Yep! Me too, it’s so sad. Loughborough was a great town. It had so much back then…but now it’s a horrible place and that makes me feel so sad. To me it seems that no one has any pride and why would you have? Totally agree about the begging, immigrants and the high cost of parking. There’s no reason to visit.
To be fair, Dave. It’s most towns with a high street. Charity shops, Vape Shops, the odd Greggs and other bakeries. That’s it. We can thank Amazon and EBay for that. The high street has been left to rot because every local council knows there’s no saving it. It’s honestly depressing
same up stoke on trent no shops just coffee shops i do not know how people can afford to drink coffee at those prices these days people on spice, monkey dust, alcohol problems beggers i know it could be any one of us one day how things are going being on benefits is not the problem it is not right it is the criminal gangs stopping people going out last time someone nicked my phone digital id will be so bad they hacked me so quick shoplifting etc would never have dared in the past we had respect wh smiths are going now and natwest banks, Sandander might leave the Uk, more apartments ie smart cities 15-minute cities what did they just spend how much money on a muti story car park.
100% Don't forget get the banks. They have all gone pretty much app based. I'm from Brighton It was amazing growing up (42) it's now a shit pit. And people younger than me don't like going out and the price of the nightlife is just unaffordable anymore, for young people. Oh and don't forget the drugs and stabbings.
Went Loughborough college in 1998, great times. The town was buzzing but also since they pedestrianised the town centre it’s not the same and has no soul. I remember when there were loads of hotel houses guest houses in Loughborough all gone now. Replaced with student housing.
Hey bvm, big respect to you for speaking about topics people won’t. Makes us real humans like you more 👌 It’s happened to most towns, my childhood town ( rushall/ Walsall )
Free parking needs to be everywhere, so town centers can compete with out of town retail parks. If the councils realised it would balance out with more income from full shops rather than majority empty
I live in Belper and luckily we have a thriving high street ( for now at least)with many independent retailers who seem to be looking after each other and the best thing of all.... we have a large free car park.
@ That's because they will demolish it and leave it as a waste land for a year or so before applying, that way the council will allow them to do what they want because otherwise they will just have a wasteland in the middle of Loughborough. That's business and businessman only care about their own pockets.
We've had 3 Turkish restaurants open up in a 2 minutes walking distance in the past year. One seems to do really well and gets good reviews, but it does raise questions. There was a crime scene round the back of the popular one recently too...
I counted 6 Turkish barbers and 4 vape shops with at least 6 takeaways. I never see anyone in them. I'm a London BusDriver of over 27years. I drive past the shops at least 10 times a day.
There are still puddles in the new paving at Wards End/South Street. Who signs off this work? Contractors should have been brought back to sort out the levels/drainage. Disappointed to see you had to pick your way past vans parked on the pavement here as well. Lot of money spent on trying to improve this area.
Nottingham is the same. Is it a coincidence that they are both university towns? I don't think so. We started to visit Loughborough because it was much nicer, busier, more choices of independent shops, plenty of decent pubs. But even we've noticed over the last year that shops are shutting. One fast food shop after another opens, then closes and is boarded up. It's very depressing.
Got told by a mate that renting a shop on Baxtergate was going to cost £3000 a week. Small businesses up against it straightaway, pedestrianised centre hasn't helped as roads like Frederick Street, Bridge Street and Fennel Street weren't built to take that much traffic. Internet shopping has hurt everywhere, self checkout systems don't help too as there's a good amount of people want to chat and socialise but can't. Can't see things improving anytime soon although that's not just Loughborough. Lived here since 1975 and the 80s and 90s were fantastic, busy and thriving, going out at night was great, loads of good memories. Thanks for the video even though it was a bit depressing to see how far the place has gone downhill.
Totally agree the Carilon shopping centre is appalling nearly 3/4s of the shops have gone. The new shops are nearly all charity shops and there's a pawn brokers opend up. It's awful.
I came over to the UK to visit parents back in October. I also went to the area I grew up as one of my best friends still lives in the area. Though she is planning on leaving. Unrecognisable. Pubs all gone, local shops have changed from butchers, bakery, hardware shop, greengrocer to either abandoned, barbers, charity shop, vape shop, take aways or dodgy looking convenience shops. The houses on the street where I grew up back in the 90s has changed from family homes with gardens to bedsits or multiple occupancy homes. Gardens all ripped up for parking and outbuildings - which are also rented out. Roads were all full of holes, pavements littered with rubbish. Grass verges left uncut. It was depressing. 🙄
I can’t comment on the town centre as a whole but what I can comment on is the death of nightlife working in nightclubs and watching / feeling the decline as it was beggining to happen… when dating apps like tinder came upon us and young people stopped needing to go out to find a partner nightlife (specifically nightclubs) started slowly dying then. Oh that and the rising of prices as a whole, the councils strict regulation on drinks deals (3 bottles for £5 etc) and the rise of drug preference over drink..
the sad fact is the internet took over 😢 you can buy most stuff online these days and have it arrive on your doorstep ! it’s a combination of that and the rates for the shops to rent that bit of land is way too high set by greedy councils
Same where I am in Bangor, N.Ireland. Cafes, charity shops, vape shops, barbers, takeaways everywhere. Just yesterday another bar closed just 3 months after the last bar closed. Vacant empty shops with 'to let' signs everywhere. However all the out of town shopping centres are always busy. Them and online shopping has killed the town centres.
