Nottingham - Total Dump?
Discussion
I was born and grew up in Nottingham and moved away just before leaving primary school.
I've been back from time to time but it's been about 17 years since I spent any time in the city centre.
Every other shop seems to be a mobile phone shop, every other shop seems to be competing to sell tat at a price cheaper than its neighbour and it just generally seemed dirty and grimy compared to what I (think I) remember.
Do I remember it with the rose tinted glasses of childhood memories, or was it always such a dirty scummy place?
I've been back from time to time but it's been about 17 years since I spent any time in the city centre.
Every other shop seems to be a mobile phone shop, every other shop seems to be competing to sell tat at a price cheaper than its neighbour and it just generally seemed dirty and grimy compared to what I (think I) remember.
Do I remember it with the rose tinted glasses of childhood memories, or was it always such a dirty scummy place?
I wouldn't say the place is a total dump. It's no worse than a lot of large towns/cities. I think it's more down to the people there (which also links in with your phone/bargain shops comment).
Last visit there was 6 or so months back. Landed around midday & on wandering into a pub was greeted with a "What are you pair of
s looking at?" by a group of not-so-friendly locals. Grabbed a quick McDonalds (I know, I know!) later in the day, which was full of complete & utter scum, a considerable number under the age of 18 coming out with pretty grim language whilst in the company of their offspring. To top the day off, just before leaving I was once again "offered out" in a pub next to the station before all hell broke loose, a mass brawl spilled out into the street & glasses began to fly around!
That being said a small fortune has just been spent on my hometown (Bury) & I finally had a wander down there a couple of weeks back. Looks vastly improved over how it was previously but, like Nottingham, it's full of phone shops & "Poundland" type stores, whilst a lot of the people are just complete & utter scrotes.
I think it's just society in general nowadays that makes everywhere appear a bit st.
Last visit there was 6 or so months back. Landed around midday & on wandering into a pub was greeted with a "What are you pair of
s looking at?" by a group of not-so-friendly locals. Grabbed a quick McDonalds (I know, I know!) later in the day, which was full of complete & utter scum, a considerable number under the age of 18 coming out with pretty grim language whilst in the company of their offspring. To top the day off, just before leaving I was once again "offered out" in a pub next to the station before all hell broke loose, a mass brawl spilled out into the street & glasses began to fly around! That being said a small fortune has just been spent on my hometown (Bury) & I finally had a wander down there a couple of weeks back. Looks vastly improved over how it was previously but, like Nottingham, it's full of phone shops & "Poundland" type stores, whilst a lot of the people are just complete & utter scrotes.
I think it's just society in general nowadays that makes everywhere appear a bit s
t.I was in Nottingham a couple of weeks ago, after never being there for over 20 years. I thought it was ok. Although what's happening to the Broadmarsh Centre? Is it getting demolished? We stopped at the Nottingham Belfry and went into the centre by taxi, for those who know the way in, fk me wouldn't like to be a stranger wandering around 
The Broadmarsh and Victoria centres were a little weird. Like I said I was walking around half-remembering places I'd been with my (now dead) grandparents so I was being nostalgic/sentimental, but Broadmarsh is basically a shell of its former self, I remember the Co-Op and C&A and all sorts whilst now other than Gordon Scott's and the model shop next door it's just another grotty precinct, ditto the Victoria Centre.
It is a shame and I don't think it's entirely down to my memory playing tricks as I also spent a couple of hours around Wollaton Park where I spent many happy days with my Grandad and that's pretty much unchanged.
It is a shame and I don't think it's entirely down to my memory playing tricks as I also spent a couple of hours around Wollaton Park where I spent many happy days with my Grandad and that's pretty much unchanged.
I visited Nottingham briefly for work, I spent about 30 mns walking around- seems like quite a clean town centre
with regards to shop - every major town centre is rammed of the same shops.
my own town centre has at least 7 mobile phone shops, including at least 2 O2/Phones4U all wthin 3 minutes walk of eachother.
with regards to shop - every major town centre is rammed of the same shops.
my own town centre has at least 7 mobile phone shops, including at least 2 O2/Phones4U all wthin 3 minutes walk of eachother.
I was born in Nottingham in 1967 . Left in 1985 and moved to Gtr Manchester / Lancs / Cheshire.
I hated the place by the time I moved and on the few short visits I've had since it doesn't look like it's getting any better.
I would never go back to live there EVER
I hated the place by the time I moved and on the few short visits I've had since it doesn't look like it's getting any better.
