Labmonkey
I fear you're right about Harlow.
When I was a kid I used to go back and visit my grandparents. At that age i loved it, the market sold stretch jeans, there were fast food restaurants, chip shops and all sorts of things that kids love. Even back then they had a nice BHS where my Nan bought me clothes, and Littlewoods had a really nice cafeteria where the waitresses wore frilly pinnies.
Then I grew up, I wanted nice restaurants, bookshops, challenging and beautiful architecture etc.
All things that Harlow doesnt have. I'm not suprised about the lack of bookshops. Stores will locate where the local populace will use them most, hence why there are so many mobile phone stores there. Any chav can own a mobile phone, but very few of them can read.
IIRC the only nightspot was the Jean Harlow Pub - which changed it's name to Highwire back in the 1990's. Is it still there?

Incidentally the other thing that amused me was how the pinnacles industrial estate has changed. Back when I used to go to Harlow, Johnson Matthey, Distronic, STL, Philips, Harlow Metalworks and loads of other industry was there. Now all I could see was MacDonalds, Cinemas and American Junk food emporia.
Sad now, as a country we no longer produce anything but fat, ignorant dullards.
(Vic Flange, Sat 3 Nov 2007, 11:04, Reply)