Hanley was the place to go on a weekend to spend your pay packet, buy clothes, enjoy food, window shop browse records and buy concert tickets and enjoy the night life. The streets were literally buzzing with the sound of people. Heartbreaking to see it like this now.
Billy Moore, I really appreciate the effort you're putting into shedding light on such important social issues. This series is not only eye-opening but will no doubt serve as a valuable reference for future social studies on poverty and drug use in the UK. Keep up the great work-you're making a real impact!
Some of the best people I've met in life are on the streets.like that lady says near the end of the video, Everybody is only a paycheck away from possible homelessness.
@@lawrencemonaghan926They are more bothered about helping people from other countries than our own. It's similar to in the USA where due to hurricane, there's no money for the people but billions for foreigners and foreign countries. We all come last now in the West unfortunately until the masses wake up and realise the hands we've been dealt. I agree with what you say though about getting help. His channel is brilliant too.
The other pottery towns of Stoke are also like this, especially Burslem, Longton and Tunstall. They have so many traditional, once-beautiful old pre/Victorian buildings that are now rundown and derelict. From Kidsgrove in the north to Longton in the south, Stoke looks like Berlin after WW 2. And the local politicians are nowhere to be seen. Thanks for highlighting these issues, Billy. People need to see what's going on, cheers for that 🇬🇧 👍
Guy asks for the time and is denied in such a rude way, but she asks all day for money, ok then. I hope the good people of that town see this. She blames everyone and everyone except herself and is full of hate. If she doesn't take accountability, her future isn't great.
34 Yrs old and she looks 50. Loves monkey dust but moans when she's not given tea, milk n sugar in a hostel. Start taking responsibility for your own actions. Why is it always someone else's fault?
Until you have lived this life don't judge people,you don't know what trauma or what these poor people have to do to survive,people in glass house n aw that
It’s the same in all large towns. Ours is just the same. The councils are doing nothing to try and rejuvenate the town. I’m embarrassed at Britain The politicians and councils have ruined this country.
@@rachelmayes298the issue is that any town or city who has been predominantly Labour like Stoke has been vastly under funded by the Conservative government: FACT
Seems like the UK has NEVER paid SO much in tax and got SO little back in services. We have been in Austerity measures since 2010, to save money.... How's that working out for us as a nation? 🤔🤔🤔
It's working out well for other nations! Cause that's where the money's going! Propping up other economies, fighting other countries wars, and taking in other countries strays. Our governments past and present are a disgrace, just vermin praying on the weakest in society filling their own pockets and forgetting or ignoring our own. Scumbags the lot of them!
Doesn't help when we're paying about £120B a year in interest on a £2.6T debt and half the tax revenue of the country already goes on health, pension, social care. It's a fucked up mess.
It's funny we are kept being told we are broke, black holes in the finances, austerity.. Yet trillions for the banks, trillions on the wars, trillions on a shelved joint euro fighter program. Oh and each one one of those life jackets cost £350 each.
Wow. I live here. I've never seen a video quite manage to capture the utter *desolation* of this place, in such clarity. Beautiful work, truely. This is art.
That lady worked for/volunteered at an organisation that focused on giving teenagers some form of direction and belonging. Kids of all ethnicities and backgrounds. They did character building, confidence boosting, trips away - over the course of many months. I was one of those kids. A naughty 15 year old with zero direction or social network. She and two other mentors turned my life around. I can confidently pin point their involvement in my life as the time it started to improve. They gave me the confidence and support I desperately needed at that time. I still have the leaving card from her and the two others - positive, loving words. She quite literally changed my life. It’s a shame to see you on TH-cam along with these negative comments. The help needs repaying to you now - you’re a wonderful person. I would love to meet for a coffee to thank you. I’m a husband, father of three and a small business owner - and I know that is in part thanks to your help.
Wow, that was a hard watch. Living in stoke all my life, believe or not, Hanley was the place to be. Amazing shopping, bars, restaurants and some of the best clubs in the country through the 90s. Not many go to Hanley now, it doesn't feel safe anymore 😢
@kiabex78 . Exactly.!!! Is true the best night life . Never anything like this ....thats a massive downfall over the last 20 years. How can you bring the 5 towns back from this state!???
It's an absolute shit hole betrayed by the council, mainly Labour local councillors and the Government, both Labour and Conservative Vote Reform its the only way out for this constant betrayal by the 2 main parties Most MPs and councillors are guilty of treason in this country..........its that simple ......putting outside interests before your own people and country
All politicians are to blame for the state of our country. Someone did already comment, Where is the money going? Not on fixing our home,thats obvious.😢
@@PATRIOTICBRITAIN42 Do you not remember what started austerity??? It was the banks that fucked the country. They fucked it, destroyed our economy and still got massive bonuses. It wasn’t fucking Abdul down the street 😂
I am 70 years old and I have lived in Stoke on Trent all my life. I have not been to Hanley for over 15 years. Back then it was clean, busy and apart from the odd person asking for change, no drugs, no feeling of being threatened. My son has told me how bad it is, but watching your video it is so depressing, seeing what it has become. There is no hope for the place. The best thing about Hanley is leaving. Toxic to the Nth degree. ☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠ Thank you for an excellent video.
I couldnt get over it myself, ive just put on how nice it was 15-20 years ago, a great night out with almost zero trouble, its so sad what the country has become.
@@starwarsroo2448 It is not a case of looking through rose tinted glasses. I know what I remember. What are "rise tinted lenses"? I think that the drugs that you took have had the desired effect.
The woman who tried to nick your camera used to be a really nice person when she was sober. I said when she was sober... She had issues with cocaine a few years ago, but it looks as though her demons have got the better of her. The same could be said for Hanley. It was once a buzzing city centre before Stoke on Trent City Council allowed it to become a dumping ground for the dregs of society. A very realistic look at the reality of living in the depressing excuse for a city. Thanks for the video.
Steal from the country and talk shite all the time but year on year avoid delivering anything they promised. They’re paid fraudsters and professional liars.
I get that it's frustrating to see things go downhill, but constant criticism doesn't really help. Sometimes, we have to accept what we can't change and focus on what we can. Change starts with us, and we all have the power to influence the people around us in a positive way. Let's focus on making a difference in our own way, instead of just pointing fingers.
@@Neontrifle I’m out in my community helping without question. Don’t tell me not to expect high standards from those who are taking very nice salaries supposedly serving us tax paying citizens. We let too many go under the radar already, look around our cities bro, Telford, Rotherham, Bradford, Luton, Liverpool, Blackburn, Birmingham the list goes on, they are not thriving. people like you think we should just accept poor local government ? Sorry I get the sentiment but first in my opinion we have to deal with the parasites, in government, in the community and in the establishment.
I used to work for a company based in stoke, F.G.Chambers, suppliers to kitchen & bedroom manufacturers and wholesalers to the big sheds like Homebase and B&Q. Stoke was a wicked place with great people, great night life and it was booming. Now it's all gone, the company that had over £20 million turnover gone, the night life gone, good people have moved away and it's just another failing city. It's the same with a lot of cities, crime has taken over, shops that shut never reopen unless it becomes a charity shop and our governments have allowed this all in the name of diversity and cultural enrichment bullshitery that hasn't and won't work. What a disgrace and the governments past and present are to blame for the deliberate destruction of British culture to make way for islam.
The mess is due entirely to our governments since 1979 prioritizing the pockets of the tax criminals offshore than the health, safety and welfare of the people, which in a democracy ought to be governments main priority.
I’m from stoke and live 15 minutes away from Hanley. So so sad to see what’s happened. Honestly it used to be a good night out, loads of bars and clubs, always busy and surrounded by good people. The rapid decline is unbelievable. Hard hitting watching this but again a brilliant video billy 👍🏻
I remember Hanley when you’d go for a treat…..to get a best coat, school uniform, fitted for shoes etc. Lots of independent shops as well as the usual stores. Lots of night clubs later on. I’m so sad to see it now 😢. I keep away, like most people …….
Wow , my home town , I lived in Stoke for 20 odd years from birth , I live in Bristol now but when I was a kid that place was booming with people. So sad to see Stoke like this now , I used to love going Hanley on a weekend with my old man , going to all the shops and going to local pub for a meal , I will always love Stoke !!
I agree, I had some wicked nights up Hanley in the late 2000s, loved spending me Christmas money in the shops.... Now I cling to my handbag and hold my breath if I have to go there for anything 😂
These videos are a very important view into the problems real people are experiencing every day in Britain. Well done for documenting it. I really hope some day sooner rather than later, society will look back in disbelief. Excellent work again Billy.
Stroke in tent . Its so bloody sad to see what is happening to the these once industrial powerhouses of Britain. These were once such a proud self sufficient people but now they are being eradicated by the powers in government. Regain your self respect. Thanks for showing this.
True words. The next step down the dark path is meeting a pusher. A pusher is far more dangerous than a dealer, because they seek out the vulnerable and introduce them to new drugs by means of freebies and discounts. Ever been in a social gathering where a complete stranger offers you a smoke or a sniff? 🤔
I would say that the UK is now well on its way to becoming a Third World nation. Meanwhile the wife of Starmer tries on new free dresses and he takes a look through his £2000 glasses.
