If you found this video entertaining/interesting, you might like my Five Worst Towns in Kent video, which you can watch by clicking the link here: ruclips.net/video/9X887ieYAcs/видео.htmlsi=HILlF9e9E6Lc1L5Y
Since you asked. I strongly disagree with Crawley being ranked as the worst town in Sussex. Lived in London - predominantly Wimbledon - for the first 40 years of my life and moved to Crawley - which I'd never previously visited, aside from driving past to go to Gatwick - 5 years ago.I can honestly say, that there is far more to do in Crawley and a far better standard of living than in Wimbledon, especially if you are raising children. You showed all of the worst places in Crawley! The town centre is not pretty, but it is functional and easy to park. Your video made it look tonnes more depressing than it actually is. A market comes there regularly where you can get food from nearly anywhere in the world amongst other trinkets. There is a fab children's park right alongside it that you can nip to when the kids get bored of shopping, there are always activities laid on in the mall for kids in the hols (including go karting, Santa's grotto, Easter etc) and when the weather is hot the town square you showed has springs/water jets coming up out of the pavement and children run through them having a whale of a time. Tilgate Park not only has the lake (where you can rent a paddle boat) and Go Ape. But ice cream kiosks, a Smith & Western restaurant and a nature reserve filled with the likes of otters and llamas. At Christmas, there is a fair with rides, food stalls and a show. Then there is Tulley's Farm in Crawley that hold various events including pumpkin picking in Autumn and Halloween nights, including a fright night and funfair. Living in Crawley means that you can reach the coast - Brighton and Worthing - between 30 and 40 mins without hitting traffic. As well as the cinema and bowling, you have Softplay, K2 leisure centre with pool and Go Karting to choose from as well as the Hawth Theatre and numerous children's parks. There is also every supermarket you can think of and 2 trading estates with the likes of Next, B&M, The Grange, Curry's, Hobbycraft, Smyths and TK Maxx. There are numerous restaurants and all of the classics including Harvester, Toby Carvery, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut, Nandos, Slim Chickens, Wagamama, Five Guys, Kokoro, KFC, Burger King and McDonalds. There is a wonderful Garden Centre with a small softplay area and lovely restaurant with indoor/outdoor seating that does a delicious fry up/carvery. All of these options are a 10 minute drive from my house, parking is never a problem. There are quick and easy transport links into Central London and Brighton as well as lots of good jobs and very good schools in the area. We went to Turkey 2 weeks ago and got a bus to Gatwick door to door that took 10 minutes. Crawley is a hidden gem and other people are starting to notice as many new developments are springing up (surrounded by beautiful forest, where we see deers, wild rabbits and all sorts of wildlife) and it will set you back 500k to buy a 3 bed house here. I enjoy life so much more here than I ever did living in Wimbledon. I think this video was grossly misinformed.
Thank you and that's a great comment highlighting what Crawley has to offer! Would love to come back and do a tour one day when I return from my travels, showing the positive side of your town!
@hugohugo2832 it HAD a bad reputation, I hear it went through a bad period, but it has improved a lot.. and all of the new housing is generating more money for the council who are investing.
All those towns are blighted by horrible concrete constructions and empty shops.They need to demolish them and build single story houses with little gardens and neighbourhood facilities.
Apart from a few boarded up shops Eastbourne is actually a very nice town. It also has a lovely marina and well kept parks. I don't think it should be on this list. Replace it with Burgess Hill.
Fun Trivia: Hastings shopping centre is built on the old Cricket Ground which would regularly flood as it is below sea level. There was a radical plan to build an inland marina on the site utilising the fact that it floods, which would have turned Hastings into a unique costal town and bought outside revenue. However, the enlightened town planners thought better of it and built a generic shopping centre which regularly floods because it is below sea level. 😂😂😂
Same sort of issue with London Road Market and The Level in Brighton. Daft and eye wateringly expensive non-solutions (note the plural ... different departments and even authorities doing their own thing) to issues clearly not understood, let alone agreed on .... just without Hastings' marina option!
@@TheHoveHeretic I really don't know what you mean by 'same sort of issue' with London Road Market and The Level. I've lived near 30 years in Brighton now, and never known them to flood (below sea-level or not - which I strongly doubt). So what "issues clearly not understood" are you referring to?
I am Sussex-born and bred, I can't really agree with you on the first 3 towns, Bognor and Crawley I can't comment as I don't know them so well. But one thing I can say is focusing on closed and vacant shops in winter is not very representative of these places and how they actually are!
I have lived in Crawley for 28 years. If it did win worst town I was going to complain to the council. It is truly dreadful. I drove through Hastings yesterday, I thought it was lovely, but then again, I live in Crawley. Eastbourne is a fantasy retirement place for me.
@harveysmith100 Pass thru Croydon sometime and you will love Crawley in comparison...its better than Redhill for shopping and stuff.. if you want some of the posher parts Reigate and Epsom ain't too bad..
Born and raised in Crawley, it used to be a really lovely place to live and in some places it still is, I would be too controversial to say why it’s gone down hill.
Town planners have repeatedly failed to preserve town centres like Eastbourne which were once lovely with many shops abandoned or gone into disrepair. Instead they allowed featureless malls like The Beacon to encourage this abandonment and dereliction. Eastbourne is a fabulous place and should still be today, a place to rival Nice with proper town planning, the jewel of the south coast like it once was.
Hello from your friends in Naples, Florida. A very nice tour! Some parts not so nice, but others are very nice. We enjoyed! Thank you for sharing with us, have a great week 👍💯
The first mention of Crawley comes from 1203, Littlehampton was not referenced until 1853 as a town. My mum of 98 still lives in one of the first houses ever built. There were fields all around and house built by my Grandfather. The New Town Hall was built so the old town hall could be demolished to make way for 109 new flats. I lived here since 1958 the year Gatwick opened. This is the main employer for Crawley. The college was built in the 1950's when architecture was bland but quick. Had to rebuild after the war to provide homes for people. The station and Bus station are being rebuilt as you said ref the station. The old station further down the line was used in a Norman Wisdom film. Our Fire Station is an iconic 1960's building. All towns these days have there issues and not changing for the better. There are lots of nice places to go in Crawley if you have the local knowledge and info. No town is nice to visit in winter.
Littlehampton was formally known as Hampton, the little prefix came into use to distinguish it from the other Hampton up the coast - Southampton! Littlehampton has had a long history dating from Roman times. Look around and there are houses dating from the 1700's. It's lost its way over the last few years, and suffers from all the usual problems that all small seaside towns seem to get. The upside is that being a small town, the sense of community is very much present. Moving here about 5 years ago, we really can't imagine being anywhere else.
A shame the nature centre at Tilgate Park, the Mill pond in Ifield, the Olympic size swimming pool/ world class leisure centre and Goffs Park did not get mentioned.
I spent 10 years in Hastings, and just in that decade, I witnessed the town decline further and further as businesses shut up shop, there were fewer jobs to go around (in a town already oversaturated by the care and hospitality sectors), and services I and many others who are dear to me could have used were harder to access or taken away altogether. Hastings was never the right fit for me, and I knew I didn't have any future there. I'm sure that I do not feel alone in that sentiment. That said, there are a lot of people there who do genuinely care about the town, and want much better for it. From that, a community spirit does persist. Without that, perhaps, I might have been in a worse place, mentally speaking.
The Five WORST Towns in 🇬🇧 SUSSEX 🇬🇧 RANKED! 1712pm 7.8.24 this geezer reminded me of the narrator for the song by i, ludicrous: 3 english football grounds. go take a listen to it - dead pan delivery, slightly sarcastic air....
HH is actually very decent. Very low crime rate, plenty of new development and generally well kept. Also it is surrounded by some fantastic countryside and has excellent transport links. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
Hello guys, thanks for clicking on the video! Apologies for thw audio quality, I'm not sure what happened there but I've got a new mic now so hopefully won't be as bad in the future! Let me know if you agree with the FIVE WORST TOWNS IN SUSSEX 👇
Hastings is a crazy town! It has everything that you want and everything you don't! Yet Hastings is a good place to live. The live music (which is 90% free)loads of events all through the summer. Like every town in Britain, it has had serious drug problems. Which is a constant issue, unfortunately.
I'm getting too old to care about such things as live music and 'events'... I've seen it all already. But I do care very much about "serious drug problems", especially as I, thankfully, don't have any. Along with which always comes crime. ALWAYS! So for me; yeah, Hastings deserves to be on this list - everyday of the week, and twice on Sundays!
As an ex tennant of Arundel i've also visited all those towns and totally agree with your summary of each of them. Spot on! Wish there was more money and forward thinking by those in charge to improve our towns and resorts. Very sad.
Thanks for a brilliant analysis of the glorious towns of Sussex. I live in Eastbourne and you got it just right. Horrible neglected town centre but like many councils, they spent all their budget on immigration
Thank you! It took a lot longer to edit and do voiceovers. Hours, in fact 😆 I chose those five based on crime stats, poverty, income and general stuff you read online and my own personal experience of having lived in Sussex for the last 15 or so years. Next will be the worst 5 in Kent, which I've already filmed but will probably take all day tomorrow to edit 🤣
I have lived in Worthing since the age of two, it was a nice place, a bit boring but now it's disgusting. Lots of closed shops, dirty streets, sleeping rough. The roads are filthy and the houses in the streets around the town, though Victorian are neglected and falling apart. It's all grubby and depressing. Btw I'm 66 now. But if you want a café or a Turkish barber or vape shop, you're ok.
I lived in Worthing for over 8 years. Pre-covid it was a nice town, now as you say, it's grubby and depressing. Anti-social behaviour seems to have increased a lot too
I left Worthing over twenty years ago and recently returned home there , I’m so upset to see what it’s become ! Very depressing . I grew up there as a kid and had many adult years there . Such a shame ! So much so I’m selling up and returning back overseas, the whole UK gone down the pan .
Good to see you branching out recently, and trying different kind of videos! I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for a potential video on what you take with you on overnight wild camps! Very well edited video Matt, love that Wilson reference - out of all the towns on this list the only place i've been to is Crawley, and can confirm it's an absolutely tragic town, so drab, though they do have a very good leisure centre, which I believe was used to film Superstars - if you ever do a Surrey version of these videos, I'd happy to tag along!
Thanks dude! I've just done a Kent one which I'll be publishing tomorrow but that's it for these videos I think. Doing the voiceover stuff in the editing stage is soooo long 😅 never again! Although a Surrey one might be interesting. I'm not sure what towns you'd include apart from Redhill 😅 I'll do a video on overnight wild camps in the next couple of months, that's a good shout. Have a great weekend!
The Five WORST Towns in 🇬🇧 SUSSEX 🇬🇧 RANKED! 1718pm 7.8.24 i allus keep threatening to indulge in a poxy sklep now and again. haven't done so. i wonder how different it can be... from, say, lidl or aldi(?)