One thing to add, there are millions of EU workers here whose sole aim is to save almost every spare penny they earn so they can return back to their country and buy property, land, retire. All those hundreds of billions of pounds are not being spent in the U.K economy. The same issue with our brown 'friends', they send money back home and live a pauper lifestyle so the U.K economy does not get that cash either. The rich are to blame, the Old boy's network that politicians and the elite move in.
Think about it, they are cash only for a reason, if they have money coming from elsewhere that may not be exactly legal (I'll leave it to you to imagin what that could be) then perhaps that money could be put trough the barbers shop as legit income, and its now legally earnt money that can be paid into the bank instead of stuffing it under the bed. Just a thought. ,
I stopped to ask 2 council wallahs where a public toilet was (about 17:30) they said the public toilets had closed and go in Costa. The council should be providing these facilities, it's not down to traders to provide them except for their own customers.
Ihavent been into town for 10 years plus due to mobility issues but have enjoyed this video and am quite impressed by the new shops most of the shut down ones seem to have moved bigger premises
Same in my hometown of Swadlincote. Coalville isn't much better and even Ashby has seen the downfall - hence why I packed up my shop there and now work from home. Let's not even start on Burton on Trent..... roadwork haven! Absolute shithole to drive around and it's just chaos. Then they wonder why there's no people in the town when they kill it off like they do.
I lived in Loughborough for years as a student and after. I definitely watched it deteriorate, as before it had some good, local independent shops doing niche things
@@BlueVanMan Thanks for the reply BlueManVan. The door (which is always locked) says "Private Members Club" 🤔 Very curious! It's a shame, because they had a good number of snooker tables, English and American pool tables, and dart boards. I believe Tom Ford had his own snooker table there.
the country is finished, it’s been crap since the 90s, everywhere you go now is awful with knife attacks and hordes of people covered faces and hoodies over their heads, and their underwear sticking out their tracksuit bottoms lol, it does make you laugh though 😅
I'm from Loughborough, and I find it to be alright. There are going to be changes, obviously. But don't give up. We've got to have faith in our hometown.. I have to keep the faith.. There is a homeless problem. Some of them are honest... And the youth all in black i just, ignore... We have Saturday and Thursday market. That's good.
Haven't been Loughborough for months as I thought too many eating places but not enough good shops to make it worth going. It's even worse than I remember now with all the shop closures, what a shame. Leicester is just the same, don't feel safe with all the people that harass for money & groups of men hanging around.
Great vid Dave, all towns are the same now, one thing I did notice that there isn't to much litter laying about like other places. The Left Legged Pineapple, that's a blast from the past, I used to go there to buy vinyl imports. I also remember the little kiosk by the bus station, you could buy single ciggies from there. Also Remember Sammy's night club, right next to the Cinema, up those steep stairs also used to go up to The Bitter End for a few beers. Anyone remember the name of the pub on the way out of Loughborough just after the Brush factory think it was just after the bend
Yes and no. I think the problem is that a lot of Facebook groups post pictures of our cities in the 60s / 70s and make out those were the good old days when we had problems back then too. GB News and Talk TV solely focus on how diverse a city is when assessing whether it is good or bad (less diverse = good, to them).
I’m 30 years old and the old pictures from the 20th century look miles better than the ones taken In the 21st century. Streets from the 60’s to 90’s look tidy, buildings looked well maintained, people looked smarter and skinnier. We peaked along time ago now and we are now seeing a true societal decline. It doesn’t matter what political side you’re on because that’s the truth.
Hi Dave from Chelmsford in Essex our town has nosedived since becoming a city the town is full of empty shops and dirty, full of only fast food restaurants, vape shops and charity shops, it's full of beggars I am honestly ashamed to take my kids there too, I would only go into town if I had to not for a day out as such, such a shame
I remember the Left Legged Pineapple! Towns now all look the same. Many shops are closing and being replaced by Charity Shops. Charnwood Borough Council are greedy bastards too. Rates are probably exorbitant
I moved to pembrokeshire a couple of years ago from leicester and shocked about the state of loughborough and sering the sad faces. Everyone looked sad. I live near haverforwest and the town very similar but the council announced they are going to do something about it. Things now the way you look by the looks of things and fast food. So sad
Shopping centre towns rent is too high for independent shops. I live in Kingston Upon Thames and it's all student accommodation and my town who crowned the first King of England has become just the same as every town. I'm so glad I was born in the 70s. Our new generation will never have the luxury we had. As always, Money talks and every Council is more than happy to carry on taking cash, no matter where it comes from.
i just came back from Russia and Poland and then you realise just how shit Britain is. Over there it's like it was in the 80's which was far better lets be honest
Swadlincote seemed to have survived covid ok but these past 2 years things have declined. About 7 Turkish barbers of course. I went to Lichfield a week ago and that seemed to be doing ok, for now. I overhead a shop owner in Derby saying how much her overheads had gone up in the last year, no doubt another business on the edge. Most towns are in trouble.