Genuine question how can you blame starmer for the state of the country when he has been in power a few months? The Tories have ruined this country over the last 14 years
@abbotsford85 The Tories inherited this from the previous Labour government. The left wing destroy everything. That template is there to see across the western world.
You get the vibe off birds like her they are alpha and need a alpha fella to put it on them I don’t mean sexually or physically by emotionally and mentally, maybe the idea your physically but I’ve met birds who act like that and you gotta chip at them but not when they are ale’d or sniffed up
As a survivor of SA i never judge anyone with an addiction. You don't know what someone may have gone through in life. I was offered drugs in care but always said no. Seeing this im thankful for my beautiful home. It could have ended so differently. If you are having a down day just look at how these people are living and be thankful for all you have.
I am real happy you took the time to make and post this. I live here and walk past these poor souls every day without knowing their story. Well done mate, great job.
Thank you. Somebody needed to do this. Our wonderful progressive minded Council 🙄 should be made to watch this and feel as embarrassed as I did. It’s my birthplace, and I will always be proud to say that. However, I'm totally and utterly ashamed of what it has become.
@@Janet-o7p - Gullis should have looked at the state of Tunstall high street whenever he was at his HQ and seen how it deteriorated so much in the 14 years that his party were in power. He couldn't have cared less. 😡🤬
Its heartbreaking seeing so much addiction going on, i have my own battle of addiction to deal with fortunately its not a heavy one, whats breaking my heart is seeing so many of my country men & women fallen The great replacement is in full swing
The potteries, part of our British culture and it's just lost and forgotten about. Like many towns long and wide. I'm a manc from wythenshawe. Once the biggest housing estate in Europe. Now it's actually not that bad, well not from my view. As billy shows the world, the citys are absolutely fooked. We have a top lad like Bill showing it how it is then. Pricks like CV who run and abuse and have zero understanding for these poor folks.. Keep it up billy, your doing good work mate..
Funny enough I'm a Stokey but my dad was from Wythenshawe, Leycett Drive. And you're right, Wythenshawe has cleaned up from its worst days, even Moss Side is so much better than it was. Stoke is a shit hole.
@@johnhamilton8268 copied from Wikipedia. "Wythenshawe (/ˈwɪðənʃɔː/) is an area of south Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire,[1] in 1931, Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a large new housing estate there in the 1920s. With an area of approximately 11 square miles (28 km2), Wythenshawe became the largest council estate in Europe.[2][3][4]" I'll just wait here ar kid for you to admit your wrong....
@@johnhamilton8268 and the thing with myself saying it was the biggest, was in relation to the fact it was quite rough, and some areas are. Where my folks came from, is Benchill.. Haverly circle was a literal no go area for the police in the late 80s early 90s . Part of so called gunchester. But the place does not define the man, we all have a past and history, but I changed my ways a became a bit of a better person, because I became a parent. But I've been down a wrong path, and I think that one wrong decision, and anyone can be sat in a doorway somewhere. That's why I don't judge others , and if I see someone homeless, I like to buy them at the least a sandwich. That's all I was saying...
@@johnhamilton8268 Wythenshawe (/ˈwɪðənʃɔː/) is an area of south Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire,[1] in 1931, Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a large new housing estate there in the 1920s. With an area of approximately 11 square miles (28 km2), Wythenshawe became the largest council estate in Europe.[2][3][4]
I came back home after 20 years overseas in Nov 23 , I bought a house , I’m now selling it and returning , it’s disgusting how the governments have allowed this to happen , this is very very sad , I really feel for these people , especially when if your an illegal you get everything !! What ever happen to charity beginning at home , I’m ashamed to call myself British 🙁🙁 keep up the good work reporting on this , someone need too !!
@@JohnFletcher-hz1mp hi friend , honestly don’t do it ! Not yet anyway , its far worse than what you see on the TV , hopefully I be gone in the next month back to the South Island of NZ , I don’t think il ever want to return here .
The Lincolnshire countryside is as beautiful as it ever has been. The fields are probably full of illegals working but the jobs need doing and without them the work wouldn't be getting done. City's are the problem, in most countries I have visited in the world they are overpopulated, overpriced and full of people who either didn't come here for work or don't want it.
@@tama-4225 yes the field work would still be done without them. The reason why the ladys and gents of The UK don't want to do it is due to migrant workers doing the work for a lot less than what we have done for decades. They live 5 to a room,we don't. They have crashed the economy. Now added to that the undocumented folk are invading on a daily basis further draining limited resources. I live overseas,I have never held my handout to anyone. Least of all expected anything. The UK was booming until the borders came down.
I'm from Stoke mate, almost brings a tear to my eye to see what it's become. As a kid back in the 90's, Hanley was fantastic! There wasn't a single building closed. The Government have ruined this country and need to be held accountable.
It’s gonna take a Century to sort this once great Country out, you can’t expect massive cuts to vital services and think it’ll be ok. It’s a disgrace. Politicians lining their pockets and not one, not one has come up with a viable answer to get this Country back on its feet. We are deep in the Abyss and can’t get out, turning against each other instead of turning against the very people who have caused and still cause the Country & it’s Citizens to gradually fade into a life of poverty, depression, desolation & despair.
Wow ‘ ur fkg spot on ‘ I used to think we may be ok ‘ but that was 25 years ago. I live in Maidstone Kent . Was lovely little town ‘ lov it as a kid ish . Now I have panic attacks before I go to town’ u can’t even get a fag out’ there in ya . Heart breaking 🙏🇬🇧😜Jh.
Lov ur videos ‘ all towns are like this now ‘ so glad I’m clean was on h’ for Neely 20 years 7 years clean now. All this weird stuff that thay take now wtf . Have u seem lost in phoenix or any other stuff’ what’s going to happen to us if this carrying on we gonna be fkd . Gonna be mad max out here . 🇬🇧🤮Jh🤪
Hiya Billy, I drop a comment on here from time to time. You're doing great work mate. But sometimes I wonder how you manage to keep going with this. Some of the people and their situations are heart breaking. I've done a lot of community work in my time in the south end of Liverpool. Speaking from experience, I know how important it is to take time out to reflect, process, recover and, if need be, heal from these experiences you are regularly being exposed to. Take good care, mate and kindest regards, brother.
Hi Billy another great video, Ime about same age as you grown up and still live in stoke. Most local people avoid Hanley for fear of been robbed attacked etc most of the little towns that make SOT are as run down and troubled to. Its heartbreaking seen the decline and all the desperate people. Keep up the good work Billy and Thank You
As always a great video highlighting the plight of the suffering. Childhood trauma can have such hideous consequences. Saddening reality of lost souls.
when I was young all that area was standing room only with shoppers you had to hold to people you were with or you'd not see them again for 20 minutes there were so many people, when I hit my teens and 20's the night scene was awesome, you could have 1 drink per bar and not be done in a week, shocking how bad it is now, day or night, but it's all by design, these town centers will become high density residential smart cities
wow billy cauld not take my eyes of this and i listend to every word. Its a Cruel country we live in now and theres no excuse from the Goverment. and i wish all the PEOPLE how you interviewed all the love and Luck in the world, including your camera hugger, been there mate many a time.
Disgusting that we are the 6th wealthiest country in the World with towns that would look at home in 3rd World Countries. Tells you how much MPs and the wealthy are stealing from us.
You wouldn’t believe how nice Hanley used to be in the 1990’s and 2000’s. Scrolling back on the timeline on Google Street view on Trinity Street is eye opening; it went from being the hub of nightlife in North Staffs to absolute hovel within 10 years. It’s a crying shame to see it how it is now, glad I have the memories of the place from when I was younger.
The police/council are massively to blame for the lack of a nighttime economy. Neither of these institutions wanted the hassle so they did everything in their power to shut clubs/make the area anti late night business.
This is so sad,I grew up near Longton,Hanley was the place to be for shopping/nightlife in the 80’s & 90’s,my parents worked at Royal Doulton & John Lewis with the ‘spikey man’ outside! I haven’t been to Stoke on Trent for years or ‘Smoke on Stench’ as it was called.Glad I gave my family a better future away from there.
A crying shame...70 years of a Labour corrupt council. The City is fucked. The city centre used to be buzzing 30 years ago. . .but I guess everywhere in England is the same now. Heartbreaking
I used to go to Shelly's night club back in the and to be fair Stoke was a bit of a dump back then but now its off the scales. Great people just sad to see it like this! Thanks for the video Bill.
The woman at the end was right, some of the people on the streets are the kindest people you will meet just because they are in a bad position doesn't make them bad people.
@@EmuGamesMaster that doesn't surprise me, they'd stab you up over the spit in the bottom of a can, when I was homeless i saw some absolutely terrible stuff, shit u wouldn't believe.
Yeah they are. They don’t set out to get in that state. I know I never did but luckily I was never homeless. There’s some absolute robbing cunt scumbags out there too. Charlie Veitch could do with talking to someone who had a good life , perhaps lost their job, house, partner and so on and are now on the bones of their arse. He presumes all drug addicts are utter scum.