Agree about Crawley - it's been "improved" to the point where no one in their right mind wants to live here - we used to have lots of green spaces (now being built on with hideous toy town housing and equally nasty blocks of flats being shoehorned in everywhere you look) we also used to have a very pleasant town square - again, not "pretty" but a large open space with a proper bandstand, lovely shaded seating surrounded by small trees and views from one end to the other giving an air-y atmosphere (of course, some bright spark thought they should rip all this out and build a square block of unneeded and very bland shops - as if there wasn't already lots and lots of shop space aready available in and around the square) All rather sad, but oh so typical of our masters in the local and county council.
Eastbournes is probably the best on this list. Only Langney and parts of seaside is dodgy. Everywher else is lovely. Meads, Motcombe, Old town, Willingdon
As a resident of Sussex for 20 years my worst towns are: Littlehampton, St Leonard’s (worse than Hastings) Newhaven & Bognor. I hate bloody Bognor! Crawley I don’t know very well. Seems a bit rough, the town centre is alright though.
If you are planning to live there you need to know the good and the bad. I made the mistake of moving to a seaside town (not in Sussex) based partly on a combination of the job I was offered there and my opinion of the place that was formed during a very sunny weekend stay in July. The job didn't meet my expectations, and nor did the town during the remaining eleven months of the year. I left as soon as I reasonably could.
I grew up in Hastings and it was a beautiful vibrant town in the 70's with a lovely High Street, I was there this weekend and it just looked run down. The shopping centre is an eyesore, my house was in station road right where the statue of the cricketer is. I do heartily recommend the old town, the country parks and the caves. A wonderful place to grow up as a child, much better than the inner cities. We travelled on to Eastbourne for some crazy golf and it was so clean and well presented. The only disappointing thing was for a sunny July Saturday it was very quiet. I spoke to a cafe owner on the seafront and because May and June's weather was so bad this year he is struggling to keep open! I said to my other half at the time a package holiday to Spain or Greece would be cheaper than staying in one of these hotels for week. That's the real issue right there!
@andrewamidala I think you hit the nail on the head with that last paragraph. Last year I hiked the entire south and Kent coasts and the only way I could afford to do it was wild camping
Hi Matt! Ooh, this sounds fun! I soon realized it was very sad too. It was great that you pointed out all the good points too. Aw, poor fox. The old town of Hastings looked very quaint and attractive and the lake area was very picturesque. The Eastbourne town centre was rocking, lol! The pier and beach area looked lovely. Littlehampton had a nice beach but the town looked rather rundown. with a few nice shops and cafes to redeem it. I'm sure the town looks better when the sun is shining. Bognor Regis "where the Wetherspoo!" 🤣 Talking of poo, I hate seeing loads of dog poo on the streets. Disgusting. I think I'd give 'Grandad's Back Passage' a miss! 😬😂'Creepy Crawley had the honour of being at the top of your list - I can see why! Oh dear, very sad. This was a brilliant idea, amusing, and well-researched. I really enjoyed it! ❤👍
@@no_soy_rubio Not bad at all to live in Peacehaven. North part of Peacehaven is actually rather nice. Quiet life, easy access on foot to open countryside and great walks. Friendly people too and still a lovely part of old type Britain in which to live. Let us hope it stays that way amongst the over development / over population which is taking place everywhere. Agreed it is boring if you are 20 and want wild nightlife ! Brighton 20 minutes by bus...
There all neglected, they gotta find the cash for all the hotels for our beloved foreign cousins? Only seven million per day .. happy days folks 🏴
Mind you, Burgess Hill is giving these towns a really good run for their money at the moment - it's a complete dump that lacks any atmosphere whatsoever.
Crawley has many economic advantages. Whilst not the most attratcive town in the world, its proximity to Gatwick Airport brings a huge number of large companies like Thales, Babcock, Neslte and Virgin Atlantic. Crawley also has great road and rail connections.
Lived in Sussex, not far from Eastbourne, all my life. The thing that killed all the old seaside resorts was cheap package holidays. Eastbourne had whole streets of neat little B+Bs and a number of larger smart hotels for the many visitors. When tourism declined the town's economy went down too. Saddest thing about Hastings is the pier. Back in the old days it had a music venue at the end of it. I have fond memories of seeing bands including Sparks, Squeeze, Eddie and the Hotrods and Dr Feelgood. It is just a nothing now.
Absolutely, it is a shame, although I don't dislike either town. You might enjoy this more complimentary video of Eastbourne, Hastings and the coast between them ruclips.net/video/DWONL6GbNbw/видео.html
I travel around a lot over the south for work and Crawley is surprisingly good. It might look very 1960s by design but it has a lot of facilities, very well situated and thriving, lots of new luxury flats too. I'm afraid to say I would put Burgess hill at the top of the list for being run down. Places like Worthing, Brighton and Littlehampton look completely squalid and straggly. Horsham is reasonable, lots of shops, transport links, cinemas, restaurants, park etc
Well that was truly depressing. Have been to Hastings a few times, and it certainly has its charms, but have been fortunate enough not to have ventured to the other destinations and that will now definitely remain the case. Thanks very much for taking the time and trouble. Very informative.
Thank you! Honestly all those places are better outside the town centres, especially in summer, but the towns themselves, like many around the country, aren't places that invite you to linger
Remove Eastbourne and replace it with Brighton. Liverpool FC came down to play Brighton and I could hear the Liverpool Fans saying that it was a shite hole. I totally agree.
@@MS-kw6pw Brighton is named "Godless City." I was raised in Eastbourne i wouldn't go to hasting or Brighton if my life depended on it. Besides Eastbourne is better than Bexhill too.
I grew up in Crawley. Left at 18. Never went back. It was even worse back in the 80s if you can imagine... you got it spot on with the #1 worst town. Probably one of the worst towns in the country. Creepy-Crawley born, bred, escaped.
Thank you for sharing. My brother lives in Eastbourne and my sister Bexhill not shown. I have never been a fan of 60's concrete buildings. I love older architecture and character. My favourite place for a varied visit is Brighton easily accessible from where my siblings live. Good links from East Sussex to the Kent coast by train.
@@no_soy_rubioPossibly .... but a night out may be another matter. I live in Hove and have studioisly avoided the centre of Brighton for decades. The problem area is about 250m either side of a line drawn from Brighton Station down Queens Road and West Street, opening out to about 500m along the seafront.
As someone who has lived in Crawley all my life, and lives in one of the 'rougher' neighbourhoods (Bewbush) - I have to say I LOVE living here in the summer. A lot of people put effort into their gardens, we have lots of green space / surrounding country walks, and there's a nice atmosphere among residents as there is often barbecues and garden drinking, without trouble, when people get their family and friends over -- but in the winter it very quickly starts to feel like stereotypical Russia (not that Russia is all bad) and the more urban parts of the town seem a lot more run-down and 'moody' lol. Bewbush has a bad reputation but I think it's mostly unwarranted compared with Broadfield (which admittedly is absolutely awful and I feel lucky everyday not to live there). I think the design of neighbourhoods is so important, and you only have to look at Bewbush and Broadfield to see that, they have the same demographic (working class), and was built around the same time, but Broadfields architecture and street design is so hostile - brick absolutely everywhere with no cladding, and so many dodgy alleys and underpasses. People generally take care of Bewbush because we are almost invited to by the fact that it's nicely designed. I think the biggest issue with the Town Center is the complete lack of development over several decades - the buildings around Queens Square have been so neglected and unloved, and I think the High Street (the old part of town) could be a lot more attractive than it already is if you didn't have to walk through some really dodgy streets and buildings to get to it from the Mall / central shops and stores. I wouldn't be surprised if someone visiting Crawley would fail to stumble upon it entirely because of that reason - since there is no 'flow' leading you in that direction and you are stopped by some really questionable areas between the two locations. This is probably going to be my 'hot take', but I think Crawley does a really good job of being urban, but also keeping some that 'leafy Sussex' feel. I am happy that we have some new neighbourhoods (and more planned) as the new-build houses are really nicely done, but now I would like to see the town expand vertically and achieve a higher density/quality around the Town Center, opposed to expanding outward and commiting to 'urban sprawl'. A lot of people do not like tall buildings (I can't relate personally, I love them), but I think an issue facing every town and city in the UK is that people do not want to expand outward OR upward (so in other words, no development at all). I would much rather live in a place that has density, modern tall buildings in the center, and good public transport; but where I can easily access the countryside in less than 15-20 minutes -- rather than a place that is absolutely massive, flat, and everybody is trying to use the same parks and fields. I also think Crawley could capitalise on being in the center of Horsham, East Grinstead, and Horley - and attract a lot more people to visit or work here if the town had more to offer and committed to modernising key areas. And as my last suggestion although maybe slightly unrealistic - I think Crawley could do well with a new and proper stadium for music events, a designated area/plaza for nightlife, as well as other more 'city' appropriate additions to our portfolio. Something that really bothers me about Brighton is that it IS a city - and it's the THE city of Sussex (both West and East), but they neglect their duty at every level. Unfortunately Crawley isn't designed to be a city in the same way as Brighton (with Brightons long boulevards and almost Parisian design) -- but if Brighton isn't going to do it, then I think Crawley should take up the mantle of being a viable metropolitan area outside of London, and attracting the youth, investment, architecture, and industry talent who Brighton repeatedly fail / neglect.
I'm not sure how Brighton crept into the conversation here, but for me Crawley will never get close to the character, quirkiness and culture that Brighton has. And architecture in Crawley? Honestly it's amongst the most bland I've seen in any town
@@no_soy_rubio Defensive but ok lol. And probably because Brighton is in Sussex, only 20 miles down the road? That has a lot to do with it. As for architecture, if you read my comment (which if you know I was talking about Brighton - then you obviously did read my comment in full) I never suggested that Crawley has superior architecture to Brighton. My point was that it's time to start building it - because the only architecture or places of note in Brighton was those built around the years of its inception as a coastal city and tourist attraction -- building those points of interest (the Pier, the Pavilion, and those large estates) would be rejected by Brighton council today for being too grand and ambitious - not keeping in theme with the sleepy tone that Brighton would have had at the time. The trajectory of Brighton as a city (as it was always intended to be, 'London by Sea') has been hijacked by people who have decided that they want to live in a large town and not a city. They've done nothing with it since, and are neglecting their duty to Sussex as a whole. Brighton is 'coasting', pun intended, on being 'quirky and vibrant' (which is actually rather hollow, and increasingly more one-note these days); Brightons largest cultural contribution to this century is 'Arrdee' - the only other thing I can think of is the Chinese Room who are developing the next Bloodlines 2. Otherwise there is no reason for anyone beyond Sussex to think about Brighton beyond it's proximity to London for a single day out, and if they do they'll be walking around desperately trying to find something other than a bar, tattoo parlour, or artsy restaurant owned by a nepo baby who's parents had careers in London. London, London, London, London - that's the best thing about Brighton. Hardly vibrant when the growth of city has been at standstill for 4 decades, bars have to fight the council and the old fogies to play music past 11pm, and people are either sleeping on the street or paying an arm and a leg to share a near-derelict home with 4 other people. I think Brighton has the potential to be a really incredible city but with the path it's on it will be Blackpool 2.0 instead. It has no ambition and anyone suggesting anything ambitious is met with the retiree mob who think they live in a small town like Crawley or Bognor Regis (but choose to live in the middle of a TOURIST city of 200,000 people). What I'm saying is - Crawley, Horsham, Horley, and East Grinstead should be choosing to capitalise on Brightons laziness (not as a tourist hotspot, but as a beacon of growth and investment) and take the growth and development that should be intended for Brighton - attracting the young and the ambitious from around Sussex, as well as people looking to move out of London but still want to live in an urban enviroment. You can claim whatever you like about culture, but a culture that prevents a city that relies on tourism, from building anything that attracts tourism and modern recreation - is a bit of a stiff culture in my option. A culture that walks past countless homeless people on a daily basis, but rejects every developer trying to build new apartments because they 'don't want to look at it' is a bit of a callous culture in my opinion - hiding behind 'affordability' full well knowing that more accommodation frees up space. And a culture that claims they care about the city's historical buildings and landmarks but allows nearly all of them to fall into squalor, decay, and irrelevancy while trying to charge people MORE to experience them (the Pier) is a bit of a hopeless culture in my opinion. A culture that doesn't invite high-paid jobs to move out of London at a time when they are looking to do so, meanwhile pretending to care about the future of its youth (who need to work in London to afford its houses might I add) is a bit of a shortsighted culture in my opinion. But hey, everyone's wearing sandles, doesn't wash, and is draped in tie-dye so it's all good 😎 The absolute shanty that Brighton will be in the coming decade/s lol. Really unfortunate, and unlike you I don't take pride in our towns and cities not meeting their potential.
