As a teen growing up in Boscombe in the 70's it was a clean, happy, thriving area full of good guest houses and small hotels, good schools and housing, parks, walks, etc.. And then along came the mid-80s and it's changed almost overnight. Along with Bournemouth the decline continues.
It's the same everywhere in the UK. The country is descending into a poor third world country. The illegal invaders on dinghies must really feel at home.
The 1974 Local Government reorganisation altered local authority areas, but should not have altered the historic counties. Bournemouth may be administered by Dorset, but it is really part of Hampshire. The historic boundary is County Gates, between Bournemouth and Poole.
My school holidays in the 60's were often spent with relatives in Bournemouth. It was a great town, posh, clean, wonderful attractions, 1980s onwards it's gone completely downhill. Drugs,gangs, homeless and alcoholics wandering around the squares and gardens. Sad.
@@rob5944 Government and police failing to get a grip on drug culture, allowing county lines shift, shortage of meaningful employment...so many reasons.
I grew up in Redditch, Bournemouth is like paradise in comparison. When I moved to Bournemouth I asked a lad I was working with which pubs I should avoid, he thought I was asking for a rating he just didn't get the concept of there being pubs you do not walk into if they don't know you.
Grew up in Kidderminster spent a couple of years in Bournemouth the weather was great especially when your on the beach. Safer although I feel like it does attract some weirdos had a few bad encounters. It’s so different to the Midlands it was almost a cultural shock moving back!
The reason Bournemouth wanted Boscombe was that at the time in the Victorian era it was where the rich lived. There were a few manor houses and many old Victorian houses where the servants lived in the basements. The reason that it is in the state it is now is for decades the council has used it as a dumping ground allowing free reign to landlords to create HMO's and it even has drug rehab units there.
I went to uni in Bournemouth around 2008-2010 and genuinely loved it there, never had any problems and didn't really ever see any trouble. There were drug rehab units in Boscombe that apparently closed down and the patients had nowhere else to go so many of them just became homeless in Bournemouth; we used to bump into a Scottish guy we ended up calling Angus who always used the opening line "ahm glad yeh speak English, no-wan else 'roond here seems teh!" - don't think he ever realised he'd spoken to us more than once in his life before. Turned out he and a load of other homeless people had been on the syreets in their respective home cities and local councils had approached them and asked them where they'd like to go if they had a choice - a few said Bournemouth because of the beaches and seaside resort aspect, and the council gave them one-way rail tickets to go there. I moved out in 2011 as ai finished my course, but went back last year with a mate to see a show at the BIC; I was staggered with how dystopian everything looked, and this was in peak summer. Plus my mate had his fish and chips stolen by some absolute skaghead, utterly off his nut and walked off saying "you want your fish I fucking kill you" - soured the evening somewhat..
Angus, I’m assuming you mean Jock as I know him. He’s still helping keep A&E busy with his cheery trademark “Stitch that!” as he accosts passers by with an affectionate Glasgow kiss, what a guy.
Sounds like Yr from 'the other side of the tracks' China. You re on an entirely different trajectory from the average Boscombe kiddy. For what it's worth I'd still rather have the company of a street smart drug monster than many of the pampered little 'uni' students
I took my mum for what turned out to be her last holiday in 2017 and we went to all those places. She hardly recognised anything. Bournmouth was horrendous, parking charges were ridiculous and like you say, the roads especially near the centre, make you wish you'd stayed at home.
Please tell me any town that is recognisable after many years. My own home town looks nothing like it did when I left in 1988. Car parking charges are on the greedy Councils not the area. It's a holiday destination making money from holidaymakers. The comments you make about the roads are the same for every town. These comments are out of context. If you want to see real deprivation look elsewhere.
Dorset’s rural towns are rather good places to live and bring up a family. We moved 35 miles ‘inland’ from BCP 25 years ago and never regretted the decision.
I left the UK 20 years ago because I didn't like what was happening, but I can't believe how bad it has got since then. I did some work in Swanage and Corfe Castle in 1982 and did the final part of my PADI scuba diving course at Chesil Beach in 1996. I remember Dorset as a gorgeous county, so very surprised to see it featured in Turd Towns. What has happened to the UK?
@@stilton946 Some of the blame lays with an unelectable Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn. And though the Tories have been appalling I'd say the true decline started when Blair and Brown came along.
@@stilton946 Tory local councillors, in particular. They are completely devoid of empathy and vision, yet show a true talent for arranging back-handers for their friends and families. We have some of the country's loveliest areas of natural beauty, but The Great and the Good manage to suck out most of their charm, and run them like little fiefdoms of poorly organised crappiness.
It's the benefit culture that has grown up - first encouraged by the left, and now also by the Tories. Coupled with idiotic and pointless council interference such as the demolition of Victorian buildings, the building ugly concrete structures and constant, useless road schemes ('Town Planning'). The final straw is the number of immigrants and drug users. It will all become irrelevant anyway within a few decades, because England is scheduled to become an Islamic state before 2060, owing to much higher birth rates among Muslims.
30 years ago I lived near Weymouth. It was a lovely place to visit. In 2018 I spent some time there and was so shocked at what a shithole its become. Homeless and druggies everywhere. In the late 90s i lived near Boscombe which was a bit shit then, now its bloody awful. So sad to see how these places have, as with a lot of places in the UK have, been turned into utter shitholes.
I used to holiday in Weymouth and the surrounding area as a kid back in the 80s. I absolutely LOVED it round there. Plus it actually has a somewhat warm, clear blue sea unlike the manky looking, brown, murky, dark cold waters of the South East that we visited when my dad couldn't be bothered to drive as far (we live in Essex)
As someone who was born in Poole, raised in Bournemouth, and now resides in Weymouth, I feel attacked 😭 so true though, Bournemouth and Weymouth have both become absolutely desolated pits these days, Weymouth is an absolute nightmare these days....
You didn't mention Poole bus station. Full of illiterate smokers. Teenagers having fights. And the occasional stabbing. I get buses from stops nearby when I need to. Poole high st does one saving grace. The comic shop. Which is right down the far end. It's brilliant.
Lived in Weymouth for 20 years and left. Sky-high house prices, low paid seasonal jobs. Homeless on seafront, gangs of teens at night. Boy racers. Second home owners. Retired OAP's. Worst of all the unfriendly and clique way of Weymouth people, so rude. In the time I lived there barely anyone could even say hello when walking your dog. Incompetent council. Sky high parking charges. Filthy public toilets. Innumerable charity shops. Awful schools.Terrible college. Understaffed and badly run hospital. Aggressive and arrogant police force. Wannabe firefighters. Pretend surfers. Basically, anything you like be it swimming, surfing, football, drama etc is budget, basic and really cringe bad. The architecture was well known for its Georgian sea frontage and regency style. So the council stuck upside down plastic looking boat/kiosks and lasers, taking away beautiful old lamps. The Olympics was a joke. The council did a smash and grab as they received money and spent it on a useless road system that the locals hate. The Olympics event was the most boring of all, sailing and you couldn't see a thing from the shore. It was just an excuse for the already well off weekend sailors to build a new sailing club that 99% of the populace cannot use. Local councillors are usually from nepotistic means and own acres of land far larger than a lot of the estates. Yet they will vote for green areas to be built upon with apartments under the clever guise of 'affordable housing' as long as they make 5 out of every 5000 slightly cheaper, and of course they don't get back handers from developers for doing this 😂
Agreed. Only living there 5 minutes when local bottom-feeders came out of the BRIT pub 4 handed and put me in the gutter. The phrases 'surly' 'small-minded' and yes 'brain dead' come to mind And they're the better sort...😅
Having been born in Weymouth ( the world's first bathing resort) I was quite shocked with your description. However I have come to the conclusion that this decline is in fact widespread and terminal.
Weymouth is a nice place to be, yes it can be expensive but that is due to greedy councils and yes it has it's problems like every other town in the UK, this is again down to the Council who waste good money on vanity projects instead of using the cash to help where it should be given.
I grew up there although I left in 1997 but still have family there, its OK but it has really gone downhill in the last 10 years or so. The town centre is a dump.
@@robynjackson348 You're probably right, most town centres do seem to have gone downhill. I loved growing up in Weymouth, I love Dorset, its a beautiful county and I still go back often to see family and fish Chesil, I only live in Devon.
I visited Weymouth a few years ago and didn't think it was too bad. But, this was the seafront area and not the town itself. It's shame what's happened to our countries seaside towns.
"it's a shame what's happened to our... seaside towns" - utter rubbish. these towns have been like this as long as i remember (back to the early 70's). Bournemouth has always been housing estates by the sea, Weymouth has always been a working ferry/fishing port and Portland was always quarries. Dorset is famous for it's geology, it's ancient ruins (Blandford Forum, Corfe), it's coastal paths and a tank museum. if you want to stay by the sea, stay in Swanage or Studland.
Thing is - like everywhere that is "touristy" = great to visit - shite to live at. I tell people I lived in Somerset for a period of time, and I got "Oooh, lovely". Nah, was dreadful!
@@johnpapworth433 this is very true. I used to live in a seaside town now city and yes in a tourist mindset it is a lovely place but as an actual resident it's a sh**hole.
Having been born and brought up in Dorset in a small village, I saw many changes over the years to the larger towns, city dwellers arriving in their bought holiday cottages thinking they knew how to 'change' the rural countryside for the better. Portland used to be a very close knit community, despite prisons, everyone looked after each other. The Navel base was fabulous and when the seas cut off portland the navy were there to protect the islanders. Its not a case of nostalgia its country life with the influx of know it all high-flying townies who think they know better. Nothing ever stays the same but those born in Dorset especially those 'out of the way' places never like to leave. Bournemouth, Poole, Boscombe, weymouth have all changed with the influx of disrespect, even Lulworth cove in those summery days. Like all places throughout Britain, its attitudes of individuals that change these places out of recognition and sadly it will only get worse before it gets better. Your take is quite amusing for a Dorset bred like me but hopefully it will go some way to slow down the influx of 'non desirable so, thanks
I went to Bournemouth Uni from 2016-2020. The first two years there were amazing. Knew the best spots on the beach away from the tourists in the summer, lovely walks everyday. With the right friends, I wouldn't swap the town for any other. But, after a year of placement and coming back in - seeing so many shops shutter and the homeless population grow (alongside the crime rate) showed how quickly an area like this can fall from grace.
I think these videos highlight problems that are nationwide: high streets are struggling everywhere, and councils have no money to spend on the various local problems.
