Crap Towns II: The Nation Decides

Registered by laura0141 of Glasgow, Scotland United Kingdom on 1/4/2006
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19 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by laura0141 from Glasgow, Scotland United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 4, 2006
The Back of the Book

Crap towns? Crap book more like. Just who do these people think they are what gives them the right to make such insulting remarks. If they ever show their faces in Hull I'm going to tear them off eat them and feed the remains to my dogs. I suppose there are some readers who might be amused by this book deeply thick readers for example who are just so feeble-minded that they'll laugh at anything. It's all very well for two public school wankers to sit in a bar in Hoxton drink expensive foreign beer wear shiny cardigans and say all this stuff about Wales but they should try living there. Call me dull old fashioned and reactionary but I like a place that gives a toss about hanging baskets where I can walk the streets without being choked and where a stolen bike is still news. This is quiet simply the most disgusting book I have ever read. Doesn't the Union Jack mean anything to you people? You should hang your heads in shame. Where the f**k are you from anyway?


RABCK

Journal Entry 2 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Sunday, January 22, 2006
Hee hee - Birthday Rabck from Laura0141 - and it's the one that features Birmingham! Thank you so much! I'm going to read this quickly as I have a funky plan for it... watch this space!

Thank you again!

Journal Entry 3 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Friday, January 27, 2006
Hee - I really enjoyed leafing through this - and it's the one with Birmingham in!!!

I want to do something special with this one now... watch this space...

Journal Entry 4 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Friday, January 27, 2006
BookRing!!

Come from any of these towns? Join the UK-only bookring, and for every town this book visits between now and the Unconvention, I'll donate 50p to the Unconvention prize fund!

And if the book's back with me by July 01, I'll offer it as a prize in the raffle!

Airdrie
Aldershot
Bangor
Bath
Bedford
Belfast
Birmingham (filled)
Bognor Regis
Bournemouth
Bradford
Bristol (filled)
Brixton
Camden
Cardiff
Chester (filled)
Clapham
Cleator Moor
Corby
Croydon
Edinburgh (filled)
Glasgow
Gravesend
Hackney
Hanwell
Hemel Hempstead (filled)
Hull
Kew (filled)
Leeds
Leicester (filled)
Littlehampton
London (filled)
Luton
Manchester (filled)
Mansfield
Middlesbrough
Milton Keynes (filled)
Newbury
Nottingham (filled)
Peacehaven
Portadown
Portsmouth
Port Talbot
Preston (filled)
Sunderland (filled)
Thorpeness
Totton
Winchester (filled)
Windsor (filled)
Woking
Wrexham (filled)

Journal Entry 5 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Friday, January 27, 2006
BOOKRING ORDER

The rules

Get the book - journal it - read it - journal it - pass it on

This time - AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN! The more people it gets to, the more the Unconvention benefits!

PatchworkPerson (Milton Keynes)
RiverCassini (London)
ReetPetite (Nottingham)
Abrokenstarr ((works in) Hemel Hempstead)
Flajol (Preston)
Dogsapples (Bristol)
Kitkat8 (Winchester)
Pustefix (Edinburgh)
Rahar109 (Aldershot)
Betty22 (Kew)
Valer1e (Windsor)
Jalna (Wrexham)
LeeDempsey (Chester) [unable to contact - skipping]
Dolph1ns (Manchester)
perditaxknit (Sunderland)
Catrionamoore (Leicester) <-- it's here
Heaven-Ali (Birmingham)
... back to me!

Journal Entry 6 by LyzzyBee at on Saturday, February 4, 2006

Released 18 yrs ago (2/7/2006 UTC) at

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Posting to Patchworkperson, hopefully on Tuesday.

Journal Entry 7 by PatchworkPerson from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Thursday, February 9, 2006
Arrived today, safe and sound.

Journal Entry 8 by PatchworkPerson from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, February 13, 2006
An amusing little book but it did make me cross at times. The fuzzy black & white photos almost prove just how crap some towns are. I suppose familiarity breeds contempt as many people don't see the good things that outsiders travel miles to see. Maybe that's it - they only visit!

On it's way to rivercassini.

Journal Entry 9 by Rivercassini from -- Somewhere in London 🤷‍♀️ , Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, February 16, 2006
Safely arrived - thank you LyzzyBee and PatchworkPerson. Going to sit down and read this tonight.

Journal Entry 10 by Rivercassini from -- Somewhere in London 🤷‍♀️ , Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, February 20, 2006
Loved most of this book - it's hilarious at times; but also rather annoying. Sometimes you feel that they've picked comments to include just to make places sound bad, much worse than they really are. And, of course, I fundamentally disagreed with the section on my home town.

Popped in the post this evening, so now on its way for the Nottingham leg of its journey.