Sadly, since the increase in popularity and cheapness of foreign holidays in the 60s, this has played out in all of England's seaside towns. Even Blackpool, which is thriving, is a dump. You just can't compete with Costa Del Sol type holidays. The only thing that will bring back English seaside holidays is to ground all aircraft forever. But as the myth says, Bugger Bognor. I hope you tipped the street performer, Matt. 😊 A great top 5 or bottom 5. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely, it's a shame! Although the seaside towns on the list are all quite nice in summer. I didn't have any cash so I bought the singer a drink, he seemed ok with that 😆
I grew up down that way, so it's interesting and pretty sad to see how those places have deterioated over the years. Probably too small a place given the towns you've looked at here, but just be glad you didn't end up in Hailsham (about 8 miles north of Eastbourne). I actually feel safer where I live now in Hackney.
The old town is definitely a saving grace for Hastings, nice area with lots of charm and i love the water, a side from the poor dead fox. Not been to Eastbourne nice bit of coast. The department store is very questionable lol but the street artist made up for it. Depressing seeing all the boarded up places in little Hampton. Oh no Bogna regis seems awful. very depressing. Crowley is definitely a worthy first place spot
Wetherspoo. Spot on! Mmm, fox t shirts? No thanks! Queensway, what a lovely spot. Great comments about the new locals, spot on, without being offensive! Cordoned off bandstand! 😂 Superb video and edit Matt. Thought I was watching my favourite channel on RUclips yet somehow he had licensed your voice and got better material. ♥️💩🏢
Cheers Nick! Honestly I'm not too big a fan of that channel. I think the 'visits' he does to these towns are very minimal, and the 'research' is no more than one could find on a simple Google search. Amusing, though!
Having been brought up in a small NW England town pretty similar to Bognor, my just 3-hour long, only ever visit there, I found to be rather pleasant, overall. But a real highlight was finding a very quaint little cafe, just a few streets back from the seafront... It was so lovely; a little piece of Edwardian England preserved in time - everything was immaculate and classy, so refined. Doyle table cloths, polished wooden furniture, gleaming crockery, brilliant cutlery... the works. The full-English breakfast I'd ordered was pure heaven, every item on the plate done to perfection. The tea, in a pot, so properly prepared. The degree and love, care and pride that went into running and maintaining that place was stunning and admirable in equal measure - my mere words don't do justice to it. And it was cheap, too!! This however was some 20 years ago, so I don't want to got back... I'll just hang onto the memory of that amazing little place and the wonderful experience I had there. So, thanks for reminding me of it. [Edit] Oh, forgot to add - I've been to Littlehampton too, it it was far tackier than Bognor.
I moved to Littlehampton from Worthing. Just because of houses prices. Littlehampton is a little bit boring in Winter, but to give it credit, there is a lot going on at Harbour Park and the seaside during the summer. It’s also a good base town if you want to be close to other places like Arundel, the Downs, Worthing, Chi etc. but you are absolutely right, the town centre is a shit hole.
Such a witty sense of humour! 👏 That "you", sang by the street performer in Eastbourne (in Dancing in the dark with you between my arms) was so personal! And not you chaotically introducing footages of him, to cheer us up... 😂 I finished watching the video, and I still fear that man might pop up at every street corner.
@@no_soy_rubio 😂 Oh, please! One night down and counting... He's giving me the vibes of this singer in Romania called Fuego, who's only singing carols, and people have mems about surviving him every winter.
@@no_soy_rubio you're not rubio but your Spanish is brilliant! Fuego is his stage name (born Paul), definitely borrowed from Spanish to amplify the idea of heat and passion 🔥 😂
My parents used to take me to Bognor Regis when I was little, in the 60's & 70's. I'm SHOCKED by what it has become, and genuinely saddened by how much it's gone downhill! 😢
How is Crawley officially the worst town in Sussex, when it is simply your own opinion. Not true to say that since it is a new town it has little history. There has been a settlement here since the Iron Age. And why constantly show images of derelict buildings, other than to give the wrong impression of Crawley? I wonder where you live.
great video and the honest truth for most of uks towns, we were once a great country and have fallen so far, very sad to see. You were very generous when it came to Eastbourne, some streets have gone so bad such as ceylon place, susans road and ashford road. On those roads mentioned lots of drugs, homeless and anti social behaviour. Also, the businesses, many are laundering fronts (wont mention the nationalities but not english), how many coffee shops and barber shops does a small town need, empty all the time but the owner has a 70k car.
Absolutely, we all know what's really going on in the back of those barber shops and they don't even bother trying to hide it, as you say driving around in Ranges or Mercs! Maybe cos it was a sunny day Eastbourne got off lightly haha
Sad but true, the crime and underworld in eastbourne is crazy!! They do such a great job at hiding it and appearing legit!! There are a lot of Albanians, who most would see and identify as Italians which helps them get away with the crime and fronts. You will notice the Italian businesses are run by Albanians. Not all Albanians are bad, I'm just giving one type of people that mainly own all the coffee shops. Why would a business not want to be on companies house and have a strange business name? Why appear fully Italian when you're not? Fooling the old english people by saying you're Italians.
This was an interesting video, although filming four seaside towns in February was never likely to show them at their best, I suppose. The shortlist was fairly predictable, although, having lived in a New Town (Stevenage) most of my life, it has become somewhat predictable how people who have never lived in a New Town tend to get unduly influenced by the 1960s Brutalist architecture and don't give weight to the social cohesion that I think they bring. So, I wouldn't have put Crawley at number 1 but obviously that is just my opinion. A lot of UK towns with populations of between about 30,000 and 100,000 inhabitants are somewhat bland and have Debenhams- and Wilko-sized holes in the centre. The retail sector is really struggling. I lived in Edinburgh for nearly 20 years and the city centre is something special. However, once you get out into the suburbs, it is all fairly monotonous and / or depressing.
@@no_soy_rubio Unlike my comment on your Kent video, which was based on visiting all the towns featured in the last 12 months, my recent knowledge of Sussex is a bit patchy. However, I would have put Hastings at no.1. The first time I went there was on Good Friday in 1982, when a whole load of mods turned up on their scooters and perhaps I haven't wiped that from my memory, although they seemed well-behaved. St Leonard's is the posh part of Hastings but I am not sure that its residents admit that it is part of Hastings. I notice that Worthing didn't make your shortlist. I know there is a long-running attempt by the local council to demolish the Grafton multi-storey car park, whose 1960s Brutalist architecture rather makes it stand out from the neighbouring town centre edifices. However, Worthing doesn't seem to have as much of the scruffiness that your top 5 seem to have, so I shall not nominate Worthing.
@user-mn4cc6bb7t the main reason Worthing didn't make the list is that I was living there at the time, and didn't want to get lynched! Prior to covid it was quite nice, unfortunately since then anti-social behaviour has risen and a lot of businesses in the centre have closed down.
I have live 62 years in Crawley and its now a shit hole. Shops have closed down and its full of coffee shops, barbers and shops no one needs. The Mall has empty spaces even. Crawley has as much atmosphere as the moon now. It's now one of those places you would make sure your car doors were locked as you drove well past.
AS a schoolboy growing up in the country in Scotland we watched schools programs about Crawley New Town ( hosted by Ronald Lacey - of "Raiders of the lost ark " fame !). Thought it looked very much the future ahead - sorry it's having a bit of a hard time - good video though !
A very enjoyable watch. The thing I'll take away from it is "puts the bog in Bognor" 😂😂 I did GCSE geography in 1988-89 where we had to visit and do a study on Crawley. I haven't been back since, it put me off that much and I don't live too far from it. So I agree with your No.1 👍🏼
Nice one mate, cracking the jokes out I see! I couldn’t work out why Bognor was number 2 until you said Crawley was the worst 😂 Mind you Worthing is the worst for me since the incident there haha New Towns are an enigma, they have awful brutalist architecture but for some (like Cumbernauld and Skelmersdale for example) the roads in them are great although unfinished in places
Haha I'd get lynched if I put Worthing on there mate, I don't move till the 29th 🤣 I should hope the roads are great, that's what they were designed for isn't it 🤣 although MK just seems to be roundabouts from what I remember!
@@no_soy_rubio You wuss 😂 Pretty much yeah haha. Some of them don’t have unfinished grade separated junctions whilst others do. The massive Halfmile Island in Skelmersdale for example was supposed to be a free flowing interchange! I can’t comment on MK as I’ve not been yet but I can imagine that most roundabouts are unfinished junctions given its size.
I think you did very well to choose those 5, with such a wealth of dreadful rundown towns in Sussex it must have been very hard, we are all rich down south and don't need any leveling up money in anycase, don't get me started, more please 👍
I was in Bognor the night the pier fell down. Late 1960 s . Very stormy winter night about 9pm it was there. 10pm it had gone. Nothing else changed since from looks of it
Really enjoyed the video. I know all of these towns and while there is neglect, they all have their nice bits and look better in the sunshine. Glad you mentioned the cinema in Bognor. It is a splendid building and its great that it is still in operation as a cinema.
I live in hastings i do agree the town center is an eyesore but there are plenty of places like the old town the caves the park the sea front also the west hill where i live with its panoramic views plus the castle or what is left of it! Most towns have got the rough with the smooth have lived here for 34 years so can't be that bad
I go there, but I can't say it's a pleasure as I find it rather soulless really. Bognor and Littlehampton are both awful these days. How did you miss Wothing?
Notice something in common with the first 4? Worthing and Shoreham aren't far behind. Worthing having lost it's Wilko, Debenhams and Beales within 100 yards of each other, only Wilko has been replaced. Brutalist architecture makes it really easy for a town to look depressing. Worthing has removed some of it more recently.