There's good and bad everywhere I suppose. My perspective was because the people on the street are struggling themselves they understand others problems and have more empathy because they've been in the same position... But you are right there is some real scumbags as well who'd sell their nan for a fiver deal.
I’m from Stoke and live in town in Liverpool. Don’t get me wrong Liverpool has a huge homeless problem, drug issues and I’ve had people shooting up in the doorway of my city centre flat! But Liverpool has more going for it. But then my dad said Liverpool used to be an absolute dump in the 70s when he visited so roles have reversed I guess. Coming back to Stoke from Liverpool is light night and day. It’s like stepping back in time or going to some 3rd world country. There’s nice areas in Stoke, but the people who live in those nice areas certainly don’t spend their money in Stoke. They’re all out in Manchester/Liverpool. Stoke has just been on a downward spiral of managed decline for decades
Wtf is happening to our country. These places have always been there in the odd run down area but now it is the norm to see such dereliction in our towns and cities. I don't know how (or even if) we can come back from such a mess. Sad days. Thanks Billy more highlighting the issues we face.
Err most of them like the first lady had a chance but continued to break the rules. Trust me most of those people have been given more than the working class but always chose a good time and drama.
@@EmuGamesMaster Not all but alot,ive been homeless then went through the hostel system,i know people who were homeless got a hostel then left and chose to go back on the streets
Look what happened to the US, we will be like that soon. Just wait until the politicians and government officials start allowing fentanyl or worse into our streets eventually, because that’s what happens in America
I knew her (Camille). I went to primary and secondary school with her and got on with her. She mixed with the wrong people after school and has experienced some bad shit. Sad to see what she's become.
I knew that was her. (Girl with orange hair ) I used to know her in her 20s and she was beautiful. Could tell she’d had a troubled life but there’s an anger to her now that suggests it got a lot worse. Such a shame .
Please don’t judge this city on how we’re doing at the minute. It was once a bustling, thriving Mecca of pottery industry, education, nightlife and community. We’ve got a lot of problems but we’ve got so many good good people doing some great things. ❤️
The dust heads are why the town centre is empty, you go shopping and all these are hounding you for money. Some people are scared some people are sick of it. It was a shame to see a few familiar faces lost to the dust too. Everyone just orders online to avoid them and this is why the area is empty
All this poverty porn or whatever best describes it shocks us all, but it really shouldnt. How many butchers, bakers, greengrocers, and other stores are replaced by a single tesco or asda? High streets in america are as dead as in the UK, more so probably. But in terms of square footage, there is more retail space than ever, its just out of town. I imagine the same is true in England. I live in an outer suburb in a town not dissimilar to Stoke. In 5 years, within a mile or so of me two new lidls, two new aldis & three new McDonalds have opened (along with a number of gaudy looking american junk food chains) while the town centre has continued to empty out. If we shop at the supermarkets, we are all to blame for the desolation of the town centres (not helped by parking charges, admittedly) Most English towns have always looked grubby. Whats difference now, or the last decade or so, is the state of the people. In the 1990s or early 2000s people still looked normal. Nowadays must the public in town centres all seem to be obese, skinny smackheads, or the new people we arent supposed to talk about.
Billy if you ever come back to Stoke arrange a meeting with Lou Macari , who runs the local centre for homeless people, and i am sure it will be very interesting. Look forward to seeing you back in Stoke hopefully having a chat with Lou .
If Billy ever comes back to Stoke On Trent (The Potteries) again, I hope he gives Hanley (Stoke's City Centre) and Stoke town itself (the town which should have been made the city centre) a complete miss. He needs to give Burslem (the Mother Town) a visit. He'll be even more shocked, especially if he wanders over the border to Tunstall Town.
@StepheeJay16 at least Biddulph doesn't look as run down as this yet. But I've herd about that dust hitting Biddulph. But I live in the uplands so don't go to the town often.
It’s actually sad to see all the shops boarded up it’s like a forgotten town 25 years ago it was full of life at Xmas a department store called Lewis’s had the most amazing window displays. I always wonder why is dust just in stoke? Like it’s been there years but never made its way into other towns? There is so many people that need support I hope they find their way
Keep the videos coming, Billy. It is important that people from outside the UK see the UK for what it truely is. I remember being in Haley back in the mid-80s and it was rough then (but at least places were active). Now it looks like a Specials video. Terrible state of affairs.
Thank you for making this video, the dust epidemic is spreading through Stoke as a whole. I live about 5 miles from the centre and seen people absolutely off their lids just like the first girl explained. It’s a crying shame to see what it’s turned into, especially Hanley. It had such a good atmosphere and brilliant club scene for all sorts to enjoy. It’s always had its problems but now I think it’s gone too far. Another failure of the system.
The editing of this video is good! Highlighting issues we know about anyway, things we pass on a daily basis. Is he doing anything positive behind the scenes for the vulnerable that he uses for content, not just eyeballing his pop up bubbles 24/7? I'm pretty sure TH-cam pays to content creators with many views and comments, yet there are comments making him out to be some 'Power of the People'. Showing snippets of recording with little to no context as to what's actually going on (an empty street...amazing, a police car that happened to be there whilst he had his camera on him...ace, a lady putting her make up on whilst sitting on a bench, yet including her on this type of video...is she homeless? Is she poor? Is she just taking a rest? Showing off her make up skills? Maybe she is AWOL from her family? Who knows what he is trying to infer? And who knows the context of why she is there? Same goes for every other person who hasn't actually given a full description of the reasons for them being there that day. What a tool this attention seeking 'man' is. Open your minds peeps). One of the main 'such a shame' I can see here is that there are people in these videos who have hopes and dreams, want to cut the cycle, or might want to do that in future. Once they do, there will be things like this evidencing their lows, creating barriers that slow (or even stop) their progression into stability. Let's keep them where they are though, we can use them for content next time 🤦♀️. Sending love to those in the video, especially Lyrical Genius lady, (actually a lovely person, with a lot of people rooting for her atm ❤).
Absolutely depressing , Stoke used to be an amazing night out in the 90s. No coincidence you move in the 3rd world and it will start to look like the 3rd world. I visit many Towns and Cities and they are all going the same way.
@kiewong4870 Yeah spot on , tbf the net has ruined dating , people meeting and as you say shops and pubs. No buisness no money , the premises still have to pay all the rates etc. Government wanted this all along. China and it's plastic and steel crap taking over.
Moved here in 2006 and most clubs pubs were still rocking but even back then the big shops were leaving Hanley for the industrial estate shopping areas. Now it’s like another world literally
Crazy mate I’ve lived here all my life , one time the place was booming night life shops everything,people travelling for night out but now it’s gone nothing left.
Thanks for the visit Billy, the lady explained very well what goes on in the hostels in Stoke, with dust going for about £2.50 a hit, the hostel is full of folk wanting to take advantage of the most vulnerable and "befriend" them with loaning a roll up but on pay back day, they take everything. This was the experience of a close friend of mine last year who moved out to live a "safer" life on the streets! I was personally very lucky to get into a rehab called the O'connor Centre, an 18 week in house program based loosely around the 12 Steps. I learned that I had so much to learn in there, and went on to both AA and NA meetings, staying with the NA as other I'd deeply dabbled with other substances and realised that there is no difference, alcohol is a drug just as much as crack at the end of the day! That was 2010, just as the dust first began to hit the streets of Stoke. Since then, the rehab that saved my life has shut down due to "lack of funding" and the City Centre of Hanley has been left to rot. After seeing many of your videos, this video of my home town looks like the worse example that you've yet to find of a City that's been left to rot. Just the sort of place that a small boat or 20's worth can be squirreled away into the housing that our own homeless "don't fit the criteria" to be housed... 😢
I've lived in Stoke-on-Trent almost all my life, some years were spent in the Army it was the best years of my life !!! Now Stoke-on-Trent is a "Shit Hole" because sadly its a Immigrants council why people voted for them is beyond me but we've loads of immigrants here maybe thats the reson ?? People "USED TO" come here from all over the country for the night life we use to have all the best night clubs and shows, now because of the council all have closed down 🥴😭🤬🤬
It didn’t seem like any of the people he interviewed were immigrants. They all said they were from Stoke. You’re angry at the wrong people. Stop demonising the small minority of people who are fleeing danger and demonise the corrupt people who have the power to change things, but choose not to because it doesn’t affect them.
I havent been subscribed long but I enjoy your vids thanks for highlighting real life and the people's lights keep doing what your doing big respect billy
If only people didn’t get into these addictions in the first place and if governments and councils did their jobs and communities stuck together and helped it would be a wonderful world to live in
@@Gilly9244why are the council's letting these high rise blocks go to waste. Watched a program about family's being homeless in Manchester some years ago. The was tower blocks own by council's just left empty. A developer who was self made millionaire could not believe the council's were paying to house family's in b+bs when thay could of refurbished the blocks with the money thay was spending on b+bs. Rent them out to the family's. Money from the rents go to fund more builds. Thay just waste money. Thay could probably get grants to fund the refurb. Developer's will end up with them put the money into them charge high rents. In some place's the council's have sold there office buildings to the highest bidder and turned into luxury apartments.
