Is the heart of Bristol, UK dying?

Welcome back to Turdtowns the extra nugget. We did a special feature on Broadmead Bristol this week. This used to be a really good shopping area for the south west. But since last year they started a clean air zone and people avoid shopping in Broadmead now. I visited to see what the effects of this zone is half a year later. It seems lots of shops have closed and they are determined to turn it all into flats.

[@Turdtowns]

Next week Turdtowns returns. But as always let me know where we should visit!

[@spacellama7917]

Nottingham,if you fancy traveling a little further👍

[@duke9534]

come to Swindon :)

[@charliedavies1972]

Portishead!

[@amcluesent]

Edinburgh

[@SaxonSuccess]

Reykjavik.

[@grobknoblin5402]

so basically the entire UK is now just a student let?

[@museonfilm8919]

Student lets, coffee shops and hairdressers. All essential to a healthy economy....................😉

[@doomyman]

​@@museonfilm8919don't forget car washes

[@MajimaEnterprises]

@@museonfilm8919 Come on now. There's way more variety than that. There's bookies, off-licenses, phone shops, charity shops and kebab shops 😂

[@TashHag108]

As long as they're foreign, right!

[@alexx123ify]

​@@MajimaEnterprisesand vape shops, were spoilt for choice

[@janeclark1881]

I worked in Bristol for 11 years. The real problem with the place is the very high cost of housing. I was simply priced out.

[@lamehogshit3730]

The gentrification of many areas of Bristol has priced loads of people out. A lot of the old working class areas have become very wealthy middle class areas which is only adding to the homeless problem. These are the same people that are pushing their green agenda onto the city and ultimately killing it. It's very sad to see.

[@bretton_woods]

welcome to the UK

[@jepulis6674]

Thats what kills all cities. Markets are broken and ran by greedy oligopolies who rather keep houses or commercial spaces empty than lower rents. 20-30% apartments empty means that much less people and less customers.

[@JBAIMARK3]

I'm inclined to think that's what kills towns, green-rev has to come sooner or later, landlord/scalpers buy up everything as "investments" then there's f-all people to sell things to, and those left are going to Poundland, and likely the shops are all paying a hefty fee to some petty-king dynasty or corporation. Government thinks the only way they can retain the value of the £ by (passively and actively) inflating property prices, all tories know, whole nation has to change can't just be a few towns.

[@bakersdozen3216]

Same as me! I had to move out because rent was so expensive

[@scarletttonkin9630]

I was born in Bristol and left for London at 17. Broadmead in the late 70s earlier 80s was amazing for shopping as a teenager. There was so much choice. Clifton was a very good area for shopping too. We were thinking of moving to Bristol but it's just ridiculously expensive now. My poor old home Town!

[@stokeded]

Same! I moved away around 2004 with very fond memories of tearing around downtown. I always had a utopian vision of moving back bc I missed the culture and feel of 80/90 Brissol. Some major red flags here.

[@watknig]

@@stokeded Now just a dystopian vision i'm afraid.

[@hannah-jt2ud]

I’m an American actor and last year I did a 10 month tour of a musical in the UK. We moved to a different city every week. And Bristol, perhaps oddly, was one of my favorites places throughout the whole experience! Like I thought it was one of the places that I’d move to. But then again I don’t really care much for high streets, it had plenty of nice coffee shops and a good enough theatre scene with Bristol Old Vic there

[@itk2493]

Outside Bristol is lovely, like Somerset, but UK cities are absolute shyte holes.

[@bugsygoo]

I was in Bristol around the time this was filmed and I loved the place. One of the big attractions for me was that the centre was so vibrant! Completely different experience to what the video shows.

[@ThisIsAitch]

​@@bugsygoo This looks like it was filmed midweek during the summer when most of the population is working, or are back home from Uni - I suspect the vibe is similar to all student dominated cities that don't have a large retired populous. I've lived in Bristol for 18 months and I've never seen the Harbourside area look as empty as this video showed it.

