BOARDED UP SCARBOROUGH (death of our high street)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ส.ค. 2023
- Nestled along the captivating North East Coast of England, lies the renowned holiday haven of Scarborough. Drawing millions of eager visitors annually with its alluring attractions, this charming town holds a clandestine tale of struggle. Beyond the façade of jubilant tourists, Scarborough conceals a somber reality within its core - a once-thriving town center now marred by years of neglect. What was once a bustling high street now stands as a poignant emblem of urban decline, surpassing its peers with an unsettling number of boarded-up storefronts.
Our exploration delves into the shadowed underbelly of this coastal gem. How did a town that once flourished find itself ensnared in this lamentable state? Is it the weighty burden of escalating business rates, the relentless grip of the energy crisis, the quagmire of indecision within the council's chambers, or the relentless surge of online retail that drove this transformation? Could the proximity of a colossal superstore, erected on the town's doorstep, have dealt the final blow, leaving naught but a handful of charitable outlets and bookmakers in its wake?
With a solemn disposition, we embark on a journey to unearth the hidden truths behind Scarborough's forsaken town center. Join us as we shed light on the multifaceted forces that conspired to dim the once-glorious heart of this coastal haven.
#abandoned #scarborough #urban #deathofthehighstreet #highstreet #dying #town #explore #centre #derelict #shops #urbex
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POINT OF NO RETURN
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We recognize the significant impact of high business rates in the UK, which are among the highest in Europe. However, our curiosity extends beyond borders. We're reaching out to individuals from Europe, America, Australia, and around the world to share their experiences. As proud 'Northerners,' our perspective is limited to our region, and we're eager to learn if high streets everywhere are facing a similar fate to ours here in Scarborough.
Despite the geographic divide, we've witnessed numerous towns and cities in the North grappling with the same challenges that have befallen Scarborough's town center. Could this issue be more than just a North/South disparity? We're genuinely interested in gathering insights from a global community to foster a robust discussion on this matter.
This video marks the beginning of a larger exploration. We invite everyone to join this conversation, share their thoughts, and contribute to a collective understanding of the forces affecting high streets worldwide. Together, let's embark on this journey of discovery.
I live in a small fishing village, the birth place of Victoria. We only have a couple of empty shops. Because we’re a tourist destination. Our local council encourage Pop up shops in these empty premises with Free Rent. Geelong is thriving as is City of Melbourne. This is after COVID, Victoria being in lockdown longer than anywhere else in the World 🌎. Absolutely nothing like the U.K.
Your local councilors and Local MP’s must walk around with their eyes 👀 closed. It’s diabolical how this has been allowed to happen. I’m speechless 😶🐨🐨🦘
When Orwell wrote 1984 he to the view of a take over by a controlling government, some people fail to realise whats happening due to the inability to see the connection. Government only lasts 4 years 8 at best and there easy to buy. It's not government take over of the people it's corporations take over of the government.
Britain's being shut down and the population to be reduced to 18 million, it's a business/farm after all, got to balance the books!
Own nothing and be happy. The globalist want us to buy, rent, and work for corporations. End of. The economy doesn't matter to them for they will own everything anyway.
Our politicians are failing us. We are heading for an authoritarian regime and all the rights freedoms ang liberties that previous generations have fought and died for are being removed for nothing.. It's sad to see the end of democracy. The globalists are using Climate change, the alphabet brigade, the woke brigade, 'public health' , and now economic devastation to achieve their 'utopia' they will have us all locked up in our 15 min zones with our digital ID's and central bank digital currency. We will be dependent on 'them' for everything....we will be basically slaves.
Even in the South the average towns high st every other shop space is a charity shop,chain shop or is closed.
Well Done the Northern Red Wall Tory Voters.If there is nowhere to shop at places like Scarborough then go for a swim in sewerage infested North Sea.Sad Septic Isle,well done the Tories !!!!
This could be any town in the uk
True that William, such a shame! thank you for your comment, have a great week 👍
It will every town in the U.K. if things don’t change.
This is simply not true, to say it could be “any town in the uk” is a massive fabrication 😂
@@jordan3522The statement is generally true
@@jordan3522how so?
Most Towns across the Country are closing shops at an alarming rate. Let me guess…you live in a City.
I grew up in Scarborough, my mum owned a hotel and I have great memories living there and visiting the centre all the time. I moved half way across the world in 2003 and for many reasons I only managed to return in 2017. I’ve been going every year since to visit and it’s just getting worse and worse, it breaks my heart. Even the quality of the people I see in the street seems to be changing. I don’t think I’ll be visiting for some time as I always go away with a strange feeling of nostalgia and sadness.
I don’t know what the council are playing at but they should be ashamed of themselves. They keep tearing places down that people loved, and they’re making it impossible for businesses to stay open…
Great video mate, thank you.
really sorry Dan, i can understand how hard it must be for you to return when you see such changes. i have the same feelings about the hometown i left. i came to Scarborough twenty years ago and have seen a lot of changes in that time, ive embraced it for what it and as residents we have to take these changes on the chin. it will change a lot, again in the next 6 years. it will be interesting to see how things progress. if the Council (now North Yorkshire County Council) can make good their plans with the Brunswick redevelopment then that at least will be progress. Will it affect wider change?
Incompetent people in the council's. That are never accountable.
This made me weep, im from Scotland and have family in Scarborough. used to spend my whole summer holidays in the town so much of it is now gone
Yeah the town centre is a real embarrassment. if you stick to the sea front and the outskirts it is still a real delight thankfully.
First went to Scarborough in 1991 it was a really neat and clean town . Last time I went was about 2018 , the difference was pretty astounding.
It’s such a shame when you feel a difference like that! thanks for your comment Michael 👍
Whole country falling to bits, nothing works.
it certainly feels like that sometimes. lets not get started on our roads or the failing railways.
