The sad decline of Lands End..

[Voldemort]

surveyor said:

Minack bring back memories of going to see Oklahama with my Grandparents and their Rotary group on a coach.

Stunning to watch the production backset by the sunning setting.

When I went to Cornwall in '99 for the eclipse the Minack had a a special one off performance of a play that incorporated the eclipse. Didn't go [sold out] but always thought that pretty cool.

[Antony Moxey]

Butter Face said:

bloomen said:

Much of it is really rather grim. It does of course have a lot of lovely spots but inland you can feel your spirit wilting in many a place.

I will of course respectfully disagree with you there.

The vast majority of cornwall is beautiful, unspoilt and fantastic. There are the odd spots that are not the most pleasant, but having recently visited Birmingham again, I’d rather live in the grimiest squat in Cornwall than go there

Really? Redruth, St Austell, Camborne, Penzance, Truro, Launceston, Saltash, Falmouth along with the majority of towns are grey, soulless s**tholes. You couldn’t pay me to live in those places whereas I found Birmingham surprisingly good last time I visited. Granted most of the small seaside towns and villages are a delight but go to Cornwall on a windswept rainy day and it’s anything but beautiful and fantastic.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Wacky Racer said:

When I first visited Lands End in the 1960's, it was completely unspoiled, a small carpark, tranquillity and views out to sea.

These days, it is the site of a concrete monstrosity, a mish mash of tacky tourist shops, a blot on the landscape.



Time is far better spent visiting the magnificent Minack Theatre three or four miles away

.

Didn't bother with the Minack when I was there last. Maybe should have as it looks interesting. We did walk up to it from Porthcurno beach below where the undersea cables come in. Went to the mesuem about them which is good too. But that beach is just gorgeous, I could just spend all day there.

[Butter Face]

Antony Moxey said:

Really? Redruth, St Austell, Camborne, Penzance, Truro, Launceston, Saltash, Falmouth along with the majority of towns are grey, soulless s**tholes. You couldn’t pay me to live in those places whereas I found Birmingham surprisingly good last time I visited. Granted most of the small seaside towns and villages are a delight but go to Cornwall on a windswept rainy day and it’s anything but beautiful and fantastic.

Yeah man. What a sthole.


I think you’ve made the classic mistake of looking at a Main Street (which all towns have, and I’m guilty of the same with my Birmingham reference) and writing off a whole area. I live 4 minutes from the centre of Camborne and it is not soulless, grey or a sthole.

Edited by Butter Face on Monday 14th May 07:16

[Butter Face]

I’ll just clarify my points, I am specifically arguing the fact that ‘most of’ and ‘much of’ Cornwall is not a ‘tip’ or ‘grim’

There are streets and estates in every town in the country that are not particularly nice or pleasant and cornwall is the same. But to say ‘most of’ it ‘much of’ cornwall is unpleasant is so very very wrong.

[The Mad Monk]

Butter Face said:

I will of course respectfully disagree with you there.

The vast majority of cornwall is beautiful, unspoilt and fantastic.

And skint.

[Butter Face]

The Mad Monk said:

Butter Face said:

I will of course respectfully disagree with you there.

The vast majority of cornwall is beautiful, unspoilt and fantastic.

And skint.

Luckily not all of us

But yes, the end of mining in Cornwall essentially fked the whole area IMO. It will hopefully recover and lots of areas are having massive regene action projects and lots of money spent to revitalise areas.

[jmorgan]

Antony Moxey said:

Really? Redruth, St Austell, Camborne, Penzance, Truro, Launceston, Saltash, Falmouth along with the majority of towns are grey, soulless s**tholes. You couldn’t pay me to live in those places whereas I found Birmingham surprisingly good last time I visited. Granted most of the small seaside towns and villages are a delight but go to Cornwall on a windswept rainy day and it’s anything but beautiful and fantastic.

I like the place. Obviously a personal thing.

I have spent a lot of time there work and hols and one of my favourite areas of the UK. A lot going on if you have the inclination to get around the place.

And lot of the UK is grim on a windswept rainy day.

Apart from St Ives, pretentious dump and never ever going back to that place.

People are skint there but usually the ones that cannot afford the stupid house prices because, for some reason, everyone that is minted wants to live there. Sort of goes against the "tip" comment.

Edited by jmorgan on Monday 14th May 07:52

[trickywoo]

First time I went to Lands End, which was a few years ago, I was shocked by what a dreadfully tacky tourist trap it was. Such a shame it has been allowed to develop like that and a national disgrace.

Its embarrassing to think foreigners visit and go away with that impression of the UK.

[Butter Face]

trickywoo said:

First time I went to Lands End, which was a few years ago, I was shocked by what a dreadfully tacky tourist trap it was. Such a shame it has been allowed to develop like that and a national disgrace.

Its embarrassing to think foreigners visit and go away with that impression of the UK.

You do know it’s just a business and basically a theme park? If nothing was built there it would just be some cliffs....

[trickywoo]

Butter Face said:

You do know it’s just a business and basically a theme park? If nothing was built there it would just be some cliffs....

