Bolton Town "Economic Collapse" ???

Not been this side of town for a while, but it don't half look in a state, going off this.

For a second I thought this was a about a local non-league team going bust!

Banks of the Croal wrote:Not been this side of town for a while, but it don't half look in a state, going off this.

Your are right Banksy. It's bloody depressing. Bolton started going downhill once they closed Sids Butchers next to the Griffin. Then it was the Wheatsheaf. Remember Whittakers ? Another big store that hit skid row. It's bloody depressing but it's the same picture in all the towns throughout northern England. Once vibrant businesses have now been replaced with charity shops and discount stores. Part of the problem is the exorbitant rent and rates that councils charge tenants.

The out of town retail outlets must also share some of the blame for the demise in our town centres.

I bet even Shifnal st. is on it's arse nowadays.

Reebok Trotter wrote:

Banks of the Croal wrote:Not been this side of town for a while, but it don't half look in a state, going off this.

Your are right Banksy. It's bloody depressing. Bolton started going downhill once they closed Sids Butchers next to the Griffin. Then it was the Wheatsheaf. Remember Whittakers ? Another big store that hit skid row. It's bloody depressing but it's the same picture in all the towns throughout northern England. Once vibrant businesses have now been replaced with charity shops and discount stores. Part of the problem is the exorbitant rent and rates that councils charge tenants.

The out of town retail outlets must also share some of the blame for the demise in our town centres.

Not really due to the fact that Bury, Wigan and Chorley town centres are thriving - all have invested in the town centres - especially Bury - and all are apying off and basically taking shoppers away from Bolton as Bolton council have done nothing and intend to do nothing about the town centre. They are more open to selling council land off (biggest example was selling the Market Hall to a private company who the turfed out teh stalls and turned it into a non-distinct shopping centres, whilst the old stall retailers have struggled and many have gone bust because of it!), laying off employees and the council leaders bucking the trend by taking larger than average pay increases - in fact Cllr Cliff Morris has made a hell of a pcket recently with the sale (and closure) of Smithills Coaching House - being laid off as director of NHS Bolton trust, only to take up a similar post via AGMA. Bolton Councillors just don't give a shit about the town or its people!

Too true Chris, Bury is taking most of the punters, it's another world compared to bolton, it has everything that bolton town centre hasn't - cinema, good places to eat and a cracking shopping centre with everything in walking distance. Oh and the markets 100 times better too.

The market place is a joke compared to what it used to be.

aaron_bwfc wrote:

The market place is a joke compared to what it used to be.

I agree. The old market hall was much better than the current bland, sterile place.

I haven't been to Bolton town centre in over 15 years.

I recommend Scotland. Beautiful place.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I recommend Scotland. Beautiful place.

It's full of Scots though.

A lovely bunch.

I once dated a chap from Renfrew. It was a scary place and the people were not nice.

well thats not true because you've never "dated a chap"

so be honest, really, have you ever been to Scotland?

Hipster_Nebula wrote:well thats not true because you've never "dated a chap"

so be honest, really, have you ever been to Scotland?

Like I say, I went out with a chap from Renfrew for several months and got to know the place quite well.

I've also been to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen & Dundee. Some nice places, but the Scots are jealous of the English and it shows.

Why on earth would someone from Edinburgh be jealous of anything an English city could offer. Edinburgh outclasses every city in England by a long long distance.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:Why on earth would someone from Edinburgh be jealous of anything an English city could offer. Edinburgh outclasses every city in England by a long long distance.

Don't be silly. Edinburgh taken as a whole is a dump, people living like tramps. Granted it has one or two nice streets but it's hardly York or Stratford Upon Avon.

haha!

stratford! I used to live in Leamington right next door Stratford is a canal and a few book shops living off the memory of Shakespeare.

a really boring town.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:haha!

stratford! I used to live in Leamington right next door Stratford is a canal and a few book shops living off the memory of Shakespeare.

a really boring town.

Sorry, I thought we were talking beauty not excitement.

Well it aint much in terms of "beauty" either is it. A canal.... the end. Oh and a few interesting old buildings that are falling over.

My favourite English town was probably Winchester.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:

My favourite English town was probably Winchester.

You are just anti-English, accept it.