It's not just Scarborough, it's the same nationwide. Here in the north west of England, the once proud Stoke-On-Trent (famous for pottery) and Crewe (famous for trains) are now ghost towns. At 62, I can remember when these places were vibrant towns with a diverse range of shops, markets, pubs, nightclubs, parks etc. Now it's Halal meat markets, Polski Sklep's, betting shops, charity shops and (like Scarborough) many boarded-up buildings. If you go further in this 'adventure', you'll see back alleys full of discarded beds, settees, fridges, carrier bags, dog shit, food, drug paraphernalia, broken bottles/beer glasses, used baby-wipes, bicycles, car tyres and so on. Majestic, Victorian-era buildings which were once centres of commerce lie desolate as pigeon aviaries with broken windows and shuttered doors. For whatever reason, this is not the England I grew up in. I weep for what my country has become. :(
Sadly i have ventured further, maybe i should have shown it. behind the shops are piles of discarded rubbish, nappies, drug paraphernalia and a disturbing lack of anyone cleaning up the town centre or patrolling it.
remember when pubs and nightclubs were open and the streets would be full of litter and bottles in the middle of the night but then a team of cleaners would get the streets clean for the shops to open?
as soon as the shops were open you would have PCSOs walking the streets chatting and engaging with people and everywhere was busy and bustling from 9AM to 4AM?
Stoke isn't the North West it's the Midlands, you'd know that if you actually lived their and didn't judge your experiences of another video
In Glasgow, there is a Romanian supermarket, and you’ll see them congregating around street corners, begging and being a nuisance. Some of them are banned from entering charity shops.
@@llanieliowe794 It's not a geography lesson. I live in Sandbach (J17 M6) and spent most of my formative years going to S-O-T for the shopping and the nightlife. I enjoyed it very much and the 'clay-heads' were all lovely people. I miss the place, and The Place, (as it then was) very much.
Love the opening here, it’s catchy and brilliantly executed! It’s really sad to see so many small businesses are closed. This is tv quality content guys! 👏👏
thank you so much Ervin, the UK is in dire straights at the moment with most Cities and Towns having failing high streets. there are a few success stories but they are few and far between.
If people stop going to shops and do all their shopping online, shops close down. I keep saying this to people I know, who can't understand why their high street (this isn't in Scarborough) is full of closed shops - they blame business rates, or the cost of parking in the town centre - yet they get everything from Amazon themselves.
this is very true William, covid sped up our reliance on Amazon and when it was safe to go out again we mostly chose not to.
Bored, i had a drive up to Scarborough a few weeks ago and was shocked to see just how quiet and semi-abandoned it had become. Once heaving pubs simply closed during the holiday season. Unthinkable even 10 years ago.
so sad we had a great pub and club culture until 2014 when it was systematically being closed down. of your a family looking for tourist attractions look no further. if you live here or want a good night out this is not the place..
Increasing council rates, electricity and gas hikes, on-line shopping, cheap Chinese imports and greedy landlords all responsible for the death of small business
Absolutely nailed it.
Southern Germany here: one shopping mall is "dying" but will be turned into flats/apartments in my medium sized city.
The main shopping area has NO closed shops. Thanks to the city council's policies and the fact that we boast the tallest gothic church tower in the world apart from being Albert Einstein's birthplace we have a thriving industry , a university and tourism.
Covid, internet shopping and the inflation has hit us as well but not to such an extent it does/ did in the UK. To see English towns "dying" like that is heart-breaking for an Anglophile teacher of English like me !
sorry i had to have a google. Ulm looks absolutely marvellous, now that is a place that has embraced the changes and challenges facing the high street. this is the very model that our struggling towns and cities need to look towards. we need to embrace our past and make our history pop all the while making the surrounding areas interesting with places that attract visitors to walk the streets and visit the shops. even partnering with Coventry University in 2015 and opening a lovely campus has not saved our town centre.
@@GENerationXplorers Well done :). You found my town. And true. People must have a reason to want to visit a place.
Take care, stay safe and I enjoyed the Steam Punk vid :) !
Rates and no parking in the street councils have closed every town center in UK
it seems to be going to someones plan..
Scarborough has changed! Moved here 20yrs ago and a enjoyable, typical seaside town. Gradually got shabbier and shabbier. I know from experience that high rates and inflexibility have screwed over loads of small businesses. Lots of single minded councillors with self interest in making Debenhams into a cinema, that'll fit in well with our well oiled traffic light system...JOKE. If ever a revolution against local, central government was to happen... Scarborough should be the place it develops. People, we have the voice to stop these egocentric monsters. Peace✊
yeah we moved here twenty years ago too, there wasn’t a single shut shop, the pedestrianised walkway was full of flower beds and hanging baskets, police officers and PCSOs used to patrol the streets but all they were ever needed for was to give directions to tourists. i dread having to get from one side of Scarborough to the other, as crossing the town centre will add twenty to forty minutes into any journey thanks to those amazing traffic lights! i knew we had a few shut shops but the sheer scale flawed us. No doubt Debenhams Cinema will end up under the same rug the Atlantis Cinema, the Casino Car Park Cinema and the old Argos block Cinema are under. but like the nice mock pictures we had at Atlantis Cinema site for a few years we now have some new shiny mock photos to look at. when they take them down it will still be an empty Debenhams. i love your argument about Local and Central Government, Business Rates should be decided locally to with a degree of flexibility that suits each towns needs..
You’re stuck in the car mindset, like most people here. We dont need more cars and car parks in Scarborough centre. We need working, cheap public transport. Cars ruin this town.
time to start fighting back, boycott amazon and the big supermarkets
@@jonnydoeson5562 who's going to need public transport....there are no shops to visit. It'll be just the same corporates in your LTN as my LTN. We will all be assimilated, resistance is futile. Lol
@@ericolthwaite8923 people like you love buying into the own nothing be happy shtick because it means you don’t have to do anything. You can just give up and sit on your arse, whereas before you had no excuse for not getting involved and improving your town. Sad.
The decline is a result of our changing behaviour. If we all shopped locally in small shops they would survive, but we don’t. The majority of people shop online or in large supermarkets and this is the consequence. It is not the governments or the councils fault it is us. These building are not needed so they need to be knocked down and replaced with housing that is needed. The business rates are high because we vote to keep the domestic rates and the tax rates low. Councils are struggling with an ageing population who need subsidise care. We get the government and councils we vote for. We get the town centres we are willing to support. If you want a different country vote for it! Our country is very divided. There are some poor pensioners but there are a lot who quietly go from holiday to holiday, regularly buy new cars and eat out most weeks. Who is thriving - visit a rural cafe / restaurant at lunchtime - they are packed. I am a cyclist and we regularly stop for lunch and often struggle to get a table.