Spot on.... I've lived in Bournemouth for 30+ yrs....used to be upmarket....now it's a shit hole ....beggars everywhere...high immigrant population...closed shops, all the department stores have left...M&S gone...even Super drug just left.....the central KFC closed...pizza hut gone..... absolute shit hole....bloody sad. All the best 👍
The reason that towns across the country are seemingly dying is because the places within them that provide community are also dying. Im talking about bars, cafes, restaurants, independent book stores and other shops, churches, community centres etc. Places where people from across the town can come together. And the reason that these places are dying is because the cost of living has become so great, people don't have the money to go to these places, and therefore these places don't have the money coming in to stay afloat and so they close. And they also don't get sufficient subsidy from the government that would help them survive. I'm from Shrewsbury which recently was voted as having the best high street in the Uk, by the Telegraph i think it was. When i walk down the street its full of life because its full of the places that create community, small coffee shops, bars, restaurants, a market hall and so on. From watching your video, it seems that In Loughborough the big chains are the businesses that have been able to survive, as well as a few small businesses, but unfortunately Gregs and Cex and Boots don't really provide the incentive for people to flock to the town centre. I don't know what it is necessarily that the local council in Shrewsbury has done in order to attract investment and protect small businesses, presumably they have certain regulations to protect small businesses. But to be honest i don't think this is really a matter that local councils can solve themselves. I think this a is a broader issue facing the country which has been going on for decades now, fuelled by stagnating wages and an ever greater concentration of wealth. And the government isn't really interested in Loughborough because it cares more about 'economic growth' which just beens protecting large corporations and investors.
Think it's the same in most towns and city's up and down the country. And whilst the online shopping boom is a factor, for me, the biggest factor is the inept council's and their failure to adapt. Rent's, business rates and taxes are far too high. They've basically made it impossible for the average small businessman to afford. Hence why our town's are only full of the big corporation store's or blatant money laundering operations. The local markets aren't even viable anymore. With most of the stalls pulling out, citing extortionate fee's and unrealistic conditions. Honestly, it feels like it's being done on purpose, which makes no sense at all.
To be fair Loughborough looks rather lively compared to many places I've been, like where I live in Grimsby/Cleethorpes and previously Paisley in Scotland. Isn't just a localized issue, even the cities like Glasgow, Hull, Sheffield etc. are suffering. Places doing well seem to have loads of independent places, like small towns like Louth for example. Doesn't help when you're filming on a damp, gloomy January afternoon which doesn't do any area any favors. You aren't going to stop online retail which is only growing bigger, best thing to do nowadays I believe is turn these places into leisure & living areas. Pubs, apartments, cafes, dining, cinemas, arcades/minigolf/bowling, gyms etc. Stuff you can't do online. It's the only option now I think. They're meant to be doing it here in Grimsby, knocking down the old market and the council have bought the shopping centre planning to build a new cinema and food area within. Time will tell to how that turns out as they're not very good at finishing plans like that. Cinemas might not be the best bet with people streaming everything nowadays, much safer, cheaper & more comfortable to stay at home and stream movies & TV shows but they do have the advantage of having new films not on the streaming platforms yet and giving a day out.
A council consortium also pissed away half a million quid on a tacky covid memorial in Queens Park (The Bell Ends, we call it) totally numb and isolated officials
Things have gotten way downhill since the refugee crisis in 2015. You don't feel safe in the inner cities, especially after closing time. Much crime and drug abuse, junkies and beggars. Good shops close down and 50 new barbers, mobile shops, casinos and other spots for money laundering open. It's a shame. Also there is a huge cost of living crisis in germany. Health insurance, the pension system, rent, buying a house, groceries, everything is getting more expensive. People are fed up and the new government will continue this course. I think england and germany are in the same downward spiral, and I don't know how rockbottom will look like. Anyway, I hope things get better for you in england. And all the best for you and your family. Cheers from Essen.
Dave it's gone mate now. Most places the same I'll try and do Chatham where I live sometime will shock the life out of you but there probably nick my phone or camera LOL
Mate you need to interview a few people that live amongst the students in the town, yes they do bring money into the area, but not everyone is as supportive as those that dont live in these areas.....
I was an extrovert. I'm totally the opposite now. I buy everything online now as I don't vape or have any hair. I only go out to work which I've done since I left school 33 years ago.
I live just outside and have family that live in Loughborough. The problem with Loughborough is greedy commercial landlords and sky high business rates. It makes it impossible for small businesses to survive. The second public toilets which were only open on Thursdays and Saturdays has been closed and turned into a phone repair shop, the remaining public toilets are closed about 6pm, so there is nowhere to go after people leave the few remaining pubs or nightclubs, so consequently people urinate in the back alleyways etc. Student accommodation has taken over the town, so the place is dead during the university holidays. Turkish barbers and nail bars, probably people smuggling and money laundering fronts, along with fast food outlets are the only "businesses" taking up the smaller units. There are no police patrolling, consequently antisocial louts and e-scooter and cyclists riding through the pedestrian zone, despite not well displayed signs stating no cycling between 10am and 4pm. The proposed conversion of the carillon centre into flats, is the worst idea in a long time. On top of all that is the lack of maintenance and disrepair of the buildings, the roads, the drains and waterways which increasingly make the town centre a most unwelcoming place.
