Southport

[Normal]

Hello I new to the forum, and 20 months ago relocated to Southport although lived I here as a child.

I read about the local area all the time, and I am very surprised with the disparaging comments about the area that read on here, and also comments posted to local news stories. Southport is a lovely place and by far and away the best place I have ever lived in.

As an example, in the past week or so I-

1. Walked to the brilliant food festival with my family and dogs. Had a great time, stopped in Birkdale Village for a drink before walking home.

2. I have done several long runs from Southport to Formby and back along the fabulous coastline with my dogs. Save for pockets in Southport, Ainsdale and Formby large areas of the beach are often devoid of people.

3. Walked through Ainsdale pinewoods, to Formby Pine Woods had a meal in the Freshfield before walking back through fabulous forest walking trails.

4. Had night out with my wife in Peaky Blinders and several exceptionally nice bars in that area.

5. Played golf in two world class golf courses.

6. Had lovely meals at - Bistro Bar Med, Bistrot Verite, the Vincent, Hichory's, The Richmond and even the Old duke. The food here was as good as, if not better than the high end restaurants I have eaten at in Liverpool and Manchester City Centers.

7. Had business meetings in Liverpool and Manchester and was able to go direct via the train to both major cities.

8. My oldest daughter goes to KGV were the college results are very high for a high performing advance college.

9. Go to a gym in Southport overlooking the beautiful beach. THe beach really is transformed in the summer. But agreed is less good during the winter months.

It seems to me the main complaint about Southport that I read is the fact shops are closing on Lord Street. Yes they are closing, but it is the same if not worse in every other town in the country. I travel a lot around the country, and my impression is that the whole country remains in recession save for the metropolitan city centers. One hopes that this will end once austerity ends. But make no mistake Southport is faring much better than other areas.

Southport is lovely place and is certainly not dying. My family and I are extremely happy to have returned back.

[grassroots]

Hello I new to the forum, and 20 months ago relocated to Southport although lived I here as a child.

I read about the local area all the time, and I am very surprised with the disparaging comments about the area that read on here, and also comments posted to local news stories. Southport is a lovely place and by far and away the best place I have ever lived in.

As an example, in the past week or so I-

1. Walked to the brilliant food festival with my family and dogs. Had a great time, stopped in Birkdale Village for a drink before walking home.

2. I have done several long runs from Southport to Formby and back along the fabulous coastline with my dogs. Save for pockets in Southport, Ainsdale and Formby large areas of the beach are often devoid of people.

3. Walked through Ainsdale pinewoods, to Formby Pine Woods had a meal in the Freshfield before walking back through fabulous forest walking trails.

4. Had night out with my wife in Peaky Blinders and several exceptionally nice bars in that area.

5. Played golf in two world class golf courses.

6. Had lovely meals at - Bistro Bar Med, Bistrot Verite, the Vincent, Hichory's, The Richmond and even the Old duke. The food here was as good as, if not better than the high end restaurants I have eaten at in Liverpool and Manchester City Centers.

7. Had business meetings in Liverpool and Manchester and was able to go direct via the train to both major cities.

8. My oldest daughter goes to KGV were the college results are very high for a high performing advance college.

9. Go to a gym in Southport overlooking the beautiful beach. THe beach really is transformed in the summer. But agreed is less good during the winter months.

It seems to me the main complaint about Southport that I read is the fact shops are closing on Lord Street. Yes they are closing, but it is the same if not worse in every other town in the country. I travel a lot around the country, and my impression is that the whole country remains in recession save for the metropolitan city centers. One hopes that this will end once austerity ends. But make no mistake Southport is faring much better than other areas.

Southport is lovely place and is certainly not dying. My family and I are extremely happy to have returned back.

Yes Southport is a lovely place to live, I've lived here for 37 years but I think people compare it with years gone by . For example my wife was born here and she compares the town now and when she was a child.
Southport has changed , the whole country has changed , as has the the world . But for me it's still a great place to live . But our local council don't help !!!!

[salus.populi]

The majority of people in Southport don't bother with negative news sites like this. It just keeps churning out the same tired old gripes to satisfy its dwindling number of regular moaning posters. You'll notice the same old names bemoaning the fact it isnt 1955 anymore.

[bambi275]

Hello I new to the forum, and 20 months ago relocated to Southport although lived I here as a child.

I read about the local area all the time, and I am very surprised with the disparaging comments about the area that read on here, and also comments posted to local news stories. Southport is a lovely place and by far and away the best place I have ever lived in.

As an example, in the past week or so I-

1. Walked to the brilliant food festival with my family and dogs. Had a great time, stopped in Birkdale Village for a drink before walking home.

2. I have done several long runs from Southport to Formby and back along the fabulous coastline with my dogs. Save for pockets in Southport, Ainsdale and Formby large areas of the beach are often devoid of people.

3. Walked through Ainsdale pinewoods, to Formby Pine Woods had a meal in the Freshfield before walking back through fabulous forest walking trails.

4. Had night out with my wife in Peaky Blinders and several exceptionally nice bars in that area.

5. Played golf in two world class golf courses.

6. Had lovely meals at - Bistro Bar Med, Bistrot Verite, the Vincent, Hichory's, The Richmond and even the Old duke. The food here was as good as, if not better than the high end restaurants I have eaten at in Liverpool and Manchester City Centers.

7. Had business meetings in Liverpool and Manchester and was able to go direct via the train to both major cities.

8. My oldest daughter goes to KGV were the college results are very high for a high performing advance college.

9. Go to a gym in Southport overlooking the beautiful beach. THe beach really is transformed in the summer. But agreed is less good during the winter months.