Some great points there Philip and your right we all have a hand to blame in this. Ive been determined to shop locally for quite some time now, its not an easy endeavour, especially having to clamber over all my neighbours e-commerce parcels to get out my front door! We need a better taxation system for the longer living old, they are not all the same. Some get “just by” whilst others are living there very best life, there should be brackets of taxation and benefits there..
Ask any shop owner and they will tell you it's down to (in order):
- sky high business rates and rents
- sky high energy costs
- a cost of living crisis that discourages people from going to town centers due to parking and fuel costs
- sky high stocking and logistics costs, particularly for European produce (I wonder why...)
- the pandemic lock downs devastated the supply chain (HGV drivers went back to Europe, barely-profitable distributers decided to exit the market etc)
- no-one wanting to take over the business when they retire (and who would want to?)
Footfall is about the same. Most people still prefer to shop in physical stores, particularly for non tech and non-luxury items. This is not solely down to the internet or Amazon. You can see this yourself in any Primark or Home Bargains which are always rammed.
The high street has also been struggling since the supermarkets and out-of-town shopping centers appeared, back in the 1980s, decades before Amazon.
Me and my wife discovered scarbourgh around 4 years ago, we love it, we have been at least 12 times in that time, I haven't noticed the downturn in the shops, thanks for showing us this, we as always will always have scarbourgh in our hearts
ah keep it Dave, its still in mine. Amazing place, we love it and to be fair whilst the council bicker and refuse to do anything in the town centre for us locals they will happily throw £80K for a new statue to go on the prom. nowhere better! as long as you don’t need to rely on the high street..
The only new business to come to scarborough’ immigrants the last time I was there I saw three bus loads arrive! I holiday there year after year but it’s changed from my first visit some twenty years ago!
Sadly it has John, i moved here twenty years ago and the high street was a bustling success story, unlike the town i moved away from. in the last few months we have seen more shops close than at any other time in history.
don’t get me wrong its still a marvellous place to visit and the attractions are all busier then ever!
Absolutely devastating, and heart breaking watching this video of my home town. But, thank you so much for making it and showing people just how things are getting.
yes im sorry Kristina. it really wasn’t my intention to show our beautiful town in this light. i was hoping to address all the boarded up towns and cities by showing that ours had some glimmer of hope. whilst the town centre has been steadily declining over a few years i feel just these last few months have been the nail in the coffin. whilst some (not many) defend our Council i hold them almost entirely to blame. the amount of great plans and designs that have crossed their desks in the last twenty + years would have been a huge draw to keep locals on the high street and attract the tourists that avoid it like the plague. i fear now that even if they magically solved the Brunswick problem and the former argos block that it would be too little to late. thankfully all the millions of tourists that flock to Scarborough and rightfully enjoy everything on offer are blissfully unaware of how little our Council thinks of us locals.
I agree 100% with you this Council has done nothing to encourage local business to thrive, they should lower rates, and provide more facilities. Not get rid of all the things that people love about the Town. I will always love it, but know that we are not a wonderful destination any more. Keep on banging your drum.@@GENerationXplorers
96 WILKO sad we will miss them we love Scarborough greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Thank you Ian, i have filmed a huge segment with them for the next part. They have been treated abhorrently throughout this process..
Margate and Ramsgate in Kent used to be the same but the yuppies and Hipsters moved in and know all you seem to have is overpriced Coffee shops , Mindfullness and Yoga studios , And so called art galleries with stuff that my 2 yr old grandson could have put in them , And its a shame that seaside towns like Scarborough have gone into decline and the councils are all the same saying " There"s not enough money ........... But they find the cash vanity projects to make themselves feel better . Great Vid mate .
thats very true Micky and will practically lead into the opening statement of the follow up to this. the seaside towns that have gone to decline have been the ones that threw their money at vanity projects on the sea front to show off to more tourists whilst the heart and soul of the centre dies. as we chat they are erecting an £80,000 silver piece of seaweed on the seafront that they have already calculated will cost the same over the next ten years to prevent from rotting. at the same time? more of our shops are shutting..
£80 ,000 on a seaweed sculpture ????. makes you despair really .
58L, Such a beautiful sharing. Have a blessed day ❤
Thank you! You too! 👍
Shocking! We used to have a few days' break in Scarborough 2014 to 2018. I can't believe the empty shop. I remember Beatties model shop closing. I hope the cafe on the corner is still open!
Ah Beatties, i remember them. Arrow models still exists i have since found out, but online. i think the train model shop is still on Eastborough, i will check today. the corner cafe, i loved that place growing up. if its the one on the North Bay it has been replaced by the Sands Development. that area is doing really well despite a vast empty space for 15 years that was supposed to be a cinema. it will join the other three places Scarborough has tried to develop a cinema and failed in that time..
@GENerationXplorers the cafe on the corner, it was a stop for breakfast whI think was opposite St Helens newsagents (yellow shop). I think I went in for a newspaper whilst in the cafe!
@fill7t1 ah i know the one, sadly both closed.
If you think this is bad, I’ve just been to Blackpool, I will never go there again.
i moved from there twenty years ago to escape what Scarborough has now become. it was boarded up and flattened to the ground then. i would hope that some improvements have been made in that time.
they have a railway station”gateway” hub that is more attractive than when i left. we could do with at least that in Scarborough!
What a wonderful journey Nick & Jill...watching every details
Thanks so much Juliana 👍❤️
You're both such a kind and compassionate souls.
Thank you Anna 🥰
Flats and luxury apartments spring to mind for most of 5hese spaces
that should be the preferred option!
Mostly due to excessive rates. Now the councils get 100% of nothing.
Very true, thanks for your comment 👍
Excellent video highlighting an important issue. It's something that is affecting numerous towns in the UK from what I've seen and read. From a visitor to the UK, here's my perception of the issue, first is the lack of free parking. Parking fees are incredibly high! It's obviously a revenue raiser for local councils but free parking is something that will bring people into the town centres, otherwise people just go to industrial park shopping centres.
Private landlords that seem to lack some business sense. I have friends who are landlords who rent out shops that 25 years ago were in a low socioeconomic area and their building was 'on the wrong end' of the high street. They have 5 little shops in their building which have constantly been tenanted, different tenants over the years, the shops have only ever been empty for short periods of time as they preferred to charge lower rent and have the shops occupied than having empty shops. Landlords can be greedy but if the rent they charge is so high no-one wants to rent your premises then your rental income is zero! That's not good business practice. (Or does the UK government allow a tax writeoff if landlords loose money?)
Australian rural towns tend to have a strong community focus, (lots of working together and putting back into the community) and that's created initiatives such as the Silo Art Trail. Whereby small communities in rural areas off the tourist track apply for a grant and then work with an artist to paint huge murals on the town silos (towns in non grain growing areas get their water tanks painted). That initiative brings people into the town and at least into the pubs and cafes as they stop for a short while.The biggest problem in Australian rural towns (away from the coastal big cities) isn't the death of the High Street but rather young people leaving for jobs in the city and the reluctance of city people (teachers, doctors, nurses) to move to rural towns.
This next one may be a bit(?!) contentious depending on people's stance on Brexit. EU money used to come into the UK and went to projects in low socioeconomic areas, former mining communities comes to mind. That money is no longer around and nothing has replaced it. I've seen how EU money has completely regenerated a very rundown city in Italy, the local council then were able to put programs into place that gave building owners a discount on the property tax if they renovated the facades of their buildings. Over the past 25 years the city has been transformed, it takes a long time for cities to slide down into rundown and not so nice, to 'Wow, great place!'
Hi there, wow this is exactly the kind of comment we were after doing this kind of video! It’s been so interesting hearing from people all round the world and what is happening in their local area but you have gone that step further and told us of your experiences through travel! You are so right in all you say and have made some very good points! Loved your silo trail videos in the past, think this is a fabulous idea! Have a great week ahead and thanks again! ❤️
The same has happened to the railway town of Crewe they have knocked down our town center and the first thing they are building back is a multi storey car park we already have to many car parks who wants to pay for 2 hrs parking when there are only enough shops to do half an hours shopping in the town center. we have Tesco, Asda and Morrisons and a small retail park 15 mins walk from town. all the main shops that were down the west end are now flats along with the terraced houses along west street.
the council have spent the money buying up land ready for the west coast line expansion and squandered what should have been the regeneration of the town center on other towns as the head offices are in sandbach.
keep up the good work.
thank you Clive, so the car park is to facilitate people getting out of Crewe on the West Coast Line expansion? sounds like a complete redevelopment of what was once a town.
Whilst agreeing with everything you say,for balance I would like to say that in my humble opinion Scarboro is the most beautiful town in England,the people very friendly and down to earth and the surrounding countryside and villages are among the most stunning in the country.
thank you Henry id 100% agree. im going about my business at the moment working here and managing to avoid the town centre on my day to day. even now out of season its packed. the sun is shining the sea is blue, the orchestra is playing outdoors at the spa and everyone is smiling. absolutely perfect. i could do several routes around scarborough that never include the town centre and feel like i was in heaven on earth!
Nail bars seem to be booming! How ?
and the vape shops! turkish barbers very popular too..
Marvelously envisioned and put together friends! Great work 😼🐶🐶🤡
You are so kind greg thank you 👍❤️
Like 83 👍
Greetings from Naples, Florida. Wow, so sad to see all the closed shops and stores. Great video. Thanks so much for sharing, have a great weekend. 💯
Thanks for visiting, it is sad but happening in a lot of places have a great day ❤️
Scarborough council are directly responsible for half of the shops closing with their shady dealings that never came to be. After there partners being as shady as them!! FACT
yes there dealings with Benchmark Leisure need much more scrutiny..
When politicians thought it was sensible to move all stores to out of town shopping areas what did they expect?
whoever passed those planning applications..
Like 160. Congratulations on viral video. Watching now again 😊
Thank you 🤗
This country is dying before our very eyes
Sad but you are probably right! thank you for your comment 👍
I blame the town and city councils for all this destruction. Common Purpose has infiltrated all of them.
there does seem to be a WEF agenda running through them all.
Totally agree with the wife ,one best videos seen this year phil
Orr thanks Phil, it’s sad the decline with ever changing times but it is what it is! Hope you are doing well have a lovely weekend ❤️
Yes agreed
Fantastic video guys x so great to highlight exactly what is happening, not just in Scarborough but all over the UK! Small independent businesses just cannot afford the rising rates and even popular high street brands 🙈 soon it will only be a handful of big retail giants, charity shops and fast food chains left!! Well done for such an interesting and informative look into scarborough xx
Thanks Kerry it’s been really interesting receiving comments from people about the closed shops we covered and also hearing how people all around the world are too affected! Real learning curve! Hope you have had a nice weekend! Loving your monte blanc series 👍❤️
Hi Nick and Jill, this was a fantastic video but also so sad. I couldn’t believe it when you said 95 closures. Lots of research there. Brilliant, take care x julie and Tony x
thank you so much guys. i actually only covered one square block, probably less than one miles walk. if i had started dipping off onto other streets or going further along the high street I could have found way more. in fairness i think i could confidently say more shut than open. hope your having an awesome weekend xx
So true (almost) its so sad to see the high street as it is now. Just want to point out I own cafe no 82, I've not closed down, due to rising costs I've had to get a Monday to Friday job however the cafe is open weekends for lovely fresh cooked food so come on down!!!
oh wow, sorry Janet, this is just the start of the conversation I’m so glad that you are still open and so saddened that you have to take on a second job because of rising costs. your cafe was the first place we would visit and take our friends and family to when we moved here almost twenty years ago. I’m very pleased your still open and will make the effort to visit on the weekend. we will revisit and we will make certain everyone knows your still open. whilst the lovely newsagent is long gone from the corner we have seen the gold shop open on occasion. hopefully all is not lost ❤️
Thank you for your comment I'm hanging on in there and hoping next year I'll be able to return full time
@@janetpatterson3076 i really hope so too Janet. You have a lovely shop. We will return, and there must be better times ahead ♥️
Liverpool is the same, sad to see Scarborough like this one of my favourite places 😢
liverpool is the same? you have to be kidding Marie, i honestly thought that place would survive anything, its become such an amazing cultural centre spot!