I would never go back to live there EVER
Edited by R60EST on Saturday 6th November 22:41
CTS86 said:
I wouldn't say the place is a total dump. It's no worse than a lot of large towns/cities. I think it's more down to the people there (which also links in with your phone/bargain shops comment).
I don't think I agree. Many of the Cathedral towns are much nicer - York / Exeter / Bath etc and they aren't small.As an industrial city it has one thing going for it.
Trent Bridge.
I left Nottingham in 1980 when I was 23 (and then the UK in 1999), and just a few weeks ago I met up with a number of old friends in Langtrys near the town centre - as well as visiting old schools and where I used to live.
I think it's the first time I've been there since 1990 - some things had changed - others hadn't. No worse and no better than many other places in the UK.
Perhaps it was me with my nostalgic hat on, but it did appear that Nottingham lived up to it's urban myth about the ratio of males to females (supposedly 1:4) and there appeared to be a lot of Milfs about.
Fantastic night out - catching up with a dozen people who I hadn't seen since the early seventies.
I think it's the first time I've been there since 1990 - some things had changed - others hadn't. No worse and no better than many other places in the UK.
Perhaps it was me with my nostalgic hat on, but it did appear that Nottingham lived up to it's urban myth about the ratio of males to females (supposedly 1:4) and there appeared to be a lot of Milfs about.
Fantastic night out - catching up with a dozen people who I hadn't seen since the early seventies.
I went ice skating in the city centre about a year back and it seemed ok to me. I've also had a few nights out there as a student and had a great time.
I don't think it's any worse then any other large cities. Granted the likes of Brum, Manchester and Liverpool have got quite nice city centre shopping areas etc but they've got their own problems too.
I don't think it's any worse then any other large cities. Granted the likes of Brum, Manchester and Liverpool have got quite nice city centre shopping areas etc but they've got their own problems too.
Hi,
It's pretty average I'd say, not the worst city to live in, no, but not the best either I'm sure. I've lived here for 15 years and travel around a lot through work too so I see quite a few cities. It's not as industrial as other city centres such as Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Manchester, London even, but not as nice as Bath, York, Efinburgh or Newcastle. Maybe the architecture has something to do with it but Nottingham has quite a few nice parks such as Wollaton; The Park is a great place to wander around or live if you're lucky enough and there are good shops outside of the normal run of the mill standard listings if you know where to go.
It's on a decent train route to London which can be completed without changes in 1:45 and not far from the M1 and A1 for access to main motorway routes.
Nights out here are excellent and the choice of decent bars and restaurants in such a close area is second to none.
I've seen one or two punch ups here in my time, and I've been out a lot, but to be honest, we frequent the nicer parts on a night and we just don't see it. To be fair I think like many places nowadays you have to pay a bit more to be out of the grasp of idiots and it's fair to say that we go out less but to nicer places.
It's pretty average I'd say, not the worst city to live in, no, but not the best either I'm sure. I've lived here for 15 years and travel around a lot through work too so I see quite a few cities. It's not as industrial as other city centres such as Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Manchester, London even, but not as nice as Bath, York, Efinburgh or Newcastle. Maybe the architecture has something to do with it but Nottingham has quite a few nice parks such as Wollaton; The Park is a great place to wander around or live if you're lucky enough and there are good shops outside of the normal run of the mill standard listings if you know where to go.
It's on a decent train route to London which can be completed without changes in 1:45 and not far from the M1 and A1 for access to main motorway routes.
Nights out here are excellent and the choice of decent bars and restaurants in such a close area is second to none.
I've seen one or two punch ups here in my time, and I've been out a lot, but to be honest, we frequent the nicer parts on a night and we just don't see it. To be fair I think like many places nowadays you have to pay a bit more to be out of the grasp of idiots and it's fair to say that we go out less but to nicer places.
mrmaggit said:
moparmick said:
I've lived in nottm all my life and it is a shadow of the place it was 30 yrs ago. 20+ years of labour have seen to that.
Too true, and just what the fack are the traffic planners doing? In six months they've added ten minutes to my 15 minute get home.ds the lot of 'em. Thankfully I don't have to commute into Nottingham any more.I refuse to spend my money there because over the years I've come to hate Nottingham City Council. They're just a bunch of car hating, money grabbing fkwits and they'll just ride rough shod over anybody that disagrees with them. Take the car park tax for business that they've introduced or are about to introduce as an example.
kwits and they'll just ride rough shod over anybody that disagrees with them. Take the car park tax for business that they've introduced or are about to introduce as an example.Gassing Station | Midlands | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff