@@raystewart3648 St Helens is definitely a minus 1, come see the people , they have a spooky the hills have eyes look to them. From the dead town centre , to the dead look in the eyes of a town full of smackheads. It’s all to see from the slums of Parr-bados , to the dildo monument dubbed the knob of the north dream statue sited between Clock face and Sutton Manor. A Jeremy Kyle Utopia , where every chav inbred wears Henley’s and any other shite brand make. A Jeremy Kyle utopia where people have more children then teeth. Behold it’s shite glory where old peaky blinders types in flat caps drink themselves to death emitting that distinctive whiff of OAP aroma of fish and piss in the Green Dragon . Be wary traveller, for this is a local place for local people, there is nothing for you here! For you have stumbled into the land of the woolly back! A Town so turd 💩 it was cut away from Lancashire and rebranded Merseyside. Be wary traveller of people with 6 fingers and Saints players ( do you know who I am?) sweeping the plains of this mad max dystopia, be wary of the dinosaurs that carry rabies over the plains of Rainford and stay clear of clinkham wood, for you will be the next sacrifice at their wicker man site ! Be wary of their Cold War totem of the old pilkingtons building that stands like Sauramans all seeing eye , a past reminder when the. High sixxing woolybacks might have knew someone ( or some ‘thing’) that actually had a job .
I have to respectfully disagree with your negative opinion of Minehead. I am an American married to a Brit, and we chose Minehead as a place to live. We love the Avenue shops and the sea side. We can walk to almost everything within 5 minutes. I have lived in Los Angeles and other large cities, and I prefer small- town living and the peace and quiet, for the most part. No town is perfect, but so far we have found that Minehead is good for us.
Many seaside towns have shown a decline over the last 30 years. This decline is nationwide. The one positive point that has been missed is if you live in a city and then go to a seaside town you will notice instantly the pure quality of the sea air.
I find Bristolians moaning about Weston hysterical. Drug problems? Bruh you been to Castle Park or anywhere near the centre? Then Bristolians sit there moaning about, Fishponds, Whitchurch, Knowle, Easton, Brislington... basically anywhere in Bristol that isn't Clifton or a modern housing estate (whereupon you might aswell be living in a modern housing estate somewhere its actually affordable).
@@Pretency. Suspension Bridge , Harbour Side , Clifton , North Street , Corn Street, Bla Bla Bla , shall I go on and on and on. Weston has zero like those places. I was born in St Paul’s Bristol and visit Weston at least once a week. Weston is a complete waste of space thanks to the dysfunctional North Somerset Council
@@LowreyContractorsUK Bristol is a city. You're quoting huge buildings or monuments and architecture. Back in the 1800s Weston was a small resort with a few houses and not a lot else. Apples and pears again. The point is that Bristol is run down and full of an equal number of reprobates.
Phew, so nothing changed in the 55 years since I left Somerset as a teenager! But Somerset towns are heaven in comparison to towns in South Wales. Port Talbot, Swansea, Llanelli, Ammanford, Barry, Merthyr. We got Somerset beat for candidates.
@@Turdtowns Call into the town of the damned Bridgend, it's so mad people eat their young and we have a tranny MP representing us at westminster (tho' 'they' are posh and from the nearby Vale)
Having lived near Taunton all my life, I’ve seen it go downhill fast. Around 10 years ago it was so much nicer and had a lot more shops and restaurants
Towns go up and down. In the Seventies, Taunton was a run-down, agricultural, tedious place typical of regional towns not quite recovered from the war. Then it expanded suddenly in the eighties and became quite lively. Has it really gone downhill again?
So many of these towns are divided between million pound properties and squalid estates, although even the deprived areas are still ridiculously expensive by UK standards.
I second that! My family relocated to Hemel Hempstead as a wee kiddy after living in Melbourne, Australia & mum had a nervous breakdown there. Hell on earth! Needless to say we didn't live out the year in Hemel! Moved back into North London which, let's be honest wasn't much of a step up. I left North London 4 years back & relocated to Somerset in a wee village just south of Glastonbury. Personally I wouldn't class Glastonbury as a turd town but I am an X Londoner so I'm pretty used to chavs & the like. Glastonbury is actually really cool. Nice people, doesn't stink & I can park for free. Shopping is limited to jossticks & crystals but the town of Street is only a mile or two down the road where Clarks Village is & that's alright though Street is rather dull in comparison to Glastonbury town. I'd far rather live here in Somerset amongst the six toed locals than reside back in London that's for sure!
@@burntcrumpets5616 worked in Hemel for a while when living in Tring.Have they both changed so much.Stabled my horse in Aldbury.Surely that's not been ruined has it?
Back in the 90’s I was in restaurant in Minehead and some drunks were refused entry, so they picked up a bench and slung it through the window, there was wall to wall fighting in the streets, I think it was escapees from Butlitz holiday camp down the road.
To give Butlins their due, after being approached by the Police/council, they provide security at the local‘tourist’ pubs. Any trouble makers from the holiday park may find their stay abruptly ending!
I'm really glad you mentioned Glastonbury town in this - we went there for a day on a holiday a few years back, and it didn't feel like Somerset at all. It was just semi-retired Yuppies selling crystals and other assorted new age bollocks. They had presumable tired of the noise in Camden and Brixton and decided to move there for some peace and quiet, muscling out local people in the process. Didn't hear a single West Country accent all day, but plenty of "yah"s. The place just felt fake - you've got this gentrified, London-priced ghost town on the high street with nothing of use for locals, but leave the main drag and the place has clear signs of rural poverty and is in need of serious investment that benefits actual residents. It's actually really sad to see, and makes me angry knowing that the place has become a playground for rich people who are supposedly liberal but would be the first to cross the street to avoid having to give a quid to a homeless person. You hit the nail on the head with the comment about old rockers sitting around doing nothing! Everyone seemed to just be twiddling their thumbs waiting for festival week to come back and line their pockets for the year. I think the penny dropped for me that the place had an ugly underbelly when I used the public toilets near the old station. It was lit with blue UV lights to stop people finding veins to take heroin in there (which wasn't working, there was a small pile of needles in the corner). Which was pretty shocking to see in a supposedly sleepy country town, with a population smaller than the unremarkable but relatively safe commuter village I'd grown up in. I'd been giving it the benefit of the doubt up to that point, but - whether those people shooting up were festival-goers or just downtrodden locals looking for an escape from the theme park hell Glastonbury town has become - it tore down any remaining hope that I just didn't "get" the place. It really was as bad as my gut feeling was telling me. The Tor is nice though, I'll admit that. But the town is probably one of the worst places I've ever visited as a tourist. It's long-time residents need help.
You're right. I stopped there a few times during past winters, and one local coffee shop owner said he boards up and fuks off abroad for 2 weeks during the festival. Towns full of 24/7 , 365 rhune stone bearded unwashed yuppies.
It IS fake, all those weekend hippies who in 1969 worked in the Inland Revenue all week, to change their garb for the cleaners rags ang get blasted out of their brains to the Doors and Canned Heat all weekend. They are alive and smelly and visiting Glastonbury in their four wheel drives (superior types you know!)
@@maida-vale yes the majority of hippies are comfortably well off middle class, you do still get some who are barefoot and really live it full time, but Glastonbury Festival now is well chavvy - they have loads of clubs in a field with typical chav dance music and student types in their finest club gear and wellies judging everyone on their appearance, it is far removed from Glastonbury Festivals origins
I love seaside towns in the winter! Minehead people are really friendly and chatty. Exmoor is stunning but you do have to enjoy using your legs. It all depends on what you’re looking for in life.
Bridgwater seems to have become an International hotspot for its size - almost certainly due to the influence of Hinkley Point Power Station. A lot of people appear to like the feeling of Minehead being cut off from the rest of the world even with Butlins, and the surrounding area of Exmoor is simply stunning ! Excellent blog !
Down sides of hinkley point C are the lights and noise and bus traffic. You got busses transporting worker in the morn and late noon which causes delays and extra traffic.
Great video. I once had a job that took me to some outlying towns mainly in East Anglia which share a lot of things that you have listed on this video. Terrible road links, poorly served to none existent rail links, lack of employment opportunities and a decimated high street. These seem to be an increasingly common occurrence for many places in the UK.
As a former resident of Yatton (my family moved there almost 20 years ago and somehow my mum has never left), I can confirm that everything you said is absolutely true. There are some nice walks in the area (Cadbury Hill is a good one). Other than that I can highly recommend the train station for easy access to places that aren't Yatton.
The thing about Glastonbury is it's right next to Street which has Clarks Village. Because of the proximity of the two towns it's got a lot more aminties than most towns of its size. Glastonbury is the place Bristol people like to go to chill out.
Thanks from Pill Village North Somerset for your video! You missed the most exciting fun at Weston or Brean, the joy of parking your car on the beach! Then the panic as the second highest tide in the world approaches followed by the despair as you realise you wheels have sunk through the crust of sand into the greasy Severn Estuary mud .
You were a bit hard on Minehead, yes it is a ball ache to get to from the motorway but once you're there it's ok. The big supermarkets mean that you don't get ripped off for food and the other shops are not too bad, they seem to vary each year. Butlins does bring some dross into the town but they mainly head to the pubs and don't spoil the surrounding area.
Burnham and Highbridge are very lucky to avoid this list, particularly Highbridge, it reminds me that growing in Bridgwater wasn’t that bad given the possible alternative.
Great video, laughed a lot. The biggest problem with Somerset is that anyone with any money lives rurally, and can travel to Bristol or Exeter, we even go shopping a couple of times a year in Cardiff as they have some shops that Bristol doesn't. I live near Bishop's Lydeard and we have made Wellington our shopping destination since a few years ago as Taunton is awful now. Yeovil has got a Helicopter factory and a near by Naval Air Station, so there is an escape route for anyone who wants to marry a Matelot!
I agree but also think this is part of the problem Somerset has a big issue with money going out rather then in. Unlike msny of the city counties where the rich residents spend their money within their local area, we give it away. Which then leads to less money in the local area, less jobs, poorer people, more crime, and snowballs galore
We did a day trip to Glastonbury a few years back, yep, the shops sell crystals and smelly candles, or even top hats with goggles, really useful stuff.
@Gen TH-cam🤣 you're funny!!! I live 5 miles south of Glastonbury....it's my local shopping area. Whenever I get the need to spend money & then immediately regret it I take a stroll down Glastonbury high street...never fails! But at least my living room always smells like an unauthentic budget Thai masseurs in Camden & I get to add yet another crystal to my sh*ty crystal collection.
Amazing to think that, back in 1959, my parents had their honeymoon in Minehead. In case anyone's wondering, my sister and I were born a few years later.
Many years ago my Cousin who was from Gloucestershire told us that the people from Bridgwater had a reputation for being thick. He said it was from breathing in all the fumes from the British Cellophane works. Fast forward a few years and I moved to Wiltshire and told this story to my work colleagues. out of the blue one said “I’m from Bridgwater” PS can’t wait for Basildon and Thurrock in Essex
I moved from Basildump to Bridgy and stayed 4 years and moved back thats how crap it is lol carnival is good though. Not all are thick just the pillocks named Chedzoy 😂
Just had a wonderful holiday in Minehead. The people were so friendly and plenty of individual shops for your everyday needs. No there isnt a Primark or M&S or Costa or Starbucks which is so refreshing. Just individual tea shops with the nicest people who greet you with a smile. If you run with the crowd dont go here but if you like individuality space and nature and England as it was then it is oerfect.
I lived in Glastonbury for many years, from around 1987 till 2004. My mum still lives there, so I do visit fairly regularly. It can be a little odd at time. You tend to accept that and tune it out. Growing up there, as a teenager (I moved there when I was eight), wasn't actually that bad. There was a nightclub (if you could call it that) called 'Jaspers', which then became 'Pub Club UK'. My friends and I were able to get in aged 16, so it had that going for it. Always the same people in there which was oddly comforting in a way. The night venue hierarchy was as follows. Pub Club, then 'The club' in Street (At the time, that was Maximes, later Envy) and if you wanted to be really cool and have something to boast about, you got the coach that was laid on and took a trip down to Oscars on the Longleat estate, though that could get a bit 'fighty' so we tended to avoid that and stick with the two more local establishments.
I was born and raised in Minehead, moved away for a few years but returned over a decade ago, so have lived here most of my life. Geographically, it's in a lovely position, set between North Hill (Higher Town) and the seafront. There's actually a lot going on under the hood here - a thriving music scene, theatre, cinema, independent shops, along with national chains, day/evening classes that cover a wide variety of skills/subjects, seasonal (traditional) events an additional shopping area on the outskirts, along with the industrial estate, garden centre, a good variety of restaurants, some nice pubs and a shed load of amazing walks, golf, camping...there's even a youth centre which has an indoor skate park and recording and rehearsal studio. The crime? There's naff-all. Sure, it may get a bit fiesty during the summer months, but that's usually due to the butlins lot spilling out into the avenue. Is it perfect? Nope. We could do with the railway line being extended to Taunton, which would take the strain off the A39, plus a swimming pool would be nice...although there is talk of one being built. Despite that and in light of all the pluses I've pointed out, I'm a tad baffled as to how Minehead qualifies to be in this list. How anyone could be bored here is beyond me. It's probably one of the safest places to live. But then, I prefer a slower, more chilled out pace of life. 👍
Absolutely brilliant. Very funny and delivery was perfect. Can't wait for more Live in Dorset and used to love going to W S Mud or Burnham as a kid but they just nose dived. As an adult I worked in Yeovile and I would drive to it at 40mph and away at 80mph and went to college in Bridgwater, we never left site, there was never a reason to!
Live in Taunton, worked in Yatton and Weston S-M for nigh on 18 years, I have to say there are more accidents Wellington side than Burnham / Weston side on the M5, Taunton used to be a good place to shop, Bridgwater had some unique shops, but that has all fizzled out now, and if you want a decent job with decent wages you have to go Bristol or Exeter (for tech jobs anyway) or fully remote.
I used to live in Bridgwater, moved to Yeovil. Bridgwater used to have 4 care in the community residential hostels down one street, and if you crossed st Mary's st towards the River, they built a high security psychiatric unit. Somerset's brilliant social engineering scheme was to send all the nutters to Bridgwater, alcoholic rehab sent to Yeovil, drug rehab was Weston, incontenance to Minehead, young offenders to Taunton... Spot on reflection 😂
High crime statistics in Glastonbury are probably largely boosted by drug possession charges rather than violent crime. That said I don’t think I’ve ever seen any police in the town. The locals are generally friendly though, especially if you like young hippy girls and weird older druids.
hey, bridgwater resident here (unfortunately), Splash was closed down because the land was bought by Tesco's, however they didn't proceed with building anything there, so now it is literally just rubble. The shot of you walking through the town and all the shops being closed is strange, unless you came here at like 5am (in which case of course they'd be closed lol)
I'm familiar with some of these towns.. personally I would have put Bridgwater at No.1.. Minehead would be vastly improved if razor wire could be erected around Butlins.. perhaps allowing the Butlins people out under guard occasionally. The sights in the high street during the summer are not to be believed. On the other hand, I'm wary of advice and opinions from someone who considers a 24hr MacDonalds, or any MacDonalds, a Plus.
Razor wire AND a minefield would work wonders, I agree! Many locals seem to want to defend Butlins in Minehead, saying it brings a lot of trade to the town, but that's bollocks. They mostly stay on-site. Geographically and to look at, Minehead is a nice place with sod-all crime...until the summer comes around. I've heard of tourists who vowed never to return, because of all the hen and stag parties roaming the streets and spewing up walls from 11 in the morning. I dread the summer personally, everything goes to shit here. I'm going to try and drill a hole in the middle of Butlins, hoping it will sink.
Great channel, have lived in Somerset for 35 years, good mixture of irreverent humour, facts and opinion - I can't argue with your choices. Spent a lot of time in Taunton in the late 60s and early 70s as a visitor, it really has gone downhill since then.
Outlaw Bookseller:Love your handle.Bet Rouald Dahl would appreciate it.Cannot believe the fuss over his books.Where I now live,the 60s mania for destroying history & putting up souless blocks of concrete ruined it tho thankfully some buildings remain.What I am wondering is,if ever I was lucky enough to return to the SW,would I even recognize it??!!Blamed developers with no soul & too much human overbreeding!!
I lived in Minehead as a teenager and reply loved it in the early 2000's. Looking forward to going back there after moving between a lot of worst places across England.
I ended up living on the edge of Weston for a couple of years while I was doing my RAF trade training at RAF Locking, which is now a new housing estate. It was then I realised just how awful a seaside holiday resort can be in winter. The timings of my courses meant I got to spend three winters, and only one summer. So what did I end up doing? Living in another shithole seaside town, but this time on the Norfolk coast. With even crapper transport links, since it's 90 miles to the closest motorway here.
Weston super Mud is a shithole winter and summer! Even its carnival, which in other towns gets all the proper locals out on the streets to watch, is a desperate affair.
I'm Bristol born and bred but moved to Bridgwater nearly 5 years ago after a relationship break up, its a shithole. I moved to Street last September (2 miles from Glasto) but absolutely love living in Street, and I love the city of Wells. I'm never going to live in Bristol again but I still love my home city
My eldest, at the start of her police career was stationed at Wells. She was told by her inspector, "Wells is the rose between two thorns, the two thorns being Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet". Being a born and raised Somerset girl she was highly amused by this.......
Fun fact about bridgwater, it's one of the only places small towns in Somerset arrested and detained people get taken, so when 24 hours is up out you go to the streets of Bridgwater to cause havoc because you haven't got a bus fair home.
I loved WSM as a kid for holidays and even lived on Bleadon Hill from 79-84......but a visit a few years ago surprised me with the massive expansion of housing estates (my old cider farm in Summer Lane long gone 😢). The Locking Road bypassed and the once pretty drive into Weston with the cherry blossom trees now a horrid mishmash of "out of town" shopping, multiple lanes and roundabouts.
@@Sof1a510 Can't remember the name. He had some huge cider barrels and sold gallon containers as take out. A bit like a smaller version of Rogers down at Mudgely th-cam.com/video/8AweJqbEMys/w-d-xo.html
Can't agree about Yatton. I was born there and lived my when life within 5 miles of it. It's very quiet and the lack of facilities keeps out the riff raff. Weston Super Mare is the centre of mental illness and the place where all the mentals are put into social housing, it's the only place where I have seen someone lay down in the middle of the road trying to get run over.
Thank you for outlining exactly the reasons I went as far as practically possible for university and stayed there. I've now got a decent video to show to people exactly why Somerset is just a medium to get to actually nice places like Devon and Cornwall.
Just dont show it to anyone that's lived in somerset all their lives, it kinda falls apart. Most of the YT's points are flawed and just opinions, flawed ones. Yes weston is not a great place, i've had a business here for 10 years, lived here for 12. I've also lived in Bridgwater for 12 years and 17 in Bristol. Bridgwater imo is by far the worst. Somerset though? beautiful county... problem is, videos like this will convince those who dont get out much of otherwise, those that do... know better. Try it.
Somerset a far better county than London Cornwall and Devon, most of the rural areas are lived in by real folk and we are actually happy that people rush through enroute to uber expensive rip off Cornwall
It's just down to money at the end of the day. People with money who want to live in a town/city will go to Bath, Bristol or Exeter or they would be happy buying in a pretty Somerset village. The towns in this video are populated in the main by people who can't afford to go to the other places which has a knock-on effect on investment in the town centres. Having said that I've been to most of them and they're not all bad, there are some interesting bits in Weston and I quite like Glastonbury as it's a bit different and the Clarke's village is good for shopping.
@@Turdtowns But that view of Glasters, forgive me, marks your viewpoint out as the typical incomer’s one. Those of us who have been blessed with breathing the fresh air of the Levels since birth pretty much have given up on such places. Full of crusties, trusties, hippies and trippers, Glastonbury serves its purpose as a sponge to soak up such individuals, keep them there and thereby "ethnically cleanse " the rest of the county. Bit like Sainsbury's does for Waitrose!
I moved to Street last September and I just live it, it is a beautiful place but very small which I like. Spent over 4 years in Shitwater (I mean Bridgwater) and hated every minute. But in truth and even as a proud Bristolian I personally would never move back to Bristol but I do enjoy going home to visit the family knowing that I will be returning to my rural village town. Up the Gas 🙄
@@martinshepherd626 I lived in Birmingham for what seemed like a life sentence.Coming from my beloved West Country it was a heck of a culture shock & I hated every minute.Especially when I realized the back story(I was sadly nieve)Now,thankfully,I have escaped to greener pastures.But it changed me completely & I still feel the anger to the person who caused me to basically lose friends & family for his selfish reasons.'Nuff said.How anybody would choose to live in such an area,is beyond me.
Full credit, this was a very accurate list. The only thing I would disagree with is that wherever you go in Somerset, you'll find the locals are all very good looking. They make the Dutch and Argentines look ordinary. That said, job well done.
Somerset people are some of the ugliest on the planet. All that in-breeding. I say that as someone born and bred there myself. Literally anywhere has better looking people.
Ah Somerset my home. I lived in Bridgwater as a kid, my family still do and my mother used to run The Duke in Bridgy town. Although it’s a shithole, the yearly fair is good and Bridgwater Carnival is amazing. I remember my aunt having a bungalow in Glastonbury, and every year some of us would walk through the fields at the back of her garden to try and sneak into the festival when it was on. Lol. Fun times.
I ended up in Chard during a tour of Britain earlier this year and spent the night there. I loved it at once it made me feel so great about myself. The town is quite good looking in fact but the people! Most of the women looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger. What I thought summed it up was we ended up in Wetherspoons for something to eat (any port in a storm) and while we were there an ambulance drew up and took someone out on a stretcher and nobody reacted at all. Clearly a regular occurance. Also a load of seagulls came into the restaurant and started hassling the customers for food and they reared up in response to the staff's efforts to shoo them out. The pub we spent the night in had a large sign over the door saying ANYONE THROWING DRINKS IN THE DISCO WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE I wIll go back there again never been anywhere like it a real treasure.
Just recently viewed your videos. Absolutely excellent!! Commentary is first class, very astute & very, very funny! Looking forward to the next videos.
You could have mentioned that Chard is the home of powered flight, but having said that . . . You could have mentioned that Yeovil Junction (OK it's in the hinterland) is on the London - Exeter main line with an hourly service. But it's still the place to go to if you want to feel slim and smart - anything under 25 stone and not in leggings will make you a supermodel!
You have a good point, however it has never pretended to be anything special. Also some would say it is in Banes and not Somerset. I might include Frome, long known as sin city of the west and only the tarting up of Catherine Hill makes it "twee".
Population of England would be decreasing rapidly if certain ethnic groups and financial immigrants weren't being welcomed here by the kabbalist establishment
I was wondering if WSM was gonna be on the list and you didn’t disappoint. Too be fair I didn’t realise there were that many towns in Somerset, I thought it was just fields….
Think you should do one on Wiltshire too, always wondered how / why Trowbridge was chosen as the county town. Must’ve chosen it in sympathy or something.
Trowvegas, yeah. I'm now living near Swindon and a local told me that they'd given up sticking up for the place. That said, for the people, I found the East Midlands the worst, simply for general manners and bigotry. West Country people are far nicer.
I’m from Yatton (moved away 25 years ago but family still live there so able to comment). It’s a village as has no town hall. House prices are high due to train line to Bristol. The “precinct” is dead with dreadful shops. Congress bury is smaller than Yatton so it’s not their overspill. I’m not even sure it’s Clevedon’s overspill either. It has too many houses now with no extra facilities and is one giant high street. The Strawberry Line leads to Thatchers so surely that’s a plus point?
I went to Chard a couple of days ago and thought it was ok. However, when leaving the car park next to Sainsbury’s in mid after, I saw the most blatant example of drug dealing I have ever seen. There was no attempt to conceal what they were doing - that makes me think they have no fear of getting caught.
Ahh, bridgy, grew up near there in the 80s. Rougher than a badgers ar$3, worse than wsm. Running battles across the council estates, fighting every weekend was the main hobby. Lads from Bridgwater were blanket banned from clubs & discos in wsm back then. Lorry drivers cb name for bridgwater was "smelly town", you could smell it as you passed by on the M5.
Hi there. From what I can see, I believe your TH-cam channel is what I have been looking for for quite a long time. Being a Sudanese and having visited Britain twice, I have a strong phycological connection with Britain. I have always wanted to have some more detailed knowledge about the UK on a country boy county basis and a city to city basis, and your channel seems to deliver. Looking forward to seeing my obsessions come true. God bless you.
Whilst I applaud your diligence, make sure that you look up information on the other side of the coin. I'm sure that I don't need to tell you, but it's easy to forget that these list videos represent one man's personal views and there's always another point of view to be considered.
How naive. he's really referring to the influx of immigration as the main cause of destroying these towns. Probably not necessarily true, but it's coded and it's subtle. He even mentioned how one town is 95 percent white!
I went on holiday to Somerset, I loved Minehead but yeah it took about an hour to get back to Taunton, even at 11pm... Taunton Town is a great place to watch football to be fair to them, great atmosphere. I love Weston as well, I go there a lot it's really nice to an outsider! I found the mud dangerous though, it wasn't what I was expecting. Sitting in the bar out the front of the York Hotel in Weston is an amazing place to watch the sunset, the car park is directly behind as well if you like somewhere private to go for a smoke so really good location.
Loved the video. I lived in Yatton in the 1990s and boy was it a grim town. I see it's not gotten any better. That strip mall at 5:33 is where I lived, above the shops. The Lloyds Pharmacy used to be a ladies clothing shop and I remember it getting ram raided in the middle of the night. There used to be a part time police station across the road and my car was stolen from outside of it. At least there is a curry house now.
I remember ram raiding becoming famous when I was a kid living in Petherton. There was a story about someone trying it on a moped and getting stuck or bouncing off the window
Ah, what a nostalgia trip. Losing wellies in the mud at Weston, the stink of British Cellophane, and Bridgy Lido. Awesome. I am amazed that neither Burnham on Sea or Yeovilton made this list mind
Having lived in Taunton for 5 years , I don't fully agree with the video. The centre is a little bit rundown, but where isn't. Makes up for it in a big way with it's amazing countryside and, and friendly locals , depending were you live
I thought it came from Cheltenham, it means Cheltenham Average, a derogatory term coined by the yuppie girls from the expensive college back in the early 80s
Went to Cannington College in the early 90's, just to the west of Bridgwater. Oh boy, do I ever remember the smell from the cellophane factory. Drove to and from Midsommer Norton every weekend in my black Capri, Wells, Glastonbury, Street and across the Poldons.
I live in Bridgwater and used to work in Weston. Which is why I always told the locals I was the most qualified to say that Weston is a s***hole :) I think, like any place, you make the most of what you have. Connect with the right people, make your own community and any of the places on this list can be tolerable. Unless you want to actually do anything or buy anything. Then you are screwed, unless you want to fight your way past the South West Summer Overflow Carpark (aka the M5) to make it to somewhere with an open shop.
Loving your style. Yes, I agree with assessment; but I wanted to move to Weston. It has a great helicopter museum, and the town centre is nice for a day trip. I live in Wales so everything is relative...
Tbf Taunton has a big cricket ground which sometimes hosts the 100. Also the main hospital for the area is Musgrove Park.. Though I'd just mention. I'm from Bridgwater and agree with everything you said about it lmao
I have been to just about all of these places. I love Somerset, so I am biased. I can't say any of these places are actually terrible, but there are much better places to see in Somerset. I'm not surprised to see Yeovil on the list. The number one choice made me laugh. I had to take a week-long first aid course in Weston for work in 2016. You're right about the sea of mud, but the people were generally pleasant there.
