I'm Preston born and bred, but left many years ago with my job. We came back earlier this year and had a walk round, and like you, found the state of it depressing. My nearest city now, Nottingham, does have its empty shops, but nothing like this. How sad.
Many town centres have decayed owing to initially large shopping malls and out-of-town retail parks with parking. Councils have also mismanaged commerce through greed and incompetence. Similarly councils think the solution is a failed attempt to recreate what once was, hence the comments about what it was like in the 1980s when what is required is imagination to do something different looking forwards and not backwards. Unfortunately our councillors are universally thick dull busybodies who are incapable of that degree of thought.
I live in Preston, and hear people diss the town centre on a regular basis. But I grew up in Newcastle Under Lyme and Preston is a thriving metropolis compared to Castle and Hanley...
To be fair, its far from the worst lve seen. I remember Preston when it was thriving in the 80s and 90s before the internet killed off our towns/city centres. I just think the councils don't help with silly cycle lanes, bus gates and expensive parking. Cheers👍
I suppose you could be right it’s every town in the country. It’s strange when most of the list or the 50 worst towns in the country the hundred most rubbish shopping centres the bond number of crimes by the data how many million potholes how many million waiting list healthwise how many sleeping rough how many using Food banks? The list is analyst and it’s all crap. !
I spent 7 years studying and and working at Preston Polytechnic in the 70s and the town back then was a real buzz. Used to go to Squires night club near the market for a great night out. I visited from Australia in 2022 for the 1st time back since 1982 and it was a very sad sight. The area around the old Poly now a Uni looks nice with lots of activity with all the students.
I remember when Preston was buzzing and like you, went to Squires loads of times. They have spent loads around the Uni and the Adelphi pub area...it it wasn't for the students, it would be even worse. Cheers for your comment.👍
Everything's gone. Squires had a second club inside called quincys every Saturday people came from all over for the r&b and dance. It's all being built uni. It's done nothing for preston really. Just destroyed the great town preston was. Even the fishergate shopping centre being knocked down for what more tower blocks which will house students. At least there nearer to the train station at weekends for the train home. End of the week coperation streets busy with everyone walking towards the train station. The only money spent from the uni is food stores and takeaways. Go else were for everything else. The uni should of been built on the old Whittingham site. Restored the old buildings and built on the land. It had its own train station which could of been opened up and part funded by the uni. Got the longridge to preston line opened. Kept preston for all shopping area's
I’m from Preston and to be honest with you, it’s not that bad of a city compared to other cities and towns in the region. Preston is doing pretty well despite the empty shops. There is big plans, James for Preston, for example, all the of friargate and orchard street are getting a multimillion investment which will see the stretch of friargate from university to flag market being pedestrianised, which will also include Orchard Street. The red phone boxes which are grade listed all being removed and refurbished. The Guild not to sure about its future with more Prestonian saying it should be bulldozed. Several new skyscrapers are being built in Preston city centre in the coming years. All the Manchester Road is schedule for luxury apartments, including penthouses. The outskirts of Preston is seeing a major new housing Build which some luxury gated communities being constructed with an eye watering price tag over £1 million. Ashton Park is having a multimillion pound sports arena being built there. there’s also plans of introducing new electric buses into Preston buses fleet. So overall Preston is doing pretty well.
The state of Preston is probably no different to the rest of the UK and western world. Things have moved on shopping wise with the internet etc and it will never get back to the bustling days in the last century. I appreciate millions are being spent but l reckon in the wrong areas, for example all these silly cycle lanes that hardly anyone uses..not saying l know where it should be spent though🤣 We all have different opinions though and agree that Preston is far from the worst l have ever seen. Cheers for your comment👍
What money they do have to spend, seems to be squandered on daft things like cycle lanes that aren't used and new paving which is knackered after about 6 months. Cheers mate.
Its the way of the world and l am just as bad for buying stuff online. Towns and cities do make it difficult though with expensive parking, silly cycle lanes, bus lane cameras and bus gates etc. They need to make it easier to shop on the High Street. Cheers.
@@FoodTravelwithJames totally agree , but if you go to any retail park it’s heaving ! Now I wonder why?lol could it be free parking shopping and then having something to eat or drink? They must be crazy. Think of all the money lost in parking charges and parking fines. Now the town council I’ve got the red screwed on. Why don’t we charge the motorist through the nose? Make it nearly impossible to park at the town centre and then they won’t clutter it up and spend money and who cares if the shops are shut on empty, we still get our Business Rates . That’s a crazy world, isn’t it?
@@FoodTravelwithJames sad I it I lived in Preston in 1960 and 61 when I was 20 when there was seven cinemas the Harris Museum was in good condition. The shops were bustling. I remember going to the first disco probably outside London a great big market and all the pubs. I suppose it’s history now 60 years ago. Are used to walk down that long road where by English Electric and behind was the docks Penwortham train station where I worked all gone bittersweet memories living get a bed set, on Waterloo Road luckily there wasn’t the monstrosity of the Guildhall then . The life was pretty hard and wages seem very low and you had to watch the pennies. Sadly I missed Tom Finney. He just retired but I went to Deepdale. It doesn’t look like it’s improved. Much , they might be good at lots of things but we definitely not good at our planning. In fact we’re absolutely bloody awful. The number of sensors we are ruined in the last 60 years is beyond belief.
The Ring Road in Preston always makes me laugh. Theres no ring about it....it just cuts through and separates the town/city centre. Cheers for your comment....don't disagree with much in it and very interesting. Think Deepdale has improved though but lost its old charm....great floodlights which do add character. Cheers.
This is an unfairly jaundiced view of Preston, where I am based for work in the lovely (and rejuvenated) Winckley Square, which didn't get a mention. Your pan of Fishergate bemoaned a single empty shop - how does that compare to many? Within a stone's throw there is an upmarket jeweller and a busy M&S as well as an historic tearoom. The Harris Museum, which got a brief view and mention, is currently undergoing a major refurbishment and redevelopment, as you point out later. Your pan up to the market showed a huge crane but failed to mention the reconstruction going on where the old and tired market used to be. 10 minutes' walk from where you were, you could have brought views of Avenham Park by the River Ribble, which also has been rejuvenated in recent years and is a lovely place to relax and walk. You seem to be a glass half-empty person.
@@P1959H Not to worry, you have a different opinion and we will agree to disagree. I think, Preston like many other towns and cities around the country is a shadow of it's former self. Cheers for your comment.👍
Not impressed James with your negativity about a town/City that will always be a part of me. I was born & lived the early part of my life in Preston & it is so annoying to hear the amount of criticisms dished out on the place of my birth. Times change & not everything can be viewed through rose tinted lenses. It like many towns has been impacted by on line shopping so it is inevitable that shops will suffer. As a town centre it has been significantly revamped & with the gorgeous Harris museum being refurbished we will have a stellar iconic landmark in its full glory.