[@RaferJeffersonIII]

Sure, if you’re in arts you would like Bristol. Sustainability I would imagine is in your vocab. There’s a lot here for arty rich kids. Not great if you’re a builder or plumber.

[@benfletcher9659]

@@RaferJeffersonIII Do you mean the hip arseholes who moved from London and only speak to other people from London?

[@123xqp]

I went to see a friend of a friend's band in Bristol back in March. Was delayed because a neighbour was in hospital, so I spent approx 3 hours there and missed half the set. SatNav got me lost because of all the roadworks and after the gig I had to walk my friend back to her hotel because of all the druggies she encountered on the way to the gig. I was booked into a different hotel but decided it was quicker to drive home than navigate the roadworks. Shortly after my "visit" I got a letter saying I'd strayed through a "bus gate", whatever that is, and was going to be fined for doing so. Don't know what a bus gate is, didn't see any signs. Or buses. Pic shows my car on an empty road. Appleal failed because it's my "personal choice" to use SatNav, like it's wierd thing to do when driving in a city for the first time. Then I got a ULEZ fine, which is nonsense because my car is Euro 6. But the database they use doesn't have my car's registration in it. They don't even know what car it is, so "unknown make/model" means non-compliant and more fines. I appealed again, citing several websites, including the manufacturer and a forum posting which explained that the emissions were so low that a bug on the DVLA site prevented the figure being entered because it was rounded down to zero. Nope, not good enough. I have to get a letter from the DVLA saying my car is compliant. They could look this up in seconds. So, went to see a band, was late so missed half the set, got lost on the way, friend accosted by druggies, (I saw a couple but they didn't approach) and hit with £120-£300 in fines. Will I go again? Will I fuck.

[@frogsplorer]

What a nightmare. I almost don’t want to go to an unfamiliar city. I’d have to research the emission zones. How are you supposed to work out if bus lanes are operating? Now low traffic neighbourhoods are springing up. I’ve got 3 parking apps on my phone but I just know there’s got to be more. Easier to stick with where I know

[@livinglifeform7974]

To be fair mate maybe look at signs rather than your shitty satnav.

[@sinaoladeji3555]

Similar to my experience in Sheffield though I also used SAT NAV. The Bus Gate stuff cost me 60quid. Councils destroying cities

[@markcallaghan8389]

another reason to avoid, by the way i got hit for £35 in Bath going though a bus gate it was signed however i was tired and followed my sat nav not being familiar with the road lay out.

[@cattysplat]

Pro EU council that imports the unwanted whilst restricting movement on UK nationals coming to their city. Hmmm.

[@dukeofengland]

Bristol just emulates what the whole of Britain is like.

[@walterolleroch94]

All this Net Zero crap does not help ,Australia is going down the same path.(Labour and Greens will stuff up every Country.

[@markeastwood74]

Not yet (I hope), but it will if we don't find a way to put a stop to it. 😢

[@Malky24]

@@jimmym4265 Just admit you're a racist mate. Stop being a coward about it.

[@WGK90]

Exactly why this channel exists, but the guy narrating obviously hasnt picked up on that yet.

[@roberthoward9093]

My uncle moved to Bristol (from Manchester) in the early 60s. This caused us to be regular visitors to the city and what a fantastic time we had in (and in the area of) that great city. From grimey M/chester to Bristol it was like a different world.... But, over the years I've seen how Bristol has gone downhill and even my relatives down there have all moved out.

[@MrHammoreds]

Compare Bristol and Manchester in the 60s, then compare both now: how far Manchester has come, and how far Bristol hasn't.

[@roberthoward9093]

When he moved down there, my uncle lived in Willada Cl. (Bedminster), behind Parson St. station... it seemed to be on the main route to Somerset / Cheddar etc. via Bedminster Downs and even though they developed a one-way system the traffic was gridlocked most weekends. .. my dad and uncle used to park outside the one-way (near the Enterprise pub) till the traffic died off... we'll, that's what they told the wives haha.

