Exploring a bizarre ghost town | Waterlooville

Why is the British highstreet dying? Why are small independents to big chains closing down. Watch till the end to find out why as we explore one of England's notorious ghost towns; Waterlooville.
From political factors or simply the inevitable rise of the internet, it is a sad reality for the UK that our high streets across the country may start to look like Waterlooville.
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[@EdBrinton]

If you are enjoying the video, the best way you can support me is by watching all the way through so we can continue our adventures. Cheers ❤

[@Lechonberryph]

Will do

[@johndaniels3316]

Then accept my apologies! Only watched one of your vids because it popped up in my feed.

[@EdBrinton]

@@johndaniels3316 don't worry about it brother, I appreciate you though

[@EdBrinton]

@@vardekpetrovic9716 I agree brother

[@Lechonberryph]

@@vardekpetrovic9716 yeah true

[@dcoughla681]

Waterlooville was once a middle class town, believe it or not. When the Royal Navy declined in numbers, the area declined with it. Unlike other affluent cities like Winchester, it doesn’t have reasonable train connections to London. The other main reason for the decline is globalisation and advances in tech. This affects all Western countries and has led to the decline in wages and whole industries including retail. No tech companies, no jobs, no prosperity.

[@EdBrinton]

@@dcoughla681 that's a good point I never thought of! Thanks for the insight 😃

[@Lechonberryph]

It's mental

[@stevo728822]

Councils killed it with car parking charges. Free parking at the superstore.

[@EdBrinton]

It's true

[@theXSgroup]

And knocking down the multi-story car parks.

[@llpalm08]

If Asda and Iceland were to leave Waterlooville then I can see the high street going completely. A lot of people just go to the small retail park across the road from the high street and don't bother going over the road unless they are going to Asda or Iceland, maybe Poundland or the One Beyond store in the old Wilko unit as well. The amazing thing is that just a 10 minute drive away is Havant and it has one of the best town centres in the area because they have integrated retail park style shopping into close proximity to the high street, there's lots of free parking and it is easy to get around. Whenever I go there it is always full of people and shops that do close down don't seem to stay closed for long.

[@EdBrinton]

Well put comment, thanks!

[@Steve-xc4ko]

Wellington Way (the place with the canon, Iceland) has recently been purchased by a developer and millions is being invested in it's refurbishment. This part of the town is in a poor state as the former owner's path was to bulldoze most of it and put in a high-rise flats. The video didn't do a walk around The Boulevard precinct this precinct this has the library, most of these units are occupied. The video also didn't show the small businesses that are surviving - or the new independent businesses being set up in the precinct. The large store at the end, that was Waitrose - they moved out due to conditions beyond their control regarding continuation of the lease. If you think it is bad now - you should have walked around a few years ago where there was no traction for rebuilding, which is now taking place indicated by all the scaffolding.

[@EdBrinton]

@@Steve-xc4ko thanks for your video mate always good to get extra insight

[@markmay4954]

I moved to Waterlooville in the 80s from London and it had everything you could wish for. These days you can't even buy a pair of shoes or a shirt unless you go to a charity shop.

[@EdBrinton]

@@markmay4954 good point brother, my town has the same issues

[@andrewjones4006]

For starters, there’s nowhere to park. No traffic, no life. Great video.

[@EdBrinton]

@@andrewjones4006 thanks for your comment brother I appreciate you! I couldn't agree more also

[@Lechonberryph]

Agreed bro

[@avacyn2000]

Another good video bro, keep it up :)

[@EdBrinton]

Cheers lad

[@Irons9991]

I live in Waterlooville and have done all my life. Its not as bad as you have made it look if I'm honest. Yes the town centre is run down but it's a lovely place to live. Not much crime and very safe. There's alot worse places to live.

[@EdBrinton]

@@Irons9991 I couldn't agree more mate thanks for your comment

[@yvonnelygo681]

I bet you're glad Gary Glitter don't live there anymore.