Minehead is ok, to be fair it's more a seaside town, packed april_ august, butlins, coast path is good to walk to lynmouth,. A nice few expensive bed n breakfasts, a nice place to visit
Wondered if Shepton might get a mention for its valley and blink and you'll miss it high street. Greg Wallace even had a tv episode about rejuvenating Shepton's high street.
As a Walton resident (small village that borders Glastonbury) which went to st Dunstans (Glastonbury secondary school) DO NOT live there. The sights may entice you but the people are like if you gave people from Florida, cocaine and weed.There is a weed dealer (not some shady guy on the corner of the street, a full on walk in shop) at the top of the high street only a 5minute walk away from the school.
I am thinking of moving to the seaside in the near future. We ended up checking out Weston-super-Mare. I was HORRIFIED!!! The place is so run down, semi derelict and the locals had a look of the cast from "The Hills have Eyes!" We left after just 10 minutes 😂 North Somerset is permanently off my list of places Id like to live. Thanks for your videos...i love them and theyre giving me lots of tips of the places to avoid on my relocation journey 😊
I used to live there and in the surronding villages for many years before moving to France, but most of my family are still in the area. Unfortunatly, we all call Weston .... Costa Del Geriatric!!! Much too many old retired people, where most of the town has been cast to suit them instead of young or medium age people! Add to that the perpetual closing of shops and pubs, leaving in the High Street nothing more than Mobile Phone operaters, opticians, insurance agencies etc, compared with the old Fairfax House, Woolworths, Curry's, and many other shops, there isn't much interesting there anymore! Worth a day visit, but not a holiday!
Thing is, where in the UK *not* too avoid! And that is affordable. Probably best to avoid the whole of the UK, unless you are rich enough to buy isolation from the locals.
Coming from Dorset but having to work in Somerset far too often, I totally agree with everything you say here. When you cross the border into Yeovil, a huge dark cloud just appears right above your head. I have only spent one night out in Yeovil as all the pubs are spectacularly crap and full of prepubescent chavs. Apart from Wetherspoons which is some sort of hostel for alcoholic homeless people during the day and fight club in the evening.
Yeah. Maybe if your reference is Dorset. I grew up in Luton. Moved to Somerset in 2000, lived in two places on this list and still think Somerset it paradise tbh.
to be fair to Yeovil, it USED to have a huge number of pubs and 4 nightclubs due in part to the houndstone army camp. Sadly like many places, the pubs started to close and the high street suffered at the hands of amazon - this is the same up and down the country.
@@icedidi I think Yeovil first died when Kings Arms and all that closed down. Been away for about 15 years and come back to a complete deserted high street, and no more goths on the Beech lol
@@the_mad_ratter I remember trying the door to the kings one saturday afternoon just after closing (obviously before the all day drinking changes), the landlord had just bolted it. He saw me and my mate stood outside, having never been in there and he opened up and we joined the lock-in and got sh*t faced. The spiral stairs were a bit taxing!
I grew up in Yeovil. My Dad worked at Westlands. We lived on the outskirts so there was pretty countryside and lovely walks on our doorstep but I see from Google Earth that all of that has been built on now. The main shop was Denners and the library, cinema and swimming pool were well used. As I got older, Carnabys disco was the place to go along with some ok pubs. It was a meh place to grow up. We didn't have a car so as you say, we were stuck there. I left to train as a Nurse at St Thomas's Hospital in London so I spent hours on the Waterloo to Exeter St Davids train. I got married in St James, Preston Plucknet. I don't think I'll go back - just keep my nice memories.
One thing I noticed is that the more 'new builds' in a town the worse it becomes. Regarding Yoevil football team, I seem to remember they had a famous sloping pitch.
Absolutely brilliant analysis, visited this area many times over the years and couldn’t agree more’ Somerset to me was always a place I thought was picturesque and nice to live. Moved to Taunton 18 months ago and it’s a total Shit Hole, Whoever called Weston “SUPER”needs rehab! Bridgwater was a shit hole ten years ago’ not much has changed, it’s a coin flip whether it’s worse than Taunton now or better. Keep up the research 👍👊
Im from Ireland and I Love Glastonbury I have visited over 12 times since 2017, its also a very important vortex energy spot and there are only about 17 of these places in the entire world! I Hope to visit again soon.
One of my earliest memories is flying a Batman kite with my dad on the ‘beach’ on holiday at Weston Super Mare. That was 1982. I guess 40 years makes a big big difference. It was probably crap then but I was too young to realise it 😂.
The weekend entertainment in Chard used to be driving to Ilminster and picking fights, of course Ilminster citizens would reciprocate. It’s said that all the people of Henson Park and Stringfellow Crescent are related
I live in Minehead and it is extremely rural. A bus journey to Taunton takes nearly 90mins. Minehead has no swimming pool. But what I will say that during the winter, it isn't full of drunks, that's during the summer. The shops have improved over the years but are still not perfect. Places like B&Q and Homebase refuse to deliver down here, as it is too far. This happens a lot. The only A&E is 26 miles away in Taunton but we have a minor injuries hospital. It has three supermarkets. Butlins is a place that locals either love or hate. The countryside is beautiful but the beach needs improvement and the seafront needs more tourist shops.
New video Gloucestershire turdtowns up now!
Turdtowns, "I nearly choked on my dinner laughing at that"
You need to do St Helen’s , it’s a proper Turd town full of very insular inbred turd people.
What about your town?
Out of 100, what score would you put it at (1 being really down and a real dump)
@@raystewart3648 my town is actually one of the places listed im just not saying which 😂
@@raystewart3648 St Helens is definitely a minus 1, come see the people , they have a spooky the hills have eyes look to them.
From the dead town centre , to the dead look in the eyes of a town full of smackheads.
It’s all to see from the slums of Parr-bados , to the dildo monument dubbed the knob of the north dream statue sited between Clock face and Sutton Manor.
A Jeremy Kyle Utopia , where every chav inbred wears Henley’s and any other shite brand make.
A Jeremy Kyle utopia where people have more children then teeth.
Behold it’s shite glory where old peaky blinders types in flat caps drink themselves to death emitting that distinctive whiff of OAP aroma of fish and piss in the Green Dragon .
Be wary traveller, for this is a local place for local people, there is nothing for you here!
For you have stumbled into the land of the woolly back!
A Town so turd 💩 it was cut away from Lancashire and rebranded Merseyside.
Be wary traveller of people with 6 fingers and Saints players ( do you know who I am?) sweeping the plains of this mad max dystopia, be wary of the dinosaurs that carry rabies over the plains of Rainford and stay clear of clinkham wood, for you will be the next sacrifice at their wicker man site !
Be wary of their Cold War totem of the old pilkingtons building that stands like Sauramans all seeing eye , a past reminder when the. High sixxing woolybacks might have knew someone ( or some ‘thing’) that actually had a job .
I was in Bridgwater during the great earthquake, it did a million pounds worth of improvements.
😂
I love that you call it 'the great' earthquake 💜
Reminds me of the Song Trouble Over Bridgewater!!.
Or 10p worth of damage
@@Synthematix 🤣🤣👍
I have to respectfully disagree with your negative opinion of Minehead. I am an American married to a Brit, and we chose Minehead as a place to live. We love the Avenue shops and the sea side. We can walk to almost everything within 5 minutes. I have lived in Los Angeles and other large cities, and I prefer small- town living and the peace and quiet, for the most part. No town is perfect, but so far we have found that Minehead is good for us.
I just want to say you may be married to a Brit but your not British
@@Rixxy04 Um...what is your point?
@@Rixxy04 Maybe you're not British!
@@Robotina-e8u I had already said that. Does that mean I can't love it here?
@@thetruthbetold961 Sorry for these fascist pricks, welcome!
Many seaside towns have shown a decline over the last 30 years. This decline is nationwide. The one positive point that has been missed is if you live in a city and then go to a seaside town you will notice instantly the pure quality of the sea air.
I find Bristolians moaning about Weston hysterical. Drug problems? Bruh you been to Castle Park or anywhere near the centre? Then Bristolians sit there moaning about, Fishponds, Whitchurch, Knowle, Easton, Brislington... basically anywhere in Bristol that isn't Clifton or a modern housing estate (whereupon you might aswell be living in a modern housing estate somewhere its actually affordable).
@@Pretency Bristol actually has things going for it though, unlike Weston which is a depressing shit hole.
@@Zero_Ninety apples and pears. And snobbery isn't a virtue.
@@Pretency. Suspension Bridge , Harbour Side , Clifton , North Street , Corn Street, Bla Bla Bla , shall I go on and on and on. Weston has zero like those places. I was born in St Paul’s Bristol and visit Weston at least once a week. Weston is a complete waste of space thanks to the dysfunctional North Somerset Council
@@LowreyContractorsUK Bristol is a city. You're quoting huge buildings or monuments and architecture. Back in the 1800s Weston was a small resort with a few houses and not a lot else. Apples and pears again. The point is that Bristol is run down and full of an equal number of reprobates.
Phew, so nothing changed in the 55 years since I left Somerset as a teenager! But Somerset towns are heaven in comparison to towns in South Wales. Port Talbot, Swansea, Llanelli, Ammanford, Barry, Merthyr. We got Somerset beat for candidates.
Coming there soon looking forward to it.