Thanks to Lyzzybee for organising this and the PatchworkPerson for sending it on to me.

Journal Entry 11 by wingReetPetitewing from Beeston, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Thanks RiverCassini.
I know time is important so I'll read it this weekend.
Cheers

Journal Entry 12 by wingReetPetitewing from Beeston, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Saturday, February 25, 2006
Tut tut tut, the film where Clint Eastwood has everyone paint the town red and renames it Hell, isn't Pale Rider (page 7), it's High Plains Drifter, they've even got an index ref to this mistake. I thought if it was full of silly mistakes I wouldn't like it but it is quite amusing. What did the authors do apart from print letters and stick in black & white photos? Money for old rope!
I'm surprised Bath and Winchester were in it, I've been to Hastings and it is crap but not mentioned in this book(?)
Thanks LyzzyBee

Will PM Abrokenstarr for the address.
Enjoy!

Journal Entry 13 by abrokenstarr from Reading, Berkshire United Kingdom on Friday, March 31, 2006
Sorry, have had this for about a fortnight. Have the address to post it on and will do so today.

Journal Entry 14 by flajol from Carterton, Wairarapa New Zealand on Saturday, April 22, 2006
I don't know what's funnier - the book entries, the fact that my father-in-law was quite offended that Preston only got a tiny paragraph, or the fact that when I first looked at the journal entries for this I misread laura0141's entry and thought that was her review of the book. She seemed such a calm person when I met her last year...


RELEASE NOTES:

This is in the mail to dogsapples - enjoy!

Released 17 yrs ago (4/24/2006 UTC) at Controlled Release in Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

This is in the mail to dogsapples - enjoy!

Journal Entry 17 by dogsapples from Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Bristol report: Arrived today, an amusing little book but of course it only lists the bad points. Can't believe they didn't mention Brunel and the Clifton Suspension Bridge (good points) but the comments about the ugliness of Bristol Centre and the fact that parking is a fiasco are so true!

Will be in the post to kitkat8 by tomorrow.

Journal Entry 18 by riverwillow from Beckenham, Greater London United Kingdom on Tuesday, May 2, 2006
The book has arrived with me, thank you - I am looking forward to reading it and browsing through the ever-growing postcard collection.

Journal Entry 19 by riverwillow from Beckenham, Greater London United Kingdom on Saturday, June 3, 2006
Sorry for the delay in moving this ring on, I've been working flat out for the last 6 or so weeks and combining this with study means than my reading time has been limited.

I am still offended that Winchester is on the list, as although I can see why people have contributed comments I can think of many other crap towns that deserve to be on the list that aren't - Basingstoke, Southampton, Bromley, Guildford and the list goes on and on.

Have PM'd Pustefix for an address and will get this off in the post as soon as I have one.

Journal Entry 20 by riverwillow from Beckenham, Greater London United Kingdom on Monday, June 5, 2006
Have posted this on to Pustefix today.

Journal Entry 21 by pustefix from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, June 8, 2006
arrived today, looks very funny. as soon as I saw that edinburgh and glasgow were joint, I knew they were going to turn this into a mutual hate thing, and its just not true. the glaswegians hate edinburgh, but people from here are just not that interested. its the same as scotland/england and britain/USA. the more powerful place doesn't really care.

Journal Entry 22 by LyzzyBee from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, June 10, 2006
Stop Press! Just to let you all know that I donated ÂŁ10 to the BookCrossing Uncon funds to represent the 19 people who signed up for the ring - hope it makes it round you all now!

Journal Entry 23 by pustefix from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, June 12, 2006
it is a bit silly isn't it? what annoyed me most was everyone going on about people fighting and being sick in the streets on a saturday night, as if that was somehow a place-based thing.
I actually agreed with everything that was said about edinburgh, but quite why that makes it a crap town. my boyfriend wasn't overly impressed with the picture of some rubbish to represent leicester.
will send it on as soon as i get rahar109's address

Journal Entry 24 by wingrahar109wing from Ash Vale, Surrey United Kingdom on Thursday, July 27, 2006
Received this a few weeks ago, sorry for the delay in journalling.

Journal Entry 25 by wingrahar109wing from Ash Vale, Surrey United Kingdom on Saturday, August 26, 2006
Back from holiday, got my brain in gear (I hope), PMing Betty22 for her address.
I didn't think this book was as funny as the first one, the idea is running out of steam, but it still raised a few chuckles.

Journal Entry 26 by wingrahar109wing from Ash Vale, Surrey United Kingdom on Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Posted to Betty22 this afternoon.

