I'm completely enamoured
of Edinburgh, my current place of idling. In fact, over the last five years, I've lived in five of the world's most touristy cities - Oxford, Paris, Cambridge, London and now here. And they all had their downsides along with the gorgeous architecture, community buzz and so on.

But nowhere I've ever been is as crap as the place I spent nineteen years growing up - near, rather than in, which is a blessing - Preston. Most people have a degree of sentimental affection for their hometown, even if it is innately a bit shit. Not me. The locals may be quite friendly but it really is a dive of epic proportions. This is a Grade 2 listed building, for shit's sake:

www.gandljdean.co.uk/ribble/pics/rp66.jpg

Grim.
(jennymnemonic, Thu 29 Oct 2009, 11:26, 4 replies)

Aah, Preston!
Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

(Don't forget the ring road that doesn't actually ring, but meanders in a straight-ish line before giving up and going home; once it realises the futility of trying to go anywhere or achieve anything here.)
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Thu 29 Oct 2009, 12:50, closed)

Aww
it's not that bad. The bus station should be bombed though, I'll grant you that.
(berk, Thu 29 Oct 2009, 19:17, closed)

I was there for a few months
Went to UCLAN before dropping out after the first year in 1996. Truly mediocre. My memories of Preston Town Centre in the mid-90s:

- Tokyo Joe's (Fucking awful place)
- A "busker" stood outside HMV with a 2L bottle of cheap cider in his hand, cap optimistically on the floor, drunkenly dancing and singing "Ice Ice Baby"
- The bloke outside the covered bit of the shopping centre selling lighters and strips of plaster.
( Mike Fishcake teamfishcake.co.uk - better than your mum's face, Fri 30 Oct 2009, 12:57, closed)

Ah, Gaz Lighter!
You could use him as an economic indicator - judging how well things were going financially as a nation, by how many lighters he offered per pound. The "Plaster Fifty Pee" was a later addition; probably an attempt to diversify, on the advice of his accountant or something.

The student paper used to do cartoons of him. IIRC; one featured him winning the lottery, and using it to fulfill his deepest desire - ordering millions of gas lighters. Definitely a Preston Icon. Whatever became of him?
(The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Fri 30 Oct 2009, 17:50, closed)