Club statement

[4D]

The town centre is grim, but one thing Swindon does have is some great parks and decent cycle paths.

[horlock07]

I can only comment as a bystander as I have not been to Swindon for donkeys years (got to Highworth last year as close as I have been for ages!)

However from what i hear from my old man (Swindon resident from 1937-1973ish) and from most on here is that it has become a shit hole with few redeeming features and no obvious signs of improvement, now if that is representative of residents generally its not surprising it gets such a negative press?

[Arriba]

I honestly could not name any one thing about Swindon that I miss, apart from certain people. Any one thing that I might name can be satisfied in any other town in the country. It's just... meh! It's not as bad as many make it out to be, but the meh-ness is off the scale. If I do, for whatever reason, end up returning to Britain permanently, I can imagine myself staying elsewhere.

The town has declined rapidly. They've thrown up loads of poorly built copycat houses all on top of each other whilst the infrastructure of the town has been destroyed. The town centre is woeful. You're not missing anything. I want out but the Mrs refuses to move. People keep us here, not the town.

[4D]

Aside from the useless road system/planning and the 1970s town centre I think the town is fine.

[Reg Smeeton]

People keep us here, not the town.

It's the people that matter... I've lived in Swindon for all but 10 years of my life, and have had and continue to have a right good time. 

[Arriba]

It's the people that matter... I've lived in Swindon for all but 10 years of my life, and have had and continue to have a right good time. 

Absolutely right. Same here. I just could easily move away if it wasn't for the people and it wouldn't bother me.
It's not the town it was.

[Reg Smeeton]

Absolutely right. Same here. I just could easily move away if it wasn't for the people and it wouldn't bother me.
It's not the town it was.

Certainly the 2008 Banker's Crash, took its toll, and with the imposition of Tory austerity, we've yet to see a recovery.

[Peter Venkman]

Living outside of the Town now for nearly 20 years all I really miss are the 3 F's - family, friends and football.

[Tails]

The town has declined rapidly. They've thrown up loads of poorly built copycat houses all on top of each other whilst the infrastructure of the town has been destroyed. The town centre is woeful. You're not missing anything. I want out but the Mrs refuses to move. People keep us here, not the town.

People.... and the fact its a fuck ton cheaper than anywhere else around. The council have allowed the Town to become a dive.

[Batch]

People.... and the fact its a fuck ton cheaper than anywhere else around. The council have allowed the Town to become a dive.

Yup to all the above! Oh, and its transport links to elsewhere are fairly good once you actually get out of Swindon, M4 and M5 are easily accessible for working elsewhere...

[Legends-Lounge]

Up until last summer I had plied my trade out on the road in a sales environment for 30 years. I have travelled extensively across the southern half of the UK from mid Wales to the south of Birmingham and across to north & east London and below. My time north of Birmingham is limited but whenever I have ventured up north I have always found the towns and cities a bit grim. So I speak with some authority when I say that when it come to shit holes i’d rather live in Swindon than many, many places. There are of course some places I could happily go to but in the end I take the view that house prices are relatively cheap for the area. Everywhere in the U.K. and indeed the world is within a few hours reach of a decent transport hub (except the flying time) by road or rail. Coming from London as I do i’d rather vote Labour than live there.

Taking an overview of some of the places I have been to abroad Oz, US and Europe the one thing that strikes me is you could put most places anywhere and easily compare them. In other words every western country has a Swindon, Manchester, Dibley etc.

[Reg Smeeton]

Dibley

I've heard its got a decent vicar which puts it on the map....

[Peter Venkman]

I've heard its got a decent vicar which puts it on the map....

All I could think of was this...

[pauld]

Certainly the 2008 Banker's Crash, took its toll, and with the imposition of Tory austerity, we've yet to see a recovery.

It was going downhill well before 2008 or austerity, as much due to successive fuckwits in the council chamber - of both parties. Not everything is the fault of Tory governments (or Labour ones). The major cause of the town's decline is within the borough (council) itself

Up until last summer I had plied my trade out on the road in a sales environment for 30 years. I have travelled extensively across the southern half of the UK from mid Wales to the south of Birmingham and across to north & east London and below. My time north of Birmingham is limited but whenever I have ventured up north I have always found the towns and cities a bit grim. So I speak with some authority when I say that when it come to shit holes i’d rather live in Swindon than many, many places.

You could get a new career as a shithole consultant!

[4D]

I've heard its got a decent vicar which puts it on the map....

No no no no no no no no no no no no.         Yes.