@@Turdtowns Call into the town of the damned Bridgend, it's so mad people eat their young and we have a tranny MP representing us at westminster (tho' 'they' are posh and from the nearby Vale)
Don't forget Newport !!
Wales is a toilet in general nothing good in Wales
@@chrischristofis8501 parts of North,/ northwest Wales and mid Wales are quite nice, but the further down south you go, the more dire it gets.
Having lived near Taunton all my life, I’ve seen it go downhill fast. Around 10 years ago it was so much nicer and had a lot more shops and restaurants
You could say the same for most non touristy provincial towns over the same time period...
Wow, are you speaking from 'the other side'?
@@mariemccann5895 No love, I'm still alive! This is TH-cam, not a frickin' Ouija Board..........
Towns go up and down. In the Seventies, Taunton was a run-down, agricultural, tedious place typical of regional towns not quite recovered from the war. Then it expanded suddenly in the eighties and became quite lively. Has it really gone downhill again?
@@Bazroshan It was always a Turdtown, it's just that those that live there have rose tinted spectacles that stop them seeing brown.
So many of these towns are divided between million pound properties and squalid estates, although even the deprived areas are still ridiculously expensive by UK standards.
Pretty much most towns in the uk are getting worse. I escaped Hemel Hempstead to move near Taunton so all these places are heaven on earth to me 😂
At least you don’t have that shitty roundabout blocking everything up here 😂
Because they're getting blacker by the day.
Let's just tell it how it is.
Yep, the country is in decline, generally. It’s pretty sad.
I second that! My family relocated to Hemel Hempstead as a wee kiddy after living in Melbourne, Australia & mum had a nervous breakdown there. Hell on earth! Needless to say we didn't live out the year in Hemel! Moved back into North London which, let's be honest wasn't much of a step up. I left North London 4 years back & relocated to Somerset in a wee village just south of Glastonbury. Personally I wouldn't class Glastonbury as a turd town but I am an X Londoner so I'm pretty used to chavs & the like. Glastonbury is actually really cool. Nice people, doesn't stink & I can park for free. Shopping is limited to jossticks & crystals but the town of Street is only a mile or two down the road where Clarks Village is & that's alright though Street is rather dull in comparison to Glastonbury town. I'd far rather live here in Somerset amongst the six toed locals than reside back in London that's for sure!
@@burntcrumpets5616 worked in Hemel for a while when living in Tring.Have they both changed so much.Stabled my horse in Aldbury.Surely that's not been ruined has it?
Back in the 90’s I was in restaurant in Minehead and some drunks were refused entry, so they picked up a bench and slung it through the window, there was wall to wall fighting in the streets, I think it was escapees from Butlitz holiday camp down the road.
"Escapees from the Butlitz holiday camp" is absolute gold 💀 💀
I believe that I witnessed that! They were fighting in the main street and someone was thrown through a fence/hedge.
A security guard caught us climbing over the fence at butlins, he made us go back and finish our holiday
@@davidkissack806haha
To give Butlins their due, after being approached by the Police/council, they provide security at the local‘tourist’ pubs. Any trouble makers from the holiday park may find their stay abruptly ending!
I'm really glad you mentioned Glastonbury town in this - we went there for a day on a holiday a few years back, and it didn't feel like Somerset at all. It was just semi-retired Yuppies selling crystals and other assorted new age bollocks. They had presumable tired of the noise in Camden and Brixton and decided to move there for some peace and quiet, muscling out local people in the process. Didn't hear a single West Country accent all day, but plenty of "yah"s. The place just felt fake - you've got this gentrified, London-priced ghost town on the high street with nothing of use for locals, but leave the main drag and the place has clear signs of rural poverty and is in need of serious investment that benefits actual residents. It's actually really sad to see, and makes me angry knowing that the place has become a playground for rich people who are supposedly liberal but would be the first to cross the street to avoid having to give a quid to a homeless person.
You hit the nail on the head with the comment about old rockers sitting around doing nothing! Everyone seemed to just be twiddling their thumbs waiting for festival week to come back and line their pockets for the year. I think the penny dropped for me that the place had an ugly underbelly when I used the public toilets near the old station. It was lit with blue UV lights to stop people finding veins to take heroin in there (which wasn't working, there was a small pile of needles in the corner). Which was pretty shocking to see in a supposedly sleepy country town, with a population smaller than the unremarkable but relatively safe commuter village I'd grown up in.
I'd been giving it the benefit of the doubt up to that point, but - whether those people shooting up were festival-goers or just downtrodden locals looking for an escape from the theme park hell Glastonbury town has become - it tore down any remaining hope that I just didn't "get" the place. It really was as bad as my gut feeling was telling me.
The Tor is nice though, I'll admit that. But the town is probably one of the worst places I've ever visited as a tourist. It's long-time residents need help.
You're right. I stopped there a few times during past winters, and one local coffee shop owner said he boards up and fuks off abroad for 2 weeks during the festival. Towns full of 24/7 , 365 rhune stone bearded unwashed yuppies.
I am surprised there isn't a Crystal Recycling shop where they claim to put new healing energy back into old worn out crystals
It IS fake, all those weekend hippies who in 1969 worked in the Inland Revenue all week, to change their garb for the cleaners rags ang get blasted out of their brains to the Doors and Canned Heat all weekend. They are alive and smelly and visiting Glastonbury in their four wheel drives (superior types you know!)
@@utubeape I can see that working.
Maybe an enterprising local could set that up and claw back some commerce from the muscling-in incomers.
@@maida-vale yes the majority of hippies are comfortably well off middle class, you do still get some who are barefoot and really live it full time, but Glastonbury Festival now is well chavvy - they have loads of clubs in a field with typical chav dance music and student types in their finest club gear and wellies judging everyone on their appearance, it is far removed from Glastonbury Festivals origins
I love seaside towns in the winter! Minehead people are really friendly and chatty. Exmoor is stunning but you do have to enjoy using your legs. It all depends on what you’re looking for in life.
Bridgwater seems to have become an International hotspot for its size - almost certainly due to the influence of Hinkley Point Power Station.
A lot of people appear to like the feeling of Minehead being cut off from the rest of the world even with Butlins, and the surrounding area of Exmoor is simply stunning !
Excellent blog !
And now the battery mega factory .....
Down sides of hinkley point C are the lights and noise and bus traffic. You got busses transporting worker in the morn and late noon which causes delays and extra traffic.
Great video.
I once had a job that took me to some outlying towns mainly in East Anglia which share a lot of things that you have listed on this video.
Terrible road links, poorly served to none existent rail links, lack of employment opportunities and a decimated high street. These seem to be an increasingly common occurrence for many places in the UK.
Poor political leadership.
As a former resident of Yatton (my family moved there almost 20 years ago and somehow my mum has never left), I can confirm that everything you said is absolutely true. There are some nice walks in the area (Cadbury Hill is a good one). Other than that I can highly recommend the train station for easy access to places that aren't Yatton.
The thing about Glastonbury is it's right next to Street which has Clarks Village. Because of the proximity of the two towns it's got a lot more aminties than most towns of its size.
Glastonbury is the place Bristol people like to go to chill out.
Thanks from Pill Village North Somerset for your video! You missed the most exciting fun at Weston or Brean, the joy of parking your car on the beach! Then the panic as the second highest tide in the world approaches followed by the despair as you realise you wheels have sunk through the crust of sand into the greasy Severn Estuary mud .
Yes,I recall emmits playing with their cars in the mud due to the fact the signs of warning were not in Brummiegen.
You were a bit hard on Minehead, yes it is a ball ache to get to from the motorway but once you're there it's ok. The big supermarkets mean that you don't get ripped off for food and the other shops are not too bad, they seem to vary each year. Butlins does bring some dross into the town but they mainly head to the pubs and don't spoil the surrounding area.
Burnham and Highbridge are very lucky to avoid this list, particularly Highbridge, it reminds me that growing in Bridgwater wasn’t that bad given the possible alternative.
I’d argue bridgy is worse than burnham… possibly not highbridge! 😂
I don't know what's so wrong with Burnham? Quite liked it there
Great video, laughed a lot.
The biggest problem with Somerset is that anyone with any money lives rurally, and can travel to Bristol or Exeter, we even go shopping a couple of times a year in Cardiff as they have some shops that Bristol doesn't.
I live near Bishop's Lydeard and we have made Wellington our shopping destination since a few years ago as Taunton is awful now.
Yeovil has got a Helicopter factory and a near by Naval Air Station, so there is an escape route for anyone who wants to marry a Matelot!
I agree but also think this is part of the problem
Somerset has a big issue with money going out rather then in.
Unlike msny of the city counties where the rich residents spend their money within their local area, we give it away.
Which then leads to less money in the local area, less jobs, poorer people, more crime, and snowballs galore
We did a day trip to Glastonbury a few years back, yep, the shops sell crystals and smelly candles, or even top hats with goggles, really useful stuff.
@Gen TH-cam🤣 you're funny!!! I live 5 miles south of Glastonbury....it's my local shopping area. Whenever I get the need to spend money & then immediately regret it I take a stroll down Glastonbury high street...never fails! But at least my living room always smells like an unauthentic budget Thai masseurs in Camden & I get to add yet another crystal to my sh*ty crystal collection.
Amazing to think that, back in 1959, my parents had their honeymoon in Minehead. In case anyone's wondering, my sister and I were born a few years later.