@@GENerationXplorers high streets and a lot of city centre stores have closed. The city centre totally caters for tourists and students..the poorer areas have been left and are in terrible decline.
@@marieyenson9929 oh im sorry to hear that, used to work in and live near Liverpool, for me in my early adult years it was the most affluent place i could ever imagine. So tragic to see such historic places failing after all they have been through in the years..
@@GENerationXplorers the city planners also knocked some beautiful old buildings down for the new shopping areas in town centre. Now a lot of those new shops are empty..one old lady said "they did more damage in that council than the Luftwaffe"
@marieyenson9929 i love that, “more damage than the Luftwaffe”. Yes i remember some of the old buildings, particularly fond of the old Rowntrees building, it had such character.
Fantastic video your best so far great info hard hitting and we just managed to see jill in the shop window reflection filming you lol.this one was a real change of direction and worked for you and its great you can mix adventure comedy and hard hitting stuff in to your videos have a great weekendx
thank you Simon, yes Jill did a magnificent job on this one from tirelessly helping with research, fact checking and doing a great job filming, a lot of segments had to filmed very quickly inbetween loud copyrighted music being played or people passing. at some point we would like to cover the success of the high street and that will just be Jill in front of the camera. it was hoped that we would film somewhere else that is surviving the changes and add that to the end of this video. the final blow to Wilcos not getting a buy out on Thursday meant we had to scupper that idea and get what we had out quickly. it would be lovely to think that we could be taken seriously once in a while to cover things that we are passionate about. we have a few ideas up our sleeves but it will depend on the numbers/reaction to this one.. its already started a great conversation and we are hearing from people all over that are having the same problem we are! have an awesome weekend!
Fabulous video, a stark reminder to the high streets and how they have fallen into decline. Great research, we love all that you've crammed in. Great video, always insightful Nick, you wonderful human being! p.s Love you Jill! hehe xx
ah thank you so much Alessa. we will be back twirling and swooping and doing bridge twirls, we are actually secretly filming and editing one of those type videos every two weeks. they seem very easy to do in comparison, like having a real day off! if this potential series takes off, Jill will take the helm and do the success stories of the high street. this video was meant to have a happy ending with jill prancing around whitby or pickering where the shops are booming but the final nail in wilcos coffin yesterday as buy out talks failed meant we had to bump this video without its planned happy ending.. xx
I worked on a construction project in Scarborough for 9 months many, many years ago now, went to the Market Hall every day for my lunch, a fabulous place...There used to be a brilliant butcher/fishmonger on the back wall run by a husband & wife (Ken was the butcher husband's name) a fabulous & friendly couple, & it was their friendliness & great foods that made me go back daily for something to eat...That personal touch goes a long way...
yeah they are still there Ben, the Market Hall is a haven that the Council needs to develop the town centre around. leave the top end until it could maybe be rebuilt from the ground up. the bones of the new high street should surround the market.
Charity shops have absolutely destroyed high streets traditional shops. Along with online shopping. They only compete with each other
when a few charity shops open in a nice area.. its time to get the heck out and dodge.
Well they need lots of charity shops to help the immigrants that are flooding the country. Ireland is now flooded with blacks and indians as our government continues to support this marxist plan to destroy the nations. They want a world without borders, people from every nation all living together in perfect harmony. They're forcing it on us, and they're also using lies and manipulation to destroy all sovereign nations under God. They've infiltrated all the county counsils now as they strive to create these babylon prison cities where everyone is tracked and monitored 24/7.
Check out Oxford whcih will be trilled in 2024 the first 15 minute city in England.
Were to start on this my 🐇,This was one best video i have seen this year.Over 2 years ago i noticed town's and shops changing ,hence my virtual tours.To me its the rise of the supermarkets,Covid,and Putin that have made so many shops close.I think the 2 years of people staying in,has killed Alot pubs.There was alot of passion in this lovely video,and wallington in surrey used to be a small village,soon as the church was razed and a massive supermarket put in its place,now its a dump.Sadly bunnies,things are only going to get worse and worse,that why i have locked alot shops in time as most are gone or going.This should do bloody amazing,one best video's seen this year.big hug debs xx 👯 💎🫖🐇
thanks so much Debs, this is a project we have wanted to get off the ground for so long. i think it was Wilcos going into administration that was the final kick up our back sides to put it to the top of our list. sadly we moved away from a town that looked just like this twenty years ago and came to Scarborough because it was so vibrant and the high street was a joy to walk around. whilst i love living on the outskirts of Scarborough our town centre like most peoples have become an embarrassment. i was saddened and angry to venture in and see first hand just how bad it has gotten. i hasten to add that the 95 closed shops are just in ONE BLOCK. i could go off in any direction and find the same number again. i never thought it was that bad and hopefully it comes across. hopefully decisive central and local policy can help all our struggling cities and town centres before it really is too late 💎 xx
@@GENerationXplorers yes,and sadly its just going to get worse,i cry when i go around london,its that bad there now. debs xx
@@debsmostexcellentadventure5353 really? Gosh. I used to regularly frequent London in the latter 80s and worked there in the late 90s, everything was open. I saw a lot of the criminal gangs operating more boldly than ever before by the 00s and the last time we went in the mid 2010s we didn’t feel very safe and vowed not to go again unless it was absolutely necessary xx
@@GENerationXplorers theres a video of me in albania,and i had 2 black eyes after being mugged in london,i kicked him in the family jewels. debs xx its the video of me with a gun.
