Britain's Most Boring Town

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Canuk
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Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Canuk »

For many years Fort William 'The gateway to the Isles' won this not so coveted title, on account of its one street shopping /pub life and few amenities and general run down nature of the centre. We used to pass on by when visiting relatives in the Highlands in the early 2000's.

It was desperate grim indeed. You know its a bad town when even the lure of a McDonald's on the outskirts can't win over tired kids in the back seat.

What's your take on the most boring town in the country, and why?
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Main street Fort William in high season
Main street Fort William in high season
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Boring is good
Alresford and Kingston-upon-Hull were voted 'crap towns' but they are popular with many people too, minusplus

Used to know Milton Keynes a bit, is it boring or unboring?

Is la France profonde boring?
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Canuk
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Canuk »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Boring is good
Alresford and Kingston-upon-Hull were voted 'crap towns' but they are popular with many people too, minusplus

Used to know Milton Keynes a bit, is it boring or unboring?

Is la France profonde boring?


Most of the little towns are deserted in winter, but they somehow burst into life the first warm day in March. It's the one thing you don't see in these ex pat buy a house abroad shows. Saying that, if you live in a market town you're still guaranteed two good busy days a week, whereas no market towns you can count the tumbleweed rolling October through to Easter...!
100%JR
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by 100%JR »

We've had some good nights in Fort William over the years but as said it is unexpectedly run down.You'd think it being an outdoor "Mecca" it would be nicer!There's a good MTB scene there but it does have it's fair share of "rough" pubs.
Strange but true,In 2004 we were stopping over in FW whilst doing the Great Glen Way/West Highland Way North to South.We walked into the Ben Nevis pub to discover two Aborigine gentlemen having a drink!We had a cracking night with them 8)

Back on Topic.My vote goes to Rovrum(Rotherham).I left there in 1990 and on returning a couple of years ago I can see why.I live less than 7 miles from the Town Centre but won't be rushing back!
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Fort William is not a popular destination, people stock up there on the way to somewhere else
Like Crewe, Doncaster?
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Canuk
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Canuk »

We once ended up in Barrow-in-Furness by mistake, on a sojourn through the lake district. It was like we stepped back in time into a wild west northern England. Coming to the end of the pier road we spied a pub advertising pasties. It looked like the kind of place even Norman Bates would write off as 'a bit rough'. I poked my head round the door to an empty bar, a dog with no tail and sea shanty decor straight out of Nicholas Nickleby. The barman had an eye patch of course. He made no welcome sign nor gesture.

We didn't hang around for the pie...
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Maybe you had selected time travel by pressing the wrong button :wink:

May I nominate London?
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Mick F
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Mick F »

London is a boring subject too.
Mick F. Cornwall
PH
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by PH »

I've never been to a boring town, sometimes you need to look a little harder for the interesting stuff, but it's always there.
Couple of excellent books illustrate this rather well, J. B. Priestley's English Journey from the 1930's and a little more recently Nick Crane's Two Degrees West, both find plenty of interest wherever they go.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Plenty more books like that, In Search of Wales by H Morton for example, in the Guardian the question was posed: is there a town that is NOT notable for some reason?
Answers please, if anyone knows such a place :wink:
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Boring_Username
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Boring_Username »

Fort William - Ben Nevis, skiing, walking, mountain biking, road biking. I wouldn't find that boring at all.
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Mick F
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Mick F »

Canuk wrote: ... the lure of a McDonald's ............
Tavistock used to have a McDonald's.
Before that, there was a little pub there - The Virtuous Lady - and when that was demolished, they built a car service place and petrol station.

Then, McDonalds built their outlet. It didn't do too well, but hung on a few years. McD pulled out and it was run as a fish and chip emporium and snack bar for a while. Eventually, the building was pulled down, and now we have a Lidl's supermarket on the site.

Could Tavistock be the only town that McD couldn't make a go of it?
Mick F. Cornwall
mercalia
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by mercalia »

Mick F wrote:
Canuk wrote: ... the lure of a McDonald's ............
Tavistock used to have a McDonald's.
Before that, there was a little pub there - The Virtuous Lady - and when that was demolished, they built a car service place and petrol station.

Then, McDonalds built their outlet. It didn't do too well, but hung on a few years. McD pulled out and it was run as a fish and chip emporium and snack bar for a while. Eventually, the building was pulled down, and now we have a Lidl's supermarket on the site.

Could Tavistock be the only town that McD couldn't make a go of it?



well all ends that ends well then?
Canuk
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Canuk »

In the mid 90's Mcdonalds in a flurry of press and TV adverts opened 25 outlets simultaneously in France, at doubtless a considerable investment.

The next day the French government promptly shut them all down again, claiming that their promises to use only French meat /poultry, cheese and beer were reneged upon.

They stayed shut for a week, until Mcdonalds capitulated (at some expense given the cost of home grown near and poultry). To this day you'll see French flags all over Mcdonalds. They know what sides their parties are buttered on.

I believe in the uk they can source meat and cheese from whichever crap hole, chicken bleaching part of the world they feel like /is most profitable. You get the cuisine you deserve.
Canuk
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Re: Britain's Most Boring Town

Post by Canuk »

mercalia wrote:
well all ends that ends well then?


Ends well all ends that well end see?

I don't fancy your end much.
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