Many years ago my Cousin who was from Gloucestershire told us that the people from Bridgwater had a reputation for being thick. He said it was from breathing in all the fumes from the British Cellophane works. Fast forward a few years and I moved to Wiltshire and told this story to my work colleagues. out of the blue one said “I’m from Bridgwater” PS can’t wait for Basildon and Thurrock in Essex
I moved from Basildump to Bridgy and stayed 4 years and moved back thats how crap it is lol carnival is good though. Not all are thick just the pillocks named Chedzoy 😂
@@coletyler6140 I know a few Bridgwaterians and I've found them universally bland and obsessing about their webbed feet. Inbreeding, see.
The smell was epic coming into Bridgewater back in the 70s and 80s
Bas Vegas 😂
Smellophane is what it was called.
You managed to convince everyone Weston was the worst place without even mentioning bournville estate FairPlay
We did film there but the footage got lost. 😂 and it didn’t get nicked we were just dumb
Lol my Dad was born on that hellhole. It's the actual pimple on the asshole that is Weston.
Had to give the other towns a bit of a chance to top the list !!
Yeah but he went up Milton Brow... so....
It’s posh in bornville
Just had a wonderful holiday in Minehead. The people were so friendly and plenty of individual shops for your everyday needs. No there isnt a Primark or M&S or Costa or Starbucks which is so refreshing. Just individual tea shops with the nicest people who greet you with a smile. If you run with the crowd dont go here but if you like individuality space and nature and England as it was then it is oerfect.
There is a Costa
6:53 Driving a van backwards when hooked up to a trailor like that is a boss skill 😂
WoW - that's some serious skill right there 😉- probably realized where he was - quicker to hit reverse than to turn around 😆
I lived in Glastonbury for many years, from around 1987 till 2004. My mum still lives there, so I do visit fairly regularly. It can be a little odd at time. You tend to accept that and tune it out. Growing up there, as a teenager (I moved there when I was eight), wasn't actually that bad. There was a nightclub (if you could call it that) called 'Jaspers', which then became 'Pub Club UK'. My friends and I were able to get in aged 16, so it had that going for it. Always the same people in there which was oddly comforting in a way. The night venue hierarchy was as follows. Pub Club, then 'The club' in Street (At the time, that was Maximes, later Envy) and if you wanted to be really cool and have something to boast about, you got the coach that was laid on and took a trip down to Oscars on the Longleat estate, though that could get a bit 'fighty' so we tended to avoid that and stick with the two more local establishments.
I was born and raised in Minehead, moved away for a few years but returned over a decade ago, so have lived here most of my life.
Geographically, it's in a lovely position, set between North Hill (Higher Town) and the seafront. There's actually a lot going on under the hood here - a thriving music scene, theatre, cinema, independent shops, along with national chains, day/evening classes that cover a wide variety of skills/subjects, seasonal (traditional) events an additional shopping area on the outskirts, along with the industrial estate, garden centre, a good variety of restaurants, some nice pubs and a shed load of amazing walks, golf, camping...there's even a youth centre which has an indoor skate park and recording and rehearsal studio. The crime? There's naff-all. Sure, it may get a bit fiesty during the summer months, but that's usually due to the butlins lot spilling out into the avenue.
Is it perfect? Nope. We could do with the railway line being extended to Taunton, which would take the strain off the A39, plus a swimming pool would be nice...although there is talk of one being built.
Despite that and in light of all the pluses I've pointed out, I'm a tad baffled as to how Minehead qualifies to be in this list. How anyone could be bored here is beyond me. It's probably one of the safest places to live.
But then, I prefer a slower, more chilled out pace of life. 👍
I like Minehead
Absolutely brilliant. Very funny and delivery was perfect. Can't wait for more
Live in Dorset and used to love going to W S Mud or Burnham as a kid but they just nose dived. As an adult I worked in Yeovile and I would drive to it at 40mph and away at 80mph and went to college in Bridgwater, we never left site, there was never a reason to!
@@davidwanklyn8842 Yes that's what we call it, and rightly so. Loads of people in the area simply avoid the place at all costs now
Live in Taunton, worked in Yatton and Weston S-M for nigh on 18 years, I have to say there are more accidents Wellington side than Burnham / Weston side on the M5, Taunton used to be a good place to shop, Bridgwater had some unique shops, but that has all fizzled out now, and if you want a decent job with decent wages you have to go Bristol or Exeter (for tech jobs anyway) or fully remote.
I am in the Merchant Navy and my wife works in the NHS, so neither count as working 'in Somerset'. I hope my children get jobs in Surrey.
I used to live in Bridgwater, moved to Yeovil. Bridgwater used to have 4 care in the community residential hostels down one street, and if you crossed st Mary's st towards the River, they built a high security psychiatric unit. Somerset's brilliant social engineering scheme was to send all the nutters to Bridgwater, alcoholic rehab sent to Yeovil, drug rehab was Weston, incontenance to Minehead, young offenders to Taunton... Spot on reflection 😂
Loved working on this! Can't wait for the next one!
High crime statistics in Glastonbury are probably largely boosted by drug possession charges rather than violent crime. That said I don’t think I’ve ever seen any police in the town. The locals are generally friendly though, especially if you like young hippy girls and weird older druids.
and most crime are people coming down for the festival....ive even had festival issued security guards steal from me....
I have lived in Somerset for 35 years and u r spot on with your choices. Burnham /Brean deserves an honourable mention as it is dump.
I just couldn’t include Brean too many fond memories as a kid. Burnham is like a mini Weston.
@@Turdtowns You simply haven't spent enough time in Burnham...
hey, bridgwater resident here (unfortunately), Splash was closed down because the land was bought by Tesco's, however they didn't proceed with building anything there, so now it is literally just rubble. The shot of you walking through the town and all the shops being closed is strange, unless you came here at like 5am (in which case of course they'd be closed lol)
I used to love Sedgemoor splash :(
@@meatsweatmundungus6415*Lido!
Everyone's either in a relationship or related or possibly both...absolutely brilliant 😂😂😂👍👍
I'm familiar with some of these towns.. personally I would have put Bridgwater at No.1.. Minehead would be vastly improved if razor wire could be erected around Butlins.. perhaps allowing the Butlins people out under guard occasionally. The sights in the high street during the summer are not to be believed. On the other hand, I'm wary of advice and opinions from someone who considers a 24hr MacDonalds, or any MacDonalds, a Plus.
Razor wire AND a minefield would work wonders, I agree! Many locals seem to want to defend Butlins in Minehead, saying it brings a lot of trade to the town, but that's bollocks. They mostly stay on-site. Geographically and to look at, Minehead is a nice place with sod-all crime...until the summer comes around. I've heard of tourists who vowed never to return, because of all the hen and stag parties roaming the streets and spewing up walls from 11 in the morning. I dread the summer personally, everything goes to shit here. I'm going to try and drill a hole in the middle of Butlins, hoping it will sink.
Oh god, these two comments, I’m dying, thank you 😂
Great channel, have lived in Somerset for 35 years, good mixture of irreverent humour, facts and opinion - I can't argue with your choices. Spent a lot of time in Taunton in the late 60s and early 70s as a visitor, it really has gone downhill since then.
Outlaw Bookseller:Love your handle.Bet Rouald Dahl would appreciate it.Cannot believe the fuss over his books.Where I now live,the 60s mania for destroying history & putting up souless blocks of concrete ruined it tho thankfully some buildings remain.What I am wondering is,if ever I was lucky enough to return to the SW,would I even recognize it??!!Blamed developers with no soul & too much human overbreeding!!
@@susanmccormick6022 -Yeah, it's shameful, some of the 'development' of historic places round here. Great to hear from you!
I like Weston. However I live in Bridgwater and you summed it up!
I lived in Minehead as a teenager and reply loved it in the early 2000's. Looking forward to going back there after moving between a lot of worst places across England.
A realistic review from a genuine local at last, keep it up!
I ended up living on the edge of Weston for a couple of years while I was doing my RAF trade training at RAF Locking, which is now a new housing estate. It was then I realised just how awful a seaside holiday resort can be in winter. The timings of my courses meant I got to spend three winters, and only one summer. So what did I end up doing? Living in another shithole seaside town, but this time on the Norfolk coast. With even crapper transport links, since it's 90 miles to the closest motorway here.
Weston super Mud is a shithole winter and summer! Even its carnival, which in other towns gets all the proper locals out on the streets to watch, is a desperate affair.
I'm Bristol born and bred but moved to Bridgwater nearly 5 years ago after a relationship break up, its a shithole. I moved to Street last September (2 miles from Glasto) but absolutely love living in Street, and I love the city of Wells.
I'm never going to live in Bristol again but I still love my home city
Street is decent. Shops, places to eat and countryside. Everyone is avoiding Broadmead nowadays so good to have a different shopping area.
My eldest, at the start of her police career was stationed at Wells. She was told by her inspector, "Wells is the rose between two thorns, the two thorns being Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet". Being a born and raised Somerset girl she was highly amused by this.......
Fun fact about bridgwater, it's one of the only places small towns in Somerset arrested and detained people get taken, so when 24 hours is up out you go to the streets of Bridgwater to cause havoc because you haven't got a bus fair home.