I see what you are saying and its not a perfect comparison but would you say Stonehenge is just a pile of rocks?

For the record I think Stonehenge is massively overrated and prefer Avebury for that kind of thing.

My point was the Lands End 'attraction' could be done so much better and the tackyness is embarrassing. Don't think too many people would disagree with that.

[surveyor]

TO be fair it's gone the same way as a lot of Cornwall. We stopped going as in the summer it is too busy and heads downmarket. The final straw was a nice pub we went to out of summer suddenly going to a chicken and burger type menu... Asked what gives and was told that they dumbed their menu down over Summer for the tourists.

The Cornwall of my childhood is long gone.

Wales (although this is getting busier) and Isle of Wright are my preferred options nowadays.

[The Mad Monk]

Butter Face said:

The Mad Monk said:

Butter Face said:

I will of course respectfully disagree with you there.

The vast majority of cornwall is beautiful, unspoilt and fantastic.

And skint.

Luckily not all of us

But yes, the end of mining in Cornwall essentially fked the whole area IMO. It will hopefully recover and lots of areas are having massive regene action projects and lots of money spent to revitalise areas.

I expect you realised that when I said 'skint', I was referring to the county? Sadly, it is one of the poorest counties in Britain.

[832ark]

I was part of a production at the Minack for a week many years ago. A special experience.

[Timmy40]

You have to go a long way to find somewhere as st as lands end. In my experience it was John O' Groats.

[ApOrbital]

[superlightr]

bloomen said:

Butter Face said:

riiiggghhhttt.

Much of it is really rather grim. It does of course have a lot of lovely spots but inland you can feel your spirit wilting in many a place.

locations are locations - any location can be grim - it depends who you are with.

If you are with good company anywhere can be fun.

[TwistingMyMelon]

Lands End was tacky in the 90s, its just a tourist resort for a bit of fun, I mean what do you expect a Guardianesque high level breakdown of the geography of the UK.

Always makes me laugh when people call Cornwall a sthole and how its going downhill

I've been going a few times a year all my life (half cornish) and Ive never seen it so good, yes there are a few odd towns/villages that have too much concrete but get off the beaten track and there is mile after mile of beautiful countryside, pubs and coast, most of which isnt handed to you on a plate or listed in a guidebook. I do think the best time to visit is early spring or autumn when its mild as the main roads and places do get a bit clogged with tourists (of which im one!)

[superlightr]

Butter Face said:

Antony Moxey said:

Really? Redruth, St Austell, Camborne, Penzance, Truro, Launceston, Saltash, Falmouth along with the majority of towns are grey, soulless s**tholes. You couldn’t pay me to live in those places whereas I found Birmingham surprisingly good last time I visited. Granted most of the small seaside towns and villages are a delight but go to Cornwall on a windswept rainy day and it’s anything but beautiful and fantastic.

Yeah man. What a sthole.


I think you’ve made the classic mistake of looking at a Main Street (which all towns have, and I’m guilty of the same with my Birmingham reference) and writing off a whole area. I live 4 minutes from the centre of Camborne and it is not soulless, grey or a sthole.

Edited by Butter Face on Monday 14th May 07:16

Ive lived and worked in Truro and Redruth and married a lovely Cornish lass who's family lives in Camborne.

We have had some of our bet times in and around the area. We don't go to Lands End as its tacky but there is so much in Cornwall that's lovely and beautiful. Busy in the summer tho. As an outsider living in Cornwall - had nothing but good welcomes and met lovely people.

Cornwall in the winter on a beech - is still fantastic. Many a Sunday at Portreath reading a newspaper and drinking coffee watching the waves crash on the harbour or being wind swept over the sand dunes along the coast.

Its more to do with the people you are with then the location.

Edited by superlightr on Monday 14th May 11:11

Edited by superlightr on Monday 14th May 11:15

Edited by superlightr on Monday 14th May 11:16

[Antony Moxey]

Butter Face said:

Antony Moxey said:

Really? Redruth, St Austell, Camborne, Penzance, Truro, Launceston, Saltash, Falmouth along with the majority of towns are grey, soulless s**tholes. You couldn’t pay me to live in those places whereas I found Birmingham surprisingly good last time I visited. Granted most of the small seaside towns and villages are a delight but go to Cornwall on a windswept rainy day and it’s anything but beautiful and fantastic.

Yeah man. What a sthole.


I think you’ve made the classic mistake of looking at a Main Street (which all towns have, and I’m guilty of the same with my Birmingham reference) and writing off a whole area. I live 4 minutes from the centre of Camborne and it is not soulless, grey or a sthole.

Edited by Butter Face on Monday 14th May 07:16

It is. I’ve worked in most towns in Cornwall for the majority of my adult life and without fail they ARE grey (literally, it’s the building materials used) and soulless. Of course towards the edge of a town - four minutes gets you quite a way out from the town center of Camborne - you get views out over but I’ve yet to see a larger Cornish town that I’d live in.