Britain's Most Boring Town

[Mick F]

We went for a "night out" in Tavistock yesterday. We went to the movies.
Stan and Ollie.
Highly recommended, and Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel was brilliant.

Took the bus for a change.
12:57 from Gunnislake. A couple of beers, watched the movie, a bottle of wine at The Bedford, then the last bus home.

Last bus?
18:30

What time is your "last bus" home from town?

[Hobbs1951]

We went for a "night out" in Tavistock yesterday. We went to the movies.
Stan and Ollie.
Highly recommended, and Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel was brilliant.

Took the bus for a change.
12:57 from Gunnislake. A couple of beers, watched the movie, a bottle of wine at The Bedford, then the last bus home.

Last bus?
18:30

What time is your "last bus" home from town?

Good venue know it well.

J.

[Hobbs1951]

And it's also well known for making fishing tackle?

Fishing tackle: well, the finest rods were made by a company in Poole, company founded in Ware - one of the UKs finest rod designers was co-director.

John
Traditional Fisherman.

I was thinking of Hardy, their products are usually considered to be amongst the very best.

Hardy were very good, I have three of their rods...but the UKs finest rod designer/builder didn't work for Hardy.

John.

[pete75]

Fishing tackle: well, the finest rods were made by a company in Poole, company founded in Ware - one of the UKs finest rod designers was co-director.

John
Traditional Fisherman.

I was thinking of Hardy, their products are usually considered to be amongst the very best.

Hardy were very good, I have three of their rods...but the UKs finest rod designer/builder didn't work for Hardy.

John.

It's about the town mentioned in the post by gbnz i.e. it sounds like Alnwick.

I'm a bit wary about any claim that someone/something is the best when nothing is given to support the claim.

[Ben@Forest]

Last bus?
18:30

What time is your "last bus" home from town?

Last bus - try no bus. From here it's a 2¼ mile walk to the nearest bus stop for a bus service which is four times a day each way. And I have actually used it, probably five times in the last ten years, to get to town to p/up or having just left a bike at the LBS. I could have just put the bike in the car, which would have saved over an hour but it's been a conscious decision to bike/walk. And I'll bet my 5 times in the last ten years is 5 more than 90% of the of the people in the village.

[gbnz]

Anytown is boring if one lives there long enough?

Have to admit I've reached that conclusion! I've been resident in a stunning town for just over ten years; medieval town centre, open moors a mile from the centre, stunning beaches a 4 mile walk away, incredible walks though the Dukes parklands / pastures FOC, excellent connections by bus, train and c*^%%%^, superb facilities such as an empty Olympic sized swimming pool & gym a 5 minute walk away. Perhaps the only thing missing is a decent bakers - though with excitement I saw from the bus the other day, that a superb Yorkshire Bakery has opened a branch just 25 miles South (Nb. A new rationale for a ride in that direction).

But realized by 2013 I'd covered every road within a 40 mile radius. By 2017 was happy to accept a short period awayy from the area with work, primarily to have a change of scene. And now that decent cycling weather is approaching, I do feel like a change (Nb. Have found myself for 4-5 years now doing the first 20-30 miles of the ride through tedious terrain, in order to have a day cycling in a diffferent landscape - thinking tomorrow/Saturday of jumping on the train with the bike to head a hundred miles South)

And it's also well known for making fishing tackle?

Yes, you got it . Superb town and area, but I could really do with a change of scene! Eight months routinely cycling down in North Yorkshire last year for the first time in twelve years*, was a stunning experience.

And while I value the changing seasons, architecture, even studying a 1923 geological bore hole study of the area the other week, nothing quite replaces the sight of the Pennines, Chilterns, Wolds, Alps or some "mundane" little town / landscape I've known in the past, while cycling by

[pete75]

Have to admit I've reached that conclusion! I've been resident in a stunning town for just over ten years; medieval town centre, open moors a mile from the centre, stunning beaches a 4 mile walk away, incredible walks though the Dukes parklands / pastures FOC, excellent connections by bus, train and c*^%%%^, superb facilities such as an empty Olympic sized swimming pool & gym a 5 minute walk away. Perhaps the only thing missing is a decent bakers - though with excitement I saw from the bus the other day, that a superb Yorkshire Bakery has opened a branch just 25 miles South (Nb. A new rationale for a ride in that direction).