Crawley was sort of famous for breaking the Sunday trading laws back in the 80's, and paving the way for the law changes that then came about. We used to go to the centre for the novelty of being able to go shopping but not pay parking - short lived mind.
It's always great to share information on towns that are a bit sus.🤨🤨 Appreciate this video. Oh I do LOVE the music in the background. 🎶🎵Total vibes. ❣❣Great share friend. Enjoy your weekend and be safe out there.💖✨
I lived in Hastings and Eastbourne over 30 years ago is was never as bad at it now, there was talk of merging Littlehampton with Southampton..............................and making one fookin' great Hampton.
I think you are mostly right except maybe I would have changed Hastings and Eastbourne round, but yes all of them feel neglected and ugly in the main shopping areas. Why? We need more trees and community schemes to do gardening and veg growing , that would help.
Born and Bred in Crawley. Lost many of our historical buildings. Queens Square is one big coffee shop. Used to be a great space with the old Gatwick Race Course bandstand. Also used to be a nice open space for events until it became cluttered. Neighbourhood shopping parades used to be diverse but now full of fast food restaurants. Absolute crap for walking and cycling, but was great when there were less cars!! Summing up Crawley isn't the pleasant town it used to be. Churches? We have great historical churches in Town, those are in Ifield and Worth as well as St Johns in the town centre. Forget Tailgate Park, Buchan Park has a great history and is free to go there! Goffs Park still has it's mini railway too!👍👍🙂
Enjoyed this vd. Loved the Bognor cinema. Purely personal thing - but I always find dead-quiet Eastbourne rather depressing, despite its elegant architecture. Hastings has a quirky, bohemian culture (my sister lives there & sells her paintings there - big painting scene). Have never been to Crawley 😭
Please do a video on the five best towns in Sussex, a difficult task I know, as there aren't any, even Horsham of a night time is dangerous, I've seen it first hand.
@johncarlo7395 off-hand I think Lewes, Rye and Arundel, but I'm struggling to think of more 😅 some of the smaller towns/villages like Alfriston and Herstmonceux perhaps! I've heard horror stories of Horsham from people that live there, shame!
Horsham is weird. If I get a late-night train (that's 7pm in England) to Bognor from Victoria, often they'll be a group of unpleasant lads travelling who invariably get off at Horsham. It's weird because I thought it was supposed to be affluent?
I dunno ... spend a fortune restoring the town's whipping post and stocks, then don't use them. It's almost as if the the Town's Burghers are living in the past. I blame Roffey .....
I lived in Crawley from the age of 6 until around 20 years old, i moved around from Three Bridges, Broadfield and other places, i was living there when County Mall opened! Within the first year of the Mall being open a young lady threw herself off the top floor to her death. I went to school in Crawley and left with no GCSEs. I hear the collage is good though. I also worked in Ikon Diva the biggest club in Crawley and i believe was voted the roughest club in the UK . Thats my Crawley. Great vid
You may think we are mad but we like going to Bognor there's a nice café by the main car park run by a family great value and big meals & we like the weather spoons there & we go to Hastings quite a bit too lol 😂😂😂😂
Haha nice one mate, I like all the seaside places in summer tbh but I don't tend to go into Bognor or LA town centres unless I have to 🤣 never been in Bognor Spoons so I can't comment 🤣
I live near here and if you think way back when, when medieval times, you start to see that it is a lovely place situated in The Weald. Also Crawley means: Crow infested clearing. The oldest building is St. Nicholas's Church, in the Worth Parish and still is a village even if it falls in the borough boundary. Only the town centre I agree on
Brilliant vid. Been to 4 out of 5 of these towns and found them less than great - though they've all got good things about them... Probably. At Eastbourne for example, the town centre is drab and depressing, but it's got the sea, the pier and best of all it's only a short walk to Beachy Head and the lighthouses. I was travelling round the coast at the time, so didn't visit Crawley. Don't think I will either after seeing this. Great, entertaining and interesting as usual Matt.
Very true. My parents retired to Bexhill on Sea, and we used to visit Sovereign Harbour regularly, which was a lovely day out in Eastbourne, plus Beachy Head.
I’m familiar with most of these towns and they are real dumps. Crawley being mainly developed in the 60’s and 70’s is totally soulless but no surprise there.
The major problem in towns is the local councils,they place high rents on properties,which cause the closure of high street shops,the councils take no pride in their towns
I'd have to sadly agree with some of the comments I've seen about Burgess Hill. I'm referring specifically to the town centre, the areas outside of the centre are actually quite pleasant. We moved there in the late 70's when it had a large quality market on a Wednesday and Saturday, where Waitrose is now. It's suffering the same problem of other town centres with closed and down market shops replacing the quality ones that were there previously. It's great if you like charity shops and estate agents. There's suppose to be a redevelopment plan for the town centre but nothing much has happened. The Town Council and Mid Sussex should hang their heads in shame. They would be better joining the circus.....with the other clowns.
TBH you made Littlehampton look ok but in reality its the biggest dump around. I live there. Smell of drugs in some parts. Druggies and drinkers around the town always looking for trouble. As for town council, thats another story
I guess I can see why you want to take a break from the UK. Once beautiful towns here are now filled with crime and homelessness. Once you get to San Francisco you’ll see what I mean. There is a shining star in Sussex though and you filmed him singing. And I think you should buy the cat shirt and wear it in your next video. I don’t think you were too harsh. People need to know what’s going on. 👍
Thanks Craig, tbh I have worn arguably worse shirts in my time! I saw a lot of tent cities in LA and I've been told San Francisco is just as bad. Will be interesting to see!
Wow Matt I thought some of the Northern towns were bad but you're not making me think I should make a trip to any of these places any time soon. I dunno I somehow wrongly thought they'd look better. You're right the busker was probably the best bit and well I know in the past you've been struggling for a place to get your head down so that mattress may have come in handy...then again 🙂
There's bad towns all over the country Paul although tbh these seaside towns look better in summer (as I suppose Blackpool and Skegness would). Hahaha I've been in some desperate sleep arrangement situations but thankfully haven't needed to sleep on a mattress in an alley of a run-down area 😆
I've lived in both Crawley & Littlehampton. Like most towns nowadays, they have their better areas & their dump areas. I would never want to retire in Crawley. At least, Littlehampton has the sea. 👍
If you found this video entertaining/interesting, you might like my Five Worst Towns in Kent video, which you can watch by clicking the link here:
ruclips.net/video/9X887ieYAcs/видео.htmlsi=HILlF9e9E6Lc1L5Y
Since you asked. I strongly disagree with Crawley being ranked as the worst town in Sussex. Lived in London - predominantly Wimbledon - for the first 40 years of my life and moved to Crawley - which I'd never previously visited, aside from driving past to go to Gatwick - 5 years ago.I can honestly say, that there is far more to do in Crawley and a far better standard of living than in Wimbledon, especially if you are raising children. You showed all of the worst places in Crawley! The town centre is not pretty, but it is functional and easy to park. Your video made it look tonnes more depressing than it actually is. A market comes there regularly where you can get food from nearly anywhere in the world amongst other trinkets. There is a fab children's park right alongside it that you can nip to when the kids get bored of shopping, there are always activities laid on in the mall for kids in the hols (including go karting, Santa's grotto, Easter etc) and when the weather is hot the town square you showed has springs/water jets coming up out of the pavement and children run through them having a whale of a time. Tilgate Park not only has the lake (where you can rent a paddle boat) and Go Ape. But ice cream kiosks, a Smith & Western restaurant and a nature reserve filled with the likes of otters and llamas. At Christmas, there is a fair with rides, food stalls and a show. Then there is Tulley's Farm in Crawley that hold various events including pumpkin picking in Autumn and Halloween nights, including a fright night and funfair. Living in Crawley means that you can reach the coast - Brighton and Worthing - between 30 and 40 mins without hitting traffic. As well as the cinema and bowling, you have Softplay, K2 leisure centre with pool and Go Karting to choose from as well as the Hawth Theatre and numerous children's parks. There is also every supermarket you can think of and 2 trading estates with the likes of Next, B&M, The Grange, Curry's, Hobbycraft, Smyths and TK Maxx. There are numerous restaurants and all of the classics including Harvester, Toby Carvery, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut, Nandos, Slim Chickens, Wagamama, Five Guys, Kokoro, KFC, Burger King and McDonalds. There is a wonderful Garden Centre with a small softplay area and lovely restaurant with indoor/outdoor seating that does a delicious fry up/carvery. All of these options are a 10 minute drive from my house, parking is never a problem. There are quick and easy transport links into Central London and Brighton as well as lots of good jobs and very good schools in the area. We went to Turkey 2 weeks ago and got a bus to Gatwick door to door that took 10 minutes. Crawley is a hidden gem and other people are starting to notice as many new developments are springing up (surrounded by beautiful forest, where we see deers, wild rabbits and all sorts of wildlife) and it will set you back 500k to buy a 3 bed house here. I enjoy life so much more here than I ever did living in Wimbledon. I think this video was grossly misinformed.
Thank you and that's a great comment highlighting what Crawley has to offer! Would love to come back and do a tour one day when I return from my travels, showing the positive side of your town!
It’s a tip. I was born there
@hugohugo2832 it HAD a bad reputation, I hear it went through a bad period, but it has improved a lot.. and all of the new housing is generating more money for the council who are investing.
All those towns are blighted by horrible concrete constructions and empty shops.They need to demolish them and build single story houses with little gardens and neighbourhood facilities.
I live in Eastbourne and he showed all the worst of Eastbourne too!😊
Apart from a few boarded up shops Eastbourne is actually a very nice town. It also has a lovely marina and well kept parks. I don't think it should be on this list. Replace it with Burgess Hill.
Agreed. The time I spent in burgess hill was crap, Eastbourne is a 100 times better.
Agree. Eastbourne is beautiful and thought of as quite upper class. Wonderful surrounding landscape and lovely architecture
Burgess Hill needs to be taken off the map
Fun Trivia:
Hastings shopping centre is built on the old Cricket Ground which would regularly flood as it is below sea level.
There was a radical plan to build an inland marina on the site utilising the fact that it floods, which would have turned Hastings into a unique costal town and bought outside revenue.
However, the enlightened town planners thought better of it and built a generic shopping centre which regularly floods because it is below sea level.
😂😂😂
@markb9064 ahh hence the cricketer statue! That's a brilliant bit of trivia 😅😅😅
Same sort of issue with London Road Market and The Level in Brighton. Daft and eye wateringly expensive non-solutions (note the plural ... different departments and even authorities doing their own thing) to issues clearly not understood, let alone agreed on .... just without Hastings' marina option!
@@TheHoveHeretic I really don't know what you mean by 'same sort of issue' with London Road Market and The Level. I've lived near 30 years in Brighton now, and never known them to flood (below sea-level or not - which I strongly doubt).
So what "issues clearly not understood" are you referring to?