I disagree on some points mate. I was on a train from Nottingham to Leicester last year on a Saturday night and the 11pm train from Loughborough was packed with young lads and ladettes who may have had a few to drink from Loughborough to Leicester. I play at Loughborough Sport Uni sports ground every week (i'm your age if not older) and always pop into a local in Loughborough after. I still think Loughborough is still good - I'm there quite often for the GCR too! But I agree with you that the old places have all gone - young people don't drink anymore too and are into their gym stuff. Leicester has become the same. All the old great clubbing places all gone. The other thing BVM, is who can afford to go out drinking these days? Remember when we were young at 16 - you could have a night out on a quid when a pint cost 30p. These days three pints and its costing you £35 if you are in a club and £20 normally. Prices have killed the market but that's another topic for another time.
It's every town centre now Dave, all going to rot, American style retail parks with drive thru's have taken over with free parking, it's all gone Pete Tong
Portsmouth is the same Full of rubbish, shops no one wants, expensive parking, list goes on. Always looking around, never feel relaxed. Real shame but all towns & cities are dying.
Tax Amazon and the wealthy properly. Use the money to reinvest in local councils who can then reduce rates and allow town centres and businesses to return. Simples.
Lived in Loughborough for 25 years and we moved from there 5 years ago. Wasn’t good then. Been back recently and even worse. It was great years ago. Shame but same as you say in most towns. Think the Carillion is going to be student flats.
So sad to see the death of Loughborough. Used to be packed with people but now it's a ghost town
I’m born and bred in Loughborough such a shame how it s gone it Was buzzing in the late 80’s and 90 s when i started going out
Yep! Me too, it’s so sad. Loughborough was a great town. It had so much back then…but now it’s a horrible place and that makes me feel so sad. To me it seems that no one has any pride and why would you have?
Totally agree about the begging, immigrants and the high cost of parking.
There’s no reason to visit.
To be fair, Dave. It’s most towns with a high street. Charity shops, Vape Shops, the odd Greggs and other bakeries. That’s it. We can thank Amazon and EBay for that. The high street has been left to rot because every local council knows there’s no saving it. It’s honestly depressing
same up stoke on trent no shops just coffee shops i do not know how people can afford to drink coffee at those prices these days people on spice, monkey dust, alcohol problems beggers i know it could be any one of us one day how things are going being on benefits is not the problem it is not right it is the criminal gangs stopping people going out last time someone nicked my phone digital id will be so bad they hacked me so quick shoplifting etc would never have dared in the past we had respect wh smiths are going now and natwest banks, Sandander might leave the Uk, more apartments ie smart cities 15-minute cities what did they just spend how much money on a muti story car park.
Tylers is a lovely shop. God knows how they keep going.
I remember Saturdays in the 70s and 80s in Loughborough it used to be buzzing now its like the eastern block!
the daft thing is cash converters and the amusements will be the last to shut. losing the weatherspoons says doom n gloom tbh
Wellingborough hasl 1970s indoor shopping centre (the Swansgate) where many of its oldest streets used to be. But it does have some
The left legged pineapple, I loved that store
Same here. I've still got a Left Legged Pineapple plastic bag as a memento lol!
The main factor is the internet - no need to go shopping in person anymore. Free return labels and convenience.
Can't argue with that
100% Don't forget get the banks. They have all gone pretty much app based. I'm from Brighton It was amazing growing up (42) it's now a shit pit. And people younger than me don't like going out and the price of the nightlife is just unaffordable anymore, for young people. Oh and don't forget the drugs and stabbings.
I think the retail shops will end up as student/migrants accommodation
I went to the uni and now live around for work, 6 years in total, its definitely died
Went Loughborough college in 1998, great times. The town was buzzing but also since they pedestrianised the town centre it’s not the same and has no soul.
I remember when there were loads of hotel houses guest houses in Loughborough all gone now. Replaced with student housing.
A lots been taken over as places to house immigrants!
Loughborough used to be the best University town in the country for athletes and sports scientists. Very sought after
Still is
Hey bvm, big respect to you for speaking about topics people won’t. Makes us real humans like you more 👌
It’s happened to most towns, my childhood town ( rushall/ Walsall )
Free parking needs to be everywhere, so town centers can compete with out of town retail parks. If the councils realised it would balance out with more income from full shops rather than majority empty
I live in Belper and luckily we have a thriving high street ( for now at least)with many independent retailers who seem to be looking after each other and the best thing of all.... we have a large free car park.
Says it all, free parking. Sadly Councils run by career politicians with gold plated pensions and no idea of markets.
The Carillon shopping centre is being redeveloped, that's why it's half empty, shops have to leave by May.
Like I said, no planning application has been entered, though.
@blue van man it's the same in Doncaster mate.
@ That's because they will demolish it and leave it as a waste land for a year or so before applying, that way the council will allow them to do what they want because otherwise they will just have a wasteland in the middle of Loughborough.