As someone who has lived in Dorset, Bradford and the Rhondda Valleys, I find it ludicrous that you can rate those towns in Dorset so badly. The truest examples of depression, despair and general hopelessness are to be found in places such as Bradford and RCT. People who think that Dorset is on a similar par with such places are either; blind to reality, lazy in opinion forming or genuinely unable to differentiate between rough around the edges and completely f*cked up
Get with the program dude. He is doing Dorset in this video. The Turdtowns you mention I am sure will get their time in the limelight in future videos. And, if you live in one of these places you would realize they are slowly sinking into the mire.
I think you need to get out more in that case! IF you think deprssion, despair and hopelessness aren't found in almost every town, village and place of human occupation then you really are out of touch, besides it's turd towns of Dorset, not of the whole of the UK which was very very clear to everyone else
@@Turdtowns your actually weren't that far off! Poole s a craphole - I. LOVED the remark about the shopping centre as well! "you'll get tetanus if you rubbed against it"...genius! Bournemouth though... theres pretty good shopping there if you know where to look!
Stayed at a friends parents house in the Rhonda in the 1980's for week , no job prospects for young people, major unemployment . The dole office had bench seats bolted down and perspex windows to protect the staff . The pub had old push button TV which someone had to push the button in every five minutes to put the channel back on and shops sold cigarettes individually . Government did nothing for these old coal mining areas !
Oh yes as a Bournemouth resident I was waiting for Dorset to come up. I think you got it spot on. Bournemouth used to be much nicer and traffic is a nightmare. The beach is never as packed as they make it look on the news as it's miles long and there is always space unless the airshow is on. Ha, poor old Boscombe has its issues but the bit that is nearer to the sea is alright. I used to live in Boscombe but I'd always say Southbourne as it's much more upmarket. Good fun video thanks 😁👍
@@makeshift1012 Well yeah most of the time and especially in the summer holidays. Usually road works on at least one of the major routes through so it's worth listening to the traffic reports on the radio.
The truth sometimes hurts, but reading the comments, like me I agree it seems most towns now are going downhill. It can only get worse in some places. Great channel and binge-watching content mate. Keep up the good work, you have so many more places to cover.
My sister moved to Bournmouth/boscombe end. it was a shithole, 5 year old kids breaking into the neighbours cars to nick the tax disc and stereos at 1am at night. drunk dropout parents fighting on the street at all hours. only nuking it could improve it, cos a pandemic didn't dent it.
Bournemouth used to thrive but a strange desire to pedestrianise and make parking annoying stopped many locals using the town centre, we use castle point which is easier, while the university also changed the dynamic from a form of wealthy people living comfortable lives using the town centre to a town centre dominated by a young culture. Technically that is supposed to be ‘good’- but they just don’t spend the money. Now it has a centre that on none summer days seems filled with drunks and lousy shops - a very long way from its genteel background.
Car dependency is the main issue that pedestrianisation drives people away from town centres rather than simply shifting to more sustainable modes of transport (cycling or public transport) to go into town, which is what those measures were supposed to do; if the country wasn't so car-dependent outside London (e.g. public transport that actually works combined with people that aren't too snobby to use it), it would've been very effective (personally a pedestrianised street is much more attractive and pleasant to walk on and explore than one packed with parked cars) but we need to fix the car-mentality issue (not helping with how much public transport is going downhill) before these measures come in
@@HunkumSpunkum Haha yes how the fook does one get from another county to Dorset without a car? Public transport would cost a small fortune and nob heads keep going on strike or jumping on the tracks because life is so great under tory oppression, maybe the family and I could hop on our push bikes and cycle 60 miles there and 60 miles back, that would end well. In fact maybe the thatcherites could make a cycle lane on the M3 and make the A35 a pedestrian zone too, that would work.
Went to the Lansdowne today. More than half the people were non-white, male and in their twenties. All the white folks were middle-aged or beyond. The Round House Hotel is filled with illegal migrants. More than half the shops were boarded-up. 90% of the on-street parking has been deleted, making trade very difficult. The former cinema/bingo hall is closed. Even the KFC is closed.
@@HunkumSpunkum No, they aren't misguided. Do any research and you'll find shops in Pedestrianised areas have a much higher footfall and do better financially than those with busy traffic going through them.
@@HunkumSpunkum I manage. Pannier bags mean I can eaasily get my weeks shopping home. Anything bigger, I Just do home delivery. Saves time being stuck in traffic.
Bournemouth and Boscombe are historically in Hampshire; it was once known as the queen of Hampshire's resorts. Politicians moved it to Dorset in 1974, only because Dorset County Council was in serious financial trouble, whilst the County Borough of Bournemouth had a financial surplus. County Gates is the proper county boundary.
Brilliant film. I grew up in Poole and the whole are has become more and more rundown. We were all scared of the kids from Turlin Moor. My Dad’s firm designed the Poole Shopping Centre in the late 60’s and he said it needed knocking down by the 80’s… long past it’s sell by date… about 40 years.😂
I live in Weymouth, the NZ version. Similar story, used to be a really nice coastal village until council housing started creeping in, and scumbags started ruining it. Glad I left when I could. Great channel.
Your non-pc comment is spot on. I moved to Weymouth for my job in 1977, a time when unemployed people could get financial help to move to different parts of the country to find work (before moving I'd worked in a Jobcentre) so naturally many of them chose to move to nice seaside towns.
Good work! Always enjoyable and amusing. Having just left Weston super Mare after 3 1/2 years of astonished disappointment Bournemouth looks like Bali in comparison. Take care out there!
I grew up in Dorset, and I agree with everything you said except for Boscombe...I think it's one of the most interesting and vibrant places in Dorset and has some of the best cafés and beaches. Bournemouth however is the worst, I have sadly seen its demise over the last decade and more and we have the charming council to blame for that. Don't bother going there unless you want to feel utterly depressed. Boscombe has a thriving arts community, it has Chaplins bar and Boscanova café which sells the best coffee. Please don't be fooled!!
Totally agree with you there. Boscombe is vibrant and interesting. There are downsides like there are to most large towns or cities and the roads and pavements are in dire need of resurfacing. Overall though it's a nice place to be and the people around here are super friendly, it just takes a smile to realise that. I used to collect debts over Turlin Moor, now that is a worthy number one.
Many hotels are only surviving due to housing the scum around Poole, Boscombe, been bad for years, why have nice visitors, when the council will pay top rates to housing anyone (you know who I mean) got attacked in Boscombe by three drunks, the place is a cesspit.
Boscombe truly deserves its accolade of shitholiness. They've been trying to regenerate it for years, but it remains quite the most utterly depressing shopping centre on earth, deserving only of a bomb to raze it to the ground. As some of the comments suggest, hop along to pleasant Southbourne, and you enter a completely different world.
I moved to Weymouth just in time for the lockdown and live one block from the aforementioned B&Bs full of homeless. I never had any beefs with them but they did liven up the place. Which isn't a bad thing because if it's raining, there is f all to do here but wonder where you went wrong in life to wind up here. The two weeks of summer barely make up for it. And of course I'm unemployed because I'm too old to serve coffee, wipe OAP bottoms, or clean hotel rooms and therefore unemployable.
@@Turdtowns Thank you for the kind words. I hate to out myself but my situation is complicated by the fact that I'm American and some people here have a real problem with that. I was naive moving here assuming people would make fun of my accent for a while and then move on. It's been five years and there doesn't seem to be any moving on yet. Which is a long winded explanation for why I know I couldn't expect to get a forward facing job working with the public, for example. Here's a question for you- do you think there are places in the UK that are more accepting of different types of immigrants? Excluding London, of course. I seem to be able to find more acceptance in places like Bath and Salisbury (people in Bristol just ignored me which was fine) and I'm wondering if I'm romanticizing the idea that people wouldn't pretend to spit on me, for example, in a different part of England where there are more people 'not from around here.' I could go on but that's enough outta me! Thanks for reading.
You will always find cities more accepting of different cultures. Smaller places can be slightly unwelcoming it’s the same everywhere really. Bath has loads of American tourists so you would definitely blend in there!
My story is very similar. Been in Weymouth since mid 2019. Feel unemployable at 51 really. But like being by the sea, after most of my life in South London. Take care. 👍
Damn, I used to go to Bournemouth on family holidays in the late 90’s/early 00’s, shame to see it’s so bad now. I remember that highstreet at 07:52 being newer and more prestige, what a state.
I have a scar on one of my wrists, acquired courtesy of a skinhead with a sharpened metal comb, on a visit to 1970's Boscombe. Friends of mine now live in one of the (relatively) posher bits of the suburb but even so, the public loos have blue lighting so that druggies can't see their veins when they're trying to shoot up. Plus ca change, plus c'est la merde chose..... As a resident of Hampshire, I'd recommend a visit, even Winchester has its seamier areas, try a trip to Stanmore and/or Winnall if you end up (and I do mean end up) there.
I never thought I would say this, but you are absolutely right. I have lived in Dorset for 36 years but fortunately, not in any of the areas you highlighted. I only go to Poole or Bournemouth when I absolutely have to.
Old Christchurch road in Bournemouth, I walked up after finishing work and you'd play dodge the piles of vomit. Everywhere you go up the road ,you'd guarantee there be massive piles of brought up takeaways.
as an expat living in Australia, I am so saddened by this and other of your videos. The death of the high street seems a major concern, and government inaction in supporting local government. I remember holidaying in many of the towns mentioned in my youth, it makes me sad to see desolation
i am from weymouth and i hated it till i moved out on my own as a teenager to plymouth in devon. i liked visiting it for the peace and quiet when i lived in london, after leaving plymouth, but now i live in melbourne vic and i cannot ever imagine going back to england willingly, and sure as hell would never set foot in weymouth apart from to see relatives!
@@oli1764 Always some twat who leaves the UK, but insists on watching current UK videos to validate their reasons for leaving. Weymouth is a really nice place to visit. Not its fault that you couldn't see the positive amongst the bad. Says a lot about you though.
I have now lived in Weymouth for 20 years since moving from west London, yes weymouth town is getting worse and run down, and very little for the younger generation to do, BUT! the surrounding areas are stunningly beautiful, and when the weather is good i go for many walks and still discovering new places i didn't even know existed, totally agree with you on Boscombe.
i was in weymouth about 2weeks ago,and i found the place nice and ok ,and i am coming back in july, and for some one like my self who would like to live there , this vid would not put me off , if you want to see a real sea side town in decay go to blackpool ,or rhyl on the north wales coast.
Then don't believe friends and neighbours when they say it's nice you moved there. They will secretly resent you for not being from Dorset. Even more so if you lived in London. My whole family laughs about the 'Dorset smile', usually when you're walking your dog and you say "morning" and smile at someone they manage to make the minutest of smiles as if their face will crack if they smile properly
I briefly lived on the Isle of Portland in the late 1990s. I shared a house with a manic journalist who drank like a fish and drove everywhere at breakneck speed. About the only exciting thing to happen during my stay was when a WW2 1000lb bomb was discovered under a football field in Easton - about 200 yds from where we lived. Unfortunately we were all evacuated to one of the crappy holiday camps for a few days, but there was this old man who stubbornly refused to leave Portland. In 80 years he had never left the island! Talk about insular. Yep, the locals don't like them there bunnies. Wabbits!
