Discussion
As a medway resident, yes, chatham high street is awful. Has been going downhill for the last 15 years or so since Bluewater opened and the council made parking a nightmare. Even the road system is crap since they moved the bus station. Full of drunks and unemployed.
Don't have to go too far from there to find some really nice areas though. I went on a 8 mile run this morning from my house up near Rochester airfield, all around lordswood and walderslade, and al the roads I ran down are genuinely nice areas.
Don't have to go too far from there to find some really nice areas though. I went on a 8 mile run this morning from my house up near Rochester airfield, all around lordswood and walderslade, and al the roads I ran down are genuinely nice areas.
OOOH Dear!
Bit of a Curate's Egg really.
I was born in Rainham and even though we left nearly 50 years ago, some parts are OK. I keep my boat moored in the Historic Dockyard (near the brewery of course!).
All a crying shame really. Agree with the comments about the traffic in Chatham, a real balls up since the Brook became 2 way. S'funny but the Brook was a place to avoid in the 40's /50's and early 60's! Good chance of getting knifed.
A lot of effort has gone into the area around the Lido / Marina in Gillingham. Just a shame that the councils make little or no effort to improve the area. The Medway Tunnel (built privately by the Rochester Bridge Trust and handed along with about £2M to run it to the council!) was supposed to help. Made access to the 24hr MacDonalds easier??!!
If you want to see real deprivation go to Bradford. For every shop that still trades, there are 20 shuttered up. Very poncey town centre with fountains though!
Bit of a Curate's Egg really.
I was born in Rainham and even though we left nearly 50 years ago, some parts are OK. I keep my boat moored in the Historic Dockyard (near the brewery of course!).
All a crying shame really. Agree with the comments about the traffic in Chatham, a real balls up since the Brook became 2 way. S'funny but the Brook was a place to avoid in the 40's /50's and early 60's! Good chance of getting knifed.
A lot of effort has gone into the area around the Lido / Marina in Gillingham. Just a shame that the councils make little or no effort to improve the area. The Medway Tunnel (built privately by the Rochester Bridge Trust and handed along with about £2M to run it to the council!) was supposed to help. Made access to the 24hr MacDonalds easier??!!
If you want to see real deprivation go to Bradford. For every shop that still trades, there are 20 shuttered up. Very poncey town centre with fountains though!
PMSL at the oh so knowledgble haters
SOME of Chatham is dead rough, but then Im sure you can find the same sorts of area in many places in the UK. For example the recent programme on "How to get a Council House" there was a number of areas shown in that programme I wouldnt venture into at all, and this was supposed to be our fantastic captial city!
I live in the Medway area and find it a pretty decent place to live. Plenty to do to keep the kids happy. Plenty if green areas within walking distance. Nice local shop and decent pubs and places to eat.
As has been said above, theres plenty of nice places in Medway, you just need to stay away from Chatham high street!
SOME of Chatham is dead rough, but then Im sure you can find the same sorts of area in many places in the UK. For example the recent programme on "How to get a Council House" there was a number of areas shown in that programme I wouldnt venture into at all, and this was supposed to be our fantastic captial city!
I live in the Medway area and find it a pretty decent place to live. Plenty to do to keep the kids happy. Plenty if green areas within walking distance. Nice local shop and decent pubs and places to eat.
As has been said above, theres plenty of nice places in Medway, you just need to stay away from Chatham high street!
I have friends who could no longer afford to stay in tiny flats in London, move out that way and seem happy with the big houses that they have bought. Problem is that all town centres tend to be ste holes.
My area of SW London, where a one bedroom flat is a half a million, still has an awful high street full of rubbish, fried chicken shops, places to bet, drunks and beggars.
Mind you £1.50 for chicken and chips on the way back from the pub or station is a hell of a bargain
My area of SW London, where a one bedroom flat is a half a million, still has an awful high street full of rubbish, fried chicken shops, places to bet, drunks and beggars.
Mind you £1.50 for chicken and chips on the way back from the pub or station is a hell of a bargain
spats said:
PMSL at the oh so knowledgble haters
SOME of Chatham is dead rough, but then Im sure you can find the same sorts of area in many places in the UK. For example the recent programme on "How to get a Council House" there was a number of areas shown in that programme I wouldnt venture into at all, and this was supposed to be our fantastic captial city!
I live in the Medway area and find it a pretty decent place to live. Plenty to do to keep the kids happy. Plenty if green areas within walking distance. Nice local shop and decent pubs and places to eat.
As has been said above, theres plenty of nice places in Medway, you just need to stay away from Chatham high street!
Can you tell me where the good places to eat are, we've only found the Barn in Rainham.SOME of Chatham is dead rough, but then Im sure you can find the same sorts of area in many places in the UK. For example the recent programme on "How to get a Council House" there was a number of areas shown in that programme I wouldnt venture into at all, and this was supposed to be our fantastic captial city!
I live in the Medway area and find it a pretty decent place to live. Plenty to do to keep the kids happy. Plenty if green areas within walking distance. Nice local shop and decent pubs and places to eat.
