No legend player actually leaves really. Keegan still has a house in the area. Bally lived here long after he parted from the club. Armstrong is still here. Mick is just up the road with his horses. Matty is local. Benali. Case is still here, even though I think he works for Liverpool again [got to make a living] If anybody leaves the region entirely they have to have a bloody good reason. OK, it's easy for local people to appreciate Hampshire, but it's surprising the amount of northerners who come within the spell and can't get away again because it's so bloody nice in the South.
Fully agree with your comments on the wonderful South coast, I'm guessing that you are excluding the area about 27 miles East? What a ****hole.
But does have a lovely harbour...Southampton need to pull their finger out and make the front more of a destination area.
Why would you be down on a part of the country? It's the same all over. Some big cities and some fabulous countryside. Negative comments about an area are often made without properly having spent more than a passing visit it to it.
Visited Newcastle for the first time a couple of years back...lovely countryside, beaches, and interesting places to visit. View up the Tyne with its bridges is fantastic. Planning another trip next year. Watched a series on TV about walking the canals...one started in Birmingham and ended in Gloucester...I had heard that Brum has more canals than Venice, but was surprised to learn it is actually true.
I missed that program Fran. I think its the one that they did quite a bit on the canal in our village and The Blisworth Tunnel. Looked interesting
It's not really, DB. Pompey has good and bad bits like any other. But there are plenty of bits to Portsmouth which are quite nice. If you go there determined not to appreciate them you won't see them. If you don't go there at all but just keep your opinion you'll never really know.
Have been to Portsmouth many a time and it is not a nice City. Its fairly obvious to see where money has been invested (Harbour side and Quay) and which areas (90% of the city) have just been left to fend for themselves.
It's true that they have concentrated on the harbour, quay and a few other areas. It's lovely entering Portsmouth by sailboat [if a bit dangerous]. I have been to several areas like Fratton myself and they do look a bit daunting and run down in places. But they aren't especially any worse than other run down places in the South. I could point to plenty of urban pockets along the south coast that are very undesirable places. Southampton itself isn't free of it either.
Indeed. Approaching Southampton by sailboat doesn't exactly lift the spirits. Those infamous silos are the first thing you see, along with the Civic Centre tower in the background and St Michael's church spire. Then it depends which way you go. You can look at the Itchen toll bridge. Elegant without actually being pretty, or you can go up the Test and look at the wreckage of what remains of the old Pier and waterfront and catch some big yellow letters saying IKEA. It's not inspiring. To be fair, the waterfront along the Itchen has improved a bit, but Southampton isn't a pretty city overall when you approach it by sailboat. It will change dramatically in the next 10-20 years though. I wonder if the silos will still be there.?
I think plans to change mayflower park and the pier area have been drawn up and this is the next big development following the extension to West quay shopping centre. Time will tell as to whether they screw it up like they did with Ocean Village. Like a lot of cities, Southampton is trying to free itself from the curse of the motorcar
I went on the ferry to IOW this year, and passing the old pier is a bit depressing. They should do it up, and bring back grab-a-granny like they had in the late 70`s.
I am yet to see a city in the world that is exempt from having run down and poor areas, everywhere has them. I just think Portsmouth seems to have more than most because of the intense focus on certain areas for tourists.