I had an interview at the naval base there (a hundred years ago) to do some research. What a weird place, grey corridors, wooden chairs, metal filing cabinets; like in WW2. I didn't take the job. I don't know how it is now. Someone told me about a quarry with statues, never found it, is it true?
Used to camp in Dorset some 40 years ago. I loved going to Weymouth then - my favourite Dorset seaside town. I went back in 2017 and was horrified. I had to go back to my campsite and have a shower. Weymouth is now a shithole. How is this kind of thing happening to so many towns?
We just aren’t looking after the people who really need help. They just move a bunch of addicts to a new place and there’s no serious effort made to turn their lives around. Too many businesses paying high rents so streets are run down.
Weymouth was a shithole back then too, you just didn't see it cos the sun was shining. Try visiting in the winter to get the true experience. I went to College there for two years in the late eighties, then spent most of the nineties on Portland whilst serving with the Navy.......F.M.L.
I agree that it is an enjoyable journey and great to be able to jump back on the bus and return to beautiful Salisbury (which, like most places, has its problems)
@@paulnash9851 Yeah, same as the Heath. I love in lower Bemington which is really chilled. Salisbury is not the friendist of places for sure. Not many smiling here lol!
Portland is the one town on here without a railway station. Boscombe has got Pokesdown Station which is called "Pokesdown for Boscombe". Portland did have a railway from Weymouth but that closed in 1952.
Your videos really highlight how ugly England has become in its attempt to house masses of people over the decades followed by gradual decline of these nasty sprawling areas. Quite depressing seeing those shabby high streets compared to how they were when I grew up in the 80s.
This has got to be one of my favorite channels,its spot on!.have travelled alot over uk over the years,I am just shocked how these towns have gone downhill and rundown.
Yeah, Portland’s grim and Fortuneswell is a place to go to die. You got the prisons and then there’s the estates filled with ex-cons and ex-screws and the whole island seems to be abandoned quarries and wasteground covered in quarry fill. Rocks and grit and stubborn plants with shallow roots everywhere. It’s a weird county, UK in microcosm - you have the opulence of Sandbanks and some of the big rural houses with guesthouse and swimming pool dotted about belonging to Londoners or bankers, than you have estates that could be from anywhere in the country, with the drugs and low level crime. Lots and lots of people needing foodbanks, from all strata except the happily rich.
@@princessperdita I worked in some right scabby council flats there years ago. I also went to see the Hagler/Leonard World title fight at the leasure centre in 1987 & there was a mosque being build there 24/7. (Oh how the neighbours must have loved that all night cement mixer).
The strange thing is that the properties shown here are probably built to a higher standard than many new properties built today for extravagant prices.
Birmingham. You could do a whole series. My childhood home has it's local gang called the Frankley murderers. Pop down and have a wander round, you will defo have some content!!!!
My parents lived in Boscombe for forty years and I have some of the happiest memories there. This narrative gives it a gloomy tone yet he forgot to mention some of the lovely parks there, as well as the football grounds and the cliff tops which have a large view of the sea from Poole to the Isle of Wight and yes some shops have closed down but the shopping centre isn’t as bad as he said. It does have a reputation since the 80s when a notorious landlord advertised many living on the dole in Liverpool to come and rent his properties by the sea. Nothing against people from Liverpool but I remember some of the ones who came down and yes they were a right dodgy lot!
Lived in Bournemouth (Boscombe) for University and It was terrible. Boscombe is full of HMO's (one of which i stayed in). Town centre is sinking as well. Don't go out near parks or after 9pm or you will get chased by dog (or worse) as owners refuse to use a lead.
I'm from Liverpool and take no offence because I was one of the scousers who came down and ye unfortunately we brought a bit of are negative behaviours with us.
I went to Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design in the 1980s. It didn't have its own student accommodation back then, so we were housed in B&Bs in Boscombe. At the first sniff of summer trade, our B&B owner asked us to arrange alternative accommodation. I quit college and got a job instead.
My parents live in Weymouth, to be honest it hasn't really deteriated any more than any other seaside towns in the UK, probably less than most. The tourism has helped it stay pretty smart and reasonably well kept. There are a few parts which would benefit from tidying up, but overall it's not that bad. The town centre shopping is keeping reasonably good for a town that size and the Rodwell trail is fantastic, if you cycle - which links up to to other cycling routes nearby. Bournemouth too- complaining about the traffic. It's a busy city centre. You can see a SUV parked on the zig-zags on a crossing on the film, that should not be there. If you're unhappy about the traffic in a City - don't drive into it. Bournemouth has a couple major dual carriageways going through it, they can't put any more roads.
I disagree. We used to go to Weymouth(staying in Bowleaze) every year for almost 2 decades, and we adored it. I took my daughter and her boyfriend to it in 2021 for a 10 day holiday, and we left on the fourth day. It is abominable! I wish I had never seen it and still remembered it how it was.😢
@@dragonflyparade8143 10 day Holiday in Weymouth? Blimey especially staying at the rundown part of Bowleaze. I mean, if you are using it as a base to tour along the coast then maybe. I don't understand why more isn't spent on that old Pontins. it's been bought by Britannia Hotels, who just run places into the geound and don't spend anything on the upkeep. I mean i am basing my experiences from living in Weston, which is god-awful (and i lived in Bridgwater before that, with them). in the 15 years or so my parents have lived in Weymouth, some parts have got better others worse. When they first moved there, there was just one small Supermarket for the whole town. An Asda that was dirty and always packed. Now at least there are several near the town centre. Plus the Harbour front has all recently been improved.
@@a1white yes, poor old Bowleaze is wrecked indeed. That awful Pontins....we used to call it a concentration camp 😂 Even back then, we wouldn't have stayed there. Housing has filled the lovely dusty lanes that used to run past the old church where so many young sailors from as far back as the Napoleon's War were buried. Council and government malfeasance and corruption has a lot to answer for, nationwide. As does our apathetic stupidity for letting a bunch of what are basically office workers demand ever more money from us, and doing what they fancy to our places.
I do wonder if the council should have restored the old tramway along the harbour rather than lifting it. If they could had managed to keep the Condor ferries, they could have perhaps brought the boat trains back
Truly sad about Weymouth dying. The locals HATE holidaymakers (or grockles as they sneeringly call them)7 yet it is the only thing that has kept the place on life support.
Creekmoor I used to live in part of Poole and believe me, it was full of antisocial yobs and it never felt safe at night. Lots of drugs there too. Vandalized to pieces. Maybe it's better now though
Great! Going to Poole this year for our holidays! Thought I would look for some videos to watch! Erm…thanks! And I will add that we stayed walk-in distance to Weymouth a few years ago, it was lovely. Gorgeous beach , lovely prom , lovely to walk along the front and some lovely cafes also . Being harsh there!
Parts of Poole are nice, it's not all bad. I lived there for 14 years and have lived in much worse areas - I'm in Tewkesbury now and it's much worse. Enjoy the beaches and the countryside :)
@@Turdtowns It's not so much smell as where the particulates and chemicals return to earth, which would most likely be along the coastline depending on the prevailing wind. There have been considerable local objections and the plan was eventually rejected. It would have been somewhere near the old Portland Naval Base. I'm only a twice yearly visitor but we have friends in the area. My wife grew up in Poole until "somebody" tempted her oop north 😁
Boscombe! Almost legendary. Despite the preponderance of drugs and sex workers it does have its unique charm. The council's been trying to clean up Boscombe's image in recent years to appeal to families. Meantime there are some great record shops to ferret through. My friend lived there for many years, and he loved its diverse and quirky nature. If you don't mind falling over some random drunk lying in the foyer of your block of flats that used to be a hotel, it's fine. You won't encounter any blue rinsed locals in Boscombe, as they all live in Christchurch which is just up the road.
It shows how things change, for the worse. Went on summer holidays etc many times to Bournemouth/Boscombe/Southbourne, and only have great memories of the place. Tucktonia, Queens Park golf course, the beautiful beach and wooded walks. The Crust restaurant, The Chandelles etc etc. Not to mention the big toy shop at the top of Sea Road. The good old days right enough
Bournemouth's shops have definitely been dying, but it is MILES above Poole in my opinion. There is a cool free art gallery in the Bobby's building, there are often interesting markets popping up and there's a good amount of decent places to go for a night out. There are REASONS to go to Bournemouth, whereas Poole I only use to get an awkward bus to Blandford. The roads are for sure shit though.
Lived in Bovington for my teen years. Hamworthy’s reputation has not changed at all from the sounds of it. Only thing I want to know is if Rossi’s I’ve cream parlour is still on Weymouth sea front? That place does the best ice cream I’ve ever had and if it’s gone there’s no reason to ever go back to Weymouth.
I know you Sir and you are a cad and a dandy and I scoff at your impudence. I believe you once went to a musical concert in Poole and on the way back from whence you came, vomited upon your friends car! Bad form old chap.
Poole Town has required "modernisation" for some time now! But by way of a contrast both Poole Park and the Lighthouse Art's Centre are attractive features!!
I have to agree Bournemouth has really gone downhill I live in Bournemouth Town Centre and there's a saying that some people say Bournemouth has rent at London prices but not London wages and shop rents and leases have recently gone through the roof and has a homeless problem too
Well done, another well made episode! I was just thinking, with the state of the UK these days, compared to say the 1980s, you have incredible scope to make these videos! I was born in the 1950s, and sadly have seen so many changes... keep up the good work!
I was born mid 50’s and I absolutely loved Cornwall, Treyarnon Bay and Padstow were incredible, as many other places were ! I’m never going back again after my last visit a few years ago 😢 the south coast is even worse 😢😢 ! I’m glad I’m old !! Not kidding
@@TurdtownsI've seen your Cornwall video. It backs up Simon Reeve's two TV documentaries. He goes into the poverty there in some depth. It's not all Cutesy St Ives and cream teas, that's for sure ☹️
Sadly so much of what you feature here is true but the whole point of living and working in Dorset is that you're always close to somewhere quite nice or even spectacular, and the weather is pretty good a lot of the time too! You can even hunt for fossilised "Jurassic Turds" on the beaches in the west if you wish, and I am not referring to the pensioners!
Weirdly, Boscombe was the more desirable and exclusive part, Bournemouth was for the peasants (at the turn of the century). Growing up in this area cir.1970’s its undergone major changes, lifting itself for a while in the early 90’s then dropping back again. Early 2000’s (Blair era), it took a turn for the worst. I’ve not been that way for a while but last time I was there I saw nothing that looked like an improvement. Most of the UK towns and cities are indistinguishable these days, same brands, same sort of populace. I recently went to Bath and that still has something. It seems the more out of the way a place is , the more it is able to retain something, although even these isolated nooks are slowly being eroded. Thanks for posting the videos, it’s quite mesmerising to watch places you know and the commentary is witty. Why not interview a few local people?
Have a good time. Bournemouth is fine just not what it used to be. Traffic is horrendous. I would personally go between Poole and Weymouth or west of Weymouth. Nicer areas.
@@MrMarmite5164 There was a large tower block used by Poole Hospital for its nurses. Being a virtually all women occupied building there became a problem, occasionally, of the drainage being blocked by tampons. They were then having to get it cleared! Hence the nickname!
Blimey!! Last time I was in Bournemouth/Boscombe (Early 2000's), it was a case of 'Dodge the Needles' on Boscombe Beach!! Dorset's own Druggie Central!
Portland is fabulous, I used to live there, far nicer than Weymouth granted it was in the 1980s. I miss it and would move back happily. Being surrounded by the sea, I agree there really aren't beaches except very stony ones. Quiet beauty with history. Don't tell too many people how lovely it is too many tourists would spoil the tranquility. It is a bit rough in the winter, but a stormy sea is a fabulous site. Each to their own, I like Portland.
Live here and love it all year round! But you are so right, I’m more than happy for people to think it’s a s***hole….stops them from coming here littering up the place and breathing our lovely fresh sea air. 😌
It would help if they built more houses / apartments/ maisonetts. With Mortgage / house prices so high, it is inevitably going to retard any kind of growth and development - Excessive housing costs keeps everyone so poor private businesses don't stand a chance. I have a theory that a lot of conservative controlled councils and by virtue Conservative councillors (particularly in the South West) oppose flat / house building in order to maintain the value of their own properties, and in doing so basically strangle their own towns. With an increasingly short supply of land (evidenced by one borough sprawling into another one) Maisonettes would seem to be the way forward.
Everything you’ve said is sadly true, I’ve lived in Wimborne my whole life and even this nice little town has been turned into a dump! Things are only going to get worse due to housing estates going up everywhere, congestion on the roads , and the once glorious Canford Estate being sold off, probably to more development! Poole has always been a dump, and Bournemouth is somewhere I NOW wouldn’t go if you paid me! Weymouth used to be my ideal destination as a child but it’s sad to see the state of it now! If you ask me, it’s the failure of government. Including local government agencies that have created the problem… lots of failures in all departments!
As a real native of Poole and Dorsetshire (shire not some foreign term), Bournemouth was in Hampshire for most of history (if you can say that about a knock up tourist trap) and frankly the border ought to return to pre-Heath lines. With barbedwire fence to keep 5hem out of Dorset. Hamworthy is a dump because Labour shipped out some london dross there after 1945 and anything next to a military base becomes CHAV.....hence Portland. Or Blandford, you missed that one!
I live in Poole, have done all my life. Back in the 70s, when I was a teenager, the whole Bournemouth/Poole area was a brilliant place to be, but now it's just a massive shithole.
Grew up just down the road from Poole. Like much of Dorset's more 'town' areas, it's declined a lot since the highstreet heyday of the 80s and 90s. If you want to find the bit that everyone wants to avoid then look no further than Turlin Moor like you said. I was once driving past the road that goes onto it reasonably late one night and a single, unattached car wheel and tyre just rolled on out of the junction and kept on going. Pretty much summed it up. Even said, I'll probably still stick up for Poole until my last days. Moved away over 18 years ago but still miss it. The majority of Dorset is made up of rural villages and its the second highest town in terms of population in the area so it being relatively high on the crime stats for the county isn't too surprising. Poole will also forever have its ace card in terms of the harbour and its beaches. There were many, many worse places I could have grown up.
I moved to Weymouth in 1977 to start a job and boy, has it gone downhill. I lived on Portland for over 12 years and I do get irked by claims - which some make about Weymouth - that there's 'nothing to do'. Really? I think someone living on a sprawling urban estate up country would think they were spoilt for choice of things to do on Portland and there's far more to do than when I lived there.
As a resident in Dorset I’ve been waiting for this video. Enjoyed the focus on Portland (known as Bum Island or just Shit Rock locally). West Bay, Wareham, Crossways and Blandford would have provided content. Looking forward to your next video.
Just wanted to say ive seen a homless man with his trousers down his ankles just propper going for it on his lil member while standing in the line for MCDONALDS in boscombe. nobody kicked him out, he did it until he got the the front of the line, PLACED AN ORDER and was SERVED!! only in boscombe
Yes, these towns are crap compared with 50 years ago. But what has happened to London, Leicester, Peterborough, Birmingham, Bradford and any one of 50 towns and cities is so much worse.
Mate, I have been leaving in Bournemouth for long 10 years, and everything that you said in this video is correct. Something needs to be done. But you are right. Congratulations for your report, video and speaking. Well done.
My God! I lived in Bournemouth throughout the 90's in Winton, Charminster, Pokesdown and Boscombe and I loved it. Looking at Old Christchurch road in this video is depressing. What a shame, really gone to the dogs!
Where should we visit next?
Teeside is rather grim
Lincolnshire :3
The Black Country (west of brum), Stoke, anywhere in London. But Corby would blow your mind.
Sussex .. Hastings, Eastbourne, Hailsham, Newhaven, Peacehaven, Uckfield ...
I suggest East Sussex, the delights of places like Newhaven have to be seen to be believed!
As a teen growing up in Boscombe in the 70's it was a clean, happy, thriving area full of good guest houses and small hotels, good schools and housing, parks, walks, etc.. And then along came the mid-80s and it's changed almost overnight. Along with Bournemouth the decline continues.
It's the same everywhere in the UK. The country is descending into a poor third world country. The illegal invaders on dinghies must really feel at home.
Bournemouth is shockingly skummy in 2023
Boscombe looks a bit shit but it’s not dangerous.
when the drugs came in from the North West it went into decline !
Opera house in boscombe was the best night club I’ve ever been to and is still sadly missed.
How I wish I could return to the Dorset I knew in the 60s. So sad to see the decline of what was once one of the best counties in Britain.
Ruined by councils and 'town planning'. Far better left alone.
The 1974 Local Government reorganisation altered local authority areas, but should not have altered the historic counties. Bournemouth may be administered by Dorset, but it is really part of Hampshire. The historic boundary is County Gates, between Bournemouth and Poole.
My school holidays in the 60's were often spent with relatives in Bournemouth. It was a great town, posh, clean, wonderful attractions, 1980s onwards it's gone completely downhill. Drugs,gangs, homeless and alcoholics wandering around the squares and gardens. Sad.
@@iangee3311the effect of society gettung to soft,ever since the war in my opinion. Lack of respect for the law, environment and each other.
@@rob5944 Government and police failing to get a grip on drug culture, allowing county lines shift, shortage of meaningful employment...so many reasons.
Trust me, Dorset is paradise, to the likes of Grimsby, Bolton, Oldham, and the rest of the UK
Agreed. I live on Fraggle Rock (Portland to you). Moved from London - an over-priced shit-hole full of zombies out earning their daily bread
I grew up in Redditch, Bournemouth is like paradise in comparison.
When I moved to Bournemouth I asked a lad I was working with which pubs I should avoid, he thought I was asking for a rating he just didn't get the concept of there being pubs you do not walk into if they don't know you.
Grew up in Kidderminster spent a couple of years in Bournemouth the weather was great especially when your on the beach. Safer although I feel like it does attract some weirdos had a few bad encounters. It’s so different to the Midlands it was almost a cultural shock moving back!
lol, he didn't know kinson then.
my mum had nightmares about havung to go back to south end in essex back in the 1990s, so cant be too bad
What bloody pubs, two Wetherspoons in the town centre 🤣
Sourhe d is not that bad. Are all your states in america brilliant
The reason Bournemouth wanted Boscombe was that at the time in the Victorian era it was where the rich lived. There were a few manor houses and many old Victorian houses where the servants lived in the basements. The reason that it is in the state it is now is for decades the council has used it as a dumping ground allowing free reign to landlords to create HMO's and it even has drug rehab units there.
Lol I was at one of those rehabs last year
@@johnrambo7072And I was in one of those HMO's in Boscombe! In 2021. 😩
And I was in one of those HMO's in Boscombe! In 2021. 😩
Boscombe was finished the day the scousers moved in
I went to uni in Bournemouth around 2008-2010 and genuinely loved it there, never had any problems and didn't really ever see any trouble. There were drug rehab units in Boscombe that apparently closed down and the patients had nowhere else to go so many of them just became homeless in Bournemouth; we used to bump into a Scottish guy we ended up calling Angus who always used the opening line "ahm glad yeh speak English, no-wan else 'roond here seems teh!" - don't think he ever realised he'd spoken to us more than once in his life before.
Turned out he and a load of other homeless people had been on the syreets in their respective home cities and local councils had approached them and asked them where they'd like to go if they had a choice - a few said Bournemouth because of the beaches and seaside resort aspect, and the council gave them one-way rail tickets to go there.
I moved out in 2011 as ai finished my course, but went back last year with a mate to see a show at the BIC; I was staggered with how dystopian everything looked, and this was in peak summer. Plus my mate had his fish and chips stolen by some absolute skaghead, utterly off his nut and walked off saying "you want your fish I fucking kill you" - soured the evening somewhat..
BIC was granted planning because it had a swimming pool to replace the demolished pier head one. Then they closed it. Clever stroke.
TlDR
Angus, I'm assuming you mean Glasgow as I know him, he's a good man, good laugh haven't seen him in a while hope he's ok though
Angus, I’m assuming you mean Jock as I know him. He’s still helping keep A&E busy with his cheery trademark “Stitch that!” as he accosts passers by with an affectionate Glasgow kiss, what a guy.
Sounds like Yr from 'the other side of the tracks' China. You re on an entirely different trajectory from the average Boscombe kiddy. For what it's worth I'd still rather have the company of a street smart drug monster than many of the pampered little 'uni' students
I took my mum for what turned out to be her last holiday in 2017 and we went to all those places. She hardly recognised anything. Bournmouth was horrendous, parking charges were ridiculous and like you say, the roads especially near the centre, make you wish you'd stayed at home.
Please tell me any town that is recognisable after many years. My own home town looks nothing like it did when I left in 1988. Car parking charges are on the greedy Councils not the area. It's a holiday destination making money from holidaymakers. The comments you make about the roads are the same for every town. These comments are out of context. If you want to see real deprivation look elsewhere.
In that case nobody in the UK can complain about anything. Look at places like Gaza and Ukraine.
@@Goodchappy you have a valid point.
The way I roared "HEY, FUCK OFF" when you mentioned Portland... I mean, you ARE right, but I just adore that funny little turd
Love Portland. Nice quiet
Don’t forget, Dorset is not just coastal. Take the effort to travel inland, and you’ll discover some wonderfully shit towns too.
Dorset’s rural towns are rather good places to live and bring up a family. We moved 35 miles ‘inland’ from BCP 25 years ago and never regretted the decision.
I left the UK 20 years ago because I didn't like what was happening, but I can't believe how bad it has got since then. I did some work in Swanage and Corfe Castle in 1982 and did the final part of my PADI scuba diving course at Chesil Beach in 1996. I remember Dorset as a gorgeous county, so very surprised to see it featured in Turd Towns. What has happened to the UK?
tories happened mate, pumping all the money out of the country into their mates pockets
@@stilton946 Some of the blame lays with an unelectable Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn. And though the Tories have been appalling I'd say the true decline started when Blair and Brown came along.
@@stilton946 Tory local councillors, in particular. They are completely devoid of empathy and vision, yet show a true talent for arranging back-handers for their friends and families. We have some of the country's loveliest areas of natural beauty, but The Great and the Good manage to suck out most of their charm, and run them like little fiefdoms of poorly organised crappiness.
It's the benefit culture that has grown up - first encouraged by the left, and now also by the Tories. Coupled with idiotic and pointless council interference such as the demolition of Victorian buildings, the building ugly concrete structures and constant, useless road schemes ('Town Planning'). The final straw is the number of immigrants and drug users. It will all become irrelevant anyway within a few decades, because England is scheduled to become an Islamic state before 2060, owing to much higher birth rates among Muslims.
@@stilton946Government happened, mate. If the government just let everyone live their lives then the UK would be a near paradise.
30 years ago I lived near Weymouth. It was a lovely place to visit. In 2018 I spent some time there and was so shocked at what a shithole its become. Homeless and druggies everywhere. In the late 90s i lived near Boscombe which was a bit shit then, now its bloody awful. So sad to see how these places have, as with a lot of places in the UK have, been turned into utter shitholes.
UK in general as the world turns but still beats a war zone, just,I suppose,chin up )
Apparently the local authorities do more for the homeless than anywhere else in the UK?
I used to holiday in Weymouth and the surrounding area as a kid back in the 80s. I absolutely LOVED it round there. Plus it actually has a somewhat warm, clear blue sea unlike the manky looking, brown, murky, dark cold waters of the South East that we visited when my dad couldn't be bothered to drive as far (we live in Essex)
I struggle to understand these stories, since all of the horrible and depressing properties look easily 30 years old
@@theseb1979 would have been new 30 years ago?
As someone who was born in Poole, raised in Bournemouth, and now resides in Weymouth, I feel attacked 😭 so true though, Bournemouth and Weymouth have both become absolutely desolated pits these days, Weymouth is an absolute nightmare these days....
Is this an American talking anti British maybev
The south west is kinda fucked now lmao I’m from Weymouth it’s all going a bit mental everywhere’s closing and crime rates mad😂
Hello fellow Poole baby! 😂 and lived in Bournemouth till 20 ish 🎉
@@focusmicroCorfe Mullen till I die.
You didn't mention Poole bus station. Full of illiterate smokers. Teenagers having fights. And the occasional stabbing. I get buses from stops nearby when I need to. Poole high st does one saving grace. The comic shop. Which is right down the far end. It's brilliant.
Lived in Weymouth for 20 years and left. Sky-high house prices, low paid seasonal jobs. Homeless on seafront, gangs of teens at night. Boy racers. Second home owners. Retired OAP's. Worst of all the unfriendly and clique way of Weymouth people, so rude. In the time I lived there barely anyone could even say hello when walking your dog. Incompetent council. Sky high parking charges. Filthy public toilets. Innumerable charity shops. Awful schools.Terrible college. Understaffed and badly run hospital. Aggressive and arrogant police force. Wannabe firefighters. Pretend surfers. Basically, anything you like be it swimming, surfing, football, drama etc is budget, basic and really cringe bad. The architecture was well known for its Georgian sea frontage and regency style. So the council stuck upside down plastic looking boat/kiosks and lasers, taking away beautiful old lamps. The Olympics was a joke. The council did a smash and grab as they received money and spent it on a useless road system that the locals hate. The Olympics event was the most boring of all, sailing and you couldn't see a thing from the shore. It was just an excuse for the already well off weekend sailors to build a new sailing club that 99% of the populace cannot use. Local councillors are usually from nepotistic means and own acres of land far larger than a lot of the estates. Yet they will vote for green areas to be built upon with apartments under the clever guise of 'affordable housing' as long as they make 5 out of every 5000 slightly cheaper, and of course they don't get back handers from developers for doing this 😂
Agreed. Only living there 5 minutes when local bottom-feeders came out of the BRIT pub 4 handed and put me in the gutter. The phrases 'surly' 'small-minded' and yes 'brain dead' come to mind
And they're the better sort...😅
U should write a book😂😂😂oh u did 😂😂😂
You definitely got bummed against your will here 👍😊🏴
Having been born in Weymouth ( the world's first bathing resort) I was quite shocked with your description. However I have come to the conclusion that this decline is in fact widespread and terminal.
Weymouth is a nice place to be, yes it can be expensive but that is due to greedy councils and yes it has it's problems like every other town in the UK, this is again down to the Council who waste good money on vanity projects instead of using the cash to help where it should be given.
It is indeed now one of tjhe most Godforsaken hellholes in the south of England.
I grew up there although I left in 1997 but still have family there, its OK but it has really gone downhill in the last 10 years or so. The town centre is a dump.
@@Walruz1000 I think most people think the same as you but inregard to their own home towns.
@@robynjackson348 You're probably right, most town centres do seem to have gone downhill. I loved growing up in Weymouth, I love Dorset, its a beautiful county and I still go back often to see family and fish Chesil, I only live in Devon.
I visited Weymouth a few years ago and didn't think it was too bad. But, this was the seafront area and not the town itself. It's shame what's happened to our countries seaside towns.
"it's a shame what's happened to our... seaside towns" - utter rubbish. these towns have been like this as long as i remember (back to the early 70's). Bournemouth has always been housing estates by the sea, Weymouth has always been a working ferry/fishing port and Portland was always quarries. Dorset is famous for it's geology, it's ancient ruins (Blandford Forum, Corfe), it's coastal paths and a tank museum. if you want to stay by the sea, stay in Swanage or Studland.
They should be doing better with global warming.
Thing is - like everywhere that is "touristy" = great to visit - shite to live at.
I tell people I lived in Somerset for a period of time, and I got "Oooh, lovely". Nah, was dreadful!
@@johnpapworth433 this is very true. I used to live in a seaside town now city and yes in a tourist mindset it is a lovely place but as an actual resident it's a sh**hole.
Weymouth is nice for a day trip..Bournemouth is awful to visit but probably not so bad to live in.
Having been born and brought up in Dorset in a small village, I saw many changes over the years to the larger towns, city dwellers arriving in their bought holiday cottages thinking they knew how to 'change' the rural countryside for the better. Portland used to be a very close knit community, despite prisons, everyone looked after each other. The Navel base was fabulous and when the seas cut off portland the navy were there to protect the islanders. Its not a case of nostalgia its country life with the influx of know it all high-flying townies who think they know better. Nothing ever stays the same but those born in Dorset especially those 'out of the way' places never like to leave. Bournemouth, Poole, Boscombe, weymouth have all changed with the influx of disrespect, even Lulworth cove in those summery days. Like all places throughout Britain, its attitudes of individuals that change these places out of recognition and sadly it will only get worse before it gets better. Your take is quite amusing for a Dorset bred like me but hopefully it will go some way to slow down the influx of 'non desirable so, thanks
Portland was close-knit all right, and notoriously so...
I went to Bournemouth Uni from 2016-2020. The first two years there were amazing. Knew the best spots on the beach away from the tourists in the summer, lovely walks everyday. With the right friends, I wouldn't swap the town for any other. But, after a year of placement and coming back in - seeing so many shops shutter and the homeless population grow (alongside the crime rate) showed how quickly an area like this can fall from grace.
I think these videos highlight problems that are nationwide: high streets are struggling everywhere, and councils have no money to spend on the various local problems.
No, money just gets embezzled or spent on already rich areas of the country. The money is absolutely there.
@@TernalinThe last 14 years the government slashed the money it gave to local councils by £billions.
@@greni7472 Yeah because they were embezzling money elsewhere.
The whole UK will be less depressing if you guys learn not to throw garbage on the streets.
A cultural practice we proudly exported to the world 😊😂😅
@@paulbuckle8459 😂
Imagine how depressed you’d be if you see your own house in the thumbnail of turdtowns
As someone who has lived in Dorset, Bradford and the Rhondda Valleys, I find it ludicrous that you can rate those towns in Dorset so badly. The truest examples of depression, despair and general hopelessness are to be found in places such as Bradford and RCT. People who think that Dorset is on a similar par with such places are either; blind to reality, lazy in opinion forming or genuinely unable to differentiate between rough around the edges and completely f*cked up
Get with the program dude. He is doing Dorset in this video. The Turdtowns you mention I am sure will get their time in the limelight in future videos. And, if you live in one of these places you would realize they are slowly sinking into the mire.
Literally said a few times it’s not bad in dorset. It’s the nicest county I’ve visited for far. Somewhere has to be the worst in dorset.
I think you need to get out more in that case! IF you think deprssion, despair and hopelessness aren't found in almost every town, village and place of human occupation then you really are out of touch, besides it's turd towns of Dorset, not of the whole of the UK which was very very clear to everyone else
@@Turdtowns your actually weren't that far off! Poole s a craphole - I. LOVED the remark about the shopping centre as well! "you'll get tetanus if you rubbed against it"...genius! Bournemouth though... theres pretty good shopping there if you know where to look!
Stayed at a friends parents house in the Rhonda in the 1980's for week , no job prospects for young people, major unemployment . The dole office had bench seats bolted down and perspex windows to protect the staff . The pub had old push button TV which someone had to push the button in every five minutes to put the channel back on and shops sold cigarettes individually . Government did nothing for these old coal mining areas !
Oh yes as a Bournemouth resident I was waiting for Dorset to come up. I think you got it spot on. Bournemouth used to be much nicer and traffic is a nightmare. The beach is never as packed as they make it look on the news as it's miles long and there is always space unless the airshow is on. Ha, poor old Boscombe has its issues but the bit that is nearer to the sea is alright. I used to live in Boscombe but I'd always say Southbourne as it's much more upmarket. Good fun video thanks 😁👍
The merging of the 3 councils into BCP is the main driver for these areas becoming worse.
Is the traffic bad all the time?
@@makeshift1012 Well yeah most of the time and especially in the summer holidays. Usually road works on at least one of the major routes through so it's worth listening to the traffic reports on the radio.
The truth sometimes hurts, but reading the comments, like me I agree it seems most towns now are going downhill. It can only get worse in some places. Great channel and binge-watching content mate. Keep up the good work, you have so many more places to cover.
My sister moved to Bournmouth/boscombe end. it was a shithole, 5 year old kids breaking into the neighbours cars to nick the tax disc and stereos at 1am at night. drunk dropout parents fighting on the street at all hours. only nuking it could improve it, cos a pandemic didn't dent it.
Please. Stop. Yr taking me back to the dreamy streets of Birkenhead's North End. Home to Pramface and her many-headed brood😢
Tax discs!??? 😂😂😂
Bournemouth used to thrive but a strange desire to pedestrianise and make parking annoying stopped many locals using the town centre, we use castle point which is easier, while the university also changed the dynamic from a form of wealthy people living comfortable lives using the town centre to a town centre dominated by a young culture. Technically that is supposed to be ‘good’- but they just don’t spend the money. Now it has a centre that on none summer days seems filled with drunks and lousy shops - a very long way from its genteel background.
Car dependency is the main issue that pedestrianisation drives people away from town centres rather than simply shifting to more sustainable modes of transport (cycling or public transport) to go into town, which is what those measures were supposed to do; if the country wasn't so car-dependent outside London (e.g. public transport that actually works combined with people that aren't too snobby to use it), it would've been very effective (personally a pedestrianised street is much more attractive and pleasant to walk on and explore than one packed with parked cars) but we need to fix the car-mentality issue (not helping with how much public transport is going downhill) before these measures come in
@@HunkumSpunkum Haha yes how the fook does one get from another county to Dorset without a car? Public transport would cost a small fortune and nob heads keep going on strike or jumping on the tracks because life is so great under tory oppression, maybe the family and I could hop on our push bikes and cycle 60 miles there and 60 miles back, that would end well. In fact maybe the thatcherites could make a cycle lane on the M3 and make the A35 a pedestrian zone too, that would work.
Went to the Lansdowne today. More than half the people were non-white, male and in their twenties. All the white folks were middle-aged or beyond. The Round House Hotel is filled with illegal migrants. More than half the shops were boarded-up. 90% of the on-street parking has been deleted, making trade very difficult. The former cinema/bingo hall is closed. Even the KFC is closed.
@@HunkumSpunkum No, they aren't misguided. Do any research and you'll find shops in Pedestrianised areas have a much higher footfall and do better financially than those with busy traffic going through them.
@@HunkumSpunkum I manage. Pannier bags mean I can eaasily get my weeks shopping home. Anything bigger, I Just do home delivery. Saves time being stuck in traffic.
Bournemouth and Boscombe are historically in Hampshire; it was once known as the queen of Hampshire's resorts. Politicians moved it to Dorset in 1974, only because Dorset County Council was in serious financial trouble, whilst the County Borough of Bournemouth had a financial surplus. County Gates is the proper county boundary.
@@r.h.8754 That is fine as Frizzell's occupied the site. It remains the PROPER boundary between Hampshire and Dorset.
Brilliant film. I grew up in Poole and the whole are has become more and more rundown. We were all scared of the kids from Turlin Moor. My Dad’s firm designed the Poole Shopping Centre in the late 60’s and he said it needed knocking down by the 80’s… long past it’s sell by date… about 40 years.😂
I lived in Upton as a kid and has a paper round that took me into Turlin moor. Getting flashbacks watching this.
It's still a dump😂😂
Why would you put a bus station facing north , think they were in love with concrete in the 1960' s !
Think I too a punch to the face from some chavy in that area
Turning Moor. aka The Reservation. Even the Travellers refuse to set up camp there. :-)😁😁
You need to do one in Hampshire, you’d be surprised the amount of dumps around here! Portsmouth, Southampton, New Milton to name a few!
Aldershot
leigh park and havant as well
Basingstoke
I live in Weymouth, the NZ version. Similar story, used to be a really nice coastal village until council housing started creeping in, and scumbags started ruining it. Glad I left when I could. Great channel.
Your non-pc comment is spot on. I moved to Weymouth for my job in 1977, a time when unemployed people could get financial help to move to different parts of the country to find work (before moving I'd worked in a Jobcentre) so naturally many of them chose to move to nice seaside towns.
Well, could of been worse, Otara or Manakau. I lived in dreary Glenfield for a long time. Believe it or not I moved back to Weymouth UK lol
@@O.O.O.K999 watching this from my flat is a posh part of Kyoto that costs 340 quid a month
"Homeless people throw chips at you!" LOL
Good work! Always enjoyable and amusing. Having just left Weston super Mare after 3 1/2 years of astonished disappointment Bournemouth looks like Bali in comparison. Take care out there!
I grew up in Dorset, and I agree with everything you said except for Boscombe...I think it's one of the most interesting and vibrant places in Dorset and has some of the best cafés and beaches. Bournemouth however is the worst, I have sadly seen its demise over the last decade and more and we have the charming council to blame for that. Don't bother going there unless you want to feel utterly depressed. Boscombe has a thriving arts community, it has Chaplins bar and Boscanova café which sells the best coffee. Please don't be fooled!!
Couldn’t agree more. There is life and art to be found in boscombe if anywhere
Totally agree with you there. Boscombe is vibrant and interesting. There are downsides like there are to most large towns or cities and the roads and pavements are in dire need of resurfacing. Overall though it's a nice place to be and the people around here are super friendly, it just takes a smile to realise that. I used to collect debts over Turlin Moor, now that is a worthy number one.
There is a lot of money from central government coming into Boscombe in the next few years.
Couldn't disagree more! Boscombe was bad in the 80s and has only got worse!! Keep trying to convince yourself though!!
Many hotels are only surviving due to housing the scum around Poole, Boscombe, been bad for years, why have nice visitors, when the council will pay top rates to housing anyone (you know who I mean) got attacked in Boscombe by three drunks, the place is a cesspit.
Post Covid - in some cases years before - most high streets in the country are knackered. Even out of town shopping centres are on their knees.
Boscombe truly deserves its accolade of shitholiness. They've been trying to regenerate it for years, but it remains quite the most utterly depressing shopping centre on earth, deserving only of a bomb to raze it to the ground. As some of the comments suggest, hop along to pleasant Southbourne, and you enter a completely different world.
I moved to Weymouth just in time for the lockdown and live one block from the aforementioned B&Bs full of homeless. I never had any beefs with them but they did liven up the place. Which isn't a bad thing because if it's raining, there is f all to do here but wonder where you went wrong in life to wind up here. The two weeks of summer barely make up for it. And of course I'm unemployed because I'm too old to serve coffee, wipe OAP bottoms, or clean hotel rooms and therefore unemployable.
I hope things are going better for you. Try and think outside the box. Lots of people are making money doing things that weren’t traditionally jobs.
@@Turdtowns Thank you for the kind words. I hate to out myself but my situation is complicated by the fact that I'm American and some people here have a real problem with that. I was naive moving here assuming people would make fun of my accent for a while and then move on. It's been five years and there doesn't seem to be any moving on yet. Which is a long winded explanation for why I know I couldn't expect to get a forward facing job working with the public, for example.
Here's a question for you- do you think there are places in the UK that are more accepting of different types of immigrants? Excluding London, of course. I seem to be able to find more acceptance in places like Bath and Salisbury (people in Bristol just ignored me which was fine) and I'm wondering if I'm romanticizing the idea that people wouldn't pretend to spit on me, for example, in a different part of England where there are more people 'not from around here.'
I could go on but that's enough outta me! Thanks for reading.
You will always find cities more accepting of different cultures. Smaller places can be slightly unwelcoming it’s the same everywhere really. Bath has loads of American tourists so you would definitely blend in there!
Elizabeth, people in Norwich are friendly to incomers..
My story is very similar. Been in Weymouth since mid 2019. Feel unemployable at 51 really. But like being by the sea, after most of my life in South London. Take care. 👍
Damn, I used to go to Bournemouth on family holidays in the late 90’s/early 00’s, shame to see it’s so bad now. I remember that highstreet at 07:52 being newer and more prestige, what a state.
I have a scar on one of my wrists, acquired courtesy of a skinhead with a sharpened metal comb, on a visit to 1970's Boscombe. Friends of mine now live in one of the (relatively) posher bits of the suburb but even so, the public loos have blue lighting so that druggies can't see their veins when they're trying to shoot up. Plus ca change, plus c'est la merde chose..... As a resident of Hampshire, I'd recommend a visit, even Winchester has its seamier areas, try a trip to Stanmore and/or Winnall if you end up (and I do mean end up) there.
Blue lighting i’ve never heard of this
Ooh..slumming it where we?
I also have the scars of visiting Bournemouth
I never thought I would say this, but you are absolutely right. I have lived in Dorset for 36 years but fortunately, not in any of the areas you highlighted. I only go to Poole or Bournemouth when I absolutely have to.
Do you think the last 13 years of Tory government has had anything to do with this? 🤔
Dorset is possibly the most beautifull county in England.90 per cent of Dorset is great.
Can’t disagree with that my friebd
Old Christchurch road in Bournemouth, I walked up after finishing work and you'd play dodge the piles of vomit. Everywhere you go up the road ,you'd guarantee there be massive piles of brought up takeaways.
as an expat living in Australia, I am so saddened by this and other of your videos. The death of the high street seems a major concern, and government inaction in supporting local government. I remember holidaying in many of the towns mentioned in my youth, it makes me sad to see desolation
i am from weymouth and i hated it till i moved out on my own as a teenager to plymouth in devon. i liked visiting it for the peace and quiet when i lived in london, after leaving plymouth, but now i live in melbourne vic and i cannot ever imagine going back to england willingly, and sure as hell would never set foot in weymouth apart from to see relatives!
@@oli1764 Always some twat who leaves the UK, but insists on watching current UK videos to validate their reasons for leaving. Weymouth is a really nice place to visit. Not its fault that you couldn't see the positive amongst the bad. Says a lot about you though.
I have now lived in Weymouth for 20 years since moving from west London, yes weymouth town is getting worse and run down, and very little for the younger generation to do, BUT! the surrounding areas are stunningly beautiful, and when the weather is good i go for many walks and still discovering new places i didn't even know existed, totally agree with you on Boscombe.
i was in weymouth about 2weeks ago,and i found the place nice and ok ,and i am coming back in july, and for some one like my self who would like to live there , this vid would not put me off , if you want to see a real sea side town in decay go to blackpool ,or rhyl on the north wales coast.
Then don't believe friends and neighbours when they say it's nice you moved there. They will secretly resent you for not being from Dorset. Even more so if you lived in London. My whole family laughs about the 'Dorset smile', usually when you're walking your dog and you say "morning" and smile at someone they manage to make the minutest of smiles as if their face will crack if they smile properly
@@TheFowler99living there is very different 😮
I briefly lived on the Isle of Portland in the late 1990s. I shared a house with a manic journalist who drank like a fish and drove everywhere at breakneck speed. About the only exciting thing to happen during my stay was when a WW2 1000lb bomb was discovered under a football field in Easton - about 200 yds from where we lived. Unfortunately we were all evacuated to one of the crappy holiday camps for a few days, but there was this old man who stubbornly refused to leave Portland. In 80 years he had never left the island! Talk about insular. Yep, the locals don't like them there bunnies. Wabbits!
I had an interview at the naval base there (a hundred years ago) to do some research. What a weird place, grey corridors, wooden chairs, metal filing cabinets; like in WW2. I didn't take the job. I don't know how it is now.
Someone told me about a quarry with statues, never found it, is it true?
It looks like a 1000 lb bomb explosion would improve the appearance of the place.
@@nickbarton3191 Not so much statues, but sculptures - look for Tout Quarry sculpture park at the top of the island
@@nickbarton3191 Actually, the quarry with sculptures was probably the best place to visit, unless you fancy the infamous Portland pub crawl.
There are plenty of jokes about the in-breds of Portland. Very similar to those from Bridgwater and Norwich, actually.
Hamworthy is the home of the SBS. All those low-flying Helicopters aren't all Police.
Chinook to that.
Used to camp in Dorset some 40 years ago. I loved going to Weymouth then - my favourite Dorset seaside town. I went back in 2017 and was horrified. I had to go back to my campsite and have a shower. Weymouth is now a shithole. How is this kind of thing happening to so many towns?
We just aren’t looking after the people who really need help. They just move a bunch of addicts to a new place and there’s no serious effort made to turn their lives around. Too many businesses paying high rents so streets are run down.
@@Turdtowns Yeah!
Weymouth was a shithole back then too, you just didn't see it cos the sun was shining. Try visiting in the winter to get the true experience.
I went to College there for two years in the late eighties, then spent most of the nineties on Portland whilst serving with the Navy.......F.M.L.
Lol. I take the bus from Salisbury to Boscoombe, walk the beach to Bournemouth most weeks, love it!
I agree that it is an enjoyable journey and great to be able to jump back on the bus and return to beautiful Salisbury (which, like most places, has its problems)
@@chocksaway100 Yeah, theres fuck all to do here lol. Unless you are in to killing animals with a gun or dog on horse back!
Salisbury definitely has its issues, I used to live in the Friary.... 😉
@@paulnash9851 Yeah, same as the Heath. I love in lower Bemington which is really chilled. Salisbury is not the friendist of places for sure. Not many smiling here lol!
Portland is the one town on here without a railway station. Boscombe has got Pokesdown Station which is called "Pokesdown for Boscombe". Portland did have a railway from Weymouth but that closed in 1952.
Your videos really highlight how ugly England has become in its attempt to house masses of people over the decades followed by gradual decline of these nasty sprawling areas. Quite depressing seeing those shabby high streets compared to how they were when I grew up in the 80s.
There are still nice places but they’re becoming less and less. Bournemouth was nice 10 years ago. Or at least it was nice to me back then.
It was a few years ago times are changing not for the good
This has got to be one of my favorite channels,its spot on!.have travelled alot over uk over the years,I am just shocked how these towns have gone downhill and rundown.
Thanks Amanda!
Yeah, Portland’s grim and Fortuneswell is a place to go to die. You got the prisons and then there’s the estates filled with ex-cons and ex-screws and the whole island seems to be abandoned quarries and wasteground covered in quarry fill. Rocks and grit and stubborn plants with shallow roots everywhere.
It’s a weird county, UK in microcosm - you have the opulence of Sandbanks and some of the big rural houses with guesthouse and swimming pool dotted about belonging to Londoners or bankers, than you have estates that could be from anywhere in the country, with the drugs and low level crime. Lots and lots of people needing foodbanks, from all strata except the happily rich.
Spot on lad😊
With the likes of Slough, Reading, Thatcham, Maidenhead & Bracknell. Berkshire has to be investigated!
Looking forward to it
I weep for Maidenhead - formerly known as the jewel of the Thames. Sadly no more
@@princessperdita I worked in some right scabby council flats there years ago. I also went to see the Hagler/Leonard World title fight at the leasure centre in 1987 & there was a mosque being build there 24/7. (Oh how the neighbours must have loved that all night cement mixer).
The strange thing is that the properties shown here are probably built to a higher standard than many new properties built today for extravagant prices.
True what’s with all the ugly grey cladding?
Birmingham. You could do a whole series. My childhood home has it's local gang called the Frankley murderers. Pop down and have a wander round, you will defo have some content!!!!
My parents lived in Boscombe for forty years and I have some of the happiest memories there. This narrative gives it a gloomy tone yet he forgot to mention some of the lovely parks there, as well as the football grounds and the cliff tops which have a large view of the sea from Poole to the Isle of Wight and yes some shops have closed down but the shopping centre isn’t as bad as he said. It does have a reputation since the 80s when a notorious landlord advertised many living on the dole in Liverpool to come and rent his properties by the sea. Nothing against people from Liverpool but I remember some of the ones who came down and yes they were a right dodgy lot!
Lived in Bournemouth (Boscombe) for University and It was terrible. Boscombe is full of HMO's (one of which i stayed in). Town centre is sinking as well. Don't go out near parks or after 9pm or you will get chased by dog (or worse) as owners refuse to use a lead.
I'm from Liverpool and take no offence because I was one of the scousers who came down and ye unfortunately we brought a bit of are negative behaviours with us.
I went to Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design in the 1980s. It didn't have its own student accommodation back then, so we were housed in B&Bs in Boscombe. At the first sniff of summer trade, our B&B owner asked us to arrange alternative accommodation. I quit college and got a job instead.
My parents live in Weymouth, to be honest it hasn't really deteriated any more than any other seaside towns in the UK, probably less than most. The tourism has helped it stay pretty smart and reasonably well kept. There are a few parts which would benefit from tidying up, but overall it's not that bad. The town centre shopping is keeping reasonably good for a town that size and the Rodwell trail is fantastic, if you cycle - which links up to to other cycling routes nearby.
Bournemouth too- complaining about the traffic. It's a busy city centre. You can see a SUV parked on the zig-zags on a crossing on the film, that should not be there. If you're unhappy about the traffic in a City - don't drive into it. Bournemouth has a couple major dual carriageways going through it, they can't put any more roads.
I disagree. We used to go to Weymouth(staying in Bowleaze) every year for almost 2 decades, and we adored it. I took my daughter and her boyfriend to it in 2021 for a 10 day holiday, and we left on the fourth day. It is abominable! I wish I had never seen it and still remembered it how it was.😢
@@dragonflyparade8143 10 day Holiday in Weymouth? Blimey especially staying at the rundown part of Bowleaze. I mean, if you are using it as a base to tour along the coast then maybe. I don't understand why more isn't spent on that old Pontins. it's been bought by Britannia Hotels, who just run places into the geound and don't spend anything on the upkeep. I mean i am basing my experiences from living in Weston, which is god-awful (and i lived in Bridgwater before that, with them). in the 15 years or so my parents have lived in Weymouth, some parts have got better others worse. When they first moved there, there was just one small Supermarket for the whole town. An Asda that was dirty and always packed. Now at least there are several near the town centre. Plus the Harbour front has all recently been improved.
@@a1white yes, poor old Bowleaze is wrecked indeed. That awful Pontins....we used to call it a concentration camp 😂 Even back then, we wouldn't have stayed there. Housing has filled the lovely dusty lanes that used to run past the old church where so many young sailors from as far back as the Napoleon's War were buried. Council and government malfeasance and corruption has a lot to answer for, nationwide. As does our apathetic stupidity for letting a bunch of what are basically office workers demand ever more money from us, and doing what they fancy to our places.
I do wonder if the council should have restored the old tramway along the harbour rather than lifting it. If they could had managed to keep the Condor ferries, they could have perhaps brought the boat trains back
Truly sad about Weymouth dying. The locals HATE holidaymakers (or grockles as they sneeringly call them)7 yet it is the only thing that has kept the place on life support.
Creekmoor I used to live in part of Poole and believe me, it was full of antisocial yobs and it never felt safe at night. Lots of drugs there too. Vandalized to pieces. Maybe it's better now though
Can't the SBS have a word with the yobs?
@@maratonlegendelenemirei3352 Great potential for continuity training there, I would have thought...
@@maratonlegendelenemirei3352 SBS already has Turlin Moor on their doorstep across the tracks!!
@@donmurray3638 SBS used it for gorilla warfare training
@@intothemultiverse1033 Not many gorillas in Dorset, I think you mean Africa.
Great! Going to Poole this year for our holidays! Thought I would look for some videos to watch! Erm…thanks! And I will add that we stayed walk-in distance to Weymouth a few years ago, it was lovely. Gorgeous beach , lovely prom , lovely to walk along the front and some lovely cafes also . Being harsh there!
Parts of Poole are nice, it's not all bad. I lived there for 14 years and have lived in much worse areas - I'm in Tewkesbury now and it's much worse. Enjoy the beaches and the countryside :)
They have decided not to allow the bulk incinerator at Portland. Is that good or bad ?
I dunno would it smell bad?
@@Turdtowns It's not so much smell as where the particulates and chemicals return to earth, which would most likely be along the coastline depending on the prevailing wind. There have been considerable local objections and the plan was eventually rejected. It would have been somewhere near the old Portland Naval Base. I'm only a twice yearly visitor but we have friends in the area. My wife grew up in Poole until "somebody" tempted her oop north 😁
Boscombe! Almost legendary. Despite the preponderance of drugs and sex workers it does have its unique charm. The council's been trying to clean up Boscombe's image in recent years to appeal to families. Meantime there are some great record shops to ferret through. My friend lived there for many years, and he loved its diverse and quirky nature. If you don't mind falling over some random drunk lying in the foyer of your block of flats that used to be a hotel, it's fine. You won't encounter any blue rinsed locals in Boscombe, as they all live in Christchurch which is just up the road.
Vape shops, coffee shops, and charity shops,like all small towns in uk. Thanks tony blair.
Who's been in power for 14 years?😂
Another one with selective amnesia?
I love how well researched these videos are. Especially going there in person
Thanks I never wanna use google images, all my own footage. It also helps to visit to check if the media are exaggerating things.