@@debsmostexcellentadventure5353 jeez Debs need to see that one well done in kicking him in the right place 👍
All by design
im seeing the logic! 👍
Supermarkets have killed towns. I'm about 70miles from Scarborough in a town called brighouse, small town but it's got 3 supermarkets with in a stones throw if each other, our towns independent shops have gone and been replaced by charity shops and we've got at least 10 or more hairdressers or these new Turkish barbers that keep popping up. I've always enjoyed visiting Scarborough and Filey, my sons loved it when they were young in early 2000s.
just had a look at Brighouse, it seems to be a very charming place. Sorry to hear about your independent shops. once those Charity shops get in who can ever get them out? the turkish barbers require further investigation. the national press has claimed a lot are possible fronts for money laundering. Scarborough and Filey still worth visiting although Filey is mostly back to back charity shops now. but a walk down the seafront at either place and any visitor or local can remain harmoniously unconcerned about the plight of the high street.
Its not just supermarkets, the biggest cause of shops closing is the development of Amazon and internet shopping
@MrGraemeb2022 Amazon is definitely getting away with murdering our high street. Not a penny in corporation tax have they spent whilst they benefit from a scheme introduced by Rishi Sunak that allows them to continue to invest in the infrastructure and robotics that makes them unchallenged.
@@MrGraemeb2022 the 3 supermarkets had started to finish our town off before amazon had gotten a hold. The daft thing is our average population is around 33,000 so no need for 3 supermarkets imo. Also less than 2 mile away as you cross into fixby Huddersfield there's a big Asda, a mile further on tgeres tesco and then say another mile after that there's a bulig sainsburys. Then as you go through Huddersfield there's a further 2 aldis, a lidl, a M&S and a really big Morrisons plus a few tesco and sainsburys express. All those with in a 30 minute drive. It's like planning aren't bothered about competition. Going back to our small town a domino's pizza got a spot on main street in shop that had closed and within 2yrs papa John's got the big shop across the road, so these 2 franchise shops impacted the independent pizza shop that had been there since early 80s
@trigpoint1936 where on earth is that? Will have to google
my god! i used to live in scarby back in the 2010s and even though the decline had started it was still a very vibrant place. to see how far its been decimated is just sad to see!
2010s were a hint you could ignore. 2014 was a shocking change. but ive never seen anything like this year. really, really frightening..
Beautiful video ❤
Thanks for wonderful sharing ❤❤❤
Thank you very much! 👍
All by design ........ it's happening to most UK towns and cities.
more and more people are saying it and you know what its making sense..
I have travelled the entire mainland UK for work over the last decade, mainly city and town centres and watched the massive decline of them.
Shops have been effectively put out of business by ridiculous pedestrianisation or sky high parking prices if indeed you can actually find one near or on any High Street.
Of course this suits superstores and the likes of Amazon but kills communities and small enterprises. Policies and sky high rents and business rates have killed town centres and I'm sure it isn't by accident.
Anyone would think the government and councils have an agenda to stop people gathering and being cohesive communities.
it is looking like there is a definite agenda at play here without any manifesto being made known. Superstores and Amazon are making a killing and the Corporation Tax that should be benefiting our Government Amazon manages to skirt out of paying by investing even heavier into its own infrastructure making it an even bigger player than it already is.
Mate, dont even start me on pedestrianisation! As a retailer with around 40 years experience I have been against the scale of pedestrianisation since day one. Some areas definitely benefit from it but only on a small scale. Most towns were set on the path of self-destruction because of it.
If you vote labour or Conservative councils in Scarborough you get the same result.The people of the town are not listened too or consulted on important matters.
yeah sadly it doesnt seem to matter who you vote for. a hung council like ours i believe is the biggest problem. ive noticed Brid has had a Conservative majority for ages and yet at first glance their high street is slipping too. i will be looking into it..
If people vote for any of those parties in the next general elections I'm afraid it will be too late for Britain.
Tbf business rates are set nationally so there is a limited amount councils can do. That I truly believe is what is killing a lot of the high street (tbf some of it is due to the internet and it is inevitable) but it makes it worse. I can’t think of any council who really works well, maybe a few in wealthy areas make the most out of them.
@xcf5587 yeah it does seem to be a class divide that makes some towns and cities survive where others fail. Certainly no better with one council leadership or the other but one without a clear majority like Scarborough just procrastinate and disagree on everything. Ive recently been to Middlesbrough (clear labour majority) and they are embracing change and the storm and Bridlington (clear Conservative majority) and they seem to be weathering the storm..
It’s good to see all the closed shops keeping each other company.
and its in good company because over on this side.. 😂
This was incredible sharing. The information, back story, and roaming around to show us around. Quite a sad story though, it’s unfortunate for the shops not being able to keep up with cost pressures. Massive change throughout the times.
Couldn't agree more Kieth and it’s been great hearing how other people have been affected! Have a great week ahead 👍❤️
Same in my town, about a 3rd of shops are empty the rest are charity shops, bookies, coffee shops and estate agents.
charity shops look like empty shops to me, its sad to see.
Shame we don't see this on GBNews. Might wake people up.
thank you Christopher. its sad to see many high streets facing a similar threat. and yet there will be people living in areas where there high streets are a success probably oblivious to this.
My wife and I visited Scarborough last year (2022) and Weston-Super-Mare in 2023. The boarded up shops are common across most of UK, and attributable to the issues below:
+ On-line everything
+ Pandemic
+ Out of town superstores
+ Business rates
+ Energy costs
This is not an inclusive list, but probably the top 5 reasons. People want their grand shops to stay open, but don't want to pay their grand shop prices.
Shoplifting get worse as well
Car parking in England is horrendous luckily last time I was in Scarborough my hotel had parking
Not being able to park nearby is a majotr factor.
And parking. its these energy costs that seem to have been the final blow for a lot of places.
that was lucky! town centre parking is not cheap!
Since I lost my eyesight, Nell feels like I’m living in the twilight zone
So sorry about your eyesight but you still clearly understand the struggles our high street is under! thank you for your great comment and support! have a great week 👍
Our empty shops just become turkish barbers and vape shops
trust me, ive been out today trying to start to film a follow up. the appearance of turkish barbers and the death of most of our towns and cities high streets is incredibly concerning. whilst i would never want to point a finger at any single factor thanks to all your comments ive been alerted to this factor. ive just filmed a segment in a similar town to Scarborough. many closed shops and yet popping up everywhere.. turkish barbers. the main press is claiming that these are money laundering fronts. i will be watching the footfall into these properties with great interest..