[@theXSgroup]

The business rates are disgusting too. The government should give new businesses three years before starting business rates, to help new shops get off the ground.

[@ElijahMarieC]

loving your videos, ed!! keep uploading❤

[@EdBrinton]

@@ElijahMarieC thanks so much ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@InvictaView]

Well done. I thought it might be 5am when you filmed this! That looks a most depressing town. But wait a minute, there's a Wetherspoons there! Thats where everybody must be surely? And its on my list of Wetherspoons to visit. In the very near future in fact. Thats if it survives any longer lol!! 👉🇬🇧✔💯😉

[@EdBrinton]

@@InvictaView that's where I was (I'm not even joking) 🤣🤣

[@InvictaView]

​@@EdBrinton Didn't spot it. Must be a total contrast to this side of town? 👍🤔

[@EdBrinton]

@@InvictaView hahah it was at the top where those pillars were. Fairly nice one also

[@InvictaView]

@@EdBrinton Ghost town or otherwise, I'll actually look forward to visiting this one lol!! ✔💯🇬🇧👍

[@InvictaView]

​​@@EdBrintonHad to comment again, as I visited this Wetherspoon last Saturday morning, 05th Oct. @ 9:45 is where I got off the bus. Nice pub. I then walked straight down to get a bus back to the Q.A hospital, but all I saw on that stretch by the Wetherspoons was a clean, tidy part of town with quite a few people out. Looks like they spent money on that side, and as others have said, the boarded up side has been left for future developments. I just didn't divert to spot it. Pleasant enough town though. I came to Waterloovile via Havant, Cosham, Fareham, Portsmouth North End and Fratton. How incredibly diverse those towns are? All completely different. But the icing on the cake, was visting Port Solent (the fifth Wetherspoons on this day out!). That's a lot of money in all those boats and apartments down there. A world away from North End! Amazing. ✔💯🇬🇧👍😉

[@crazyherisson6500]

Love your videos !! Cheers.

[@EdBrinton]

@@crazyherisson6500 thank you so much, thats actually made my day. Have a good one brother

[@ricequackers]

Everyone either shops online or buys from the larger chains. My town is one of the few with a thriving high street, but that's because it's a very wealthy place with independent shops that sell niche expensive goods that appeal to rich people. It's the only way to have a profitable high street business.

[@EdBrinton]

@@ricequackers intriguing mate, thanks for the comment. Good to know there's one or two nice places left. I will say English villages are incredibly beautiful and small towns also

[@LeahDyson-kq4bd]

Do you have malls in Britain

[@EdBrinton]

@@LeahDyson-kq4bd yes but not as frequent or grand as the ones I saw in USA, Thailand, UAE ect

[@alexander1989x]

A lot of people point out to the rise of Amazon but this can't be further from the truth. I've lived in China for a while and although Online shopping is the norm there, high street stores are everywhere and abundant. The real reason is rent spiralling out of control and government not doing a thing to help except big businesses. Think about it, how comes gambling places are still in business but anything else is not? It's a clear indication of inevitable collapse of the traditional British society.

[@EdBrinton]

@@alexander1989x I agree also thanks for your well thought out comment

[@InvictaView]

​@@EdBrintonIndeed. How do nail bars, vape shops, mobile phones, barbers, food takeaway shops and the slots pay these big rents? But the shops that we really want, and have all closed, can't afford them! 🤔

[@EdBrinton]

@@InvictaView it's way too expensive

[@dombo813]

The problem is, people have no reason to go to town except to shop, and shopping is more convenient online. Just putting more shops on the street won't really improve the situation, especially independent stores that can stock a lower range of products. The towns that are still OK are the ones that have reasons to be in town besides shopping, that bring people to town and allow them to incorporate shopping into their trips. We need more activities and public services, not more shops.

