Unfortunately taking RR points into consideration he is absolutely right how the centre of Middlesbrough has been allowed to decay.
Whilst the retail business and high street has taken a hit due to the internet Middlesbrough has not tried to think clever and seems to be the centre of unemployed youths who sit outside drinking coffee smoking and calling out to young females who are passing.
I never shop in the Town now and prefer to go to Northallerton or Teesside Park for a more civilised way to shop.
OFB
How do you know they’re unemployed, OFB?
Back in the early 80s, I once had to take a Head Office chap from Enfield around my patch. He never been that far north and, as we drove through the outskirts of Sunderland, he spotted a guy of about 30 walking out of a housing estate and asked me, “Oh, he’ll be one of the unemployed ones, will he?” I had to politely point out that there could be dozens of other reasons why he wasn’t at work - the concept of shift work had never entered his head, but from his southern perspective, he’d just assumed he was part of the 1 in 10.
I haven’t been back to Middlesbrough for decades (since my Mam died) but I suspect it’s very similar to most other post industrial towns. Let’s hope Johnson’s levelling up agenda repairs some of the damage done by Thatcher in those communities.
Am I the only one spending holidays in Middlesbrough? They have a very good football team down there...
Ok, I often stay in Yarm or Gt Ayton. And I have never been to Stockton (the town center, I know Yarm might be part of Stockton).
Up the Boro!
@original-fat-bob That’s a shame isn’t it? I’m sure Johnson’s levelling up will bring them rewarding employment in return for their votes. Let’s hope so anyway. I’ve had 3 month’s out of work in my life, pre-retirement, and it was awful. Redundancy is a morale sapping state of affairs and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Trying to look after your family on next to nothing per week is so stressful and you’re made to feel worthless by the agencies involved. My sympathy to anyone who wants to work and can’t find a job.