04:40 not being funny but the only time during her interview where she actually smiles is when she's talking about how scatty and off it she's been, yeah i feel for her because of the situation she is in but i feel she could have a better life if she really wanted to.. I think all she wants is "a ten pound bag"
I agree with you but I think it can be misleading to observe . They get so deep into that life , the only thing which gives them any peace is that escapism . I'm not making excuses but it's impossible to understand if you haven't been through it
@@20FreeWill Observing is one thing but i have been homeless and on the streets myself, personally i was too embarrassed to be seen in the town (probably because i was homeless within my local and small area) i would sleep in the cemetery and spend a lot of my time sat at bus stops and talking to people, i felt that if im in a bus stop people will just assume im waiting for a bus and not that i had nowhere to go (ironic) i was lucky that i was able to get help from family and didnt spend years of my life like many of these are.. Still, carry the scars of those times all the same
Respect the work billy.I’m an addict and 30 years deep at this point and although my habit isn’t massive I believe that I’m gunna be a lifer on this.I’ve done 2 withdrawals,1 from H and 1 from methadone and at 50 years old I just can’t do it again.
Sorry to hear this. You sound like you have it within you. I hope one day you can find the inner peace and strength to live a different kind of life ❤ Good luck ❤
Same mate 34 years addiction too opiates, I still have a dabble or a blowout, but I have come to terms that's me until I die, it's all I've known every single day for those 34 years, and I'll be honest it scares me to death, I've taken some kind of drug for forty years, I'm 51 now, it's all I've known like a life sentence. 👌💯, thanks for your comment, we're in it together mate.
I lived in Hanley from 18 to 26 at the bottom on Bucknall New Road just down from where you were. The town had its problems like most but the night life was fantastic, decent shopping experience and it was generally fine. I've not walked around Hanley in 12 years only visiting the museum and retail park on occasion and seeing this video is heartbreaking. I've heard about the dust problem but didn't realise it was that bad. So many boarded up buildings, Revs and Chicago gone, pretty much everything outside the centre which I believe is also empty. The council have failed the people badly. Great video mate but I wish I'd not watched it now 😅
Stoke has always had a weird vibe about it, have met some nice people from there but never liked the city itself. It is sad to see so much suffering and no real help offered.
Absolutely breaks my heart seeing how bad the UK has become!! I live in Cardiff and it's exactly the same. Loving your Videos/ Blogs. Keep them coming. 💜💫
My god seeing my home town on a video like this makes me so very very sad . How have the council allowed it to get like this . The authorities should be downright ashamed Hanley is a disgrace
Excellent content. Keep up the good work Billy. We used to go Hanley (up Anley duck) back in 1998, I was 18 then, It used to be heaving with people, bars and clubs. The night scene used to be really good up there. Sadly the kids today don’t drink as much, so everywhere has declined. The local council fucked it up removing lovely old buildings with concrete tower blocks and buildings over the years. Lots of immigrants moved in and knife crime went up. Sadly it also declined from the pottery business going to other countries. Downwards spiral of shite unfortunately, can’t see it ever recovering.
Hanley was the place to go on a weekend to spend your pay packet, buy clothes, enjoy food, window shop browse records and buy concert tickets and enjoy the night life. The streets were literally buzzing with the sound of people.
Heartbreaking to see it like this now.
All done online now!
35 years ago Hanly was the place to go.....many nightclubs and bars...good old days and now its a total dump
A good night in the Black Horse and Star.
BUZZIN WITH JUNKIES NOW
@@therealrobertbirchall
Yes, I remember them well.
Drinking Olde English cider.
Happy days .
Billy Moore, I really appreciate the effort you're putting into shedding light on such important social issues. This series is not only eye-opening but will no doubt serve as a valuable reference for future social studies on poverty and drug use in the UK. Keep up the great work-you're making a real impact!
Couldn't put it better mate, just found his page so I've subscribed, let's hope they get the help they need, slim, but we live in hope 😔
Eye opening… were have you been living
Some of the best people I've met in life are on the streets.like that lady says near the end of the video, Everybody is only a paycheck away from possible homelessness.
@@lawrencemonaghan926They are more bothered about helping people from other countries than our own. It's similar to in the USA where due to hurricane, there's no money for the people but billions for foreigners and foreign countries. We all come last now in the West unfortunately until the masses wake up and realise the hands we've been dealt. I agree with what you say though about getting help. His channel is brilliant too.
@@GAZ87YORKSHIRESALT yeah if you come over on a dinghy or marry a cousin from Pakistan you get preferential treatment
The other pottery towns of Stoke are also like this, especially Burslem, Longton and Tunstall.
They have so many traditional, once-beautiful old pre/Victorian buildings that are now rundown
and derelict. From Kidsgrove in the north to Longton in the south, Stoke looks like Berlin after WW 2.
And the local politicians are nowhere to be seen.
Thanks for highlighting these issues, Billy. People need to see what's going on, cheers for that 🇬🇧 👍
That bird in the beginning doesn't wanna quit the dust. She spoke about it with too much joy and excitement. Great vid as usual, Billy.
I know. Her eyes lit up talking about it. No wonder she lost her kids, poor buggers.
its something dust users say daily, they have all been clean for atleast 1 month, but 1 day could seem like a month to them!
Yeah and tax payers are paying for this crap
Guy asks for the time and is denied in such a rude way, but she asks all day for money, ok then. I hope the good people of that town see this. She blames everyone and everyone except herself and is full of hate. If she doesn't take accountability, her future isn't great.
34 Yrs old and she looks 50. Loves monkey dust but moans when she's not given tea, milk n sugar in a hostel. Start taking responsibility for your own actions. Why is it always someone else's fault?
Is right! She buys her own shit so she should buy her own brewing supplies.
Until you have lived this life don't judge people,you don't know what trauma or what these poor people have to do to survive,people in glass house n aw that
Narcarcissim
Imagine having children and living next door to them. No thanks
@@RoryLaird-tc6xp been there, worn the t-shirt! Still had a choice how to behave. Don't tell me what I can and can't say. You have no idea
Welcome to the UK 2024 .this country is fucked I'm afraid its sad
Glad I dnt have long 2 go a never had kids in this trampy country
Sadly it's the same plan by your owners for the whole world.
People of Stoke are the loveliest part. Its not their fault the place has been left to rot🫠😫😫😫😫
It’s the same in all large towns. Ours is just the same.
The councils are doing nothing to try and rejuvenate the town.
I’m embarrassed at Britain
The politicians and councils have ruined this country.
@@rachelmayes298the issue is that any town or city who has been predominantly Labour like Stoke has been vastly under funded by the Conservative government: FACT
Seems like the UK has NEVER paid SO much in tax and got SO little back in services.
We have been in Austerity measures since 2010, to save money....
How's that working out for us as a nation? 🤔🤔🤔
It's working out well for other nations! Cause that's where the money's going! Propping up other economies, fighting other countries wars, and taking in other countries strays. Our governments past and present are a disgrace, just vermin praying on the weakest in society filling their own pockets and forgetting or ignoring our own. Scumbags the lot of them!
Doesn't help when we're paying about £120B a year in interest on a £2.6T debt and half the tax revenue of the country already goes on health, pension, social care. It's a fucked up mess.
It's funny we are kept being told we are broke, black holes in the finances, austerity.. Yet trillions for the banks, trillions on the wars, trillions on a shelved joint euro fighter program. Oh and each one one of those life jackets cost £350 each.
@@BennyMcGibbon well observed
And theose responsible for the mess are living it large on their yachts in the sunshine.
Seems like most of the uk is turning into a rundown dump 😔
Let the third world in, become the third world
Deliberately. It's near a tipping point.
I know mate ?!
Planned
@@ianharley1726juden
Wow. I live here. I've never seen a video quite manage to capture the utter *desolation* of this place, in such clarity.
Beautiful work, truely. This is art.
That lady worked for/volunteered at an organisation that focused on giving teenagers some form of direction and belonging. Kids of all ethnicities and backgrounds. They did character building, confidence boosting, trips away - over the course of many months.
I was one of those kids. A naughty 15 year old with zero direction or social network. She and two other mentors turned my life around. I can confidently pin point their involvement in my life as the time it started to improve.
They gave me the confidence and support I desperately needed at that time. I still have the leaving card from her and the two others - positive, loving words.
She quite literally changed my life. It’s a shame to see you on TH-cam along with these negative comments. The help needs repaying to you now - you’re a wonderful person.
I would love to meet for a coffee to thank you. I’m a husband, father of three and a small business owner - and I know that is in part thanks to your help.
Wow, that was a hard watch. Living in stoke all my life, believe or not, Hanley was the place to be. Amazing shopping, bars, restaurants and some of the best clubs in the country through the 90s. Not many go to Hanley now, it doesn't feel safe anymore 😢
Very sad to see how it's gone
@@hermitageboy incredibly sad 😔
Yes it was best night life, we used to travel from market Drayton for a night out. Drugs!!!