That's business and businessman only care about their own pockets.
@@BlueVanManI thought it was submitted a couple of weeks ago? I work in the cafe next door and hear no end of it
Even shopping centres like Milton Keynes have become like a ghost town. Feels like it's only a matter of time until these places cease to exist.
Same in my small town. Extortionate rents are pushing businesses into closing down. The whole place is so depressing now. It's so sad 😞
Hit the nail on the head. The general experience of going into town is that its shit, expensive and not safe.
Well theres a lot more shops in loughborough than in Nottingham its absolutely crap for shopping is the market still going and what days?
The police need to investigate some of these cash-only Turkish Barbers because they are seemingly always empty
We've had 3 Turkish restaurants open up in a 2 minutes walking distance in the past year. One seems to do really well and gets good reviews, but it does raise questions. There was a crime scene round the back of the popular one recently too...
Uk honestly seems like a country that is just in the business of washing money.
Money laundering operations for sure.
Money laundering operations for sure.
I counted 6 Turkish barbers and 4 vape shops with at least 6 takeaways.
I never see anyone in them.
I'm a London BusDriver of over 27years.
I drive past the shops at least 10 times a day.
There are still puddles in the new paving at Wards End/South Street. Who signs off this work? Contractors should have been brought back to sort out the levels/drainage. Disappointed to see you had to pick your way past vans parked on the pavement here as well. Lot of money spent on trying to improve this area.
Nottingham is the same. Is it a coincidence that they are both university towns? I don't think so. We started to visit Loughborough because it was much nicer, busier, more choices of independent shops, plenty of decent pubs. But even we've noticed over the last year that shops are shutting. One fast food shop after another opens, then closes and is boarded up. It's very depressing.
I’ve lived in central Loughborough for the last 5 years and it’s gone right down hill. Just feels grim and tired
Got told by a mate that renting a shop on Baxtergate was going to cost £3000 a week. Small businesses up against it straightaway, pedestrianised centre hasn't helped as roads like Frederick Street, Bridge Street and Fennel Street weren't built to take that much traffic. Internet shopping has hurt everywhere, self checkout systems don't help too as there's a good amount of people want to chat and socialise but can't. Can't see things improving anytime soon although that's not just Loughborough. Lived here since 1975 and the 80s and 90s were fantastic, busy and thriving, going out at night was great, loads of good memories. Thanks for the video even though it was a bit depressing to see how far the place has gone downhill.
£3k a week or month?
I remember an Irish Clothing in Leicester, at the back of the High Street. Been a few years since I lived there, think I left in 2001.
The Carillon is done for, rumor has it that it will be flats
Planning permission has been submitted for it
Heartbreaking whats happened to Britain. The entire West really
Totally agree the Carilon shopping centre is appalling nearly 3/4s of the shops have gone. The new shops are nearly all charity shops and there's a pawn brokers opend up. It's awful.
I came over to the UK to visit parents back in October. I also went to the area I grew up as one of my best friends still lives in the area. Though she is planning on leaving.
Unrecognisable. Pubs all gone, local shops have changed from butchers, bakery, hardware shop, greengrocer to either abandoned, barbers, charity shop, vape shop, take aways or dodgy looking convenience shops.
The houses on the street where I grew up back in the 90s has changed from family homes with gardens to bedsits or multiple occupancy homes. Gardens all ripped up for parking and outbuildings - which are also rented out. Roads were all full of holes, pavements littered with rubbish. Grass verges left uncut. It was depressing. 🙄
It is completely depressing.
@BlueVanMan Absolutely Dave.
I can’t comment on the town centre as a whole but what I can comment on is the death of nightlife working in nightclubs and watching / feeling the decline as it was beggining to happen…
when dating apps like tinder came upon us and young people stopped needing to go out to find a partner nightlife (specifically nightclubs) started slowly dying then. Oh that and the rising of prices as a whole, the councils strict regulation on drinks deals (3 bottles for £5 etc) and the rise of drug preference over drink..
the sad fact is the internet took over 😢 you can buy most stuff online these days and have it arrive on your doorstep ! it’s a combination of that and the rates for the shops to rent that bit of land is way too high set by greedy councils
Loughborough “fell” when the Left Legged Pineapple, Castle Records and Vickerstaffs closed.
True
And when the bus station went
When they knock the carillon down in the summer for flats it’ll be the death of it
Same where I am in Bangor, N.Ireland. Cafes, charity shops, vape shops, barbers, takeaways everywhere. Just yesterday another bar closed just 3 months after the last bar closed. Vacant empty shops with 'to let' signs everywhere. However all the out of town shopping centres are always busy. Them and online shopping has killed the town centres.
One thing to add, there are millions of EU workers here whose sole aim is to save almost every spare penny they earn so they can return back to their country and buy property, land, retire. All those hundreds of billions of pounds are not being spent in the U.K economy. The same issue with our brown 'friends', they send money back home and live a pauper lifestyle so the U.K economy does not get that cash either. The rich are to blame, the Old boy's network that politicians and the elite move in.