[@EdBrinton]

@@dombo813 I agree brother, thanks for your comment also. Need a diverse array of things that aren't shops but what would you put there?

[@DieNibelungenliad]

Just build homes in their place

[@EdBrinton]

@@DieNibelungenliad perhaps

[@fig1115]

@@DieNibelungenliad we are a consumer economy ,its all very well having the products but we need to be able to earn the money to pay for the products . corporations seek to lower there overheads the biggest over head being labour. automation offshoring ai all reduce the amount of jobs and consecrate wealth into fewer peoples pockets ,one person rich person spends far less than 100 pepole if that same money was used to pay wages .the rich also prevent there money from being taxed ,resulting in lower tax revenues . its a race to the bottom. we are getting to the point where its pointless building houses where shops where as nobody can afford them .

[@CharliePacey-j8e]

I live near here and the only places that get customers is weatherspoons and labrooks .. ohh an a cool lil pub called hero's.. but had a few parking tickets for being in the area for longer than 15 mins without putting the reg into a machine..make sure you put your reg in if your stopping 😅

[@EdBrinton]

@@CharliePacey-j8e yeah mate I heard many other comments saying about the parking! Mental isn't it. Cheers for your comment 😁

[@Luzitanium]

people prefer to go to places where they can park they car easier, instead of the bloody park tickets near these small shops

[@EdBrinton]

@@Luzitanium true indeed brother

[@stap1er]

Declines in salaries and rise of Amazon

[@EdBrinton]

@@stap1er exactly 💯

[@JimP-tc7gg]

When I go to physical store, I'm only really using them as a display room. I'll check out the products I'm after, then buy them online.

[@InvictaView]

But very sadly, every shopkeeper will say its this attitude that is killing there business? 😮

[@JimP-tc7gg]

@@InvictaView well they aren't wrong but as customer needs change, a business ultimately needs to adapt. Although I'd argue that the extortionate rental costs are probably doing the majority of the damage.

[@InvictaView]

@@JimP-tc7gg Indeed. I'm sure its a combination of these issues. I've also found there are more savvy traders now, who price up there stuff as per online average prices, simply to clinch a sale, which is a good thing. Plus the fact that so many in this country won't haggle. I'll check prices online as much as anyone else, but I do like to try and strike a deal on the spot if possible. As they say, how did we all do things before the Internet arrived? 👍🇬🇧💯😎

[@marwindarx4974]

I hear the rich who can afford it are already migrating out of the UK. Many British millionaires for instance relocated here to Switzerland.

[@EdBrinton]

@@marwindarx4974 brain drain is real. My dad works as a property manager in London and he says many British people are moving away

[@scepteredisle]

Because too much of their money is stolen via tax. They would stay if they weren't stolen from so much.

[@Ratimir101]

Yup that’s how my country looked for about 10 years after war until reconstruction really kicked in, interesting how you did that to your country even without war

[@EdBrinton]

@@Ratimir101 may I ask which country you come from brother? Cheers

[@InvictaView]

​@@EdBrintonYes, thats a brilliant comment. How did the UK destroy itself since WWII? 🤔 🇬🇧💯✔

[@EdBrinton]

@@InvictaView honestly I wish I knew

[@InvictaView]

@@EdBrinton You'll just have to do a video on it! 💡✔👍😉

[@carl5381]

if it all went to big corporations, they wouldn't be leaving Britain in record numbers.

[@EdBrinton]

@@carl5381 cheaper rent elsewhere, lower taxation, geographic incentives

[@patrickbyrne5070]

They’re parasites. They bleed a place dry then move on. And Tories sold us all out.

[@amateurfifa7182]

you don't really give a full picture. I'd like to know what time of day you recorded this because there are times when theres aot of people here. Don't get me wrong you make some good points and it's definitely went down hill since i was a kid but there is a lot of areas that are pretty busy. during hours when people are now working obviously. Especially in the new connected estate. Theres also a pretty active regeneration group hence all the scaffolding. Hopefully, this will make the area better.

