What's going on? Had to venture into our Town Centre yesterday, Cattle Market has bit the dust, The York was shut and on Bradshawgate, all the block from the Bookies on the corner to the old BMW place is empty (Including The Leena - no great loss, the new indian restaurant up the road is good).

 

Over the road the news stand that's been there since forever has also shut up shop. Perhaps the declining sales of 'toddy mags', due to the internet, was the final nail in the coffin?

 

Is this sommat to do with the new bus/rail interchange they're planning? It's going to be almost as welcoming as the current 'Gateway to Bolton' (you know, the one way street leading out of town...)

 

It's embarrassing when the likes of Bury and even Wigan, are showing us up as a right shithole.

Edited July 6, 201213 yr by Youri McAnespie

Over the road the news stand that's been there since forever has also shut up shop. Perhaps the declining sales of 'toddy mags', due to the internet, was the final nail in the coffin?

 

We were only discussing the aforementioned shop last weekend and how the internet has killed the magazine business.

...how the internet has killed the magazine business.

 

I wonder if anyone's ever ripped their laptop screen and keyboard upon opening it up?

I wonder if anyone's ever ripped their laptop screen and keyboard upon opening it up?

 

Or stuck their laptop screen down!! haha

Internet shopping, supermarkets now selling everything and places like Middlebrook (with their free parking) have killed town centres. Add to that the cost of a pint nowadays (compared to supermarket prices) and the smoking ban has meant pubs, and not just in the town centre, are also struggling.

 

It's Thatcher's fault innit?

Edited July 6, 201213 yr by DazBobParr

that part of bradshawgate needs flattening

that part of bradshawgate needs flattening

 

Is there anywhere in Town, other than Le Mans Crescent and Churchgate, that doesn't? But I agree, that part of Bradshawgate and it's paralell t'other side of the Train Station - the aforementioned 'Gateway to Bolton' are particularly, the blottier of our innumerable blots on the landscape.

Edited July 6, 201213 yr by Youri McAnespie

Internet shopping, supermarkets now selling everything and places like Middlebrook (with their free parking) have killed town centres. Add to that the cost of a pint nowadays (compared to supermarket prices) and the smoking ban has meant pubs, and not just in the town centre, are also struggling.

 

It's Thatcher's fault innit?

 

You should ask someone who works in/knows the construction industry inside out why Bury and Wigan town centres are modern, clean and inviting and Bolton isn't. You may not like the answer though.

 

Now then, do we have anyone with this sort of expertise on here...........................?

Car parking is a contentious issue. It's cheaper to park on the private carpark at the back of St. Pats than it is to park on the council one

And freeat Middlebrook and that estate next to Sainsburys.

Is there anywhere in Town, other than Le Mans Crescent and Churchgate, that doesn't? But I agree, that part of Bradshawgate and it's paralell t'other side of the Train Station - the aforementioned 'Gateway to Bolton' are particularly, the blottier of our innumerable blots on the landscape.

 

Churchgate is a nicer part of town since it was recently done up

You should ask someone who works in/knows the construction industry inside out why Bury and Wigan town centres are modern, clean and inviting and Bolton isn't. You may not like the answer though.

 

Now then, do we have anyone with this sort of expertise on here...........................?

 

Do Bury and Wigan have their own equivalent of a Middlebrook?

Bolton town centre is a desperate shithole, it drastically needs some money spending on it. As mentioned above, with the exception of Le Mans Crescent and Churchgate, it's embarrasing.

 

Sadly though, the "shitness" spreads out from the town centre, from the town centre all the way up Tonge Moor road it's bleak and getting bleaker by the week.

 

It's a shit state of affairs, but I don't see it changing anytime soon

wigan has middlebrook, ffs

 

and bury has the trafford

 

bolton has got what it deserves

 

years and years of mismanagement have led us to where we now are

Bolton town centre is a desperate shithole, it drastically needs some money spending on it. As mentioned above, with the exception of Le Mans Crescent and Churchgate, it's embarrasing.

 

Sadly though, the "shitness" spreads out from the town centre, from the town centre all the way up Tonge Moor road it's bleak and getting bleaker by the week.

 

It's a shit state of affairs, but I don't see it changing anytime soon

 

despite my post above, its not all down to councils and governement

 

the people who live in these shitholes have to take some responsibility

 

fwiw, i reckon tonge moor is 'lost

 

i'd build a wall bradshaw side of the castle

 

 

 

the people who live in these shitholes have to take some responsibility

 

 

They don't need to though. Shitty areas get grants for doing up their fronts, windows etc.

Nice areas don't.

Gets on my fucking nerves when I see shitholes with brand new windows and a towel or blanket up at the window. Animals.

Edited July 6, 201213 yr by no balls

Do Bury and Wigan have their own equivalent of a Middlebrook?

I'm not sure the demise of Bolton town centre can be blamed solely on Middlebrook - it's been going down hill for a lot longer than that has been open. I still don't get what's so good about the Middlebrook either to be honest?!?

You should ask someone who works in/knows the construction industry inside out why Bury and Wigan town centres are modern, clean and inviting and Bolton isn't. You may not like the answer though.

 

Now then, do we have anyone with this sort of expertise on here...........................?

 

Built on an old Indian Burial Ground? Nah, as a layman I'd take a guess that, being in a valley floor type of location (every main road out of town goes 'up') that town is full of culverts and water diverting type of underground shit (I believe that's what they call it in the trade?)

