driving around medway today | Vital Football

driving around medway today

wxgill

Vital 1st Team Regular
I've not been in Gillingham or medway for over 3 months.

After i saw my dad today i went for a drive round instead of rushing back

Twydall, Strood, Canterbury Street. Just depressing. By the way Rochester is just traffic lights!

As a kid i loved it but now it really has sunken to new lows. I don't think i could live there now as i like the coast and the beach too much.
 
I've not been in Gillingham or medway for over 3 months.

After i saw my dad today i went for a drive round instead of rushing back

Twydall, Strood, Canterbury Street. Just depressing. By the way Rochester is just traffic lights!

As a kid i loved it but now it really has sunken to new lows. I don't think i could live there now as i like the coast and the beach too much.

What are the changes in these areas in 3 months that you have noticed?
 
What are the changes in these areas in 3 months that you have noticed?
Normally i drive direct to the ground or my dad's.

Today i spent time LOOKING which i never bother doing.

It's all rundown - Canterbury St i lived in as a kid but now it just all looked dirty and unkempt.
 
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Welcome to modern Britain; it's been there for a lot longer than you think. Streets which used to house working families on reasonable money are now broken down into multiple occupation for minimum wagers and short term contract workers. It's like that in parts of most British towns now.
 
Welcome to modern Britain; it's been there for a lot longer than you think. Streets which used to house working families on reasonable money are now broken down into multiple occupation for minimum wagers and short term contract workers. It's like that in parts of most British towns now.
I remember when Poll tax was due to begin.i lived in a house in Herne hill, Dulwich area where I rented a room sharing a large house with around ten to twelve others .That was probably fair rare then. Outside big cities. It made poll tax impossible from the start.i am thankful I have not had to deal with something like that during lockdown. There would genuinely be no way people like that can keep their distance. Some people who go to beaches have more space than they normally get at home.However tight it looks to the rest of us.
 
Normally i drive direct to the ground or my dad's.

Today i spent time LOOKING which i never bother doing.

It's all rundown - Canterbury St i lived in as a kid but now i just all looked dirty and unkempt.
Where do you live ? You can’t expect us to believe it’s better than Canterbury street.
 
I grew up in Gillingham (until I was 10, down by the Dockyard gate) and then off Canterbury St , close to Byron Rd school.
It's always been rough compared with other places.
Undoubtedly things have got worse.
 
One positive is that when walking through the alleyways to the ground after parking in Napier Road, there is far less dog shit than there used to be in my youth 50 years ago. It used to be like playing hopscotch, trying to get past it.

Are people too poor to own dogs now?

I gave my daughter a similar tour Wxgill and she went from laughing to feeling really sad and sorry for the residents. Said the alleyways smelt worse than the back streets of Bangkok. There was me thinking things had improved.
 
Every older generation seems to think the new generations are worse. Like others have said everywhere has it's good spots and bad spots. I used to live in Lewisham and had people telling me how rough it was but you adjust to surroundings and generally just crack on and see the good side of these places too, aswell as the good people you meet.

I've just moved to Strood, neighbours couldn't be nicer and more helpful! I've got a local co-op near me for essentials then less than 10 minute walk to the station for work, walking distance to Rochester Castle which looks brilliant in the evening over the bridge, loads of pubs and bars on the high street, bit of an old school feel with history. Okay, this is Rochester but it's still on my doorstep now living in Strood.

I accept you've moved onto superior things now wxgill though and have well and truly left us Medway peasants behind. 😉
As someone for the first time perhaps looking from the outside Strood does appear to have improved to the point now that I do believe it is much more pleasant than most of the places over the river in my opinion.
 
I was born in Gillingham so I think I am qualified to say this....
The Medway Towns is an arse and Gillingham is halfway up it! Gillingham is a horrible place and apart from a trip to the area for a funeral last December I keep away!
 
I agree mate. I went to Strood quite a few times around 2007-2009 when Amadeus nightclub was about, the area seemed worse then that it does now in my opinion.
It is definitely top as regards restaurants in my opinion.As well as the very popular Naz's for a good curry,Choaladda thai restaurant is very under rated and in my opinion is one of the best value for money restaurants anywhere in the area.On top of that the shopping is infinitely better than the rest of Medway now. Supermarkets apart perhaps .Another restaurant I would recommend is the Kings arms at Upnor.
 
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I was born in Gillingham so I think I am qualified to say this....
The Medway Towns is an arse and Gillingham is halfway up it! Gillingham is a horrible place and apart from a trip to the area for a funeral last December I keep away!
The thing is though generally the people of Gillingham are a class above most of north Kent.For a short time my wife worked as one of those annoying people who interview you in the street. She found the people of Gillingham the most friendly. Chatham was the worst she experienced.
 
One positive is that when walking through the alleyways to the ground after parking in Napier Road, there is far less dog shit than there used to be in my youth 50 years ago. It used to be like playing hopscotch, trying to get past it.

I used to navigate those unlit alleyways as a youngster. The walk back to the car after a dark winter match was always risky. Had to remember where those bollards are located and impossible to see any of the dog shit.
 
It is definitely top as regards restaurants in my opinion.As well as the very popular Nazi's for a good curry,Choaladda thai restaurant is very under rated and in my opinion is one of the best value for money restaurants anywhere in the area.On top of that the shopping is infinitely better than the rest of Medway now. Supermarkets apart perhaps .Another restaurant I would recommend is the Kings arms at Upnor.
"Nazi's"!!!! Are you sure that's the name?? Most unfortunate if so. Can think of a couple of posters on here who may like it though. :-)

King's Arms due to open their garden up I believe on 6th July.

Yes re Strood. I was born in Gillingham and Strood used to be the poor end of the towns. Seems to have swapped round now.