[@EdBrinton]

@@amateurfifa7182 it's nothing against waterlooville, it's supposed to tell the story of how Britains highstreets have fallen. Infact that was the first title when I first posted

[@amateurfifa7182]

@@EdBrinton Yeah I understand. Just maybe best to have a more comprehensive video if your going to do more like this in the future. I personally agree with the overarching points you make.

[@EdBrinton]

@@amateurfifa7182 good lad and yeah I'm still starting out so I'm not super amazing at it yet but hopefully you enjoyed the video :)

[@izzieb]

I think it's also worth adding that the companies that own the properties are more than happy to let them sit empty rather than lower the rent, which means no income coming in. This seems backwards to me - it makes more sense for them to get income from their asset. Perhaps I'm just a cynic, but it seems to me that the intention is to run them down until they can justify selling them off to developers to build yet more "luxury flats" that nobody can afford (apart from hedge funds etc).

[@EdBrinton]

Very good point actually, I agree with you. I don't wanna believe it but I do... Also thanks for your comment 😁❤️

[@mandymclan]

Good point

[@DieNibelungenliad]

The price of land is only gonna go up in Britain. They're hoping to sell it to other developers

[@immaterialimmaterial5195]

Wow!!! Completely dysfunctional and dystopian.

[@EdBrinton]

@@immaterialimmaterial5195 it's crazy isn't it Thanks for your comment 🙂

[@mandymclan]

8:29 how is such a big shop been allowed to be abandoned

[@EdBrinton]

@@mandymclan it's nuts isn't it

[@mandymclan]

​@@EdBrintonyeah I want to know who is responsible for this

[@danielclark8765]

That was a Waitrose.

[@EdBrinton]

@@danielclark8765 intresting

[@aldy74ComedyJames]

Go back there now. Almost all the units are now filled.

[@N1ghtbehr]

Hey this is Germany from that conflict of nations game, where you are playing Ukraine. Good luck mate

[@EdBrinton]

@@N1ghtbehr thank you brother, you too also ❤️

[@AndySmith4501]

It's a world wide phenomena and it's of our own making. Online shopping is the reason.

[@EdBrinton]

@@AndySmith4501 definitely Andy, we are all at least semi guilty of it. Inevitable

[@edd60]

Wealth is going close to those who are willing spenders. An open economy that allows movement of goods through trade, institutions i.e higher learning are key promoters of investment. Brexit may be to blame too.

[@EdBrinton]

A wise comment indeed. I agree brother

[@edd60]

​@@EdBrinton Wonderful content bruv. Yarning for more and more.

[@EdBrinton]

@@edd60 cheers lad I appreciate you

[@EdBrinton]

@@edd60 should be making some content in Poland and Laos and India soon so hopefully you enjoy

[@rainbow_voivode7714]

Matthew Holland loves this!!!

[@propertydev6042]

Come to Whiteley in Hampshire. Its lovely 👍

[@EdBrinton]

Will do mate :)

[@yvonnelygo681]

8 : 10 that big shop was WAITROSE .

[@aldy74ComedyJames]

It was in the middle of being refurbished you Wally 😂😂😂

[@EdBrinton]

My overall point throughout the video was that the UK highstreet is in decline mate

[@aldy74ComedyJames]

@ indeed but Waterlooville isn’t. Hence the scaffolding and workmen and brand new doors and windows. It just doesn’t help with regeneration team and volunteers for Waterlooville working hard to turn the fate of the town around when the locals are already so negative about the town. If you go back now you’ll see that same town centre is almost full of businesses after the council have given grants and rate reductions and the shopping centre owner has spent millions refurbishing it.

[@EdBrinton]

@@aldy74ComedyJames might be worth going back

[@aldy74ComedyJames]

@@EdBrinton indeed. I’d suggest late January as the new restaurant / venue on the corner will be open where NatWest was and the new soft play centre at the entrance to Wellington way will be open too. When you visited there were 3 shops in Wellington way. There are now 17.