[@chiganuggoo9929]

I work in Bristol City Centre. Have done for 22 years, I've seen the decline, under falsely declared 'progress' as 'development'. It's heartbreaking, I consider myself an honorary Bristolian, I love everything about the area and it's history (I'm a railway fan, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and all that for those that don't know.). Your video has hit the nail on the head, sadly. Get in your car travel 35 odd miles up the M5 to Gloucester to see how to REALLY finish off a City. That place is DONE.

[@thecornedbeefcouncil9792]

I’m a Bristolian who has lived here my whole life and you’re spot on with everything in this video. The local council are destroying this City.

[@barrywhite5899]

Totally agree

[@minixtvbox]

Tory Britain 13 years=turd town

[@eileenpritchard9154]

​@@barrywhite5899 ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

[@stevensarson482]

The combined efforts of councils up and down the country are turning cities into ASBO theme parks . Graffiti, litter, barber shops, and car washes laugh at our Victorian heritage.

[@-DC-]

The same all over the UK.

[@Mrsencible22]

Visited Bristol this weekend and got stung by the clean air charge. Stayed at a Premier inn that recommended parking at Broadmead NCP but didn’t mention the clean air zone. I stayed one night and had to pay £19 for the parking and £18 in clean air charges. Sadly I won’t be visiting Bristol again due to feeling ripped off.

[@andrew6382]

15 min cities are looming. Bournemouth is heading that nearly all the old shops will be students flats or bedsits.

[@juliejeavons6949]

My experience of Bristol is the walk from Temple Meads to the office in Queens Square or spending time in Clifton (also for work). I took my daughter on one visit. She enjoyed visiting the museums, bookshops and sitting in one of the parks reading. If you’re not into shopping it’s not as bad as you make out.

[@Alex-hv7tu]

Yeah, but this content creator has a chip on his shoulder and likes to push his narrative

[@butcherax]

His 'heart of Bristol' seems to be exclusively the shopping streets at Broadmead and Cabot Circus. To be fair they are geographically in the centre of the city... but there's a lot more to see and enjoy outside of that if you're not fifteen

[@rustyshackleford1875]

@@butcherax Mate I lived there all my life and left 3 years ago for the Midlands. Best decision I've ever made. Even the food and petrol is cheaper in the Midlands and there's a great sense of community (if you avoid Birmingham lol). Bristol was ruined by the mayor and the council. It's over priced and full of non Bristolians commuting to London. If it wasn't for my family I wouldn't ever go back. I get off the train and normally within 5 minutes of seeing the absolute wankers surrounding me I know I've made a mistake. Dorset and Somerset are great though!!! It's only when you move out you realise how much of a soul drain that city is. Hours stuck in traffic, high cost of living, limited space and all the council cares about is ensuring the foreign students keep on rolling in. There's not even much work. It's decline since 2005 has been rapid but to be honest the UK is dying anyway.

[@joannesaltfleet2071]

It's a nice area isn't it the area around the cathedral and Park Street!

[@rorysparshott4223]

​@@Alex-hv7tuBaffled about the crack heads comment

[@monicachidgey6867]

Constructing Cribbs Causeway was the first nail in the coffin of Broadmead.

[@Danbotology]

The Galleries has sadly been a ghost town for years. But it always looks clean and well maintained! It’s like walking through a huge conservatory.

[@antonycharnock2993]

That's an idea! They should fill it with tropical plants and Bristol has its own Winter Gardens like Sheffield!

[@petearmstrong2778]

It has free toilets and when it rains you can keep dry.

[@howardskeivys4184]

The galleries serve the city well. When it rains, they’re a great, dry shortcut.

[@alisonwren3624]

And it helps you up the hill go in at the bottom ride the escalators come out at the top by the 😂rainbow crossing!!