It shows how things change, for the worse. Went on summer holidays etc many times to Bournemouth/Boscombe/Southbourne, and only have great memories of the place. Tucktonia, Queens Park golf course, the beautiful beach and wooded walks. The Crust restaurant, The Chandelles etc etc. Not to mention the big toy shop at the top of Sea Road. The good old days right enough
A lot of these places still exist, and are still just as nice...
Bournemouth's shops have definitely been dying, but it is MILES above Poole in my opinion. There is a cool free art gallery in the Bobby's building, there are often interesting markets popping up and there's a good amount of decent places to go for a night out. There are REASONS to go to Bournemouth, whereas Poole I only use to get an awkward bus to Blandford. The roads are for sure shit though.
Lived in Bovington for my teen years. Hamworthy’s reputation has not changed at all from the sounds of it. Only thing I want to know is if Rossi’s I’ve cream parlour is still on Weymouth sea front? That place does the best ice cream I’ve ever had and if it’s gone there’s no reason to ever go back to Weymouth.
I live in Dorset. Bournemouth and surrounding areas are awful . You can see why Hampshire offloaded it.
I know you Sir and you are a cad and a dandy and I scoff at your impudence.
I believe you once went to a musical concert in Poole and on the way back from whence you came, vomited upon your friends car! Bad form old chap.
Poole Town has required "modernisation" for some time now! But by way of a contrast both Poole Park and the Lighthouse Art's Centre are attractive features!!
I have to agree Bournemouth has really gone downhill I live in Bournemouth Town Centre and there's a saying that some people say Bournemouth has rent at London prices but not London wages and shop rents and leases have recently gone through the roof and has a homeless problem too
Renting very high, there is it
Try Brighton! I used to live there. Under the glitz there is loads of poverty
Well done, another well made episode! I was just thinking, with the state of the UK these days, compared to say the 1980s, you have incredible scope to make these videos! I was born in the 1950s, and sadly have seen so many changes... keep up the good work!
We visited Cornwall on the weekend. That was actually a shock. That video will be out on Wednesday
I was born mid 50’s and I absolutely loved Cornwall, Treyarnon Bay and Padstow were incredible, as many other places were ! I’m never going back again after my last visit a few years ago 😢 the south coast is even worse 😢😢 ! I’m glad I’m old !! Not kidding
Are you kidding? He basically went to Bournemouth and Poole and that’s it
@@TurdtownsI've seen your Cornwall video. It backs up Simon Reeve's two TV documentaries. He goes into the poverty there in some depth. It's not all Cutesy St Ives and cream teas, that's for sure ☹️
Please do Hampshire. I used to live in Southampton and now live in Poole and this list had me cracking up, brilliant content
If he does Southampton we know Shirley will be No. 1 😂
What your videos do highlight is the general desperate state of many town centres.
I was planning on taking a house in Russell gardens around Turlin moor and hamworthy west, so the area is not good to live?
Sadly so much of what you feature here is true but the whole point of living and working in Dorset is that you're always close to somewhere quite nice or even spectacular, and the weather is pretty good a lot of the time too! You can even hunt for fossilised "Jurassic Turds" on the beaches in the west if you wish, and I am not referring to the pensioners!
Most of the south coast is rather similar now
If he does Southampton we know Shirley will be No. 1 😂
How does Port Isaac where they filmed Doc Marten stack up?
These videos are top quality. Keep it up!!
Hey brother hope you’re doing well!
Weirdly, Boscombe was the more desirable and exclusive part, Bournemouth was for the peasants (at the turn of the century). Growing up in this area cir.1970’s its undergone major changes, lifting itself for a while in the early 90’s then dropping back again. Early 2000’s (Blair era), it took a turn for the worst. I’ve not been that way for a while but last time I was there I saw nothing that looked like an improvement. Most of the UK towns and cities are indistinguishable these days, same brands, same sort of populace. I recently went to Bath and that still has something. It seems the more out of the way a place is , the more it is able to retain something, although even these isolated nooks are slowly being eroded. Thanks for posting the videos, it’s quite mesmerising to watch places you know and the commentary is witty. Why not interview a few local people?
Cheers for the heads up mate! We’re off to Dorset next week for holidayyyyys
Have a good time. Bournemouth is fine just not what it used to be. Traffic is horrendous. I would personally go between Poole and Weymouth or west of Weymouth. Nicer areas.
@@Turdtowns Deffo. We’re staying near Bridport and will prob keep West/North of there!
@@lucieni nice beach and quite unique I like it there!
@@Turdtowns I can vouch for that, traffic is horrendous for a seaside town ! Sounds like you know the area, already.
@@andrewtaylor6737 lived in dorset for a few years. Defo gone downhill but still better than pretty much all the counties that I’ve visited so far.
I grew up near Poole, is 'Tampax Towers' still there?
@@MrMarmite5164 There was a large tower block used by Poole Hospital for its nurses. Being a virtually all women occupied building there became a problem, occasionally, of the drainage being blocked by tampons. They were then having to get it cleared! Hence the nickname!
Blimey!!
Last time I was in Bournemouth/Boscombe (Early 2000's), it was a case of 'Dodge the Needles' on Boscombe Beach!!
Dorset's own Druggie Central!
That does seem to be their rep
@@Turdtowns known to the locals as "bosvegas"
Bournemouth has declined badly in the last forty years .
I was coming in the early 2000s had a bit of a heroin problem but gradually got better after that
Portland is fabulous, I used to live there, far nicer than Weymouth granted it was in the
1980s. I miss it and would move back happily. Being surrounded by the sea, I agree there really aren't beaches except very stony ones. Quiet beauty with history. Don't tell too many people how lovely it is too many tourists would spoil the tranquility. It is a bit rough in the winter, but a stormy sea is a fabulous site. Each to their own, I like Portland.
Live here and love it all year round! But you are so right, I’m more than happy for people to think it’s a s***hole….stops them from coming here littering up the place and breathing our lovely fresh sea air. 😌
" keep Portland weird"
You know that one?
I always go there when I'm down Weymouth. Church ope cove is a favourite. Wouldn't mind retiring down there
It would help if they built more houses / apartments/ maisonetts. With Mortgage / house prices so high, it is inevitably going to retard any kind of growth and development - Excessive housing costs keeps everyone so poor private businesses don't stand a chance. I have a theory that a lot of conservative controlled councils and by virtue Conservative councillors (particularly in the South West) oppose flat / house building in order to maintain the value of their own properties, and in doing so basically strangle their own towns. With an increasingly short supply of land (evidenced by one borough sprawling into another one) Maisonettes would seem to be the way forward.
Just goes to highlight the next to nothing investment in the infrastructure of some of these places we have in the UK. Decades of poor government...
I suggest that is all evidence of corruption in both Labour and Tory governments over decades. The truth will be coming out soon....
Everything you’ve said is sadly true, I’ve lived in Wimborne my whole life and even this nice little town has been turned into a dump!
Things are only going to get worse due to housing estates going up everywhere, congestion on the roads , and the once glorious Canford Estate being sold off, probably to more development! Poole has always been a dump, and Bournemouth is somewhere I NOW wouldn’t go if you paid me! Weymouth used to be my ideal destination as a child but it’s sad to see the state of it now! If you ask me, it’s the failure of government. Including local government agencies that have created the problem… lots of failures in all departments!
As a real native of Poole and Dorsetshire (shire not some foreign term), Bournemouth was in Hampshire for most of history (if you can say that about a knock up tourist trap) and frankly the border ought to return to pre-Heath lines. With barbedwire fence to keep 5hem out of Dorset.
Hamworthy is a dump because Labour shipped out some london dross there after 1945 and anything next to a military base becomes CHAV.....hence Portland.
Or Blandford, you missed that one!
I live in Poole, have done all my life. Back in the 70s, when I was a teenager, the whole Bournemouth/Poole area was a brilliant place to be, but now it's just a massive shithole.
Grew up just down the road from Poole. Like much of Dorset's more 'town' areas, it's declined a lot since the highstreet heyday of the 80s and 90s. If you want to find the bit that everyone wants to avoid then look no further than Turlin Moor like you said. I was once driving past the road that goes onto it reasonably late one night and a single, unattached car wheel and tyre just rolled on out of the junction and kept on going. Pretty much summed it up.
Even said, I'll probably still stick up for Poole until my last days. Moved away over 18 years ago but still miss it. The majority of Dorset is made up of rural villages and its the second highest town in terms of population in the area so it being relatively high on the crime stats for the county isn't too surprising. Poole will also forever have its ace card in terms of the harbour and its beaches. There were many, many worse places I could have grown up.
I moved to Weymouth in 1977 to start a job and boy, has it gone downhill. I lived on Portland for over 12 years and I do get irked by claims - which some make about Weymouth - that there's 'nothing to do'. Really? I think someone living on a sprawling urban estate up country would think they were spoilt for choice of things to do on Portland and there's far more to do than when I lived there.
As a resident in Dorset I’ve been waiting for this video. Enjoyed the focus on Portland (known as Bum Island or just Shit Rock locally). West Bay, Wareham, Crossways and Blandford would have provided content. Looking forward to your next video.
Wareham and Blandford should have been on this list no problem.
I was forced to go to the Wareham Bears when we were on holiday in Dorset in 1991. 😂
Crossways! A whole other level 😂
@@cyrilthesquirrel1546 Under Wareham
Bournemouth is practically Beverly Hills compared to Crossways 😂
Just wanted to say ive seen a homless man with his trousers down his ankles just propper going for it on his lil member while standing in the line for MCDONALDS in boscombe. nobody kicked him out, he did it until he got the the front of the line, PLACED AN ORDER and was SERVED!!
only in boscombe
Now I perfectly understand why the Bournemouth-Poole conurbation still hasn't got city status yet despite its sheer size
I was wondering about that too
Christchurch is basically also part of the conurbation, Broadstone and Corfe Mullen could perhaps be considered to the part of the conurbation as well
Yes, these towns are crap compared with 50 years ago. But what has happened to London, Leicester, Peterborough, Birmingham, Bradford and any one of 50 towns and cities is so much worse.
A old Dorset saying..
If the town of Poole were a fish pool,
And the men of Poole were fish.
There’d be a Pool for the Devil
And fish for his dish…
What are the alternatives then? The better upmarket options.
Poole sounds like saying poo in a really posh voice, rather appropriate
Mate, I have been leaving in Bournemouth for long 10 years, and everything that you said in this video is correct. Something needs to be done. But you are right. Congratulations for your report, video and speaking. Well done.
My God! I lived in Bournemouth throughout the 90's in Winton, Charminster, Pokesdown and Boscombe and I loved it. Looking at Old Christchurch road in this video is depressing. What a shame, really gone to the dogs!