Journal Entry 27 by Betty22 from Wandsworth, Greater London United Kingdom on Friday, September 1, 2006
Received this in the post this morning from Rahar109.
Wouldn't have expected much more than this by the authors about Kew really. Very tongue in cheek about all the posh people...but then, there are lots, so some of what they say is probably justified! Made me smile anyway.
Will pm Valer1e for her address and get it moving again as soon as I can.

Journal Entry 28 by Betty22 from Wandsworth, Greater London United Kingdom on Sunday, September 10, 2006
Am sending this to Valer1e this week.
Enjoy!!!!

Journal Entry 29 by Versavisa from Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Received safely and will 'review' Windsor as soon as possible.

Journal Entry 30 by Versavisa from Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Windsor, eh? Well if you don’t know it please may I advise you not to bother going there? Or, if you must go and see the castle (which is worthwhile, both inside and out) just remember three things:-

1. You won’t starve in Windsor. Right opposite the castle, on what could be a very pretty hill, you’ll find Starbucks, MacDonald’s, Pizza Express, Wetherspoons, Burger King and loads of the other usual suspects. I often feel sorry for anyone in the castle who has to look at that lot. Though from the non-smoking upstairs bar of Wetherspoons you get a very nice view of the castle if you can get a window seat.

2. The place is full of tourists – always. If they’re not in groups blocking the pavement they are in families or couples and not looking where they are going. They mean the town has those awful tatty tourist junk shops – both the cheap sort and the expensive sort.

3. Parking is horrendously expensive. Far better to go to Slough, park in a long term car park, or arrive by train, and catch a bus or train down to Windsor. Less stress, less money and you’ll see more.

The locals do pretend they don’t live near Slough but it is inescapable. They have a Slough postcode, they live under the flight path of planes out of Heathrow and it’s a horrible town. I’m still not sure why anyone would want to live there. If it weren’t for the majesty of the castle it would be Slough mark two.

If you do go to Windsor though make sure you stroll down the hill from the castle and cross the bridge into Eton. It’s a nice little walk around the village and much quieter than Windsor.

And yes, the lady with the high-pitched voice is still offering free fudge – but even she looked a bit dejected today.

PMing Jalna today for her address.

Journal Entry 31 by jalna from Wrexham, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, November 13, 2006
Well, what can I say about Wrexham? I'm not sure whether to be pleased or saddened that almost the only thing that was said against it is that a neighbouring county had a corrupt Council!

There are a lot worse places to live than Wrexham. It's main fault, like everywhere else, is the behaviour of a large section of its population but one can't hold the town responsible for that. Wrexham is working quite hard at improving its environs and making quite a reasonable stab at it - but I do have to wonder why it is deemed necessary or advisable to have quite so many pubs, bars and nightclubs.

Wrexham boasts three jolly fine supermarkets - Asda, Sainsbury and Tesco - all on the outskirts of the town. The town centre has a "Kwikkie" which is awful. Maybe now that Kwik Save is really Somerfield it will get tarted up. The town centre is pedestrianised which is a Jolly Good Thing. Since they started building a department store where the market used to be, the market (and the monthly Farmer's Market and the occasional French or Continental Market) moved to the town centre which is also a Jolly Good Thing.

Right in the centre of town is a lovely green with a bandstand and within walking distance is a beautiful park which has recently been refurbished and is a super place.

So on the whole, Wrexham is not crap at all but quite a decent sort of place. (The book's a bit crap, though!)

Journal Entry 32 by jalna from Wrexham, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Had a very pleasant meet-up with Dolph1n this morning in not-at-all-crap Chester and passed the book and accompanying postcards on to her.

Journal Entry 33 by dolph1n from Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Enjoyed a lovely meet-up with Jalna today. We had a chocolate fix and a chat and she passed the book and postcards on to me. I am looking forward to reading the book.

Journal Entry 34 by dolph1n from Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 7, 2007
Well, I did have a laugh whilst reading about Chester.
One bit that is true is about the locals looking down their noses at people from Blacon, North Wales and Wirral...and I should know, I live in Blacon!
Can't belive that someone thinks that the cathedral is the size of an average village church, it's huge! Try going in Manchester cathedral.Chester has some great shops and of course the Rows and then there is all the Roman bits and the river with its boat trips. Also, Grosvener park is lovely and has a miniature train giving rides weekends and school holidays, and there is a cafe. There are lots of events taking part in the park all year round. i have been in Chester for 10 years and I love it.

Journal Entry 35 by dolph1n from Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 7, 2007
I passed this book to myself so i could journal for Manchester, my place of birth and home for 40 years.
Manchester is a town that turned terror into terrific with a complete rebuild, after the bomb. That whole area has been like a phoenix rising from the ashes. The Triangle is a great area with its huge outdoor screen showing sporting events etc. There are great shops in Manchester and then there's the very successful trams. There are also several excellent theatres.