[@howardskeivys4184]

@@alisonwren3624 👍

[@jakubwyszynski3686]

I live in Bristol CC. It is very much how you describe it and it smells. Broadmead is stuck in the late 90s - early 00s. It REALLY is a stinky turd. Only to add - pedestrian infrastructure is in staggering state of decay all over the city. I feel really sorry for people with disabilities having to use Bristol pavements every day! There is very little investment in public infrastructure for the city of 500,000 people it feels like a crime on humanity! 100m of cycle path near Old Town took 2 years now to be completed, it's absurd (still not ready to use). I recently visited my city of Poznan in Poland. I was in shock, how it changes! It really makes you realise how stuck and lazy Bristol council is and how city lacks a decent public transport network too.

[@Habu2]

Council is now a dirty word.....everywhere.

[@lotuselise4432]

Poznan is in the most affluent areas of Poland I believe and when Amazon opened up a place there years back had issues finding workers as the was zero unemployment. Girlfriend is from Piła and went there once to see Tony Robbins.

[@bettywhiting7699]

They are doing this in America too, it is by design, insider's working for the elite. Gates etc.,and the government's in western politics destroying communities with their own interests (financial rewards) being the goal. Their agenda being depopulation, they have bankrupted UK,America etc., given away our tanks,weaponry and reduced Army's Navy's and Airforce personnel, leaving the West wide open to anyone to walk in and take over.Why are they now attacking our towns and cities, destroying our shops ,restaurants ,barbers,cinemas, any social place where people gather?.

[@captango]

Theirs plenty of cash being handed out to councils, but as usual they prefer to waste it and squander it on usless ideas and projects.

[@Habu2]

@@captango Big salaries too.....the money is free.

[@mark196233]

I love visiting Bristol, the people are always friendly for a big city. It has a good vibe going on as well.

[@bugsygoo]

Same!

[@williamwilliam5066]

You can order one online for a tenner, why go to Bristol for one?

[@David-uf8ex]

Good vibe 😂😂😂 that’s one way of describing a dump

[@KakashiH318]

Must be from Cornwall

[@mennymennitto1278]

I worked in Bristol 23 years ago when I first arrived in Britain. I come from a similar size city in Northern Italy Brescia. I have been there for a conference 5 years ago but being on the outskirt I didn't realise the change you have shown in this video. Sad and depressing, the place is unrecognisable, and I truly feel for the many nice people I have met and worked with. Bad administration is one thing BUT 15 millions (did I get it right?) spent on surveys it's downright criminal

[@j4cksincl4ir]

Homebuyers flooded into Bristol a few years ago. They must be mortgaged up to the hilt without much disposable wealth. Renters are stuck in expensive and poorly maintained property. You can actually smell the musk from damp homes off people's clothes there. My impression overall is that Bristol is a city of accommodation costs approaching London's but with West Country wages. With not much disposable wealth, whether it is because of a huge mortgage or poor wages, there is not going to be much support for high street businesses.

[@thisiszaphod]

The 'Sadly Broke' area just outside Bristol is not so named by locals for nothing 😉

[@dukeofengland]

A combination of both

[@j4cksincl4ir]

@@thisiszaphodwe might be seeing that again if those who bought homes at the top of the market during the Covid Wars didn’t fix their low interest rates for long.

[@Habu2]

You don't mention landlord rip offs.

[@ATHLDN]

Manchester has become the same and it's a dirty hellhole. Leaving soon.

[@Hairnicks]

I went to Bristol as a young copper in 1975, it was a vibrant and lovely city to live and work in. Today? I don't go near it, the charges and parking are ridiculous, there are homeless people everywhere and as you say agressive, there was a time when Bristol looked after it's homeless and mentally ill people, that's just gone. The police forcew is decimatyed in patrol numbers and run by tossers with degrees who have no concept about policing because the were never police officers. The city has gone to the dogs and I'm gladf I moved away, I make my Bristol friends and family visit me and they admit it's a horrible place to live now whereas it used to be a terrific place to live.