I loved WSM as a kid for holidays and even lived on Bleadon Hill from 79-84......but a visit a few years ago surprised me with the massive expansion of housing estates (my old cider farm in Summer Lane long gone 😢). The Locking Road bypassed and the once pretty drive into Weston with the cherry blossom trees now a horrid mishmash of "out of town" shopping, multiple lanes and roundabouts.
Used to be so much better. I wonder what farm it was on summer lane.
@@Sof1a510
Can't remember the name. He had some huge cider barrels and sold gallon containers as take out.
A bit like a smaller version of Rogers down at Mudgely
th-cam.com/video/8AweJqbEMys/w-d-xo.html
Used to love playing on the Old line(winterstoke Rd as a kid but now a massive road with businesses
Can't agree about Yatton. I was born there and lived my when life within 5 miles of it. It's very quiet and the lack of facilities keeps out the riff raff. Weston Super Mare is the centre of mental illness and the place where all the mentals are put into social housing, it's the only place where I have seen someone lay down in the middle of the road trying to get run over.
Thank you for outlining exactly the reasons I went as far as practically possible for university and stayed there. I've now got a decent video to show to people exactly why Somerset is just a medium to get to actually nice places like Devon and Cornwall.
Just dont show it to anyone that's lived in somerset all their lives, it kinda falls apart. Most of the YT's points are flawed and just opinions, flawed ones. Yes weston is not a great place, i've had a business here for 10 years, lived here for 12. I've also lived in Bridgwater for 12 years and 17 in Bristol. Bridgwater imo is by far the worst. Somerset though? beautiful county... problem is, videos like this will convince those who dont get out much of otherwise, those that do... know better. Try it.
Somerset a far better county than London Cornwall and Devon, most of the rural areas are lived in by real folk and we are actually happy that people rush through enroute to uber expensive rip off Cornwall
@moodswinggaming2972 bridgwater has been much better recently though.
The cellphane long gone, the recent money into the town and new jobs.
It's just down to money at the end of the day. People with money who want to live in a town/city will go to Bath, Bristol or Exeter or they would be happy buying in a pretty Somerset village. The towns in this video are populated in the main by people who can't afford to go to the other places which has a knock-on effect on investment in the town centres. Having said that I've been to most of them and they're not all bad, there are some interesting bits in Weston and I quite like Glastonbury as it's a bit different and the Clarke's village is good for shopping.
Yea I agree about Glasto. I did have a soft spot for it. It’s certainly interesting
@@Turdtowns But that view of Glasters, forgive me, marks your viewpoint out as the typical incomer’s one.
Those of us who have been blessed with breathing the fresh air of the Levels since birth pretty much have given up on such places.
Full of crusties, trusties, hippies and trippers, Glastonbury serves its purpose as a sponge to soak up such individuals, keep them there and thereby "ethnically cleanse " the rest of the county.
Bit like Sainsbury's does for Waitrose!
I moved to Street last September and I just live it, it is a beautiful place but very small which I like. Spent over 4 years in Shitwater (I mean Bridgwater) and hated every minute.
But in truth and even as a proud Bristolian I personally would never move back to Bristol but I do enjoy going home to visit the family knowing that I will be returning to my rural village town.
Up the Gas 🙄
@@martinshepherd626 I lived in Birmingham for what seemed like a life sentence.Coming from my beloved West Country it was a heck of a culture shock & I hated every minute.Especially when I realized the back story(I was sadly nieve)Now,thankfully,I have escaped to greener pastures.But it changed me completely & I still feel the anger to the person who caused me to basically lose friends & family for his selfish reasons.'Nuff said.How anybody would choose to live in such an area,is beyond me.
Full credit, this was a very accurate list. The only thing I would disagree with is that wherever you go in Somerset, you'll find the locals are all very good looking. They make the Dutch and Argentines look ordinary. That said, job well done.
Well said, nearly as many inbreds as Cornwall.
Ken Horlor:My day has been pretty bad,but your comment has made me feel a lot better.Thank you from a proud Southerner in exile.
Somerset people are some of the ugliest on the planet. All that in-breeding. I say that as someone born and bred there myself. Literally anywhere has better looking people.
Ah Somerset my home. I lived in Bridgwater as a kid, my family still do and my mother used to run The Duke in Bridgy town. Although it’s a shithole, the yearly fair is good and Bridgwater Carnival is amazing.
I remember my aunt having a bungalow in Glastonbury, and every year some of us would walk through the fields at the back of her garden to try and sneak into the festival when it was on. Lol. Fun times.
I ended up in Chard during a tour of Britain earlier this year and spent the night there. I loved it at once it made me feel so great about myself. The town is quite good looking in fact but the people! Most of the women looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger. What I thought summed it up was we ended up in Wetherspoons for something to eat (any port in a storm) and while we were there an ambulance drew up and took someone out on a stretcher and nobody reacted at all. Clearly a regular occurance. Also a load of seagulls came into the restaurant and started hassling the customers for food and they reared up in response to the staff's efforts to shoo them out. The pub we spent the night in had a large sign over the door saying ANYONE THROWING DRINKS IN THE DISCO WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE I wIll go back there again never been anywhere like it a real treasure.
A Wetherspoons is always a plus point.
Just recently viewed your videos. Absolutely excellent!! Commentary is first class, very astute & very, very funny! Looking forward to the next videos.
You could have mentioned that Chard is the home of powered flight, but having said that . . .
You could have mentioned that Yeovil Junction (OK it's in the hinterland) is on the London - Exeter main line with an hourly service. But it's still the place to go to if you want to feel slim and smart - anything under 25 stone and not in leggings will make you a supermodel!
Stephen Shipley "You cannot be serious?!"
How you missed off Radstock / Midsomer Norton, I will never know ....
You have a good point, however it has never pretended to be anything special. Also some would say it is in Banes and not Somerset.
I might include Frome, long known as sin city of the west and only the tarting up of Catherine Hill makes it "twee".
You mean Bag Town.
Stiff competition in Somerset, even Crewkerne didn't get a look in.
@@codinbatter I've lived in Crewkerne all my life now going to live in Yeovile.....out of the frying pan....😆
@@blaze1148🤣🤣🤣
When this goes further up north, it'll be interesting. Middlesbrough for a weekend will make anywhere on this list seem utopian... at least it did.
Did not expect this to be a Markyd production but it makes so much sense. Great video ! As a Somerset resident i agree with all of it
Please do one on Torquay and Bournemouth. Both have gone downhill terribly. Sadly massively increasing population is killing many once lovely places.
Population of England would be decreasing rapidly if certain ethnic groups and financial immigrants weren't being welcomed here by the kabbalist establishment
Bournemouth is now a dive 😢
Oh Jesus I lived for just 10 months in Torquay. Never. Again
I was wondering if WSM was gonna be on the list and you didn’t disappoint. Too be fair I didn’t realise there were that many towns in Somerset, I thought it was just fields….
Think you should do one on Wiltshire too, always wondered how / why Trowbridge was chosen as the county town. Must’ve chosen it in sympathy or something.
Trowvegas, yeah. I'm now living near Swindon and a local told me that they'd given up sticking up for the place. That said, for the people, I found the East Midlands the worst, simply for general manners and bigotry. West Country people are far nicer.
I went to college there. It is an actual dump
I’m from Yatton (moved away 25 years ago but family still live there so able to comment). It’s a village as has no town hall. House prices are high due to train line to Bristol. The “precinct” is dead with dreadful shops. Congress bury is smaller than Yatton so it’s not their overspill. I’m not even sure it’s Clevedon’s overspill either. It has too many houses now with no extra facilities and is one giant high street. The Strawberry Line leads to Thatchers so surely that’s a plus point?
I went to Chard a couple of days ago and thought it was ok. However, when leaving the car park next to Sainsbury’s in mid after, I saw the most blatant example of drug dealing I have ever seen. There was no attempt to conceal what they were doing - that makes me think they have no fear of getting caught.
Ahh, bridgy, grew up near there in the 80s.
Rougher than a badgers ar$3, worse than wsm.
Running battles across the council estates, fighting every weekend was the main hobby.
Lads from Bridgwater were blanket banned from clubs & discos in wsm back then.
Lorry drivers cb name for bridgwater was "smelly town", you could smell it as you passed by on the M5.
Hi there. From what I can see, I believe your TH-cam channel is what I have been looking for for quite a long time. Being a Sudanese and having visited Britain twice, I have a strong phycological connection with Britain. I have always wanted to have some more detailed knowledge about the UK on a country boy county basis and a city to city basis, and your channel seems to deliver. Looking forward to seeing my obsessions come true.
God bless you.
Whilst I applaud your diligence, make sure that you look up information on the other side of the coin. I'm sure that I don't need to tell you, but it's easy to forget that these list videos represent one man's personal views and there's always another point of view to be considered.
How naive. he's really referring to the influx of immigration as the main cause of destroying these towns. Probably not necessarily true, but it's coded and it's subtle. He even mentioned how one town is 95 percent white!
I went on holiday to Somerset, I loved Minehead but yeah it took about an hour to get back to Taunton, even at 11pm... Taunton Town is a great place to watch football to be fair to them, great atmosphere. I love Weston as well, I go there a lot it's really nice to an outsider! I found the mud dangerous though, it wasn't what I was expecting. Sitting in the bar out the front of the York Hotel in Weston is an amazing place to watch the sunset, the car park is directly behind as well if you like somewhere private to go for a smoke so really good location.