I do not think the majority of them go back I wish the buggers would.
Oh and what is it with all the turkish barber shops, cash only?
Think about it, they are cash only for a reason, if they have money coming from elsewhere that may not be exactly legal (I'll leave it to you to imagin what that could be) then perhaps that money could be put trough the barbers shop as legit income, and its now legally earnt money that can be paid into the bank instead of stuffing it under the bed. Just a thought.
,
Everywhere is becoming a ghost town, what is happening?😢
The country has become soft.
I stopped to ask 2 council wallahs where a public toilet was (about 17:30) they said the public toilets had closed and go in Costa. The council should be providing these facilities, it's not down to traders to provide them except for their own customers.
Ihavent been into town for 10 years plus due to mobility issues but have enjoyed this video and am quite impressed by the new shops most of the shut down ones seem to have moved bigger premises
Same in my hometown of Swadlincote. Coalville isn't much better and even Ashby has seen the downfall - hence why I packed up my shop there and now work from home. Let's not even start on Burton on Trent..... roadwork haven! Absolute shithole to drive around and it's just chaos. Then they wonder why there's no people in the town when they kill it off like they do.
I’m from burton it’s a run down shithole
sounds very similar to Ipswich. very little in the town but parking charges through the roof.
Great video Dave
Very interesting content!
Online shopping has to play a major part but out of town shopping like Fosse Park seem to be thriving
20p for 30 minutes parking ?????
rrrrright folks let’s have a nice walk around the town of my younger days 🚶🏻
there definitely aren't enough police patrolling
I lived in Loughborough for years as a student and after. I definitely watched it deteriorate, as before it had some good, local independent shops doing niche things
Makes me feel like shit because I worry for my daughter , country is going down hill
Imagine how dead towns will be if they start charging us car tax by the mile as well, no one will go anywhere
What happened to the snooker & pool club near the launderette?
Foreign food supermarket I think
@@BlueVanMan Thanks for the reply BlueManVan. The door (which is always locked) says "Private Members Club" 🤔 Very curious! It's a shame, because they had a good number of snooker tables, English and American pool tables, and dart boards. I believe Tom Ford had his own snooker table there.
Newlook will be closing soon aswell. Part of the 100 stores they are closing this year.
There used to be a good butchers in the town centre which was handy while at the university, wonder if it’s still there?
it aint
the country is finished, it’s been crap since the 90s, everywhere you go now is awful with knife attacks and hordes of people covered faces and hoodies over their heads, and their underwear sticking out their tracksuit bottoms lol, it does make you laugh though 😅
I'm from Loughborough, and I find it to be alright. There are going to be changes, obviously. But don't give up. We've got to have faith in our hometown.. I have to keep the faith.. There is a homeless problem. Some of them are honest... And the youth all in black i just, ignore...
We have Saturday and Thursday market. That's good.
Haven't been Loughborough for months as I thought too many eating places but not enough good shops to make it worth going. It's even worse than I remember now with all the shop closures, what a shame. Leicester is just the same, don't feel safe with all the people that harass for money & groups of men hanging around.
There are always people asking for money in Leicester
Great vid Dave, all towns are the same now, one thing I did notice that there isn't to much litter laying about like other places.
The Left Legged Pineapple, that's a blast from the past, I used to go there to buy vinyl imports.
I also remember the little kiosk by the bus station, you could buy single ciggies from there.
Also Remember Sammy's night club, right next to the Cinema, up those steep stairs also used to go up to The Bitter End for a few beers.
Anyone remember the name of the pub on the way out of Loughborough just after the Brush factory think it was just after the bend
Cotes Mill was the pub.
@@BlueVanMan Cheers Dave, that's the one, always remember their function room out the back, was sort of a covered barn shed type place, great times
@@I.D-This that's the one. It's a kitchen manufacturer now
@ cheers for the info Dave
There was never a cohesive plan for shopping. Churchgate, The Rushes and Carillon Court all fragmented. That passageway from Granby Street is vile
I was saying only the other day how sad it was walking through there. Big part of the town gone.
Yes and no. I think the problem is that a lot of Facebook groups post pictures of our cities in the 60s / 70s and make out those were the good old days when we had problems back then too. GB News and Talk TV solely focus on how diverse a city is when assessing whether it is good or bad (less diverse = good, to them).
Isn’t this England ? Why should I walk around a town and see about 10 different nationalities. GB News are the only ones telling it how it really is.
I’m 30 years old and the old pictures from the 20th century look miles better than the ones taken In the 21st century. Streets from the 60’s to 90’s look tidy, buildings looked well maintained, people looked smarter and skinnier. We peaked along time ago now and we are now seeing a true societal decline. It doesn’t matter what political side you’re on because that’s the truth.
@@British_Patriot47Yes and I’d say the same for any country not just England.
@@British_Patriot47 you have a point but how many natives do u see in usa or argentina or brazil or canada none
Cus they’re right. Less diverse = more English. English = good.
You can only say how you see it mate, In Mansfield police park an empty patrol car on the market sq as a deterrent?
Where's the council spending the money seems they do less and less yet the money they take consistently goes up every year.