[@theskidmarkoforion4829]

Way to busy these days throwing statues in the river all endorsed and facilitated by the local piggies. Go woke. Go broke

[@AW-uv3cb]

That is so depressing to hear. I hope Bristol gets a change of direction soon and starts on its way to being a vibrant city that it used to be.

[@alihenderson5910]

This is the future for all our cities, it's over, England is no more. Get used to it, useless eaters. Love, Klaus.

[@curlyfox1552]

That's the norm in most cities now

[@jw7073]

Not sure you'll find many cities in the UK that don't have the problems you describe. If you want to live in one Bristol is still a great vibrant place to be with brilliant arts music and culture and a creative energy that can't be found in too many other places in the UK. I love living here. It's definitely better than London.

[@jblack5323]

The shopping part has certainly has changed, I remember before Cabot opened you would rarely see a closed down shop. If you go to the centre now to see the dormant fountains you will notice thousands of students, go there after 10pm and its drunk people and seagulls fighting over half eaten chicken. The bus lane/congestion charge signage is terrible as mentioned and it’s not even worth trying to appeal. I see no reason to go into the city (especially as my clubbing days are over), there are so many nice pubs and restaurants in the towns away from the centre so there’s no need to want to go there.

[@martinnewtonholmes]

Seagulls do have to eat you know !!

[@jblack5323]

@@martinnewtonholmes thanks for that insight 😊

[@fluffyfour]

Councils always seem to apply restrictions which end up killing their towns. I remember when I was studying in Sheffield, Meadowhall (big shopping centre) had recently opened - free parking, all the shops you could want including Savacentre supermarket, just as the council put in City Centre parking charges, one-ways and pedestrian areas. For people without a car, they could get to town but all the shops had closed for lack of custom!

[@richardwaters7770]

The same has happened to Guildford, Surrey. The Council has imposed parking charges in the town centre including Sundays until 9 p.m. in the evening. I recently counted 25 empty shops in the high street alone. I now avoid going there and find it easier to drive 7 miles to Godalming which is considerably smaller but parking friendly and a hive of activity.

[@cattysplat]

Scaring off middle class shoppers has got to be the dumbest idea town centres had. They were the biggest spenders, now they will drive on by or wait at home for deliveries.

[@Elansol]

Town centres are doomed because the council say (first hand knowledge) look at the 300k we made this year in parking charges and fines, ignoring the 2 or 3 million they lost in business tax for the businesses closing down because people do not want to pay parking or be fined. So they up the parking charges to try and offset the loss (when they figure it out) and it becomes a vicious circle.

[@tommysmith5479]

Let's be honest: the UK in general is in decline. Yes, there might still be some beacons of hope around - but that hope will be snatched away from us. Now, as far as I see the problem of derelict town centres, the first nails in the coffin were the retail parks. In theory, they were a great idea but they sucked the life out of town centres, replacing retail shops with ever more cafes, bars, restaurants, betting shops, and replacing shoppers with chavs and homeless people. And once those nails had been hammered in, town centres were always going to be on a downward spiral to oblivion. So, how do we bring back life to town centres? Well, it seems that we deter shoppers by having no-car zones, poor public transport and allowing the homeless and the chavs to thrive in the city centres.

[@ericshaun6078]

Their M.O is that you can't make an omlette without first breaking eggs.

[@cjmcmarbles]

spot on mate

[@alwayspooh1588]

Yep, retail parks killed high streets long before the internet and people shopping at home came along.

[@anthonymitchell8893]

a big shout out to the bristol chavs and druggies all 10 thousand of you never give up it will get better trust me 🚮🚮🚮🤣😂😎

[@kaleeyed]

People need more disposable income, end of. People don't earn good wages, everything's dead expensive and no-one is spending any money on the high street. Until the poverty wages and crap social security in this country are sorted out, our towns and cities will carry on looking like shitholes. And no end of stupid Mary Portas town plans and the like will change it.