But realized by 2013 I'd covered every road within a 40 mile radius. By 2017 was happy to accept a short period awayy from the area with work, primarily to have a change of scene. And now that decent cycling weather is approaching, I do feel like a change (Nb. Have found myself for 4-5 years now doing the first 20-30 miles of the ride through tedious terrain, in order to have a day cycling in a diffferent landscape - thinking tomorrow/Saturday of jumping on the train with the bike to head a hundred miles South)

And it's also well known for making fishing tackle?

Yes, you got it . Superb town and area, but I could really do with a change of scene! Eight months routinely cycling down in North Yorkshire last year for the first time in twelve years*, was a stunning experience.

And while I value the changing seasons, architecture, even studying a 1923 geological bore hole study of the area the other week, nothing quite replaces the sight of the Pennines, Chilterns, Wolds, Alps or some "mundane" little town / landscape I've known in the past, while cycling by

At least it's easy to put your bike on the train and nip down to somewhere like Darlington or Thirsk very quickly.
Have they still got that huge secondhand bookshop in the old railway station?

[Hobbs1951]

I'm a bit wary about any claim that someone/something is the best when nothing is given to support the claim.

I thought you were the poster that suggested Hardy were the best (!), with no evidence to support the claim(sic). In addition if you knew about fishing rods you'd know to whom I was referring.

J.

[gbnz]

At least it's easy to put your bike on the train and nip down to somewhere like Darlington or Thirsk very quickly.
Have they still got that huge secondhand bookshop in the old railway station?

True and train prices to Darlington/Thirsk are incredible. For some bizzare reason it's quite possible to pick up an advance ticket for £7.75, rather than the £35-40 routinely quoted for stations a fraction of the distance away!

And yes Barter Books still exist, the largest secondhand bookshop I've ever seen. Superb for dropping in to have a read at the end of a winter walk/ride (Nb. Though the decent armchairs in front of the open fire are normally full )

[pete75]

I'm a bit wary about any claim that someone/something is the best when nothing is given to support the claim.

I thought you were the poster that suggested Hardy were the best (!), with no evidence to support the claim(sic). In addition if you knew about fishing rods you'd know to whom I was referring.

J.

No I said amongst the best which is a very different thing. For example if I was to say Chris Froome is the best TdF winner I'd have to justify the claim but to say Froome is amongst the best winners requires no justification.

I actually said Hardy's were amongst the best makers of fishing tackle which encompases stuff other than rods. Their reels are very well regarded.

[Cyril Haearn]

Is Milton Keynes boring?
I was there many years ago, cannae remember much

[Mick F]

Is Milton Keynes boring?

In my (and our) experience, yes.

Never been into the insides of the place, but the bits we've been though are boring boring boring. So much so, next time we have to drive in that direction we'll avoid it.

Roundabout after roundabout after roundabout after roundabout after roundabout after roundabout after roundabout after roundabout after roundabout after roundabout after roundabout after roundabout after roundabout.

Cars braking hard, going round the roundabout, and then full throttle away, and braking hard for the next one only half a mile further on - to repeat the procedure almost endlessly. Terribly terribly wasteful and polluting.

[Cyril Haearn]

Maybe any new roundabouts could be built a little higher to reduce the 'need' to brake and accelerate, would suit my driving style, but that might increase energy use in the end
MK has a train station with good services to London, maybe working in the metropolis is unboring

[mercalia]

Luton. name say it all realy?

[PH]

Is Milton Keynes boring?
I was there many years ago, cannae remember much

I've only ridden through it along the Grand Union canal, which was very pleasant, then on to Bletchley on the outskirts. Plus I've been to a few events at the MK Bowl, an amazing amphitheatre though I don't think it's used anymore. There's also a couple of parks that I'd like to visit next time I'm in the area and of course there's the world famous concrete cows.