Journal Entry 36 by dolph1n from Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 7, 2007
I just need a nice postcard of chester and then it will be on it's way to Perditaxknit.

Journal Entry 37 by perditaxknit from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Monday, January 15, 2007
Received this morning, thanks! Love the postcards!

Journal Entry 38 by perditaxknit from Sheffield, South Yorkshire United Kingdom on Sunday, February 4, 2007
Sunderland

Third crappest town. OK.

After a bit of consideration, I have realised that my credentials for reviewing this book are a bit dodgy. My exposure to Sunderland comes from a rather depressing long distance relationship I was half of while I was in my late teens, and on reflection I'm afraid I may not be the best person to give an impartial review :D

Anyway, yes, Sunderland is probably one of the more deprived cities in the UK. The closure of the shipyards ensured that a huge part of the population was unemployed in the 80s and onwards. I don't think that blaming the closure of the shipyards on bombing during the second world war is accurate, the last shipyard closed in 1988. So as with a lot of these kinds of books, a lot of the criticisms are due to poverty which makes me pretty uncomfortable.

I can't think of much favourable to say about Sunderland though, other than the beer was very, very cheap. I went to a party and hid in the toilet, but that probably can't be blamed on Sunderland. But......... (and most importantly)



........ I saw a burning sofa too! :o

Following the theme of useless reviewing, not being able to get a relevant postcard to include in the collection, I bought the naffest one I could find in Sheffield. While the Crucible is a very good theatre it's exterior architecture does leave something to be desired.

Journal Entry 39 by wingappletreenwing from Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Sunday, February 18, 2007
The book has arrived safely. It took me three attempts to find the Leicester entry it's so short! I shall read it ASAP and I'm sure I can come up with a better entry for Leicester. I'll also try and find a postcard to add to the collection.

Journal Entry 40 by wingappletreenwing at Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 13, 2016
After languishing far too long missing, and I'm sure presumed lost, at my house I am determined that this book will continue its journey and complete the mission by becoming a raffle prize at the 2016 Unconvention if that's ok with LyzzyBee. I've messaged Heaven-Ali who looks like she may still be active.

In the meantime I'll get a Leicester postcard and get writing.

Journal Entry 41 by wingappletreenwing at Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Friday, January 22, 2016
Leicestershire has been my adoptive home for 19 years now; in all that time I've not seen a large drunk man throwing chicken burger wrappers into the street.

Given that Leicester is 36th, and has such a small review it's not hard to raise good or bad points. It's not the best city in the East Midlands in terms of shopper, satisfaction (Nottingham is better for that). Nor is it the worst, it's just a bit Leicester. The centre has had some money spent on it to regenerate it, which is mostly the return of John Lewis and the building of High Cross. It quickly gets a bit run down at the edges and interestingly you can see the waves of immigration through the ownership of those smaller run down shops, currently more Eastern European but I'm sure will change again. Whilst the county is full of former BNP voters who are now Ukippers this is totally at odds with the richly diverse mix you will find come together in Leicester. Leicester is also home to the largest Diwali celebrations outside of Mombai, or so we keep being told.

Most recently Leicester is quite famous for digging up a car park and finding a king buried there. Good old Dicky, or not depending on your view of history, our very own carpark king which is why I've used that postcard to represent Leicester as we buried him again, just not in a car park this time. Even with all that culture Leicester still missed out to Hull to be City of Culture 2017. Hull. That tells you that even still Leicester is a little bit crap.

Journal Entry 42 by wingappletreenwing at Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Friday, January 22, 2016

Released 8 yrs ago (1/22/2016 UTC) at Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Popped in the post and finally on it's penultimate leg of the planned journey and I can stop feeling so bad about holding onto it for so long.

Journal Entry 43 by Heaven-Ali at Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Monday, January 25, 2016
Hooray! Crap Towns I I has arrived in Birmingham.

As I am on the committee for the 2016 Birmingham Uncon I can ensure it gets passed on and is entered in to the raffle.

Journal Entry 44 by Heaven-Ali at Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Thursday, August 25, 2016
Naturally I don't agree with one word of the Brum entry :D. The book will now be one of the fab prizes at Birmingham Uncon next month.

Journal Entry 45 by CorneliaB at Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Friday, September 1, 2017
I won this book at Uncon in Birmingham in huge bag of books and have only recently got around to consulting it. It came with a selection of postcards which were from a circulation of the book earlier.
I found the book itself rather negative as I quite enjoyed my time visiting and living in different towns featured in the book, and I formed a very positive impression of Birmingham during my visit with friends during the Uncon weekend: its beautiful parks and waterways.
I'm passing this on to my brother-in-law's brother who I think will enjoy the concept of such a book and know many of these towns as well.

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