[@paulyoung5514]

I'm from Newcastle and I'd always wanted to visit Bristol because of the music scene, culture etc and I'd heard great things. I had the chance to work there for a couple of weeks earlier this year and agree with everything said which is a real shame because it's obvious the place has a vibe and could be a great city. It was dirty, empty shops everywhere, a lot of homeless and too much graffiti and no real centre as such, also transport is appalling. I travel a lot with work and northern cities are far better atm - Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool etc. Hope Bristol gets back on it's feet, so much history and culture there.

[@emmmoo8631]

its wont! and btw, there USED to be a superior music scene in Bristol famous for its up and coming bands, now they got rid of all that and instead gave the night life over to mainly "dj sets" ie anyone with ability to do "house" and other druggie noise. Bristol is finished.

[@paulyoung5514]

@@emmmoo8631 Real shame, lovely city.

[@emmmoo8631]

@@paulyoung5514 WAS ........and is no more

[@joannesaltfleet2071]

It used to be a nice city years ago but now it's gone to rack and ruin!

[@jonathanstempleton7864]

It's not "graffiti" anymore. You're supposed to call it "Street art". Well Banksy can just fuck off and scrawl his shit on his own fucking walls.

[@1daveyp]

I spent a few days in Bristol about five years ago. My first and last human interactions were with pushy beggars, and encounters with pushy beggars were over half of all my interactions. I've been to Romania, and the begging there was less of an issue there than in Bristol. Bristol has some wonderful attractions (I'd take the Steamship Great Britain over the Cutty Sark any day), some great pubs and could be a really good place to visit. For me though, the constant hassle on the streets and the pervasive "Banksy-ism" was just too depressing.

[@alihenderson5910]

'Pervasive Banksy-ism', what a great descriptor lol. The elite's very own graffiti artiste, masquerading as the anonymous voice of the people. You just know that he went to Glasto in a helicopter.

[@benfletcher9659]

@@alihenderson5910 Glastonbury is for Hipsters now.

[@colinbaker3415]

Your final comment about student accommodation and flats replacing Broadmead was spot on! Every empty office block on the periphery of the shopping area has been converted to studentland so it stands to reason that Broadmead itself will follow. The CAZ effectively cuts south Bristol off if you have a non-compliant vehicle, therefore no one ventures over the river unless you have to. But surprise surprise the main hospitals fall within the CAZ so you're forced to pay. The underground will always be a non-starter as Bristol is built on mine workings .The sooner Rees goes the Better

[@CassyBella]

Am I right in thinking most of the cc has water under it?

[@colinbaker3415]

@@CassyBella Yes. One flows under “ The Centre” (St.Augustine’s parade) underneath those ridiculous and redundant fountains, The other, which is a diversion of the first enters the floating harbour at Castle Park . Not to mention the various storm drains to alleviate the flooding in the 60s and yet mayor Rees and weca mayor Norris still think an underground will work!

[@CassyBella]

@@colinbaker3415 Not sure if they care to be honest, as long as they get funding and can skim their 80% ...🙄

[@Malky24]

Bristol University is a property portfolio with a sideline in education.

[@keithdukes5990]

It seems to be par for the course once the 🌞 people take over it all goes down the Swannee!!! Just look at the state of Zimbabwe & south Africa for example!🤔🤨🧐🙄🥴🥺😞

[@Francelmo23]

As a Bristolian, born and bred, we have lovely green spaces near the centre, interesting history, and beautiful landmarks. The fact that you ignored Gloucester Road (longest stretch of independent shops in Europe) is an oversight. HOWEVER, the public transport is appalling (you basically have to go into and out of the centre to get anywhere), the centre is dead and the council really need to work on making the city much more visitable

[@user-eh8zn7uh5y]

This, this video is so biased and short sighted it's unbelievable. Clearly has never lived in Bristol for any reasonable length of time.