The Rushes was never fully occupied and completely inappropriate and out of scale for a small market town
Hi Dave from Chelmsford in Essex our town has nosedived since becoming a city the town is full of empty shops and dirty, full of only fast food restaurants, vape shops and charity shops, it's full of beggars I am honestly ashamed to take my kids there too, I would only go into town if I had to not for a day out as such, such a shame
Must admit, I worry when June or Ginge goes into Loughborough or Leicester on their own. And I'm always on the lookout when I'm alone.
I remember the Left Legged Pineapple! Towns now all look the same. Many shops are closing and being replaced by Charity Shops. Charnwood Borough Council are greedy bastards too. Rates are probably exorbitant
I moved to pembrokeshire a couple of years ago from leicester and shocked about the state of loughborough and sering the sad faces. Everyone looked sad. I live near haverforwest and the town very similar but the council announced they are going to do something about it. Things now the way you look by the looks of things and fast food. So sad
Shopping centre towns rent is too high for independent shops.
I live in Kingston Upon Thames and it's all student accommodation and my town who crowned the first King of England has become just the same as every town.
I'm so glad I was born in the 70s.
Our new generation will never have the luxury we had.
As always, Money talks and every Council is more than happy to carry on taking cash, no matter where it comes from.
The Truly Preloved Shop is run by a member of our family.
Been in there a few times but nothing for a fat bastard like me 🤣🤣
It's all to do with 15 min cities again all gradually deliberately being done so we just get use to ordering things online.
i just came back from Russia and Poland and then you realise just how shit Britain is. Over there it's like it was in the 80's which was far better lets be honest
Why dies Amazon pay Net0 in taxes to UK🤔
Pedestrianisation was fine pre-internet for those few years. Need to have free parking and improvement for car access again
Wetherspoons already closed, Poundland also struggling
looks nice tbh
Swadlincote seemed to have survived covid ok but these past 2 years things have declined. About 7 Turkish barbers of course. I went to Lichfield a week ago and that seemed to be doing ok, for now. I overhead a shop owner in Derby saying how much her overheads had gone up in the last year, no doubt another business on the edge. Most towns are in trouble.
Student flats in the carillon will be great for the marker traders and local economy but whyyyyyyyyy wouldn’t they just turn them into private flats
Spot on.... I've lived in Bournemouth for 30+ yrs....used to be upmarket....now it's a shit hole ....beggars everywhere...high immigrant population...closed shops, all the department stores have left...M&S gone...even Super drug just left.....the central KFC closed...pizza hut gone..... absolute shit hole....bloody sad.
All the best 👍
Cheers mate
The reason that towns across the country are seemingly dying is because the places within them that provide community are also dying. Im talking about bars, cafes, restaurants, independent book stores and other shops, churches, community centres etc. Places where people from across the town can come together. And the reason that these places are dying is because the cost of living has become so great, people don't have the money to go to these places, and therefore these places don't have the money coming in to stay afloat and so they close. And they also don't get sufficient subsidy from the government that would help them survive. I'm from Shrewsbury which recently was voted as having the best high street in the Uk, by the Telegraph i think it was. When i walk down the street its full of life because its full of the places that create community, small coffee shops, bars, restaurants, a market hall and so on. From watching your video, it seems that In Loughborough the big chains are the businesses that have been able to survive, as well as a few small businesses, but unfortunately Gregs and Cex and Boots don't really provide the incentive for people to flock to the town centre. I don't know what it is necessarily that the local council in Shrewsbury has done in order to attract investment and protect small businesses, presumably they have certain regulations to protect small businesses. But to be honest i don't think this is really a matter that local councils can solve themselves. I think this a is a broader issue facing the country which has been going on for decades now, fuelled by stagnating wages and an ever greater concentration of wealth. And the government isn't really interested in Loughborough because it cares more about 'economic growth' which just beens protecting large corporations and investors.
fake beggars are a problem in the city of leicester
Think it's the same in most towns and city's up and down the country. And whilst the online shopping boom is a factor, for me, the biggest factor is the inept council's and their failure to adapt. Rent's, business rates and taxes are far too high. They've basically made it impossible for the average small businessman to afford. Hence why our town's are only full of the big corporation store's or blatant money laundering operations. The local markets aren't even viable anymore. With most of the stalls pulling out, citing extortionate fee's and unrealistic conditions. Honestly, it feels like it's being done on purpose, which makes no sense at all.
Huddersfield is terrible and extremely depressing it's sad 😔
Sounds like it's country wide
Loughborough market is now downgraded to a low rent car boot sale. Its OUR fault of course
My mrs works at the card factory. She enjoys it. Good company to work for you get respected and peopery treated. Unlike sports direct mr ashley
To be fair Loughborough looks rather lively compared to many places I've been, like where I live in Grimsby/Cleethorpes and previously Paisley in Scotland. Isn't just a localized issue, even the cities like Glasgow, Hull, Sheffield etc. are suffering. Places doing well seem to have loads of independent places, like small towns like Louth for example. Doesn't help when you're filming on a damp, gloomy January afternoon which doesn't do any area any favors.