@@terry3494 shellys, club kinetic or Golden? 😆
@kiabex78 . Exactly.!!! Is true the best night life . Never anything like this ....thats a massive downfall over the last 20 years. How can you bring the 5 towns back from this state!???
I must say as a resident from Stoke this video was not a true reflection of what it’s like……. It’s much worse.
Changed in 19years wow
It's an absolute shit hole betrayed by the council, mainly Labour local councillors and the Government, both Labour and Conservative
Vote Reform its the only way out for this constant betrayal by the 2 main parties
Most MPs and councillors are guilty of treason in this country..........its that simple ......putting outside interests before your own people and country
All 6 towns are the same as well as Newcastle under Lyme our city has gone to shit duck cus of greedy government's
And it is
ppp
😅
All politicians are to blame for the state of our country.
Someone did already comment,
Where is the money going?
Not on fixing our home,thats obvious.😢
See them leaders in Labour councils, sending it 'home'
Can't believe how many properties are empty and run down, the system is so wrong
Our industry and export business has gone tits up This leads to societal moral decline. Mass immigration has thrived in this chaos.
The money is going go the immigrants.
@@PATRIOTICBRITAIN42 Do you not remember what started austerity??? It was the banks that fucked the country. They fucked it, destroyed our economy and still got massive bonuses. It wasn’t fucking Abdul down the street 😂
I am 70 years old and I have lived in Stoke on Trent all my life. I have not been to Hanley for over 15 years.
Back then it was clean, busy and apart from the odd person asking for change, no drugs, no feeling of being threatened.
My son has told me how bad it is, but watching your video it is so depressing, seeing what it has become.
There is no hope for the place. The best thing about Hanley is leaving.
Toxic to the Nth degree. ☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠
Thank you for an excellent video.
I couldnt get over it myself, ive just put on how nice it was 15-20 years ago, a great night out with almost zero trouble, its so sad what the country has become.
I agree with you
Looking at the past with rise tinted lenses, it's nowhere near as bad as now, but there's always been drugs up there, I know because I took em😂
@@starwarsroo2448
It is not a case of looking through rose tinted glasses. I know what I remember.
What are "rise tinted lenses"?
I think that the drugs that you took have had the desired effect.
This video needs posting to all the sot councillors and the Government. It’s disgusting how they’ve let Hanley rot like this.
@@mickwilliams3195 not juat Hanley Mick. They've let the whole country turn to shit .
@mickwilias3195 why??? What do you think would be done? Ill tell you NOTHING!!!!
The government are in their pockets
The government already know .
The government and local councils only look after places where there's money. The rest of us are all part of some social experiment.
The woman who tried to nick your camera used to be a really nice person when she was sober. I said when she was sober... She had issues with cocaine a few years ago, but it looks as though her demons have got the better of her.
The same could be said for Hanley. It was once a buzzing city centre before Stoke on Trent City Council allowed it to become a dumping ground for the dregs of society. A very realistic look at the reality of living in the depressing excuse for a city.
Thanks for the video.
What do councillors, mayors and city officials actually do.
Someone should be accountable, our cities are worse than third world dumps 😡
Make a nice living from taxes.
Steal from the country and talk shite all the time but year on year avoid delivering anything they promised. They’re paid fraudsters and professional liars.
Corrupted all 😂😂😂😂
I get that it's frustrating to see things go downhill, but constant criticism doesn't really help. Sometimes, we have to accept what we can't change and focus on what we can. Change starts with us, and we all have the power to influence the people around us in a positive way. Let's focus on making a difference in our own way, instead of just pointing fingers.
@@Neontrifle I’m out in my community helping without question. Don’t tell me not to expect high standards from those who are taking very nice salaries supposedly serving us tax paying citizens.
We let too many go under the radar already, look around our cities bro, Telford, Rotherham, Bradford, Luton, Liverpool, Blackburn, Birmingham the list goes on, they are not thriving. people like you think we should just accept poor local government ?
Sorry I get the sentiment but first in my opinion we have to deal with the parasites, in government, in the community and in the establishment.
I spent my teenage years & 20’s in Hanley. It makes me very depressed & sad to see the state of this once thriving town.
Aaah remember The Void?
Once they choose drugs over their children. They have sold their solds to the devil. God bless them all.
I used to work for a company based in stoke, F.G.Chambers, suppliers to kitchen & bedroom manufacturers and wholesalers to the big sheds like Homebase and B&Q. Stoke was a wicked place with great people, great night life and it was booming. Now it's all gone, the company that had over £20 million turnover gone, the night life gone, good people have moved away and it's just another failing city. It's the same with a lot of cities, crime has taken over, shops that shut never reopen unless it becomes a charity shop and our governments have allowed this all in the name of diversity and cultural enrichment bullshitery that hasn't and won't work. What a disgrace and the governments past and present are to blame for the deliberate destruction of British culture to make way for islam.
The mess is due entirely to our governments since 1979 prioritizing the pockets of the tax criminals offshore than the health, safety and welfare of the people, which in a democracy ought to be governments main priority.
😂😂😂 always someone’s else’s fault
Chambers. Eutreuria Street. I went for an interview there. Huge place. Not heard that name for a long time.
I’m from stoke and live 15 minutes away from Hanley. So so sad to see what’s happened. Honestly it used to be a good night out, loads of bars and clubs, always busy and surrounded by good people. The rapid decline is unbelievable. Hard hitting watching this but again a brilliant video billy 👍🏻
I remember Hanley when you’d go for a treat…..to get a best coat, school uniform, fitted for shoes etc. Lots of independent shops as well as the usual stores. Lots of night clubs later on. I’m so sad to see it now 😢. I keep away, like most people …….
The sad thought is that these places will never recover. I used to love Hanley in the mid 80's, a lovely shopping town. That video shocked me.
It makes me feel so sad for these people on the streets thank you, Billy 👍👏👏👏👏
Wow , my home town , I lived in Stoke for 20 odd years from birth , I live in Bristol now but when I was a kid that place was booming with people. So sad to see Stoke like this now , I used to love going Hanley on a weekend with my old man , going to all the shops and going to local pub for a meal , I will always love Stoke !!
Hanley was a decent place 30 years ago. Wouldn't go there now, you can see what its like.
70,s till the 90,s fantastic night out now look at it. No police to be out at night, council couldn't give a toss.
@@alanwatkiss7993 Why would they? The council are a business, to line their own pockets.
@@alanwatkiss7993even up untill about 2010ish it was booming
I agree, I had some wicked nights up Hanley in the late 2000s, loved spending me Christmas money in the shops.... Now I cling to my handbag and hold my breath if I have to go there for anything 😂
Thank you for shedding some light on the dire state of my home town big lad, it wasn’t always this bad but the fall was rapid
These videos are a very important view into the problems real people are experiencing every day in Britain. Well done for documenting it. I really hope some day sooner rather than later, society will look back in disbelief.
Excellent work again Billy.
Stroke in tent . Its so bloody sad to see what is happening to the these once industrial powerhouses of Britain. These were once such a proud self sufficient people but now they are being eradicated by the powers in government. Regain your self respect. Thanks for showing this.
Looks like Philadelphia in the USA 😢 .You are a very brave man. Thanks for your courage to let us see what is really going on in our country .
I said exactly the same on one of his other videos.
We are one step from open air drug markets and syringes full of death.
Trauma is the gateway drug more often than not,saddens me deeply,ex addict myself
@@ianhunkin5384
Wow, there's so much truth in that, "Trauma is the gateway drug"...
Good Shout.👍
Very true 👍
Trauma and also a lack of connection
Yeah that makes sense. Lots of childhood trauma.
True words. The next step down the dark path is meeting a pusher. A pusher is far more dangerous than a dealer, because they seek out the vulnerable and introduce them to new drugs by means of freebies and discounts.
Ever been in a social gathering where a complete stranger offers you a smoke or a sniff? 🤔
I would say that the UK is now well on its way to becoming a Third World nation.
Meanwhile the wife of Starmer tries on new free dresses and he takes a look through his £2000 glasses.
Genuine question how can you blame starmer for the state of the country when he has been in power a few months? The Tories have ruined this country over the last 14 years
@abbotsford85 The Tories inherited this from the previous Labour government.
The left wing destroy everything. That template is there to see across the western world.
That bird who tried robbing your camera is bad news, she has a bad vibe about her you can feel it, she needs a wide wide berth.
Demonic possession
that whole crowd she was with had dark vibes goin on .
We know her as Poison Annie
💯 very bad vibe .. swerve her + that mob Billy .. be safe mate 👍
@HbarMarketing
You get the vibe off birds like her they are alpha and need a alpha fella to put it on them
I don’t mean sexually or physically by emotionally and mentally, maybe the idea your physically but I’ve met birds who act like that and you gotta chip at them but not when they are ale’d or sniffed up
As a survivor of SA i never judge anyone with an addiction. You don't know what someone may have gone through in life. I was offered drugs in care but always said no. Seeing this im thankful for my beautiful home. It could have ended so differently. If you are having a down day just look at how these people are living and be thankful for all you have.
agreed xx
I am real happy you took the time to make and post this. I live here and walk past these poor souls every day without knowing their story. Well done mate, great job.
