouldnt venture into at all, and this was supposed to be our fantastic captial city!

I live in the Medway area and find it a pretty decent place to live. Plenty to do to keep the kids happy. Plenty if green areas within walking distance. Nice local shop and decent pubs and places to eat.

As has been said above, theres plenty of nice places in Medway, you just need to stay away from Chatham high street!
Can you tell me where the good places to eat are, we've only found the Barn in Rainham.

I travel the length and breadth of the UK and if you going to single out Medway, you've never been to Merthyr Tydfil or Bridgeton near Glasgow!!!!
Apart from six years in Hants and the new forest, I have lived here all my life.
I guess you don't get intimidated by 'normal',


Depends on your cuisine and budget per plate I guess.

Kits Coty is alright, and there's a few decent Gastro Pubs on the outskirts of Maidstone.
But, the demographic around here is the reason why we have the likes of Hungry Horse etc.. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just supply and demand driving the food available.



jammy_basturd

29,776 posts

211 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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Nandos at the Dockyard? hehe

lufbramatt

5,318 posts

133 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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Shozna indian in Rochester+strood, always good
Café Maroc in Rochester (real hidden gem, amazing food and superb service, BYO alcohol so you can get smashed on the cheap too smile )
The atrium + elizabeths of eastgate, Don Vincenzo also in Rochester do good food
The Barn in rainham, not cheap but very tasty
Taj cuisine in walderslade, another good indian
Grandma Thai's in Rochester if you fancy Thai food
The Ship at Upnor, great fish+chips

Probably loads I've missed off too smile


ant427

141 posts

138 months

Saturday 7th June 2014
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I live in Strood and yes it's a dump with bloody camera cars, and traffic wardens that operate at night in residential parking areas,but hello to the commuter who parks his VX 220 at the end of my road each day. Nice car.

Gixer

4,463 posts

247 months

Tuesday 10th June 2014
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I've lived arround the Medway towns all my life. Cliff, Hoo, Cooling and now Lordswood and while I'm first to call Chatham a dump, there are some nice bits as well. I'm first to agree with the comments ref Chatham town centre. The only time I ever go there is if I need to collect a parcel from Best St sorting office. God only knows why they knocked down a perfectly good flyover and even more of a mystery, why they moved an indoor bus station right next to the shops to an outdoor one in the middle of what was a road so that shoppers have to cart their shopping further and get wet if its raining and car drivers have to drive to Luton arches and back to get to the Medway tunnel.

However today I got in early so thought I'd jump on the MB. A couple of miles and I'm riding along the North Kent Downs enjoying fantastic views. A few more miles and I'm riding beside the Medway enjoying the views of the river, the castle etc. see its not all bad. It's great for my job as it close to both the M2, M20 and M25 and its good for road trips into Europe with the Chunnel not that far away. Near enough to London for my wife to commute too.

I travel a fair bit and most town centres are run down and not particularly nice places. In fact the only ones I can think of that are quite nice and doing well are ones where councils have embraced the car rather than making it awkward for them. There's a small town in Essex I sometimes work at and there, there is diagonal parking bays along both sides of the road with 1 hour free parking and the shops there are always busy and appear to be doing well. To coin the phrase 'the grass is always greener....' I've worked in quite a few places around the UK that are far far worse