8 Reasons I Dislike My Home Town ...

I meet people from all over the world, and they all seem to come from interesting, historic, cultural cities. However, it’s often said that the only good thing about my home town is the road out of it! Now, I’m not going to identify it (as I’m so embarrassed to come from there), but there are lots of reasons why I never, ever, ever want to live there again …

1 Culture

Or rather, the almost total lack of culture! There are a couple of good theatres, but that is about it. Most people seem more interested in patronising the many bars than in exercising their minds. The only cinema offers the usual multiplex fare, and isn’t even near the centre of town.

2 Accent

It’s no exaggeration to say that on the rare occasions I go back ‘home’, I think my ears are going to bleed. The accent really is that bad. Musical it is not. Fortunately I’ve had to alter the way I speak, as I’ve lived in other places, so I hope I sound a little better!

3 Expensive

House prices are utterly ridiculous in my home town. Once, not that long ago, they were within the reach of the average person, but now I wonder how anyone can afford to rent or buy. There isn’t even anything to compensate for the high prices. In my opinion, housing is at least 50% overpriced (although that’s true of most places these days).

4 Architecture

I’ve seen pictures of my town in the past, and it used to be a nice place, with interesting architecture. Sadly, over the years, nearly all of it has been knocked down and replaced with characterless concrete monstrosities. The sixties’ architects do have a lot to answer for …

5 Similarity

Go to my home town, and you could be almost anywhere in the country. It has no character, all the houses look the same, and the shops are the same chains that you find everywhere else. There is absolutely no individuality whatsoever.

6 Aspirations

I may be doing my fellow citizens a disservice here, but I always get the impression that nobody in the town has any real ambitions. Especially since they choose to live there (or at least, not to escape!). It’s the kind of place where you’re born, you die, and nothing much happns inbetween.

7 Atmosphere

Maybe this happens to everyone as they get older, but every time I go back I feel that it’s not the same place I grew up in. I feel less safe walking around at night (in fact I wouldn’t) than I do living in a big city. Something has changed, and not for the better.

8 Bars

There are way too many bars in town. Of course, this could be said of many other towns in the UK, but it too seems to be full of people who think that a good night out is falling over dead drunk in the gutter. I can’t understand that at all, but it does seem to be part of English culture these days.

This was written partly seriously, partly tongue in cheek. Do you too despise your home town, and do other people love it?

Top Photo Credit: shastadaisy~