It seems to me the main complaint about Southport that I read is the fact shops are closing on Lord Street. Yes they are closing, but it is the same if not worse in every other town in the country. I travel a lot around the country, and my impression is that the whole country remains in recession save for the metropolitan city centers. One hopes that this will end once austerity ends. But make no mistake Southport is faring much better than other areas.

Southport is lovely place and is certainly not dying. My family and I are extremely happy to have returned back.

So you're minted then? For a lot of people some of those facilities are out if reach.

[salus.populi]

So you're minted then? For a lot of people some of those facilities are out if reach.

They're giving their own opinion from their personal experience. Isn't that what a forum is for?
Jeez, welcome to Southport!

[bambi275]

They're giving their own opinion from their personal experience. Isn't that what a forum is for?
Jeez, welcome to Southport!

Yes, he has given his opinion and I've given mine - exactly what a forum is for and as for welcome to Southport the OP stated that he had lived here as a child so he's not exactly new to the area.

[Albion102]

So you're minted then? For a lot of people some of those facilities are out if reach.

It's mostly low cost stuff. The expensive stuff can be got for the price of a Sky TV subscription, games console and a month's fags. It's about prioritisation.

I personally miss Southport.

[said]

[QUOTE=Normal;6640323]Hello I new to the forum, and 20 months ago relocated to Southport although lived I here as a child.

It rather depends on where you have been living in the meantime. From the memories of Southport as a child - and the fact that you have been running over the beach recently - you have not noticed any changes?? By ignoring such changes is the same as accepting the changes and to allow the situation to deteriorate further, that is the reason for complaining. Perhaps you have noticed that Formby and Ainsdale do still have a beach?

Perhaps you were too young when you left the town to understand how communities have been split, and neighbourhoods have been broken up. This has had nothing to do with progress.

Yes, people do live in the past in Southport. Poor planning and lack of vision have led to a lack of popularity in the town on a scale never known before - and no! it is not due to modern times for there are other towns in the UK where councils refused to allow any changes that were not in character with the area - and which are now highly popular with tourists.

Times of austerity is a constantly repeated theme - where is this new austerity that has not been present in the past? Families enjoy two or three cars each, people regularly go on holidays abroad, no-one is starving in rags on the streets (or have no need to be), elderly and vulnerable people are cared for. The financial affect of overseas labour having taken over the work that our students used to rely on for Summer holidays and the work that the lesser able people used to do,has been hard and very unfair on them it is true - but people have put up with far harder times in the past.

[salus.populi]

Hello I new to the forum, and 20 months ago relocated to Southport although lived I here as a child.

It rather depends on where you have been living in the meantime. From the memories of Southport as a child - and the fact that you have been running over the beach recently - you have not noticed any changes?? By ignoring such changes is the same as accepting the changes and to allow the situation to deteriorate further, that is the reason for complaining. Perhaps you have noticed that Formby and Ainsdale do still have a beach?

Perhaps you were too young when you left the town to understand how communities have been split, and neighbourhoods have been broken up. This has had nothing to do with progress.

Yes, people do live in the past in Southport. Poor planning and lack of vision have led to a lack of popularity in the town on a scale never known before - and no! it is not due to modern times for there are other towns in the UK where councils refused to allow any changes that were not in character with the area - and which are now highly popular with tourists.

Times of austerity is a constantly repeated theme - where is this new austerity that has not been present in the past? Families enjoy two or three cars each, people regularly go on holidays abroad, no-one is starving in rags on the streets (or have no need to be), elderly and vulnerable people are cared for. The financial affect of overseas labour having taken over the work that our students used to rely on for Summer holidays and the work that the lesser able people used to do,has been hard and very unfair on them it is true - but people have put up with far harder times in the past.

Austerity refers to the reduction in spending on public services not what folk spend their disposable income on.
As for the beach maybe the OP accepts the retreating coastline is a natural process that has been going on for centuries. Perhaps they run on the perfectly fine beach that lies beyond the new dune system that is forming. Crosby and Formby on the other hand suffer from coastal erosion.

[said]

Austerity refers to the reduction in spending on public services not what folk spend their disposable income on.
As for the beach maybe the OP accepts the retreating coastline is a natural process that has been going on for centuries. Perhaps they run on the perfectly fine beach that lies beyond the new dune system that is forming. Crosby and Formby on the other hand suffer from coastal erosion.

Public Service expenditure is accounted for and up until recently when I last checked, it has a working surplus. The joint council where most of the generated Sefton money is spent - they have not one - but THREE mayors? Does that appear to be evidence of hardship? We were still under austerity measures when more than £50K was spent on an agency to advise how Southport could be planned. We were still under austerity when it was decided to send the street cleaners on a course to improve on their efficiency. The claimed austerity appears to be rather selective, don't you think?

[salus.populi]

The joint council where most of the generated Sefton money is spent - they have not one - but THREE mayors?

Liverpool City Region is funded by central government not
by the councils in the region.

[Normal]

So you're minted then? For a lot of people some of those facilities are out if reach.

Nice to meet you Bambi, many thanks for your judgmental but sadly erroneous post.

[Normal]

Further to my original post, for the sake of any misunderstanding I was not meant to sound as some sort of self congratulatory writing. I was trying to show how good and nice Southport is.

Southport is a great place.

[gsgsgs]

[Hamble]

Did anyone call the Doctor and find the clown?

I won't shout as it the dog may bolt.