You aren't going to stop online retail which is only growing bigger, best thing to do nowadays I believe is turn these places into leisure & living areas. Pubs, apartments, cafes, dining, cinemas, arcades/minigolf/bowling, gyms etc. Stuff you can't do online. It's the only option now I think.
They're meant to be doing it here in Grimsby, knocking down the old market and the council have bought the shopping centre planning to build a new cinema and food area within. Time will tell to how that turns out as they're not very good at finishing plans like that. Cinemas might not be the best bet with people streaming everything nowadays, much safer, cheaper & more comfortable to stay at home and stream movies & TV shows but they do have the advantage of having new films not on the streaming platforms yet and giving a day out.
Next video: Have countries like Great Britain fallen?
A council consortium also pissed away half a million quid on a tacky covid memorial in Queens Park (The Bell Ends, we call it) totally numb and isolated officials
Lmao that's my mum sat on the bench at 13:14 😂
No, it's mine
Essen, Germany. Same here....
Really?
Things have gotten way downhill since the refugee crisis in 2015. You don't feel safe in the inner cities, especially after closing time. Much crime and drug abuse, junkies and beggars. Good shops close down and 50 new barbers, mobile shops, casinos and other spots for money laundering open. It's a shame. Also there is a huge cost of living crisis in germany. Health insurance, the pension system, rent, buying a house, groceries, everything is getting more expensive. People are fed up and the new government will continue this course.
I think england and germany are in the same downward spiral, and I don't know how rockbottom will look like.
Anyway, I hope things get better for you in england.
And all the best for you and your family.
Cheers from Essen.
Dave it's gone mate now. Most places the same I'll try and do Chatham where I live sometime will shock the life out of you but there probably nick my phone or camera LOL
Good idea, mate. I think a few RUclipsrs doing their local town would be a good thing.
Very sad when the Moon & Bell closed.
WELL BLOODY SAID ,YOUR FRESH AIR ,KEEP IT UP 😊 YOU NEED TO USE THE SHOPS , I DONT SHOP ON LINE MUCH I LIKE TO GOTO THE SHOPS 😊
Mate you need to interview a few people that live amongst the students in the town, yes they do bring money into the area, but not everyone is as supportive as those that dont live in these areas.....
The problem with most students is that they graduate and then bugger off. They don't contribute after their studies
I was an extrovert.
I'm totally the opposite now.
I buy everything online now as I don't vape or have any hair.
I only go out to work which I've done since I left school 33 years ago.
I live just outside and have family that live in Loughborough. The problem with Loughborough is greedy commercial landlords and sky high business rates. It makes it impossible for small businesses to survive. The second public toilets which were only open on Thursdays and Saturdays has been closed and turned into a phone repair shop, the remaining public toilets are closed about 6pm, so there is nowhere to go after people leave the few remaining pubs or nightclubs, so consequently people urinate in the back alleyways etc. Student accommodation has taken over the town, so the place is dead during the university holidays. Turkish barbers and nail bars, probably people smuggling and money laundering fronts, along with fast food outlets are the only "businesses" taking up the smaller units. There are no police patrolling, consequently antisocial louts and e-scooter and cyclists riding through the pedestrian zone, despite not well displayed signs stating no cycling between 10am and 4pm. The proposed conversion of the carillon centre into flats, is the worst idea in a long time. On top of all that is the lack of maintenance and disrepair of the buildings, the roads, the drains and waterways which increasingly make the town centre a most unwelcoming place.
Can't argue with any of what you said. You should post this on Facebook Spotted Loughborough. See what people say.
12:46 it's actually the new Syrian flag, not Palestinian
Yeah, someone has told me. 👍
I disagree on some points mate. I was on a train from Nottingham to Leicester last year on a Saturday night and the 11pm train from Loughborough was packed with young lads and ladettes who may have had a few to drink from Loughborough to Leicester. I play at Loughborough Sport Uni sports ground every week (i'm your age if not older) and always pop into a local in Loughborough after. I still think Loughborough is still good - I'm there quite often for the GCR too! But I agree with you that the old places have all gone - young people don't drink anymore too and are into their gym stuff. Leicester has become the same. All the old great clubbing places all gone. The other thing BVM, is who can afford to go out drinking these days? Remember when we were young at 16 - you could have a night out on a quid when a pint cost 30p. These days three pints and its costing you £35 if you are in a club and £20 normally. Prices have killed the market but that's another topic for another time.
It's every town centre now Dave, all going to rot, American style retail parks with drive thru's have taken over with free parking, it's all gone Pete Tong
Portsmouth is the same
Full of rubbish, shops no one wants, expensive parking, list goes on.
Always looking around, never feel relaxed. Real shame but all towns & cities are dying.
Well said
Tax Amazon and the wealthy properly. Use the money to reinvest in local councils who can then reduce rates and allow town centres and businesses to return. Simples.
Yea I think they all going that way ☹️Where I live in Cornwall/Redruth area only stuff we are getting which is new is hell of a lot of barber shops
Lived in Loughborough for 25 years and we moved from there 5 years ago. Wasn’t good then. Been back recently and even worse. It was great years ago. Shame but same as you say in most towns. Think the Carillion is going to be student flats.