This was absolutely hilarious, genuinely snorted a few times, and I live between Taunton and Bridgwater 🤣
Loved the video. I lived in Yatton in the 1990s and boy was it a grim town. I see it's not gotten any better. That strip mall at 5:33 is where I lived, above the shops. The Lloyds Pharmacy used to be a ladies clothing shop and I remember it getting ram raided in the middle of the night. There used to be a part time police station across the road and my car was stolen from outside of it. At least there is a curry house now.
I remember ram raiding becoming famous when I was a kid living in Petherton. There was a story about someone trying it on a moped and getting stuck or bouncing off the window
Accurate and witty. Thank you.
Thank you my dude
Ah, what a nostalgia trip. Losing wellies in the mud at Weston, the stink of British Cellophane, and Bridgy Lido. Awesome. I am amazed that neither Burnham on Sea or Yeovilton made this list mind
The Lido was excellent, great place for local kids.....
A true and very sad reflection of what our once very nice towns and shires have become..Neglected and long forgotten by the powers that be..
Having lived in Taunton for 5 years , I don't fully agree with the video. The centre is a little bit rundown, but where isn't. Makes up for it in a big way with it's amazing countryside and, and friendly locals , depending were you live
The term Chav originated in Chatham in Kent. If you go there you will soon see why!
@David Wanklyn They sound like a great bunch lol
I thought it came from Cheltenham, it means Cheltenham Average, a derogatory term coined by the yuppie girls from the expensive college back in the early 80s
Went to Cannington College in the early 90's, just to the west of Bridgwater. Oh boy, do I ever remember the smell from the cellophane factory. Drove to and from Midsommer Norton every weekend in my black Capri, Wells, Glastonbury, Street and across the Poldons.
I live in Bridgwater and used to work in Weston. Which is why I always told the locals I was the most qualified to say that Weston is a s***hole :) I think, like any place, you make the most of what you have. Connect with the right people, make your own community and any of the places on this list can be tolerable. Unless you want to actually do anything or buy anything. Then you are screwed, unless you want to fight your way past the South West Summer Overflow Carpark (aka the M5) to make it to somewhere with an open shop.
as a man who grew up in Minehead and lived in Taunton and Bridgwater for brief periods. This is spot on but you should of put Watchet on there.
I thought watchet would be in the top 3.
Watchet’s recently much improved.
Watch shit
Loving your style. Yes, I agree with assessment; but I wanted to move to Weston. It has a great helicopter museum, and the town centre is nice for a day trip. I live in Wales so everything is relative...
Cool video, live in Taunton was a stabbing yesterday didnt know it was most violent in Somerset tho
Was that the one in Colin Road?
Tbf Taunton has a big cricket ground which sometimes hosts the 100. Also the main hospital for the area is Musgrove Park.. Though I'd just mention. I'm from Bridgwater and agree with everything you said about it lmao
I have been to just about all of these places. I love Somerset, so I am biased. I can't say any of these places are actually terrible, but there are much better places to see in Somerset. I'm not surprised to see Yeovil on the list. The number one choice made me laugh. I had to take a week-long first aid course in Weston for work in 2016. You're right about the sea of mud, but the people were generally pleasant there.
😂Thank you, very informative and fun at the same time. Love it! 🇮🇹
Minehead is ok, to be fair it's more a seaside town, packed april_ august, butlins, coast path is good to walk to lynmouth,. A nice few expensive bed n breakfasts, a nice place to visit
Weston-Super-NIGHTmare
I love the sarcasm and disdain of your tone. Have a sub.
Wondered if Shepton might get a mention for its valley and blink and you'll miss it high street. Greg Wallace even had a tv episode about rejuvenating Shepton's high street.
I fully expected to see Shepton on the list
As a Walton resident (small village that borders Glastonbury) which went to st Dunstans (Glastonbury secondary school) DO NOT live there. The sights may entice you but the people are like if you gave people from Florida, cocaine and weed.There is a weed dealer (not some shady guy on the corner of the street, a full on walk in shop) at the top of the high street only a 5minute walk away from the school.
I am thinking of moving to the seaside in the near future. We ended up checking out Weston-super-Mare. I was HORRIFIED!!! The place is so run down, semi derelict and the locals had a look of the cast from "The Hills have Eyes!" We left after just 10 minutes 😂 North Somerset is permanently off my list of places Id like to live. Thanks for your videos...i love them and theyre giving me lots of tips of the places to avoid on my relocation journey 😊
I used to live there and in the surronding villages for many years before moving to France, but most of my family are still in the area. Unfortunatly, we all call Weston .... Costa Del Geriatric!!! Much too many old retired people, where most of the town has been cast to suit them instead of young or medium age people! Add to that the perpetual closing of shops and pubs, leaving in the High Street nothing more than Mobile Phone operaters, opticians, insurance agencies etc, compared with the old Fairfax House, Woolworths, Curry's, and many other shops, there isn't much interesting there anymore! Worth a day visit, but not a holiday!
Thing is, where in the UK *not* too avoid! And that is affordable. Probably best to avoid the whole of the UK, unless you are rich enough to buy isolation from the locals.
Yeovil lad here! Pretty spot on I’d say 😂 would love to hear any further thoughts!
Coming from Dorset but having to work in Somerset far too often, I totally agree with everything you say here. When you cross the border into Yeovil, a huge dark cloud just appears right above your head. I have only spent one night out in Yeovil as all the pubs are spectacularly crap and full of prepubescent chavs. Apart from Wetherspoons which is some sort of hostel for alcoholic homeless people during the day and fight club in the evening.
Yeah. Maybe if your reference is Dorset. I grew up in Luton. Moved to Somerset in 2000, lived in two places on this list and still think Somerset it paradise tbh.
Totally agree, Yeovil has enough prepubescent chavs for the entire country
to be fair to Yeovil, it USED to have a huge number of pubs and 4 nightclubs due in part to the houndstone army camp. Sadly like many places, the pubs started to close and the high street suffered at the hands of amazon - this is the same up and down the country.
@@icedidi I think Yeovil first died when Kings Arms and all that closed down. Been away for about 15 years and come back to a complete deserted high street, and no more goths on the Beech lol
@@the_mad_ratter I remember trying the door to the kings one saturday afternoon just after closing (obviously before the all day drinking changes), the landlord had just bolted it. He saw me and my mate stood outside, having never been in there and he opened up and we joined the lock-in and got sh*t faced. The spiral stairs were a bit taxing!
I grew up in Yeovil. My Dad worked at Westlands. We lived on the outskirts so there was pretty countryside and lovely walks on our doorstep but I see from Google Earth that all of that has been built on now. The main shop was Denners and the library, cinema and swimming pool were well used. As I got older, Carnabys disco was the place to go along with some ok pubs. It was a meh place to grow up. We didn't have a car so as you say, we were stuck there. I left to train as a Nurse at St Thomas's Hospital in London so I spent hours on the Waterloo to Exeter St Davids train. I got married in St James, Preston Plucknet. I don't think I'll go back - just keep my nice memories.
Someone who thinks these places are boring, obviously has no imagination. I love Minehead, Clevedon, Burnham, Weston, Blue anchor, Watchet etc.
One thing I noticed is that the more 'new builds' in a town the worse it becomes. Regarding Yoevil football team, I seem to remember they had a famous sloping pitch.
They beat Arsenal on it back in the 70s
Absolutely brilliant analysis, visited this area many times over the years and couldn’t agree more’ Somerset to me was always a place I thought was picturesque and nice to live. Moved to Taunton 18 months ago and it’s a total Shit Hole, Whoever called Weston “SUPER”needs rehab! Bridgwater was a shit hole ten years ago’ not much has changed, it’s a coin flip whether it’s worse than Taunton now or better. Keep up the research 👍👊
I live in Clevedon, completely agree about Yatton and WSM
Im from Ireland and I Love Glastonbury I have visited over 12 times since 2017, its also a very important vortex energy spot and there are only about 17 of these places in the entire world! I Hope to visit again soon.
You should visit Wells next time you are in the area...
Now I want to know the other 16 places
One of my earliest memories is flying a Batman kite with my dad on the ‘beach’ on holiday at Weston Super Mare. That was 1982. I guess 40 years makes a big big difference. It was probably crap then but I was too young to realise it 😂.
Glastonbury festival turns one of the most beautiful and religious sites in Britain into a rubbish dump.
The weekend entertainment in Chard used to be driving to Ilminster and picking fights, of course Ilminster citizens would reciprocate. It’s said that all the people of Henson Park and Stringfellow Crescent are related
The term chav is suppose to of originated in Chatham, Kent. As chats the chavs. Medway is an utter hole
I live in Minehead and it is extremely rural. A bus journey to Taunton takes nearly 90mins. Minehead has no swimming pool. But what I will say that during the winter, it isn't full of drunks, that's during the summer. The shops have improved over the years but are still not perfect. Places like B&Q and Homebase refuse to deliver down here, as it is too far. This happens a lot. The only A&E is 26 miles away in Taunton but we have a minor injuries hospital. It has three supermarkets. Butlins is a place that locals either love or hate. The countryside is beautiful but the beach needs improvement and the seafront needs more tourist shops.
1:22 - this place is so backwards, even the donkeys walk backwards
Magic
Just found this channel and finding your vids interesting. Would love to see your take on my home county of Warwickshire!
Yeovil must something going for it, it has the world famous "School of one Upmanship"