You walk past everyday. They all have different stories. You should ask . Maybe then you will find out over half made a choice .
@@IANHANDS Maybe i should and maybe i will, but will i get the truth or just waste my time?
How to destroy a country from within
Juden subversion
Kalergi plan in the house!!@@robwood8331
Invite the third world.
@@robwood8331
💯 correct mate 👍 🤥
Every single time
Thank you. Somebody needed to do this. Our wonderful progressive minded Council 🙄 should be made to watch this and feel as embarrassed as I did. It’s my birthplace, and I will always be proud to say that. However, I'm totally and utterly ashamed of what it has become.
gullis did bugger all for Stoke but at least he aint conning the town no more
Gullis wasn't Stoke Central or South he was Stoke North and did a lot if good things there.
@@Janet-o7p - Gullis should have looked at the state of Tunstall high street whenever he was at his HQ and seen how it deteriorated so much in the 14 years that his party were in power. He couldn't have cared less. 😡🤬
Its heartbreaking seeing so much addiction going on, i have my own battle of addiction to deal with fortunately its not a heavy one, whats breaking my heart is seeing so many of my country men & women fallen
The great replacement is in full swing
The man asleep in the very last seconds (red sleeves) was a childhood friend of mine. He was a good lad once.....
Very sad, unfortunately, this the country, along with many others, is decaying rapidly.
The potteries, part of our British culture and it's just lost and forgotten about.
Like many towns long and wide.
I'm a manc from wythenshawe.
Once the biggest housing estate in Europe.
Now it's actually not that bad, well not from my view.
As billy shows the world, the citys are absolutely fooked.
We have a top lad like Bill showing it how it is then.
Pricks like CV who run and abuse and have zero understanding for these poor folks..
Keep it up billy, your doing good work mate..
Funny enough I'm a Stokey but my dad was from Wythenshawe, Leycett Drive. And you're right, Wythenshawe has cleaned up from its worst days, even Moss Side is so much better than it was. Stoke is a shit hole.
And , what's the biggest housing estate got do with anything . In fact your wrong it the Becontree Estate in Dagenham
@@johnhamilton8268 copied from Wikipedia.
"Wythenshawe (/ˈwɪðənʃɔː/) is an area of south Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire,[1] in 1931, Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a large new housing estate there in the 1920s. With an area of approximately 11 square miles (28 km2), Wythenshawe became the largest council estate in Europe.[2][3][4]"
I'll just wait here ar kid for you to admit your wrong....
@@johnhamilton8268 and the thing with myself saying it was the biggest, was in relation to the fact it was quite rough, and some areas are.
Where my folks came from, is Benchill..
Haverly circle was a literal no go area for the police in the late 80s early 90s .
Part of so called gunchester.
But the place does not define the man, we all have a past and history, but I changed my ways a became a bit of a better person, because I became a parent.
But I've been down a wrong path, and I think that one wrong decision, and anyone can be sat in a doorway somewhere.
That's why I don't judge others , and if I see someone homeless, I like to buy them at the least a sandwich.
That's all I was saying...
@@johnhamilton8268 Wythenshawe (/ˈwɪðənʃɔː/) is an area of south Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire,[1] in 1931, Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a large new housing estate there in the 1920s. With an area of approximately 11 square miles (28 km2), Wythenshawe became the largest council estate in Europe.[2][3][4]
Trauma.. abonded, forgoten LOST SOULS im crying. . Thank you for veing kind most vunrable souls
I came back home after 20 years overseas in Nov 23 , I bought a house , I’m now selling it and returning , it’s disgusting how the governments have allowed this to happen , this is very very sad , I really feel for these people , especially when if your an illegal you get everything !! What ever happen to charity beginning at home , I’m ashamed to call myself British 🙁🙁 keep up the good work reporting on this , someone need too !!
This myth that immigrants get everything. Maybe they don't choose drugs over their kids
Yup,I know what you mean.
I'm in a hell hole South Africa,thought of going back,bit I truly don't know now.
@@JohnFletcher-hz1mp hi friend , honestly don’t do it ! Not yet anyway , its far worse than what you see on the TV , hopefully I be gone in the next month back to the South Island of NZ , I don’t think il ever want to return here .
The Lincolnshire countryside is as beautiful as it ever has been. The fields are probably full of illegals working but the jobs need doing and without them the work wouldn't be getting done. City's are the problem, in most countries I have visited in the world they are overpopulated, overpriced and full of people who either didn't come here for work or don't want it.
@@tama-4225 yes the field work would still be done without them.
The reason why the ladys and gents of The UK don't want to do it is due to migrant workers doing the work for a lot less than what we have done for decades.
They live 5 to a room,we don't.
They have crashed the economy.
Now added to that the undocumented folk are invading on a daily basis further draining limited resources.
I live overseas,I have never held my handout to anyone.
Least of all expected anything.
The UK was booming until the borders came down.
Thanks Billy ,for giving a sh*t about the forgotten under class out there .Eye opening as always ,a hard watch but always well worth it.
I'm from Stoke mate, almost brings a tear to my eye to see what it's become. As a kid back in the 90's, Hanley was fantastic! There wasn't a single building closed. The Government have ruined this country and need to be held accountable.
It’s gonna take a Century to sort this once great Country out, you can’t expect massive cuts to vital services and think it’ll be ok. It’s a disgrace.
Politicians lining their pockets and not one, not one has come up with a viable answer to get this Country back on its feet.
We are deep in the Abyss and can’t get out, turning against each other instead of turning against the very people who have caused and still cause the Country & it’s Citizens to gradually fade into a life of poverty, depression, desolation & despair.
I can’t understand why so many immigrants want to come to UK. How bad must it be in their own country that they see UK as a better option.
Wow ‘ ur fkg spot on ‘ I used to think we may be ok ‘ but that was 25 years ago. I live in Maidstone Kent . Was lovely little town ‘ lov it as a kid ish . Now I have panic attacks before I go to town’ u can’t even get a fag out’ there in ya . Heart breaking 🙏🇬🇧😜Jh.
Lov ur videos ‘ all towns are like this now ‘ so glad I’m clean was on h’ for Neely 20 years 7 years clean now. All this weird stuff that thay take now wtf . Have u seem lost in phoenix or any other stuff’ what’s going to happen to us if this carrying on we gonna be fkd . Gonna be mad max out here . 🇬🇧🤮Jh🤪
@@kellywalker4494 Most of them aren't coming from their home countries but developed Europeon one's I.e France.
Hiya Billy, I drop a comment on here from time to time. You're doing great work mate. But sometimes I wonder how you manage to keep going with this. Some of the people and their situations are heart breaking. I've done a lot of community work in my time in the south end of Liverpool. Speaking from experience, I know how important it is to take time out to reflect, process, recover and, if need be, heal from these experiences you are regularly being exposed to. Take good care, mate and kindest regards, brother.
Hi Billy another great video, Ime about same age as you grown up and still live in stoke. Most local people avoid Hanley for fear of been robbed attacked etc most of the little towns that make SOT are as run down and troubled to. Its heartbreaking seen the decline and all the desperate people. Keep up the good work Billy and Thank You
So bloody sad. Hanley was buzzing through clubbing i n the 80/90's. . Rapid decine 😢
*managed decline
As always a great video highlighting the plight of the suffering.
Childhood trauma can have such hideous consequences. Saddening reality of lost souls.
when I was young all that area was standing room only with shoppers you had to hold to people you were with or you'd not see them again for 20 minutes there were so many people, when I hit my teens and 20's the night scene was awesome, you could have 1 drink per bar and not be done in a week, shocking how bad it is now, day or night, but it's all by design, these town centers will become high density residential smart cities
Smart cities looking like mega city one from judge dredd
wow billy cauld not take my eyes of this and i listend to every word. Its a Cruel country we live in now and theres no excuse from the Goverment. and i wish all the PEOPLE how you interviewed all the love and Luck in the world, including your camera hugger, been there mate many a time.
Disgusting that we are the 6th wealthiest country in the World with towns that would look at home in 3rd World Countries. Tells you how much MPs and the wealthy are stealing from us.
You wouldn’t believe how nice Hanley used to be in the 1990’s and 2000’s.
Scrolling back on the timeline on Google Street view on Trinity Street is eye opening; it went from being the hub of nightlife in North Staffs to absolute hovel within 10 years.
It’s a crying shame to see it how it is now, glad I have the memories of the place from when I was younger.
The police/council are massively to blame for the lack of a nighttime economy.
Neither of these institutions wanted the hassle so they did everything in their power to shut clubs/make the area anti late night business.
This is so sad,I grew up near Longton,Hanley was the place to be for shopping/nightlife in the 80’s & 90’s,my parents worked at Royal Doulton & John Lewis with the ‘spikey man’ outside! I haven’t been to Stoke on Trent for years or ‘Smoke on Stench’ as it was called.Glad I gave my family a better future away from there.