As has been said above, theres plenty of nice places in Medway, you just need to stay away from Chatham high street!
I travel the length and breadth of the UK and if you going to single out Medway, you've never been to Merthyr Tydfil or Bridgeton near Glasgow!!!!
Inverness said:
spats said:
PMSL at the oh so knowledgble haters
SOME of Chatham is dead rough, but then Im sure you can find the same sorts of area in many places in the UK. For example the recent programme on "How to get a Council House" there was a number of areas shown in that programme I wouldnt venture into at all, and this was supposed to be our fantastic captial city!
I live in the Medway area and find it a pretty decent place to live. Plenty to do to keep the kids happy. Plenty if green areas within walking distance. Nice local shop and decent pubs and places to eat.
As has been said above, theres plenty of nice places in Medway, you just need to stay away from Chatham high street!
Can you tell me where the good places to eat are, we've only found the Barn in Rainham.SOME of Chatham is dead rough, but then Im sure you can find the same sorts of area in many places in the UK. For example the recent programme on "How to get a Council House" there was a number of areas shown in that programme I wouldnt venture into at all, and this was supposed to be our fantastic captial city!
I live in the Medway area and find it a pretty decent place to live. Plenty to do to keep the kids happy. Plenty if green areas within walking distance. Nice local shop and decent pubs and places to eat.
As has been said above, theres plenty of nice places in Medway, you just need to stay away from Chatham high street!
I travel the length and breadth of the UK and if you going to single out Medway, you've never been to Merthyr Tydfil or Bridgeton near Glasgow!!!!
I guess you don't get intimidated by 'normal',
Depends on your cuisine and budget per plate I guess.
Kits Coty is alright, and there's a few decent Gastro Pubs on the outskirts of Maidstone.
But, the demographic around here is the reason why we have the likes of Hungry Horse etc.. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just supply and demand driving the food available.
Shozna indian in Rochester+strood, always good
Café Maroc in Rochester (real hidden gem, amazing food and superb service, BYO alcohol so you can get smashed on the cheap too )
The atrium + elizabeths of eastgate, Don Vincenzo also in Rochester do good food
The Barn in rainham, not cheap but very tasty
Taj cuisine in walderslade, another good indian
Grandma Thai's in Rochester if you fancy Thai food
The Ship at Upnor, great fish+chips
Probably loads I've missed off too
Café Maroc in Rochester (real hidden gem, amazing food and superb service, BYO alcohol so you can get smashed on the cheap too )
The atrium + elizabeths of eastgate, Don Vincenzo also in Rochester do good food
The Barn in rainham, not cheap but very tasty
Taj cuisine in walderslade, another good indian
Grandma Thai's in Rochester if you fancy Thai food
The Ship at Upnor, great fish+chips
Probably loads I've missed off too
I've lived arround the Medway towns all my life. Cliff, Hoo, Cooling and now Lordswood and while I'm first to call Chatham a dump, there are some nice bits as well. I'm first to agree with the comments ref Chatham town centre. The only time I ever go there is if I need to collect a parcel from Best St sorting office. God only knows why they knocked down a perfectly good flyover and even more of a mystery, why they moved an indoor bus station right next to the shops to an outdoor one in the middle of what was a road so that shoppers have to cart their shopping further and get wet if its raining and car drivers have to drive to Luton arches and back to get to the Medway tunnel.
However today I got in early so thought I'd jump on the MB. A couple of miles and I'm riding along the North Kent Downs enjoying fantastic views. A few more miles and I'm riding beside the Medway enjoying the views of the river, the castle etc. see its not all bad. It's great for my job as it close to both the M2, M20 and M25 and its good for road trips into Europe with the Chunnel not that far away. Near enough to London for my wife to commute too.
I travel a fair bit and most town centres are run down and not particularly nice places. In fact the only ones I can think of that are quite nice and doing well are ones where councils have embraced the car rather than making it awkward for them. There's a small town in Essex I sometimes work at and there, there is diagonal parking bays along both sides of the road with 1 hour free parking and the shops there are always busy and appear to be doing well. To coin the phrase 'the grass is always greener....' I've worked in quite a few places around the UK that are far far worse
However today I got in early so thought I'd jump on the MB. A couple of miles and I'm riding along the North Kent Downs enjoying fantastic views. A few more miles and I'm riding beside the Medway enjoying the views of the river, the castle etc. see its not all bad. It's great for my job as it close to both the M2, M20 and M25 and its good for road trips into Europe with the Chunnel not that far away. Near enough to London for my wife to commute too.
I travel a fair bit and most town centres are run down and not particularly nice places. In fact the only ones I can think of that are quite nice and doing well are ones where councils have embraced the car rather than making it awkward for them. There's a small town in Essex I sometimes work at and there, there is diagonal parking bays along both sides of the road with 1 hour free parking and the shops there are always busy and appear to be doing well. To coin the phrase 'the grass is always greener....' I've worked in quite a few places around the UK that are far far worse
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