[@EdBrinton]

@aldy74ComedyJames good idea mate!

[@KadondiAngel]

❤❤❤

[@EdBrinton]

❤️❤️❤️

[@AherezaViolah]

❤

[@zax1998LU]

I think the cost of living crisis hasean people are more cautious about spending. This has meant that shops get less customers and struggle to stay open.

[@EdBrinton]

@@zax1998LU well put I agree 👍

[@Trey12392]

Can you please come to croydon

[@EdBrinton]

@@Trey12392 genuinely too scared to do London talking to a stick 🤣

[@adventurerful]

@@EdBrinton Come to Sutton.

[@EdBrinton]

@@adventurerful Sutton is pretty nice actually!

[@AherezaViolah]

❤❤❤

[@EdBrinton]

❤️❤️❤️

[@charlieknox1545]

you also forgot brexit in that list (covid ukraine etc)

[@EdBrinton]

@@charlieknox1545 good point yes! COVID lockdowns yes

[@charlieknox1545]

@@EdBrinton if you're interested there's a really good book i read recently by Angus Hanton called 'Vassal state' which researches the encroachment of US private equity, withdrawls of money from the UK economy due to the increasing use of US technologies (AWS, GCP, Azure cloud infrastructure + US applications) within the UK along with the constant selling off of UK businesses (including some of most promising tech companies like Deepmind) to US based companies

[@michaeljohndennis2231]

Another fabulous video from the gorgeous, sexy & handsome hot hunk Ed Brinton - I’d definitely date him in a heartbeat 😍😍😍😍😍

[@EdBrinton]

@@michaeljohndennis2231 best comment of all time 👑😭

[@johndaniels3316]

By 2050, English people will be a minority in England. So you're just saving it for another people. And maybe the Africans or Indians or middle easterners will want something different from "the way it was" that you seem to be wishing for. They're different people with different cultures and they want different things. It's their country now, just let them get on with building the country they want and stay out of it.

[@Vanadisir]

Looking great so far 👍

[@InvictaView]

You could well be right. Thankfully, I doubt I'll witness this. 😮

[@wullieg7269]

no place for homeless

[@EdBrinton]

@@wullieg7269 no support for them either

[@mollyspencer6109]

go to gosport next

[@EdBrinton]

@@mollyspencer6109 ooh what's Gosport like?

[@movesky6696]

bet shop make money to pay rent / out of town shopping centre park car lack of bus service

[@EdBrinton]

The most accurate comment I have ever got

[@movesky6696]

@@EdBrinton issue with covid lock down did not help

[@movesky6696]

@@EdBrinton here new word call levelling up

[@EdBrinton]

@@movesky6696 COVID basically finished off the slowly dying businesses, as somebody who got made redundant in COVID... It's very disheartening

[@movesky6696]

@@EdBrinton yes would disheartening and broken

[@sedzialaguna]

Happy Brexit. You lot voted for it.

[@EdBrinton]

@@sedzialaguna I didn't vote for Brexit, I was 17

[@fig1115]

@@EdBrinton dont be obtuse, you know what they mean when they say "we"

[@EdBrinton]

@@fig1115 he didn't say "we"

[@EdBrinton]

@@fig1115 so the point was not all British people agree with Brexit or could even vote. Many are already dead

[@InvictaView]

​@@EdBrintonNor did I and I'm approching what could be a grim retirement! 🙈

[@albertthoffman2553]

Uk is finished. Im leaving next year for good. 8 months to go

[@EdBrinton]

Me too, I'm off in 9 months. UK is doomed

[@mandymclan]

Where are you going albert

[@InvictaView]

​@@EdBrintonI've always wondered, for few years now, which country wants us Brits and will welcome us? I see very few options about where to go. 👍💯🇬🇧🤔