A crying shame...70 years of a Labour corrupt council. The City is fucked. The city centre used to be buzzing 30 years ago. . .but I guess everywhere in England is the same now. Heartbreaking
The left wing destroys everything. The same in America. All the Democrat cities and open air drug markets.
I used to go to Shelly's night club back in the and to be fair Stoke was a bit of a dump back then but now its off the scales. Great people just sad to see it like this!
Thanks for the video Bill.
I used to go The Void, had many great night there.
Me too when Sasha was resident.
The woman at the end was right, some of the people on the streets are the kindest people you will meet just because they are in a bad position doesn't make them bad people.
Don't get twisted, cos some are just the worst, wolves.
Are you for real? They would rob you blind in a heartbeat! I saw them befriending a blind lady and taking her to a cash machine once.
@@EmuGamesMaster that doesn't surprise me, they'd stab you up over the spit in the bottom of a can, when I was homeless i saw some absolutely terrible stuff, shit u wouldn't believe.
Yeah they are. They don’t set out to get in that state. I know I never did but luckily I was never homeless. There’s some absolute robbing cunt scumbags out there too.
Charlie Veitch could do with talking to someone who had a good life , perhaps lost their job, house, partner and so on and are now on the bones of their arse. He presumes all drug addicts are utter scum.
There's good and bad everywhere I suppose. My perspective was because the people on the street are struggling themselves they understand others problems and have more empathy because they've been in the same position... But you are right there is some real scumbags as well who'd sell their nan for a fiver deal.
Fucking hell Billy - we thought we had problems in Liverpool!! Stoke looks like it’s twinned with Beirut. This country is on its knees lad😢
Same here. I live in Middlesbrough and it's a shithole but I didn't think it could be bested!!!
I’m from Stoke and live in town in Liverpool. Don’t get me wrong Liverpool has a huge homeless problem, drug issues and I’ve had people shooting up in the doorway of my city centre flat!
But Liverpool has more going for it. But then my dad said Liverpool used to be an absolute dump in the 70s when he visited so roles have reversed I guess.
Coming back to Stoke from Liverpool is light night and day. It’s like stepping back in time or going to some 3rd world country.
There’s nice areas in Stoke, but the people who live in those nice areas certainly don’t spend their money in Stoke. They’re all out in Manchester/Liverpool.
Stoke has just been on a downward spiral of managed decline for decades
@@italianjob4947you should see Glasgow mate
Bloody disgrace how this country has gone to pot .. it’s really sad 😢
Wtf is happening to our country. These places have always been there in the odd run down area but now it is the norm to see such dereliction in our towns and cities. I don't know how (or even if) we can come back from such a mess. Sad days. Thanks Billy more highlighting the issues we face.
Devastating to see so many people with no way of improving their lives.
Err most of them like the first lady had a chance but continued to break the rules. Trust me most of those people have been given more than the working class but always chose a good time and drama.
@@EmuGamesMaster Not all but alot,ive been homeless then went through the hostel system,i know people who were homeless got a hostel then left and chose to go back on the streets
@@lifeisblessed4802I did that. Homeless for two years, wasn’t that bad, depends where you are.
What’s happening to the uk it’s becoming a hell hole
All by design
Look what happened to the US, we will be like that soon. Just wait until the politicians and government officials start allowing fentanyl or worse into our streets eventually, because that’s what happens in America
because israel owns your country through the rothschild banking system and they hate whyte ppl. simple.
more and more low IQs, less and less high IQs.
Do you get out in the country?
Do you?
I knew her (Camille). I went to primary and secondary school with her and got on with her. She mixed with the wrong people after school and has experienced some bad shit. Sad to see what she's become.
I knew that was her. (Girl with orange hair ) I used to know her in her 20s and she was beautiful. Could tell she’d had a troubled life but there’s an anger to her now that suggests it got a lot worse. Such a shame .
Please don’t judge this city on how we’re doing at the minute. It was once a bustling, thriving Mecca of pottery industry, education, nightlife and community. We’ve got a lot of problems but we’ve got so many good good people doing some great things.
❤️
Hey mate it is what it is.
williammayer
How else would you judge it?
@@xaj1543 on his history and heritage. But I do see what you’re saying
The dust heads are why the town centre is empty, you go shopping and all these are hounding you for money. Some people are scared some people are sick of it. It was a shame to see a few familiar faces lost to the dust too. Everyone just orders online to avoid them and this is why the area is empty
All this poverty porn or whatever best describes it shocks us all, but it really shouldnt. How many butchers, bakers, greengrocers, and other stores are replaced by a single tesco or asda?
High streets in america are as dead as in the UK, more so probably. But in terms of square footage, there is more retail space than ever, its just out of town. I imagine the same is true in England. I live in an outer suburb in a town not dissimilar to Stoke. In 5 years, within a mile or so of me two new lidls, two new aldis & three new McDonalds have opened (along with a number of gaudy looking american junk food chains) while the town centre has continued to empty out. If we shop at the supermarkets, we are all to blame for the desolation of the town centres (not helped by parking charges, admittedly)
Most English towns have always looked grubby. Whats difference now, or the last decade or so, is the state of the people. In the 1990s or early 2000s people still looked normal. Nowadays must the public in town centres all seem to be obese, skinny smackheads, or the new people we arent supposed to talk about.
My Dad used to wrestle in Hanley in the good old days of world of sport xxx
I used to go and watch with my dad as a kid at the victoria hall used to love it Hanley was a buzzing place back then.
Who was ur Dad?
Was he Big Daddy?! God bless him, when you're a bloke and your parents name you "Shirley" you need to learn how to fight...
same story in every city now billy, sad to see mate
Places like Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester are thriving mate… ⚪️
@@GarethSewell1982all depends on the viewpoint
Derby is alright 👍
Its really not like this in Manchester mate. From any viewpoint
@@David-zl9qw Manchester is thriving… 👍
Can’t believe such a place exists Billy. Thanks for sharing
Billy if you ever come back to Stoke arrange a meeting with Lou Macari , who runs the local centre for homeless people, and i am sure it will be very interesting. Look forward to seeing you back in Stoke hopefully having a chat with Lou .
If Billy ever comes back to Stoke On Trent (The Potteries) again, I hope he gives Hanley (Stoke's City Centre) and Stoke town itself (the town which should have been made the city centre) a complete miss. He needs to give Burslem (the Mother Town) a visit. He'll be even more shocked, especially if he wanders over the border to Tunstall Town.
Also, Biddulph is riddled with Dust at the mo!
@StepheeJay16 at least Biddulph doesn't look as run down as this yet. But I've herd about that dust hitting Biddulph. But I live in the uplands so don't go to the town often.
It’s actually sad to see all the shops boarded up it’s like a forgotten town 25 years ago it was full of life at Xmas a department store called Lewis’s had the most amazing window displays. I always wonder why is dust just in stoke? Like it’s been there years but never made its way into other towns? There is so many people that need support I hope they find their way
Billy Moore, exploring the rough dangerous shit hole of England, so we don't have to :) hahah, thanks for your upload, love your vids :)
Just like a third world country
Yep rough out.
People be people.
Always white british people off their heads. Why would that be🤔
In some ways worse than 3rd world
Yep it is that now everywhere you look there's convenience stores and barbers everywhere.
Keep the videos coming, Billy.
It is important that people from outside the UK see the UK for what it truely is.
I remember being in Haley back in the mid-80s and it was rough then (but at least places were active). Now it looks like a Specials video. Terrible state of affairs.
Thank you for making this video, the dust epidemic is spreading through Stoke as a whole. I live about 5 miles from the centre and seen people absolutely off their lids just like the first girl explained. It’s a crying shame to see what it’s turned into, especially Hanley. It had such a good atmosphere and brilliant club scene for all sorts to enjoy. It’s always had its problems but now I think it’s gone too far. Another failure of the system.
The editing of this video is good! Highlighting issues we know about anyway, things we pass on a daily basis. Is he doing anything positive behind the scenes for the vulnerable that he uses for content, not just eyeballing his pop up bubbles 24/7? I'm pretty sure TH-cam pays to content creators with many views and comments, yet there are comments making him out to be some 'Power of the People'. Showing snippets of recording with little to no context as to what's actually going on (an empty street...amazing, a police car that happened to be there whilst he had his camera on him...ace, a lady putting her make up on whilst sitting on a bench, yet including her on this type of video...is she homeless? Is she poor? Is she just taking a rest? Showing off her make up skills? Maybe she is AWOL from her family? Who knows what he is trying to infer? And who knows the context of why she is there? Same goes for every other person who hasn't actually given a full description of the reasons for them being there that day. What a tool this attention seeking 'man' is. Open your minds peeps).
One of the main 'such a shame' I can see here is that there are people in these videos who have hopes and dreams, want to cut the cycle, or might want to do that in future. Once they do, there will be things like this evidencing their lows, creating barriers that slow (or even stop) their progression into stability. Let's keep them where they are though, we can use them for content next time 🤦♀️. Sending love to those in the video, especially Lyrical Genius lady, (actually a lovely person, with a lot of people rooting for her atm ❤).