My great ancestor William always regretted landing at Hastings. Wasn’t even here 5 minutes before he stood on a dirty needle. Ffs
😂😂😂
@@FannieKumsalot And Alfred fell on one, right through his eyeball. RIP.
Heck, this is what happens when the 24 hour news channel is #nuns sewing tapestry.
I am Sussex-born and bred, I can't really agree with you on the first 3 towns, Bognor and Crawley I can't comment as I don't know them so well.
But one thing I can say is focusing on closed and vacant shops in winter is not very representative of these places and how they actually are!
I have lived in Crawley for 28 years. If it did win worst town I was going to complain to the council. It is truly dreadful.
I drove through Hastings yesterday, I thought it was lovely, but then again, I live in Crawley. Eastbourne is a fantasy retirement place for me.
Crawley born and bred. Escaped at 18.
@harveysmith100 Pass thru Croydon sometime and you will love Crawley in comparison...its better than Redhill for shopping and stuff.. if you want some of the posher parts Reigate and Epsom ain't too bad..
Born and raised in Crawley, it used to be a really lovely place to live and in some places it still is, I would be too controversial to say why it’s gone down hill.
@@michelleburton8585 Climate change?
Enough said. We know why then.
Town planners have repeatedly failed to preserve town centres like Eastbourne which were once lovely with many shops abandoned or gone into disrepair. Instead they allowed featureless malls like The Beacon to encourage this abandonment and dereliction. Eastbourne is a fabulous place and should still be today, a place to rival Nice with proper town planning, the jewel of the south coast like it once was.
Hello from your friends in Naples, Florida. A very nice tour! Some parts not so nice, but others are very nice. We enjoyed! Thank you for sharing with us, have a great week 👍💯
Thank you, have a great week 😁
The first mention of Crawley comes from 1203, Littlehampton was not referenced until 1853 as a town. My mum of 98 still lives in one of the first houses ever built. There were fields all around and house built by my Grandfather. The New Town Hall was built so the old town hall could be demolished to make way for 109 new flats. I lived here since 1958 the year Gatwick opened. This is the main employer for Crawley. The college was built in the 1950's when architecture was bland but quick. Had to rebuild after the war to provide homes for people. The station and Bus station are being rebuilt as you said ref the station. The old station further down the line was used in a Norman Wisdom film. Our Fire Station is an iconic 1960's building. All towns these days have there issues and not changing for the better. There are lots of nice places to go in Crawley if you have the local knowledge and info. No town is nice to visit in winter.
Totally agree I love our town
Littlehampton was formally known as Hampton, the little prefix came into use to distinguish it from the other Hampton up the coast - Southampton! Littlehampton has had a long history dating from Roman times. Look around and there are houses dating from the 1700's. It's lost its way over the last few years, and suffers from all the usual problems that all small seaside towns seem to get. The upside is that being a small town, the sense of community is very much present. Moving here about 5 years ago, we really can't imagine being anywhere else.
A shame the nature centre at Tilgate Park, the Mill pond in Ifield, the Olympic size swimming pool/ world class leisure centre and Goffs Park did not get mentioned.
One other thing I've noticed about our home town (Crawley) is that people pick up after their dogs (mostly)
@@kindhearted88 That is amazing... perhaps Crawley should be nominated as a Unesco World Heritage Site?
I spent 10 years in Hastings, and just in that decade, I witnessed the town decline further and further as businesses shut up shop, there were fewer jobs to go around (in a town already oversaturated by the care and hospitality sectors), and services I and many others who are dear to me could have used were harder to access or taken away altogether.
Hastings was never the right fit for me, and I knew I didn't have any future there. I'm sure that I do not feel alone in that sentiment.
That said, there are a lot of people there who do genuinely care about the town, and want much better for it. From that, a community spirit does persist. Without that, perhaps, I might have been in a worse place, mentally speaking.
Definitely agree about the community spirit!
The Five WORST Towns in 🇬🇧 SUSSEX 🇬🇧 RANKED! 1712pm 7.8.24 this geezer reminded me of the narrator for the song by i, ludicrous: 3 english football grounds. go take a listen to it - dead pan delivery, slightly sarcastic air....
Debenhams sized hole. Love that ❤
Haywards Heath breathes a sigh of relief!
From what I've read and been told, HH isn't so much 'bad' as just boring
HH is actually very decent. Very low crime rate, plenty of new development and generally well kept. Also it is surrounded by some fantastic countryside and has excellent transport links. You don’t know what you’re talking about.
Would you be able to do a uk top 10, without lying.
@@no_soy_rubio Exactly right. Plenty of money about but little else.
@@no_soy_rubiovery very boring place and you still get yobs
Hello guys, thanks for clicking on the video! Apologies for thw audio quality, I'm not sure what happened there but I've got a new mic now so hopefully won't be as bad in the future!
Let me know if you agree with the FIVE WORST TOWNS IN SUSSEX 👇
Buon San Valentino. Prima che il mio commento sparisca, lascio la mia traccia. Ho visto questo film un paio di volte... lascia presto il mio commento
Audio sounded fine to me Matt.
I think you dropped a bllock by not including seaford. Should’ve knocked Hastings out of the top 5
You have a lovely narrating voice and very drole delivery. I really enjoy listening to you
@christianmorris8065 thanks Christian, I'm my own worst critic and I cringe hearing my voice back so that comment is massively appreciated!
Hastings is a crazy town! It has everything that you want and everything you don't! Yet Hastings is a good place to live. The live music (which is 90% free)loads of events all through the summer. Like every town in Britain, it has had serious drug problems. Which is a constant issue, unfortunately.
I'm getting too old to care about such things as live music and 'events'... I've seen it all already. But I do care very much about "serious drug problems", especially as I, thankfully, don't have any. Along with which always comes crime. ALWAYS!
So for me; yeah, Hastings deserves to be on this list - everyday of the week, and twice on Sundays!
As an ex tennant of Arundel i've also visited all those towns and totally agree with your summary of each of them. Spot on! Wish there was more money and forward thinking by those in charge to improve our towns and resorts. Very sad.
I think the money is there, it's just that the councils don't want to spend it, sadly. Thanks for your comment! 😁
The Cherry on top is Prince Harry an Megan being the Duke and Duchess......😂😂😂
🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for a brilliant analysis of the glorious towns of Sussex. I live in Eastbourne and you got it just right. Horrible neglected town centre but like many councils, they spent all their budget on immigration
@dianneatfeld687 thank you 🙏
Mmm another feature is that it seems to be home to racists too.
Really enjoyed this one. Well put together and very interesting. Was it a longer one to make and how did you whittle it down to those 5 ?
Thank you! It took a lot longer to edit and do voiceovers. Hours, in fact 😆 I chose those five based on crime stats, poverty, income and general stuff you read online and my own personal experience of having lived in Sussex for the last 15 or so years. Next will be the worst 5 in Kent, which I've already filmed but will probably take all day tomorrow to edit 🤣
I have lived in Worthing since the age of two, it was a nice place, a bit boring but now it's disgusting. Lots of closed shops, dirty streets, sleeping rough. The roads are filthy and the houses in the streets around the town, though Victorian are neglected and falling apart. It's all grubby and depressing. Btw I'm 66 now. But if you want a café or a Turkish barber or vape shop, you're ok.
I lived in Worthing for over 8 years. Pre-covid it was a nice town, now as you say, it's grubby and depressing. Anti-social behaviour seems to have increased a lot too
I left Worthing over twenty years ago and recently returned home there , I’m so upset to see what it’s become ! Very depressing . I grew up there as a kid and had many adult years there . Such a shame ! So much so I’m selling up and returning back overseas, the whole UK gone down the pan .
@@theflyinghamster8442 I left Worthing at the end of March after 8.5 years living there, and will probably never go back, even for a visit
"But if you want a café or a Turkish barber or vape shop, you're ok."
Got plenty of those here too, so I'm good, thanks.
@@no_soy_rubio On the plus side, Teville Gate has gone.
Good to see you branching out recently, and trying different kind of videos! I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for a potential video on what you take with you on overnight wild camps! Very well edited video Matt, love that Wilson reference - out of all the towns on this list the only place i've been to is Crawley, and can confirm it's an absolutely tragic town, so drab, though they do have a very good leisure centre, which I believe was used to film Superstars - if you ever do a Surrey version of these videos, I'd happy to tag along!
Thanks dude! I've just done a Kent one which I'll be publishing tomorrow but that's it for these videos I think. Doing the voiceover stuff in the editing stage is soooo long 😅 never again! Although a Surrey one might be interesting. I'm not sure what towns you'd include apart from Redhill 😅
I'll do a video on overnight wild camps in the next couple of months, that's a good shout. Have a great weekend!
The Five WORST Towns in 🇬🇧 SUSSEX 🇬🇧 RANKED! 1718pm 7.8.24 i allus keep threatening to indulge in a poxy sklep now and again. haven't done so. i wonder how different it can be... from, say, lidl or aldi(?)
I like Hastings. Has character. Not sure Eastbourne should be there. Glad Worthing isn't there. Crawley was nice a few years ago
Agree about Crawley - it's been "improved" to the point where no one in their right mind wants to live here - we used to have lots of green spaces (now being built on with hideous toy town housing and equally nasty blocks of flats being shoehorned in everywhere you look) we also used to have a very pleasant town square - again, not "pretty" but a large open space with a proper bandstand, lovely shaded seating surrounded by small trees and views from one end to the other giving an air-y atmosphere (of course, some bright spark thought they should rip all this out and build a square block of unneeded and very bland shops - as if there wasn't already lots and lots of shop space aready available in and around the square) All rather sad, but oh so typical of our masters in the local and county council.
@@siras2 thanks for replying
@version736ha2 I lived in Worthing at the time I made this list, if I hadn't then it might have found its way on there 😬
Eastbournes is probably the best on this list. Only Langney and parts of seaside is dodgy. Everywher else is lovely. Meads, Motcombe, Old town, Willingdon
Yeah I like Eastbourne and Hastings mostly, outside of the town centres at least
As a resident of Sussex for 20 years my worst towns are: Littlehampton, St Leonard’s (worse than Hastings) Newhaven & Bognor. I hate bloody Bognor! Crawley I don’t know very well. Seems a bit rough, the town centre is alright though.
Hastings, no mention of the caves or the lift.
@@nigel-f6o it would be a 6 hour long video if everything was mentioned!
Visiting holiday towns in winter to rate them is like peeing into the wind ... possible but not likely to produce the best results?
@@richardbrown-h7m people are holidaying in Crawley?
If you are planning to live there you need to know the good and the bad. I made the mistake of moving to a seaside town (not in Sussex) based partly on a combination of the job I was offered there and my opinion of the place that was formed during a very sunny weekend stay in July. The job didn't meet my expectations, and nor did the town during the remaining eleven months of the year. I left as soon as I reasonably could.
@@baltasarnoreno5973 excellent point. Sadly the grey skies are more prevalent than blue in the UK, even in the sunniest part of the mainland
I grew up in Hastings and it was a beautiful vibrant town in the 70's with a lovely High Street, I was there this weekend and it just looked run down. The shopping centre is an eyesore, my house was in station road right where the statue of the cricketer is. I do heartily recommend the old town, the country parks and the caves. A wonderful place to grow up as a child, much better than the inner cities.