 

I'd also venture this makes knocking stuff down and starting again particularly tricky - how much has been knocked down and left as bombsites/gravel car parks?

Edited July 6, 201213 yr by Youri McAnespie

wigan has middlebrook, ffs

 

and bury has the trafford

 

bolton has got what it deserves

 

years and years of mismanagement have led us to where we now are

 

Bury town centre is approx 15 miles away from the Trafford Centre. You can't do your big shop at the Trafford Centre.

 

Bolton town centre is only 5 miles away from Middlebrook.

 

Comparing Middlebrook and the Trafford Centre is like comparing apeoplees and pears.

 

Fair point on Wigan though. Maybe because it's smaller and their folk are a bit simple they fear going out of town? I dunno.

 

I'm not trying to stick up for the council here, but the town centre has gone to shit because shops are shutting left, right and centre because no fucker goes in them any more. Apart from building more car parks and making them free I can't see what the council can do to change that?

despite my post above, its not all down to councils and governement

 

the people who live in these shitholes have to take some responsibility

 

I 100% agree with you Cassie

 

A lot of Bolton folk have no pride in their own appearance, let alone the town centres, hence nothing will change.

 

I drove past the Blamoral on Wednesday night, it was around 18:00 and it was quite full (fuck knows why) but the 10 or so people stood outside smoking looked like they hadn't washed in a fortnight. - if I was a town planner and saw that set of scutters on the edge of the town centre, I might wonder if it's worth making an effort, as it surely wouldn't be appreciated

I'm not sure the demise of Bolton town centre can be blamed solely on Middlebrook - it's been going down hill for a lot longer than that has been open. I still don't get what's so good about the Middlebrook either to be honest?!?

 

Not saying that's the sole reason. No-one can say it hasn't been a massive factor in the rapid decline of the town centre though. If you ever have the misfortune of being up there on a weekend just look how many cars are up there. If it wasn't there then those people would be spending their money elsewhere. Yes, the town centre's been going downhill for years, but the last few years it's got a whole lot worse a whole lot quicker.

 

Middlebrook has two big fuck off supermarkets, a Subway, a KFC and McDonalds and of course a Burger King. There's also has a lot of major retailers up there. Park the car up (for free) and get everything done all in the one place. Whilst it's certainly not my cup of tea, nor yours, I'd imagine for the majority of families it's ideal.

Edited July 6, 201213 yr by DazBobParr

If you were a town planner and you saw the bollocks that previous town planners had made of the town, you'd fuck it off as a bad job anyway.

 

Anyone recognise the town described here?

 

a thriving destination brimming with great shopping, fresh produce-filled markets, cosmopolitan cafés, award-winning theatres and mouth-watering restaurants.

 

We don't know we're born, obviously.</p>

I drove past the Blamoral on Wednesday night, it was around 18:00 and it was quite full (fuck knows why) but the 10 or so people stood outside smoking looked like they hadn't washed in a fortnight. - if I was a town planner and saw that set of scutters on the edge of the town centre, I might wonder if it's worth making an effort, as it surely wouldn't be appreciated

 

Those scutters have fuck all to do with businesses closing in the town centre. If they weren't in there supping all day, every day then the Balmoral would simply be yet another empty building in the town centre.

Those scutters have fuck all to do with businesses closing in the town centre. If they weren't in there supping all day, every day then the Balmoral would simply be yet another empty building in the town centre.

You say that, but if I was a business looking to open a town centre store (or even a cosmopolitan cafe) and I came for a look around Bolton knowing the rates are probably quite cheap and it's a big town, I would drive past the Blamoral and keep on driving as fast as I could.

 

Those scutters may not be responsible for businesses closing down, but they also won't help entice back any business either. It's a bit of a vicious circle really. Perhaps the town planners have just written it off as a bad job now, it'll be sad it that is the case

Scouse cunts !

Middlebrook is fucking miles from Bolton centre, you can get to the Trafford centre in the same time.

 

Wigan has the Robin Retail Park a mile or so out of town. Wigan Council are running fucking rings round our lot, all the new housing in Atherton has to use Bolton's roads to get anywhere. It's genius!

 

Approaching the town from Manny Road, it's a fucking embarrassment, it used to be just that part of Bradshawgate, as bad as anything I saw in Macedonia or Belgrade. The Merchants Quarter is fucking laughable, whilst the centre of town was crumbling why were focusing on the red light district.

 

Bolton Council are cuntshovellers, everything has moved to the other side of town from me, pandering to the One Bolton agenda.

 

Still, at least they are on top of the parking problem with a spazchariot taking photos of any fucker who might have any money, hounding them out of town, leaving the tramps and peasants to it. Should be like Spinningfields with discrete security guards stopping poor people from entering.

 

The last USP we had was the Market Hall, of course they'll tell you that wasn't their fault. Vote the fuckers out...

It's a damn shame what's happened to my home town. Like you say you can't blame the economy on everything.

I admit we can't compete with the Trafford centre but we should try and offer something different. As we are on the edge of the Lancashire countryside we should be encouraging farm shops, craft stores, boutique type shops to attract the rich urbanites from Manchester and around.

By just filling the town with pound shops and cheap drinking holes to cater for the sponging classes is a business strategy doomed to fail.