Every video gets better never turn the telly on to watch woke rubbish keep up the gd content
Better ?!
Good work bill... used to go to stoke early 90s to Shellys, looks a hell hole now
What a world my grandaughter has come into dear me
And mine, god help them, please
Like you I fear for the world my granddaughter is going to grow up in.
If thts ur grand dorter then ur evill for not housen her whoed admit its ther grand grandorter if ur not helping discusting ide oways help my family
@@kevgorry1850 what you on about? DUH
@@kevgorry1850 ??????
Sad to see the decline in our towns and cities. Another interesting video Billy, ty🙏👀🌷💚
Absolutely depressing , Stoke used to be an amazing night out in the 90s. No coincidence you move in the 3rd world and it will start to look like the 3rd world. I visit many Towns and Cities and they are all going the same way.
I agree, but not just these migrants..internet is the main issue, online shopping has ruined towns
@kiewong4870 Yeah spot on , tbf the net has ruined dating , people meeting and as you say shops and pubs. No buisness no money , the premises still have to pay all the rates etc. Government wanted this all along. China and it's plastic and steel crap taking over.
Moved here in 2006 and most clubs pubs were still rocking but even back then the big shops were leaving Hanley for the industrial estate shopping areas. Now it’s like another world literally
Crazy mate I’ve lived here all my life , one time the place was booming night life shops everything,people travelling for night out but now it’s gone nothing left.
Way better in 1990s
It's was a good night out in stoke back in the late 90's
@@andybowyer3602 yes 100 per cent on Friday night . Or Monday night .
Terrible man.
Is it full of immigrants in stoke?
Thanks for the visit Billy, the lady explained very well what goes on in the hostels in Stoke, with dust going for about £2.50 a hit, the hostel is full of folk wanting to take advantage of the most vulnerable and "befriend" them with loaning a roll up but on pay back day, they take everything. This was the experience of a close friend of mine last year who moved out to live a "safer" life on the streets!
I was personally very lucky to get into a rehab called the O'connor Centre, an 18 week in house program based loosely around the 12 Steps. I learned that I had so much to learn in there, and went on to both AA and NA meetings, staying with the NA as other I'd deeply dabbled with other substances and realised that there is no difference, alcohol is a drug just as much as crack at the end of the day!
That was 2010, just as the dust first began to hit the streets of Stoke. Since then, the rehab that saved my life has shut down due to "lack of funding" and the City Centre of Hanley has been left to rot. After seeing many of your videos, this video of my home town looks like the worse example that you've yet to find of a City that's been left to rot. Just the sort of place that a small boat or 20's worth can be squirreled away into the housing that our own homeless "don't fit the criteria" to be housed... 😢
Cant believe this used to go to clubs in the 80s in Hanley,devastating, take care Bill
I've lived in Stoke-on-Trent almost all my life, some years were spent in the Army it was the best years of my life !!!
Now Stoke-on-Trent is a "Shit Hole" because sadly its a Immigrants council why people voted for them is beyond me but we've loads of immigrants here maybe thats the reson ??
People "USED TO" come here from all over the country for the night life we use to have all the best night clubs and shows, now because of the council all have closed down 🥴😭🤬🤬
Yep immigrants to blame 🙄 cry harder
It’s the fault of people of the U.K. most immigrants that come to the U.K. are doing the jobs we can’t be arse’d doing
It's the corrupt city officials, councillors and mayors who do next to nothing except take fat salaries. The town is a dump
They don't look like immigrants to me.
It didn’t seem like any of the people he interviewed were immigrants. They all said they were from Stoke. You’re angry at the wrong people. Stop demonising the small minority of people who are fleeing danger and demonise the corrupt people who have the power to change things, but choose not to because it doesn’t affect them.
I havent been subscribed long but I enjoy your vids thanks for highlighting real life and the people's lights keep doing what your doing big respect billy
If only people didn’t get into these addictions in the first place and if governments and councils did their jobs and communities stuck together and helped it would be a wonderful world to live in
Yet we have billions to send to Ukraine ….
And africa
Well we need better primary care services for mental health conditions not to reach crises. It’s all a mess.
All the hotel spaces we could provide them with to have somewhere warm to stay. Instead of needing drugs to get through winter nights.
@@Gilly9244why are the council's letting these high rise blocks go to waste. Watched a program about family's being homeless in Manchester some years ago. The was tower blocks own by council's just left empty. A developer who was self made millionaire could not believe the council's were paying to house family's in b+bs when thay could of refurbished the blocks with the money thay was spending on b+bs. Rent them out to the family's. Money from the rents go to fund more builds. Thay just waste money. Thay could probably get grants to fund the refurb. Developer's will end up with them put the money into them charge high rents. In some place's the council's have sold there office buildings to the highest bidder and turned into luxury apartments.
04:40 not being funny but the only time during her interview where she actually smiles is when she's talking about how scatty and off it she's been, yeah i feel for her because of the situation she is in but i feel she could have a better life if she really wanted to.. I think all she wants is "a ten pound bag"
I agree with you but I think it can be misleading to observe . They get so deep into that life , the only thing which gives them any peace is that escapism .
I'm not making excuses but it's impossible to understand if you haven't been through it
And stick to the rules and regulations of the hostels that they're in.
@@20FreeWill Observing is one thing but i have been homeless and on the streets myself, personally i was too embarrassed to be seen in the town (probably because i was homeless within my local and small area) i would sleep in the cemetery and spend a lot of my time sat at bus stops and talking to people, i felt that if im in a bus stop people will just assume im waiting for a bus and not that i had nowhere to go (ironic) i was lucky that i was able to get help from family and didnt spend years of my life like many of these are.. Still, carry the scars of those times all the same
Respect the work billy.I’m an addict and 30 years deep at this point and although my habit isn’t massive I believe that I’m gunna be a lifer on this.I’ve done 2 withdrawals,1 from H and 1 from methadone and at 50 years old I just can’t do it again.
Sorry to hear this. You sound like you have it within you. I hope one day you can find the inner peace and strength to live a different kind of life ❤ Good luck ❤
Similar age & 5 weeks off h Sunday, good luck
Call out to Jesus , your serious he will help 🙏❤️❤️🩹
@DMWBN3 Well done mate, stay healthy.
Same mate 34 years addiction too opiates, I still have a dabble or a blowout, but I have come to terms that's me until I die, it's all I've known every single day for those 34 years, and I'll be honest it scares me to death, I've taken some kind of drug for forty years, I'm 51 now, it's all I've known like a life sentence. 👌💯, thanks for your comment, we're in it together mate.
What a dump the uk has become, i left 22 years ago for "land of smiles" Thailand.
I lived in Hanley from 18 to 26 at the bottom on Bucknall New Road just down from where you were. The town had its problems like most but the night life was fantastic, decent shopping experience and it was generally fine.
I've not walked around Hanley in 12 years only visiting the museum and retail park on occasion and seeing this video is heartbreaking. I've heard about the dust problem but didn't realise it was that bad. So many boarded up buildings, Revs and Chicago gone, pretty much everything outside the centre which I believe is also empty. The council have failed the people badly.
Great video mate but I wish I'd not watched it now 😅
Could see she was nasty just by a glance, got bad vibes straight away. Evil eyes. I think I can hold my own for a woman but she terrified me. 😳😰❤
I had a mate like her once one minute nice next minute a fucking monster. Gave up on her she was beyond help.
Stoke has always had a weird vibe about it, have met some nice people from there but never liked the city itself.
It is sad to see so much suffering and no real help offered.
Monkey dust just sounds such a skank drug. I see a documentary on it few year back.
The more I see of how Britan has become, the more it breaks my heart. All the best Billy.
Absolutely breaks my heart seeing how bad the UK has become!!
I live in Cardiff and it's exactly the same.
Loving your Videos/ Blogs.
Keep them coming. 💜💫
We had it rough. Over the years . Most people. We Are friendly we not all bad people.
You’re very talented Billy….dont give up doing what you do…
*Are you going up Hanley duck? Err. No thanks, it's a sh*thole*
My god seeing my home town on a video like this makes me so very very sad . How have the council allowed it to get like this . The authorities should be downright ashamed Hanley is a disgrace
It's everywhere 😢 agenda 2030 firmly in place, managed decline.
Excellent content. Keep up the good work Billy. We used to go Hanley (up Anley duck) back in 1998, I was 18 then, It used to be heaving with people, bars and clubs. The night scene used to be really good up there. Sadly the kids today don’t drink as much, so everywhere has declined. The local council fucked it up removing lovely old buildings with concrete tower blocks and buildings over the years. Lots of immigrants moved in and knife crime went up. Sadly it also declined from the pottery business going to other countries. Downwards spiral of shite unfortunately, can’t see it ever recovering.
If you ever go back there try an oatcake from Castle Oatcakes with sausage and cheese. You will want to come back as a regular then 😂