We travelled on to Eastbourne for some crazy golf and it was so clean and well presented. The only disappointing thing was for a sunny July Saturday it was very quiet. I spoke to a cafe owner on the seafront and because May and June's weather was so bad this year he is struggling to keep open!
I said to my other half at the time a package holiday to Spain or Greece would be cheaper than staying in one of these hotels for week. That's the real issue right there!
@andrewamidala I think you hit the nail on the head with that last paragraph. Last year I hiked the entire south and Kent coasts and the only way I could afford to do it was wild camping
Hi Matt! Ooh, this sounds fun! I soon realized it was very sad too. It was great that you pointed out all the good points too. Aw, poor fox. The old town of Hastings looked very quaint and attractive and the lake area was very picturesque. The Eastbourne town centre was rocking, lol! The pier and beach area looked lovely. Littlehampton had a nice beach but the town looked rather rundown. with a few nice shops and cafes to redeem it. I'm sure the town looks better when the sun is shining. Bognor Regis "where the Wetherspoo!" 🤣 Talking of poo, I hate seeing loads of dog poo on the streets. Disgusting. I think I'd give 'Grandad's Back Passage' a miss! 😬😂'Creepy Crawley had the honour of being at the top of your list - I can see why! Oh dear, very sad. This was a brilliant idea, amusing, and well-researched. I really enjoyed it! ❤👍
Thank you! Indeed, the seaside towns all look better in summer, there even seems to be less dog poo then 😂
So he didn't get to Newhaven or Peacehaven then?
I have traversed the entire Sussex coast, I personally don't think those two places are all that bad, just boring!
@@no_soy_rubio Not bad at all to live in Peacehaven. North part of Peacehaven is actually rather nice. Quiet life, easy access on foot to open countryside and great walks. Friendly people too and still a lovely part of old type Britain in which to live. Let us hope it stays that way amongst the over development / over population which is taking place everywhere. Agreed it is boring if you are 20 and want wild nightlife ! Brighton 20 minutes by bus...
Peacehaven is dull but ok. Basically a big suburb of Brighton . New shopping when finished will improve no end.
Newhaven should be on the list
A few people have said that 😆
You can get on a ferry at Newhaven!
There all neglected, they gotta find the cash for all the hotels for our beloved foreign cousins? Only seven million per day .. happy days folks 🏴
Mind you, Burgess Hill is giving these towns a really good run for their money at the moment - it's a complete dump that lacks any atmosphere whatsoever.
And I see that the Council wants to increase and extend parking charges!
@alexsandford5544 a lot of people are saying that about Burgess Hill, I've never had the pleasure of visiting myself!
Burgess Hill town centre redevelopment plan - Step 1: Close all the shops. Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit
@@JudgeShred84 step 2 is build houses imo
Crawley has many economic advantages. Whilst not the most attratcive town in the world, its proximity to Gatwick Airport brings a huge number of large companies like Thales, Babcock, Neslte and Virgin Atlantic. Crawley also has great road and rail connections.
Agree with you there, it's certainly a functional town!
Lived in Sussex, not far from Eastbourne, all my life. The thing that killed all the old seaside resorts was cheap package holidays. Eastbourne had whole streets of neat little B+Bs and a number of larger smart hotels for the many visitors. When tourism declined the town's economy went down too.
Saddest thing about Hastings is the pier. Back in the old days it had a music venue at the end of it. I have fond memories of seeing bands including Sparks, Squeeze, Eddie and the Hotrods and Dr Feelgood. It is just a nothing now.
Absolutely, it is a shame, although I don't dislike either town. You might enjoy this more complimentary video of Eastbourne, Hastings and the coast between them
ruclips.net/video/DWONL6GbNbw/видео.html
I travel around a lot over the south for work and Crawley is surprisingly good.
It might look very 1960s by design but it has a lot of facilities, very well situated and thriving, lots of new luxury flats too.
I'm afraid to say I would put Burgess hill at the top of the list for being run down.
Places like Worthing, Brighton and Littlehampton look completely squalid and straggly.
Horsham is reasonable, lots of shops, transport links, cinemas, restaurants, park etc
@caroljones151 another vote for Burgess Hill! It didn't even cross my mind tbh!
I definitely disagree about Eastbourne. Eastbourne is one of the best towns in all UK not even England.
Mmm it's nice on the front in summer but there's no way that town centre is one of the best for me
Seriously, no Newhaven? I would much rather go to Crawley than Newhaven!
Second Newhaven comment today 😅
Only reason to go to Newhaven is for the ferry to Dieppe. That's it.
Like 72. Thank you for sharing your reviews! Sorry to hear that these towns are not all that highly ranked. Thanks again for the thoughts - friend!
Excellent video. The dreary weather complimented the towns you visited.
Haha thank you!
Well that was truly depressing. Have been to Hastings a few times, and it certainly has its charms, but have been fortunate enough not to have ventured to the other destinations and that will now definitely remain the case. Thanks very much for taking the time and trouble. Very informative.
Thank you! Honestly all those places are better outside the town centres, especially in summer, but the towns themselves, like many around the country, aren't places that invite you to linger
d🤣n't think you'll be missed
Remove Eastbourne and replace it with Brighton. Liverpool FC came down to play Brighton and I could hear the Liverpool Fans saying that it was a shite hole. I totally agree.
🤣🤣🤣
Surely Brighton is nicer than Liverpool?😂
@MS-kw6pw If you exclude Hove, then begrudgingly, I would say Liverpool is better than Brighton.
@@MS-kw6pw Brighton is named "Godless City." I was raised in Eastbourne i wouldn't go to hasting or Brighton if my life depended on it. Besides Eastbourne is better than Bexhill too.
Sad,capitalism is finished
I grew up in Crawley. Left at 18. Never went back. It was even worse back in the 80s if you can imagine... you got it spot on with the #1 worst town.
Probably one of the worst towns in the country.
Creepy-Crawley born, bred, escaped.
A lot of people seem to be defending it so thanks for having my back 😆
Thank you for sharing. My brother lives in Eastbourne and my sister Bexhill not shown.
I have never been a fan of 60's concrete buildings.
I love older architecture and character.
My favourite place for a varied visit is Brighton easily accessible from where my siblings live.
Good links from East Sussex to the Kent coast by train.
Thanks Catherine! I'm working on another video based in Kent next! Brighton is certainly the best place in Sussex for a day out!
@@no_soy_rubioPossibly .... but a night out may be another matter. I live in Hove and have studioisly avoided the centre of Brighton for decades. The problem area is about 250m either side of a line drawn from Brighton Station down Queens Road and West Street, opening out to about 500m along the seafront.
I enjoyed watching your videos about the various villages in Success.
It was a video with an interesting topic.🤗☺
As someone who has lived in Crawley all my life, and lives in one of the 'rougher' neighbourhoods (Bewbush) - I have to say I LOVE living here in the summer. A lot of people put effort into their gardens, we have lots of green space / surrounding country walks, and there's a nice atmosphere among residents as there is often barbecues and garden drinking, without trouble, when people get their family and friends over -- but in the winter it very quickly starts to feel like stereotypical Russia (not that Russia is all bad) and the more urban parts of the town seem a lot more run-down and 'moody' lol. Bewbush has a bad reputation but I think it's mostly unwarranted compared with Broadfield (which admittedly is absolutely awful and I feel lucky everyday not to live there). I think the design of neighbourhoods is so important, and you only have to look at Bewbush and Broadfield to see that, they have the same demographic (working class), and was built around the same time, but Broadfields architecture and street design is so hostile - brick absolutely everywhere with no cladding, and so many dodgy alleys and underpasses. People generally take care of Bewbush because we are almost invited to by the fact that it's nicely designed.
I think the biggest issue with the Town Center is the complete lack of development over several decades - the buildings around Queens Square have been so neglected and unloved, and I think the High Street (the old part of town) could be a lot more attractive than it already is if you didn't have to walk through some really dodgy streets and buildings to get to it from the Mall / central shops and stores. I wouldn't be surprised if someone visiting Crawley would fail to stumble upon it entirely because of that reason - since there is no 'flow' leading you in that direction and you are stopped by some really questionable areas between the two locations.
This is probably going to be my 'hot take', but I think Crawley does a really good job of being urban, but also keeping some that 'leafy Sussex' feel. I am happy that we have some new neighbourhoods (and more planned) as the new-build houses are really nicely done, but now I would like to see the town expand vertically and achieve a higher density/quality around the Town Center, opposed to expanding outward and commiting to 'urban sprawl'.
A lot of people do not like tall buildings (I can't relate personally, I love them), but I think an issue facing every town and city in the UK is that people do not want to expand outward OR upward (so in other words, no development at all).
I would much rather live in a place that has density, modern tall buildings in the center, and good public transport; but where I can easily access the countryside in less than 15-20 minutes -- rather than a place that is absolutely massive, flat, and everybody is trying to use the same parks and fields.
I also think Crawley could capitalise on being in the center of Horsham, East Grinstead, and Horley - and attract a lot more people to visit or work here if the town had more to offer and committed to modernising key areas.
And as my last suggestion although maybe slightly unrealistic - I think Crawley could do well with a new and proper stadium for music events, a designated area/plaza for nightlife, as well as other more 'city' appropriate additions to our portfolio. Something that really bothers me about Brighton is that it IS a city - and it's the THE city of Sussex (both West and East), but they neglect their duty at every level.
Unfortunately Crawley isn't designed to be a city in the same way as Brighton (with Brightons long boulevards and almost Parisian design) -- but if Brighton isn't going to do it, then I think Crawley should take up the mantle of being a viable metropolitan area outside of London, and attracting the youth, investment, architecture, and industry talent who Brighton repeatedly fail / neglect.
I'm not sure how Brighton crept into the conversation here, but for me Crawley will never get close to the character, quirkiness and culture that Brighton has. And architecture in Crawley? Honestly it's amongst the most bland I've seen in any town
@@no_soy_rubio Defensive but ok lol. And probably because Brighton is in Sussex, only 20 miles down the road? That has a lot to do with it.
As for architecture, if you read my comment (which if you know I was talking about Brighton - then you obviously did read my comment in full) I never suggested that Crawley has superior architecture to Brighton. My point was that it's time to start building it - because the only architecture or places of note in Brighton was those built around the years of its inception as a coastal city and tourist attraction -- building those points of interest (the Pier, the Pavilion, and those large estates) would be rejected by Brighton council today for being too grand and ambitious - not keeping in theme with the sleepy tone that Brighton would have had at the time. The trajectory of Brighton as a city (as it was always intended to be, 'London by Sea') has been hijacked by people who have decided that they want to live in a large town and not a city.
They've done nothing with it since, and are neglecting their duty to Sussex as a whole.
