Places in the UK that have been surprisingly good/bad
Discussion
Gary29 said:
Where do you live?
If you are asking that of me, I live in SE London. My daughter was on a cruise ship as a dancer in the entertainment crew. I did 7 days on ship just so I could see her before she flew off to more sunny climes (she's now on a ship in Australia cracking out islands and the great barrier reef. Hard life eh!). I took in Guernsey, Cork, Dublin, Belfast, Liverpool and Glasgow before jumping ship to get back to work. I liked most of the places I visited but Liverpool (and Glasgow actually!) really stood out.JM
Edited by Johnniem on Thursday 22 February 12:58
TVR Moneypit said:
Pretty much anywhere in the Peak District. Absolutely stunning scenery, fantastic buildings, from small little cottages to great big country estates, warm and friendly people and some of the best driving roads on the planet. But then again, being a local, I might be a touch biased.
The wife and I, (or fiance as she was then), went to Portmerrion back in 2005. Driving down the lane onto our suite in the village was simply breathtaking. I've seen The Prisoner 100 times, but it still doesn't prepare you for how utterly beautiful the place is. We had 5 days staying at a suite in the village, then stayed on for an extra 2 days in the Castle. It was worth every penny. And the food in the Portmerrion hotel was very, very good. As an added bonus, the roads around there are some of the best I've driven on, (I had a Golf VR6 Highline at the time), with the EVO triangle and Snowdonia on your doorstep.
agree with this. great place.The wife and I, (or fiance as she was then), went to Portmerrion back in 2005. Driving down the lane onto our suite in the village was simply breathtaking. I've seen The Prisoner 100 times, but it still doesn't prepare you for how utterly beautiful the place is. We had 5 days staying at a suite in the village, then stayed on for an extra 2 days in the Castle. It was worth every penny. And the food in the Portmerrion hotel was very, very good. As an added bonus, the roads around there are some of the best I've driven on, (I had a Golf VR6 Highline at the time), with the EVO triangle and Snowdonia on your doorstep.
Edited by TVR Moneypit on Thursday 22 February 01:33
Puggit said:
Love Lyme Regis - a really non-pretentious resort town. In-laws live in Axminster, so we're always down that part of the world.
I really like Bridport - close enough to the sea to be touristy and give it some life (and close to Lyme too - which is a good place to visit) but as it's a self contained Dorset market town which is a focal point for the local area, there's also something going on all year round. Palmer's Brewery, lots of cider, lots of local fresh food from land and sea. The scenery around there is great.West Bay gets a bit lairy when all the caravan parks are full in the summer so I prefer to go there out of season.
My Mother in Law lives there now and me and Mrs P are always playing the game of what we would do if we sold up here in Berks and moved down there. I'd buy a boat and get some crab and lobster pots and potter about, running Mackerel trips in the summer.
deckster said:
Lands End. My god, what a festering pustule disfiguring the otherwise beautiful backside of Britain.
Conversely, Glasgow. Worked there for three months and consistently found excellent restaurants, lively bars, and friendly people.
Glasgow at Christmas.... I am away 2 nights a week most weeks. Glasgow tempted me out of my hotel, and I just wandered admiring the lights. Was going to eat inside, but ended up with fish and chips open so I could continue my wandering....Conversely, Glasgow. Worked there for three months and consistently found excellent restaurants, lively bars, and friendly people.
Oh - and Isle of wright. Lovely place. Like Cornwall 20 years ago. Stayed for one night in a pub. Landlord apologised about the noise later that evening. Turned out the noise was due to a jamming night. I was downstairs watching within 15 minutes. Superb.
Going to put in a shout for north Essex; particularly Dedham Vale but most of the county north of the A120 (except Braintree) is one of the loveliest regions in the South East IMO.
Plymouth rarely gets a mention and a place I quite like. The Hoe and Barbican are great places.
On the other side, the one place I'd really like to like but can't is Hull. I can't put my finger on why. People are nice enough and lots of interesting stuff there. A lot of money was spent to spruce the place up for the City of Culture thing but was really a grand exercise in municipal turd polishing.
Plymouth rarely gets a mention and a place I quite like. The Hoe and Barbican are great places.
On the other side, the one place I'd really like to like but can't is Hull. I can't put my finger on why. People are nice enough and lots of interesting stuff there. A lot of money was spent to spruce the place up for the City of Culture thing but was really a grand exercise in municipal turd polishing.
deckster said:
Lands End. My god, what a festering pustule disfiguring the otherwise beautiful backside of Britain.
Conversely, Glasgow. Worked there for three months and consistently found excellent restaurants, lively bars, and friendly people.
Yes.Conversely, Glasgow. Worked there for three months and consistently found excellent restaurants, lively bars, and friendly people.
We stayed at the Radisson Blu and arrived on match day. The street was littered with drunken jocks, and the gutters awash with wee and vom. But after that we found Glasgow superb - though not quite as good as Edinburgh.
Durdle Door / Man O War Beach / Lulworth Cove are all worth a visit in the south.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the Brecon Beacons.
Was a little disappointed with the Cotswolds to be honest, had heard great things and although there were pockets of picturesque villages etc I found it a bit boring on the whole.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the Brecon Beacons.
Was a little disappointed with the Cotswolds to be honest, had heard great things and although there were pockets of picturesque villages etc I found it a bit boring on the whole.
Puggit said:
Love Lyme Regis - a really non-pretentious resort town. In-laws live in Axminster, so we're always down that part of the world.
Have popped over to Lyme Regis quite a few times for a day out in the summer. Park in a field at the top of town a bus drops you down into the centre.It's like the seaside resort that time forgot, and all the better for it. It's a great day out.
Boscastle in Cornwall ticked a lot of boxes for me - a picturesque village by the sea, great walks nearby, friendly locals, lots of good food and drink options within walking distance, good weather for the UK, driving distance to other interesting towns and sights, and everywhere seemed to be dog friendly.
Brighton - I was expecting a little Georgian gentility, the impression I left with was wall-to-wall beggars, grubby buildings and lots of crusty folk with mangy dogs on bits of string. To be fair it was a flying visit with work, so perhaps need to give the place another chance. I'm told it's lovely...
Bath - I went from impressed at first visit, to underwhelmed on second and third, but now have a warm feeling towards it having spent quite a bit of time there over the years (my OH hails from there, so we're there regularly to see her folks). I would recommend spending a good long day just walking around the less frequented bits on a sunny day - some of the smaller crescents are lovely, with nice little bars and cafes tucked away.
Bath - I went from impressed at first visit, to underwhelmed on second and third, but now have a warm feeling towards it having spent quite a bit of time there over the years (my OH hails from there, so we're there regularly to see her folks). I would recommend spending a good long day just walking around the less frequented bits on a sunny day - some of the smaller crescents are lovely, with nice little bars and cafes tucked away.
Kewy said:
Was a little disappointed with the Cotswolds to be honest, had heard great things and although there were pockets of picturesque villages etc I found it a bit boring on the whole.
I'd second that. I'd also say I've yet to experience anywhere else in the UK where the locals so obviously make you feel unwelcome.Robw73 said:
I still have a soft spot for Southwold............ although it's changing.
Hastings is a pit that I hope I never return to!
Southwold is my least favourite place in the UK, never have I been anywhere quite so rammed up its own arse.Hastings is a pit that I hope I never return to!
A week there felt like an eternity.
I drove through Hastings once it looked infinitely preferable to Southwold.
StevieBee said:
Going to put in a shout for north Essex; particularly Dedham Vale but most of the county north of the A120 (except Braintree) is one of the loveliest regions in the South East IMO.
The essex coast is underrated too (not southend). But north essex wont be nice soon. the number of houses that will be going up in the next couple of decades and expansion of villages to accommodate the uncontrolled population growth in this country are going to change its character forever, such as West Tey. Mid essex has been destroyed already, Chelmsford has gone from a nice'ish market town in the mid 90's to a horrible ever expanding commuter'ville with a generic high street, development everywhere, unwanted city status (apart from the pompous council idiots) and huge population growth from people moving out of London. the same people who support those who are making London undesirable that they are wanting to move out.
Its truly awful what Chelmsford has become, who wants to live in the sort of properties they put up in the huge new (and previous) development that is Beauliu park for example is beyond me. Not affordable housing, horrible modern faux local design, with the complete wrong finishing materials, that looks completely out of place, 'executive' houses that have tiny gardens, overlook each other and don't have and never will a sense of community/neighborhood with all these executive living right on top of each other all built on what was once productive farmland.
Maldon likewise is in the process of being changed forever from a once small and characterful estuary town that has benefited from no railway in retaining its charm, to a huge over developed dormitory town - at least the population growth should solve the rampant inbreeding in Maldon! That is if the incomers can bear the barmysness of the locals!
Edited by theplayingmantis on Friday 23 February 14:10
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