@@GENerationXplorers it was a great video you did on scarborough, unfortunately we can all relate to it north and south of the country
Same as Gateshead, it's heartbreaking.
Sorry to hear that Suzie and yet at the same time it is tantalisingly close for a follow up segment. thank you for letting me know..
The Tories said they would transform the face of Britain- and they have. Don’t get me wrong, Labour would be every bit as bad now. The country has gone down the toilet.
thats a superb comment and one I wholeheartedly agree with, it was doom either way.
Very true, on most of these vids it’s just Tory dissing. Tbh I very much doubt Labour will reduce business rates, what the high street truly needs. Why do that when you can eek out more money from everything to spend on no one knows what.
@xcf5587 that a very good point. Im honestly not in favour of either party anymore. Went through the rebellious Labour phase as a student and backed Conservative during my working life as it seemed to closely fit my needs. Now i just hope for any majority as coalitions or tiny majorities are destroying this Country.
Awesome and fantastic.. Super amazing and fabulous places and information.. Wonderful presentation.. Just superb performance👍👍 🌸
So nice of you, thank you for watching and commenting 👍❤️
Same everywhere dreadful it was a lovely place 10 to 15 years ago loved it sad
Maybe even two years ago Dorothy. The decline in the last few months is beyond anything i could ever imagine, far worse today than this video shows, thats the acceleration of the decline..
So utterly depressing. Sunak and his clowns should come and walk around here and talk to people.
exactly, whatever happened to the plan to move Parliament to the North of the Country?
I went to Scarborough as a child. It was beautiful.
its still beautiful thankfully but the town centre is shameful. very sad.
There is nothing that small business can do in the face of overwhelmingly poor local and national government. The path we are going down is well-trodden - Argentina for example was once just about the richest country on earth. A key problem seems to be that people in government simply have no idea where their own prosperity comes from. I should add that the overall loss of capital associated with all of these closures is immense (perhaps £20k for each shop), leading the country to be poorer not just today, but tomorrow too.
Thank you for your great comment Matthew, this is really interesting! It seems to be a spiralling problem, sad 😞
Not just Scarborough..... it's the all of the UK pal. Countries on its arse!!! 🤬🤬
it is a lot of it isn’t it Kevin? sadly its only now that the MPs are starting to take note. they swan around London or their posh constituencies thinking its not their problem.
Let's face it the Government don't give a shit, they feed us lies so we vote for em then totally do the opposite. Losing trust in the government and country tbh.
There are two big problems- greedy landlords and cash grabbing councils. But the biggest offenders are the general public being too lazy to use local shops and sit on their backsides looking at pretty pictures on a screen and ordering goods without seeing the cheep tat they are buying. shops will never regenerate without customers going through their doors. I have NEVER ordered anything online and would rather go without than trust the large anonymous money grabbing online providers with their cheep chinese rubbish advertised as quality. The old saying"never mind the quality feel the width" is very true. So if the public want town centre shops let them get of their arses and go out and look at the goods available.
You have already commented on this Anne but we always welcome your comments you are just lovely and always make a great point! have a super weekend ❤️
Super great video my friends....have a great weekend
Thank you! You too Fred 👍
Landlords are to blame. Small shop rent in my area is 26k a year. Busines rates have only a small impact In the bigger picture
Wow Shane that is very helpful. Unless someone can buy a property outright they are beholden to the landlords. The problem gets magnified at every turn.,
Its worth noting that Ferrero Roche bought out Thornton's, and said they would allow the firm to continue as it had done previously.
Unfortunately, Hotel Chocolat had started to expand and it consumed a lot of Thorntons' customer base. Thorntons is still available but its more akin to "Black Magic" or "Werthers original" that a chocolatier.
your absolutely right, i think they even have some outlet shops in other countries. the mystery to me was ours closing two years before the majority but i have since learned it was the increase in business rates on that location that made it close prematurely. it is a big fronted shop mind, at the same time that closed we gained a successful Greggs across the road that occupies less than half the ground space Thorntons took up.
This is not just a UK problem but also in Ireland , high rates and no interest in making business come back to the towns and cities, COVID gave the public the easy way to buy from on line platforms.
your right Michael, covid came at just the right time to put us all online for good. there is little reason to incentivise our return.
I love your videos 📷
It's great 😃
Thanks for sharing this dear friend
See you again take care
Thank you very much! catch you soon 👍❤️
Beautiful sharing 🙋♀️🙌
Thank you so much 🙂
@@GENerationXplorers walkum 🙏
I've lived in Scarborough all my life and I knew it was bad but I didn't realise it was THIS bad. Gutted we're losing Wilko. And as you say most of these shops are left empty. I really hope this cinema idea goes ahead but who knows 🤷🏼♀️
hi there LT Musicals it was my life’s ambition to make Scarborough my home and ive been a happy resident for the last twenty years (still am). kept seeing these boarded up videos on TH-cam and i honestly thought id have a wander around Scarborough town centre and be able to sing the praises of any positives i saw weighed against any negatives. what i saw shocked me, i came in three times over the two weeks i prepped for the video and in that short amount of time i saw things getting even worse. the very sudden deterioration brought on by the combination of energy prices and business rates has put some long standing shops out of business. its really heartbreaking to see. thank goodness we live in the UKs second most visited holiday town and everything outside the centre is absolutely fantastic. that centre is sadly doomed. will be checking your channel out we are partial to musicals too.. ♥️🎵
People please please listen. This is happening all over the country because of the Internet and the government and because of digital transactions. So use cash as much as possible because the plan is the digital single currency. And once that happen we are all fucked......
i feel that and there seems to be a pre dominating growing society on our high street that insist on only cash. are we playing into their hands?