Brighton is 'coasting', pun intended, on being 'quirky and vibrant' (which is actually rather hollow, and increasingly more one-note these days); Brightons largest cultural contribution to this century is 'Arrdee' - the only other thing I can think of is the Chinese Room who are developing the next Bloodlines 2. Otherwise there is no reason for anyone beyond Sussex to think about Brighton beyond it's proximity to London for a single day out, and if they do they'll be walking around desperately trying to find something other than a bar, tattoo parlour, or artsy restaurant owned by a nepo baby who's parents had careers in London. London, London, London, London - that's the best thing about Brighton.
Hardly vibrant when the growth of city has been at standstill for 4 decades, bars have to fight the council and the old fogies to play music past 11pm, and people are either sleeping on the street or paying an arm and a leg to share a near-derelict home with 4 other people.
I think Brighton has the potential to be a really incredible city but with the path it's on it will be Blackpool 2.0 instead. It has no ambition and anyone suggesting anything ambitious is met with the retiree mob who think they live in a small town like Crawley or Bognor Regis (but choose to live in the middle of a TOURIST city of 200,000 people).
What I'm saying is - Crawley, Horsham, Horley, and East Grinstead should be choosing to capitalise on Brightons laziness (not as a tourist hotspot, but as a beacon of growth and investment) and take the growth and development that should be intended for Brighton - attracting the young and the ambitious from around Sussex, as well as people looking to move out of London but still want to live in an urban enviroment.
You can claim whatever you like about culture, but a culture that prevents a city that relies on tourism, from building anything that attracts tourism and modern recreation - is a bit of a stiff culture in my option. A culture that walks past countless homeless people on a daily basis, but rejects every developer trying to build new apartments because they 'don't want to look at it' is a bit of a callous culture in my opinion - hiding behind 'affordability' full well knowing that more accommodation frees up space. And a culture that claims they care about the city's historical buildings and landmarks but allows nearly all of them to fall into squalor, decay, and irrelevancy while trying to charge people MORE to experience them (the Pier) is a bit of a hopeless culture in my opinion. A culture that doesn't invite high-paid jobs to move out of London at a time when they are looking to do so, meanwhile pretending to care about the future of its youth (who need to work in London to afford its houses might I add) is a bit of a shortsighted culture in my opinion.
But hey, everyone's wearing sandles, doesn't wash, and is draped in tie-dye so it's all good 😎
The absolute shanty that Brighton will be in the coming decade/s lol. Really unfortunate, and unlike you I don't take pride in our towns and cities not meeting their potential.
Sadly, since the increase in popularity and cheapness of foreign holidays in the 60s, this has played out in all of England's seaside towns. Even Blackpool, which is thriving, is a dump. You just can't compete with Costa Del Sol type holidays. The only thing that will bring back English seaside holidays is to ground all aircraft forever. But as the myth says, Bugger Bognor. I hope you tipped the street performer, Matt. 😊 A great top 5 or bottom 5. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely, it's a shame! Although the seaside towns on the list are all quite nice in summer. I didn't have any cash so I bought the singer a drink, he seemed ok with that 😆
@no_soy_rubio a Bishop's Finger, Spitfire, or Old Peculiar would have gone down well.
@@chrisbentleywalkingandrambling I think it was a Lucozade 😆
I grew up down that way, so it's interesting and pretty sad to see how those places have deterioated over the years. Probably too small a place given the towns you've looked at here, but just be glad you didn't end up in Hailsham (about 8 miles north of Eastbourne). I actually feel safer where I live now in Hackney.
The old town is definitely a saving grace for Hastings, nice area with lots of charm and i love the water, a side from the poor dead fox. Not been to Eastbourne nice bit of coast. The department store is very questionable lol but the street artist made up for it. Depressing seeing all the boarded up places in little Hampton. Oh no Bogna regis seems awful. very depressing. Crowley is definitely a worthy first place spot
Wetherspoo. Spot on! Mmm, fox t shirts? No thanks!
Queensway, what a lovely spot. Great comments about the new locals, spot on, without being offensive!
Cordoned off bandstand! 😂
Superb video and edit Matt. Thought I was watching my favourite channel on RUclips yet somehow he had licensed your voice and got better material. ♥️💩🏢
Cheers Nick! Honestly I'm not too big a fan of that channel. I think the 'visits' he does to these towns are very minimal, and the 'research' is no more than one could find on a simple Google search. Amusing, though!
Having been brought up in a small NW England town pretty similar to Bognor, my just 3-hour long, only ever visit there, I found to be rather pleasant, overall. But a real highlight was finding a very quaint little cafe, just a few streets back from the seafront...
It was so lovely; a little piece of Edwardian England preserved in time - everything was immaculate and classy, so refined. Doyle table cloths, polished wooden furniture, gleaming crockery, brilliant cutlery... the works. The full-English breakfast I'd ordered was pure heaven, every item on the plate done to perfection. The tea, in a pot, so properly prepared.
The degree and love, care and pride that went into running and maintaining that place was stunning and admirable in equal measure - my mere words don't do justice to it.
And it was cheap, too!!
This however was some 20 years ago, so I don't want to got back... I'll just hang onto the memory of that amazing little place and the wonderful experience I had there.
So, thanks for reminding me of it.
[Edit] Oh, forgot to add - I've been to Littlehampton too, it it was far tackier than Bognor.
I think you'd find it has changed a lot in the last 20 years. Cling onto that memory!
I moved to Littlehampton from Worthing. Just because of houses prices.
Littlehampton is a little bit boring in Winter, but to give it credit, there is a lot going on at Harbour Park and the seaside during the summer.
It’s also a good base town if you want to be close to other places like Arundel, the Downs, Worthing, Chi etc. but you are absolutely right, the town centre is a shit hole.
Littlehampton has a big homeless problem... is deserves to be on the list.
Yeah it's alright in summer and I do like Climping Beach!
Such a witty sense of humour! 👏
That "you", sang by the street performer in Eastbourne (in Dancing in the dark with you between my arms) was so personal! And not you chaotically introducing footages of him, to cheer us up... 😂
I finished watching the video, and I still fear that man might pop up at every street corner.
He's going to follow you and sing Ed Sheeran to you in your dreams 🤭🤣🤣
@@no_soy_rubio 😂 Oh, please! One night down and counting...
He's giving me the vibes of this singer in Romania called Fuego, who's only singing carols, and people have mems about surviving him every winter.
@@UndinesOcean maybe this man will resurface like fuego (in Spanish that means fire, I don't know if its the same in Romanian) in a year too 😆
@@no_soy_rubio you're not rubio but your Spanish is brilliant!
Fuego is his stage name (born Paul), definitely borrowed from Spanish to amplify the idea of heat and passion 🔥 😂
@@UndinesOcean interesting, my middle name's Paul 😆
Thanks for the review and useful tips my friend. Have a great day 👍😍💕
My parents used to take me to Bognor Regis when I was little, in the 60's & 70's. I'm SHOCKED by what it has become, and genuinely saddened by how much it's gone downhill! 😢
Yeah it's a shame. There are still some nice spots outside the town centre
Bognor is a craphole. It has a dodgy vibe too.
I moved out in 1988 and Crawley is just as depressing as it was back then. 'Brutal' is the right word.
I'm gonna make a positive video about Crawley 😜 Let's see what people think haha
Yes you should! I've actually had a couple of good nights out in Crawley tbf, and compared to where I'm from near Medway Kent it's a cakewalk 🤣
Really interesting n informative video,
Thanks for sharing,
Keep up the good work,
Stay connected 🌺🌺
How is Crawley officially the worst town in Sussex, when it is simply your own opinion. Not true to say that since it is a new town it has little history. There has been a settlement here since the Iron Age. And why constantly show images of derelict buildings, other than to give the wrong impression of Crawley? I wonder where you live.
Crawley is the world's best open-air toilet.
By making such a churlish comment, you are demonstrating your ignorance
@@richardmeech7422 Ignorance of Crawley truly is a blessing.
So are you now claiming to know nothing about Crawley?
@@paulwally9007Crawley is a dump
great video and the honest truth for most of uks towns, we were once a great country and have fallen so far, very sad to see. You were very generous when it came to Eastbourne, some streets have gone so bad such as ceylon place, susans road and ashford road. On those roads mentioned lots of drugs, homeless and anti social behaviour. Also, the businesses, many are laundering fronts (wont mention the nationalities but not english), how many coffee shops and barber shops does a small town need, empty all the time but the owner has a 70k car.
Absolutely, we all know what's really going on in the back of those barber shops and they don't even bother trying to hide it, as you say driving around in Ranges or Mercs! Maybe cos it was a sunny day Eastbourne got off lightly haha
Sad but true, the crime and underworld in eastbourne is crazy!! They do such a great job at hiding it and appearing legit!!
There are a lot of Albanians, who most would see and identify as Italians which helps them get away with the crime and fronts. You will notice the Italian businesses are run by Albanians. Not all Albanians are bad, I'm just giving one type of people that mainly own all the coffee shops.
Why would a business not want to be on companies house and have a strange business name? Why appear fully Italian when you're not? Fooling the old english people by saying you're Italians.
This was an interesting video, although filming four seaside towns in February was never likely to show them at their best, I suppose. The shortlist was fairly predictable, although, having lived in a New Town (Stevenage) most of my life, it has become somewhat predictable how people who have never lived in a New Town tend to get unduly influenced by the 1960s Brutalist architecture and don't give weight to the social cohesion that I think they bring. So, I wouldn't have put Crawley at number 1 but obviously that is just my opinion.
A lot of UK towns with populations of between about 30,000 and 100,000 inhabitants are somewhat bland and have Debenhams- and Wilko-sized holes in the centre. The retail sector is really struggling. I lived in Edinburgh for nearly 20 years and the city centre is something special. However, once you get out into the suburbs, it is all fairly monotonous and / or depressing.
Great comment! I'm a big fan of Edinburgh! Just out of curiosity, where would be your number 1 if not Crawley?
@@no_soy_rubio Unlike my comment on your Kent video, which was based on visiting all the towns featured in the last 12 months, my recent knowledge of Sussex is a bit patchy. However, I would have put Hastings at no.1. The first time I went there was on Good Friday in 1982, when a whole load of mods turned up on their scooters and perhaps I haven't wiped that from my memory, although they seemed well-behaved. St Leonard's is the posh part of Hastings but I am not sure that its residents admit that it is part of Hastings.
I notice that Worthing didn't make your shortlist. I know there is a long-running attempt by the local council to demolish the Grafton multi-storey car park, whose 1960s Brutalist architecture rather makes it stand out from the neighbouring town centre edifices. However, Worthing doesn't seem to have as much of the scruffiness that your top 5 seem to have, so I shall not nominate Worthing.
@user-mn4cc6bb7t the main reason Worthing didn't make the list is that I was living there at the time, and didn't want to get lynched! Prior to covid it was quite nice, unfortunately since then anti-social behaviour has risen and a lot of businesses in the centre have closed down.
I have live 62 years in Crawley and its now a shit hole. Shops have closed down and its full of coffee shops, barbers and shops no one needs. The Mall has empty spaces even. Crawley has as much atmosphere as the moon now. It's now one of those places you would make sure your car doors were locked as you drove well past.