Another great video from you! Definitely enjoyed watching it. Sad to see so many shops closing so fast! Thats a shame 🤔 Hope you have a great week 🤠🌲👋
Thanks for watching! and your fab comment have a great week 👍
Great day to exploring with your video. I'm very enjoyable to watching your video thanks you for showing me around your city 😊
many thanks have a great week 👍
The uks had it, my town guildford has hundreds of estate agents. The property elite rule the area. Even in surrey its going down the same route. Sad times. 😢
Thank you for your comment! it really is very unbalanced and sad 😞
This could be any town in Australia though ours are usually much cleaner. The loss of downtown businesses is a world wide phenomenon.
I think that a large number of these shops and stores should be converted to good quality housing. This would have the effect of solving part of the housing shortage and would also reinvigorate the downtown areas thereby attracting a number of restaurants, cafes and other businesses back tot he area.
yeah definitely so. its too late to draw people to a high street they have no interest in shopping at. modern affordable houses, green spaces and select local shops. its the future.
Happy day my friend.
That so amazing video👍👍👍🥰😃
Thank you so much 😁
So sad i left 1999 now in Australia so much better ,breaks my heart uk finished all refugees in given it all .treated locals like shit
we do have some serious problems we can’t seem to tackle, certainly in areas Australia is very strong in dealing with.
Do you reckon the Australians say the same about you?
Scarborough. Still looks like a beautiful town, it’s just a shame that businesses have left. Thank you for sharing this wonderfully interesting video.
so much going for it in the surrounding areas but i have little hope left for the town centre, think its had its final blow..
What a great film on sad times for our high St. Your presentation style is mesmerising, lots to absorb from your super research facts. Many Thanks. ❤
Thank you so much Sharon, really appreciate that wonderful feedback. Hoping to get to the bottom of why some places fail and others succeed. Have many more places id like to visit…
I was born and raised in scarborough now live half an hour down the road in malton. Its sad to see how derelict my home town is becoming.
Yes its really sad, hopefully the middle class affluent market town of Malton is faring way better..
@GENerationXplorers to be fair the majority of Malton is owned by the fitzwilliam estate. Scarborough however breaks my heart everytime i come through, i was raised up Barrowcliffe which was known as a rough area at the time. Now its probably better than than most of the time
Certainly there has been some levelling down in Scarborough, you would be hard placed now to say one area is any rougher than the other anymore. its all becoming very similar..
Awesome video guys super interesting
Thanks so much nicole! hope you and Tim have a lovely weekend 👍❤️
Hi Jill and Nick! Oh dear, all those boarded-up shops, how depressing. Very sad to see. It's scary just how many businesses have gone out of business. I really miss Woolies and Debenhams. The various coffee shops are always full - so that's great. Brilliant research, giving us all the backstories and pieces of information, and so well presented. Very thought-provoking. Thank you for a top-notch video 💯👏👏
It’s really sad when you think of some of the great shops we have lost in these ever changing times and you are right it is depressing! something needs to change on 🇬🇧 high streets for sure otherwise things are just going to get worse! Thanks Julie and Lucy have a lovely weekend ❤️
Video killed the radio star. Internet killed the High street.
Thats beautiful. The usual tone in my videos is quite comical. Id love to run and run with this one.. 🎶
@@GENerationXplorers Same here in Ireland.... even Argos left a year ago...
Hi Nick and Jill
Thank you for being an advocate, stating the awareness of losing local businesses in the town of Scarborough.
Now hopefully the residents and city council work together to move forward.
Finding the solutions is challenging, but better than neglecting the issues, I reckon.
I am not familiar the town, so I done have any ideal to resolve the issues.
I would like to see them some changes....
Thank YOU so much for producing this film that is meaningful.
Ciao.
Thanks Ms Kayak for yet again another awesome comment! There is hoping things can move forward but we feel things in this country will only get worse 🙁 have a lovely weekend! sorry again about your uncle much love ❤️
@@GENerationXplorers Thank YOU Nick.
So sad. Thanks for the info guys ❤
It is isn’t it! Thank you! Deli doesn’t look like it’s high streets are suffering always looks busy and vibrant 👍
I really miss Woolworths
never saw that closing, thought it had it all. from pic n mix to the best prices on VHS and CD. or cough, cough, casette!
The UK 🇬🇧 is lost
Does feel like we’ve left a lot too late to make any practical change.
I see your as passionate about the things going on in your country as I am. All we see is empty lots, business closed and homeless people walking around. I don’t blame all this on covid either. I could get political but I’m not. You knocked the video out of the park and told the truth! Much love to you both💕
We agree a lot of this had started long before covid! And yes don’t get us started on politics either 🤣 we’d be here all day! Have a lovely weekend LB! Catch you soon ❤️
Sad state of affairs. So many empty shops good video. Thanks for sharing with us 😊 👍
So sad isn’t it Adzey, one day down the line we can see you doing a series ‘Abandoned Towns’ where you take us on a tour of full towns with no shops open but you get full access to them all 🤣👍
Simple solution. Abolish business rates
Yes perfect 👍 especially for the small independent ones maybe charge the bigger ones? thank you for your comment have a great week 👍
Oxfam.. Scope,Mind, Help the Aged............The meek and humble shall inherit the earth????????
😂
thats a great point although i think it will be one wealthy charity shop owner on a great income and enjoying the benefits of zero business rates and volunteer staffing costs. personally id sooner see boarded up shops. we all know how to donate directly to worthy charities without paying the salary of some egotistical businessman/woman
I know you’ve got a lot of comments to go through, so just wanted to say you did an incredible job on this video. The research, the filming, the confidence to make amazing content while so many people are staring. Always so professional, no matter what you guys are doing. Don’t worry about replying, just wanted you to know we appreciate all that you do my friends. Keep up the amazing work.
oh wow, thats an incredible comment, thank you so much, it’s definitely appreciation like that which will push us to try even harder with future endeavours and not just rely on the staples we use week in week out 👍
we learned a lot in this video alone about Scarborough, thank you for sharing. it's sad to know what is happening in Scarborough,
It appears to be happening all over the uk and according to some comments the 🇺🇸 and 🇨🇦 it is sad but I guess you just have to move with the ever changing times! have a great weekend guys ❤️
@@GENerationXplorers we agree with you