AS a schoolboy growing up in the country in Scotland we watched schools programs about Crawley New Town ( hosted by Ronald Lacey - of "Raiders of the lost ark " fame !). Thought it looked very much the future ahead - sorry it's having a bit of a hard time - good video though !
I'm not sure many of the new towns have fared particularly well!
I've just to Bognor Regis and compare to Enfield where I've just moved from it's Heaven
Yeah the worst places in London look a lot worse than those in Sussex
A very enjoyable watch. The thing I'll take away from it is "puts the bog in Bognor" 😂😂
I did GCSE geography in 1988-89 where we had to visit and do a study on Crawley. I haven't been back since, it put me off that much and I don't live too far from it.
So I agree with your No.1 👍🏼
Sounds like Crawley has been a bad place for a while!
Thank you my friend for sharing such beautiful scenery and information🥷🇯🇵
Nice one mate, cracking the jokes out I see! I couldn’t work out why Bognor was number 2 until you said Crawley was the worst 😂 Mind you Worthing is the worst for me since the incident there haha
New Towns are an enigma, they have awful brutalist architecture but for some (like Cumbernauld and Skelmersdale for example) the roads in them are great although unfinished in places
Haha I'd get lynched if I put Worthing on there mate, I don't move till the 29th 🤣
I should hope the roads are great, that's what they were designed for isn't it 🤣 although MK just seems to be roundabouts from what I remember!
@@no_soy_rubio You wuss 😂
Pretty much yeah haha. Some of them don’t have unfinished grade separated junctions whilst others do. The massive Halfmile Island in Skelmersdale for example was supposed to be a free flowing interchange!
I can’t comment on MK as I’ve not been yet but I can imagine that most roundabouts are unfinished junctions given its size.
I think you did very well to choose those 5, with such a wealth of dreadful rundown towns in Sussex it must have been very hard, we are all rich down south and don't need any leveling up money in anycase, don't get me started, more please 👍
Thank you! There were a few others that just missed the cut!
I was in Bognor the night the pier fell down. Late 1960 s . Very stormy winter night about 9pm it was there. 10pm it had gone. Nothing else changed since from looks of it
Really enjoyed the video. I know all of these towns and while there is neglect, they all have their nice bits and look better in the sunshine. Glad you mentioned the cinema in Bognor. It is a splendid building and its great that it is still in operation as a cinema.
@@backrowbrighton absolutely, lovely staff working in the cinema too!
Harsh on Crawley, It has 3 golf 18 hole courses also .
@davepatrick7577 it's a subjective list and I don't like golf 🤣
It is still a city to visit and explore. Thank you for introducing us to a city I had never heard of. Good job, my friend
I live in hastings i do agree the town center is an eyesore but there are plenty of places like the old town the caves the park the sea front also the west hill where i live with its panoramic views plus the castle or what is left of it! Most towns have got the rough with the smooth have lived here for 34 years so can't be that bad
Apart from the caves, all the things you mentioned were featured in the video
I go there, but I can't say it's a pleasure as I find it rather soulless really. Bognor and Littlehampton are both awful these days. How did you miss Wothing?
Notice something in common with the first 4? Worthing and Shoreham aren't far behind. Worthing having lost it's Wilko, Debenhams and Beales within 100 yards of each other, only Wilko has been replaced. Brutalist architecture makes it really easy for a town to look depressing. Worthing has removed some of it more recently.
I was living in Worthing at the time I posted this so I excluded it from the list. It would've probably been in it otherwise!
Crawley was sort of famous for breaking the Sunday trading laws back in the 80's, and paving the way for the law changes that then came about. We used to go to the centre for the novelty of being able to go shopping but not pay parking - short lived mind.
I didn't know that! Good on Crawley for their rebellious forward-thinking!
It's always great to share information on towns that are a bit sus.🤨🤨 Appreciate this video. Oh I do LOVE the music in the background. 🎶🎵Total vibes. ❣❣Great share friend. Enjoy your weekend and be safe out there.💖✨
Thank you! Yeah I tried it with and without the music and I definitely preferred it with!
I lived in Hastings and Eastbourne over 30 years ago is was never as bad at it now, there was talk of merging Littlehampton with Southampton..............................and making one fookin' great Hampton.
🤣🤣🤣
As someone from Worthing in West Sussex,they all make me appreciate it a little bit more. My ex girlfriend is from Crawley and it really is a dump😂😂
I think you are mostly right except maybe I would have changed Hastings and Eastbourne round, but yes all of them feel neglected and ugly in the main shopping areas. Why? We need more trees and community schemes to do gardening and veg growing , that would help.
Indeed, although both towns have some very nice green areas!
Very Interesting indeed Sir!! I haven’t been to these places, but I liked Eastborne seafront 👍🍺🍺
Born and Bred in Crawley. Lost many of our historical buildings. Queens Square is one big coffee shop. Used to be a great space with the old Gatwick Race Course bandstand. Also used to be a nice open space for events until it became cluttered. Neighbourhood shopping parades used to be diverse but now full of fast food restaurants. Absolute crap for walking and cycling, but was great when there were less cars!! Summing up Crawley isn't the pleasant town it used to be. Churches? We have great historical churches in Town, those are in Ifield and Worth as well as St Johns in the town centre. Forget Tailgate Park, Buchan Park has a great history and is free to go there! Goffs Park still has it's mini railway too!👍👍🙂
Great comment!
I did escape from Burgess Hill 50 years ago and moved 160 miles away....Still recovering!
And that's supposed to be one of the nicer places 😅
Enjoyed this vd. Loved the Bognor cinema. Purely personal thing - but I always find dead-quiet Eastbourne rather depressing, despite its elegant architecture. Hastings has a quirky, bohemian culture (my sister lives there & sells her paintings there - big painting scene). Have never been to Crawley 😭
I agree on all points!
Please do a video on the five best towns in Sussex, a difficult task I know, as there aren't any, even Horsham of a night time is dangerous, I've seen it first hand.
@johncarlo7395 off-hand I think Lewes, Rye and Arundel, but I'm struggling to think of more 😅 some of the smaller towns/villages like Alfriston and Herstmonceux perhaps! I've heard horror stories of Horsham from people that live there, shame!
Horsham is weird. If I get a late-night train (that's 7pm in England) to Bognor from Victoria, often they'll be a group of unpleasant lads travelling who invariably get off at Horsham. It's weird because I thought it was supposed to be affluent?
@@paulwally9007 possibly because it's seen as an easy target?
@@no_soy_rubio I think these young geezers actually live there. The Horsham Mafia. The Naffia.
I dunno ... spend a fortune restoring the town's whipping post and stocks, then don't use them. It's almost as if the the Town's Burghers are living in the past.
I blame Roffey .....
I lived in Crawley from the age of 6 until around 20 years old, i moved around from Three Bridges, Broadfield and other places, i was living there when County Mall opened! Within the first year of the Mall being open a young lady threw herself off the top floor to her death.
I went to school in Crawley and left with no GCSEs.
I hear the collage is good though.
I also worked in Ikon Diva the biggest club in Crawley and i believe was voted the roughest club in the UK .
Thats my Crawley.
Great vid
You may think we are mad but we like going to Bognor there's a nice café by the main car park run by a family great value and big meals & we like the weather spoons there & we go to Hastings quite a bit too lol 😂😂😂😂
Haha nice one mate, I like all the seaside places in summer tbh but I don't tend to go into Bognor or LA town centres unless I have to 🤣 never been in Bognor Spoons so I can't comment 🤣
I live near here and if you think way back when, when medieval times, you start to see that it is a lovely place situated in The Weald. Also Crawley means: Crow infested clearing. The oldest building is St. Nicholas's Church, in the Worth Parish and still is a village even if it falls in the borough boundary.
Only the town centre I agree on
There are still some lovely villages in the Weald
@@no_soy_rubio True, I've been to loads of places in the Weald.
Brilliant vid. Been to 4 out of 5 of these towns and found them less than great - though they've all got good things about them... Probably. At Eastbourne for example, the town centre is drab and depressing, but it's got the sea, the pier and best of all it's only a short walk to Beachy Head and the lighthouses. I was travelling round the coast at the time, so didn't visit Crawley. Don't think I will either after seeing this. Great, entertaining and interesting as usual Matt.
Thanks Gray! I agree, like a lot of places the countryside is much much better than the town centres!
Very true. My parents retired to Bexhill on Sea, and we used to visit Sovereign Harbour regularly, which was a lovely day out in Eastbourne, plus Beachy Head.
I’m familiar with most of these towns and they are real dumps. Crawley being mainly developed in the 60’s and 70’s is totally soulless but no surprise there.
Absolutely correct
LA should definitely be Number 1. The place is an absolute dive.
The major problem in towns is the local councils,they place high rents on properties,which cause the closure of high street shops,the councils take no pride in their towns
Worthing not worthy?
I'd have to sadly agree with some of the comments I've seen about Burgess Hill. I'm referring specifically to the town centre, the areas outside of the centre are actually quite pleasant. We moved there in the late 70's when it had a large quality market on a Wednesday and Saturday, where Waitrose is now. It's suffering the same problem of other town centres with closed and down market shops replacing the quality ones that were there previously. It's great if you like charity shops and estate agents. There's suppose to be a redevelopment plan for the town centre but nothing much has happened. The Town Council and Mid Sussex should hang their heads in shame. They would be better joining the circus.....with the other clowns.
TBH you made Littlehampton look ok but in reality its the biggest dump around. I live there. Smell of drugs in some parts. Druggies and drinkers around the town always looking for trouble. As for town council, thats another story
Bognor Regis. Round winter. Just down run no real jobs /
I guess I can see why you want to take a break from the UK. Once beautiful towns here are now filled with crime and homelessness. Once you get to San Francisco you’ll see what I mean.
There is a shining star in Sussex though and you filmed him singing. And I think you should buy the cat shirt and wear it in your next video. I don’t think you were too harsh. People need to know what’s going on. 👍
Thanks Craig, tbh I have worn arguably worse shirts in my time! I saw a lot of tent cities in LA and I've been told San Francisco is just as bad. Will be interesting to see!
never realised how bad these places were getting, thanks for the heads up.
Wow Matt I thought some of the Northern towns were bad but you're not making me think I should make a trip to any of these places any time soon. I dunno I somehow wrongly thought they'd look better. You're right the busker was probably the best bit and well I know in the past you've been struggling for a place to get your head down so that mattress may have come in handy...then again 🙂
There's bad towns all over the country Paul although tbh these seaside towns look better in summer (as I suppose Blackpool and Skegness would). Hahaha I've been in some desperate sleep arrangement situations but thankfully haven't needed to sleep on a mattress in an alley of a run-down area 😆
I've lived in both Crawley & Littlehampton. Like most towns nowadays, they have their better areas & their dump areas. I would never want to retire in Crawley. At least, Littlehampton has the sea. 👍
Absolutely, I used to enjoy walking along Climping Beach especially
Been to all of these towns and lived in Crawley, Littlehampton and Bognor. You nailed it.👍
Thanks, you're one of the few that agrees with me 😆
As always great sharing my friend 🙏👍 🌼🌸