[@Regnbuesolv]

A painfully accurate breakdown of my home city 😢

[@neildaniel8232]

I work in Bristol and it's really run down, covered in graffiti and homeless people. Lots of campervans parked everywhere permanently too. Was going to move there to be closer to work but I've decided against it!!

[@Habu2]

Graffiti is obviously connected to disenfranchised scum....once that happens its over.

[@ericshaun6078]

Lucky the surrounding countryside areas are some of the best in the UK

[@vkdrk]

The first thing I've noticed when I moved to UK (back in 2011) was that every town and city has the same shops, cafés and restaurant chains so no matter where you go in the UK, you end up going to the same shops. UK high street is very repetitive so I'm not really surprised that many of these shops and restaurants are closing down. High streets are ''doomed'' because they are repetitive so you have no reason to travel to another town and the fact that cities are actively banning cars doesn't help them either...and you mentioned that many of these empty buildings are going to be converted to student accommodation...Bristol already has a large student population so I'm surprised they want/need to bring more. I understand that paying students bring money to the system but aren't those universities overcrowded already? Where do all those students go? I've heard from many people that it is hard to get to uni in Bristol so many young people end up going north as it is easier to get accepted but there seem to be unlimited number of spots for overseas students and they keep building more accommodation to bring more. Something doesn't sound right I moved to Bristol in 2016 after living in West Sussex. Bristol is a lovely city with many independent business but you need to go out of city centre to find them. I used to work in the city but I don't go there anymore. There is literally no reason to go there other than catching a bus to London which btw only costs £7 return (compared to £150 for the train). If you want to do some shopping, you are better off going to London for the day or Clarks Village (outlet). Bristol is a pretty walkable city and I love all those hills with stunning views but I have no desire to drive here. Traffic is slow with insane number of bus lanes that are pointless as buses are useless. They would be better off getting rid of those bus lanes and get the regular traffic moving. Just look at Bath Road...2 ''regular'' bus services but the lane takes 1/2 of the road. What's the point of having bus lanes on every street when they are in use maybe 10% of the time? Bristol wants to be ''green'' on paper but in reality it is not green at all. I'm not surprised that e-scooters are so popular in Bristol. You'll get to your destination faster vs driving/taking the bus and it's also a lot cheaper, too. I mean £84/month for the bus in Bristol and those buses often don't show up at all so you can't rely on them to get to/from work. I gave up on buses as I could never get anywhere on time (I often had to use Uber because the bus never showed up).

[@Turdtowns]

We need to start rebuilding this country. Uni isn’t the correct way to go for lots of people. It’s time we start pushing the skills this country needs. Doctors, tradespeople, economists etc.

[@craigising]

Moved to the UK end of 2010. I noticed the same thing. I actually investigated it. The large corporate retailers (including hospitality retail) have lobbied government (it's more complicated than that, including insurance costs and other overheads) to increase costs to independent, local traders. There's almost no such thing as small business left in the UK. Add to that the effect online retailing has had on bricks and mortar retail and it's impossible to see a way back for the local High Street. Add to that 13 years of Tory austerity and you've got dilapidated public spaces filled with rubbish, inhabited by individuals who are themselves victims of a lack of public mental healthcare infrastructure making life impossible for everyday folk to get about their business. Personally, I support ULEZs and parking restrictions but it can't work unless public transport infrastructure is reliable and cheap. The UK has become a joke. Is it any wonder when we've had a Tory government for so long?

[@thebritishindian1]

The reason there are always spots for overseas students is because Universities are in the real-estate business, not the education business. They want their student apartments and flats to be rented out for 3-4 years which will yield 4-6% return annually. As for teaching students anything, that is the least of their concerns. It's the same as McDonalds being in the real-estate business instead of the food business. They don't really give a damn about making great food, just simple and consistent enough to keep the property income coming in.

[@deyvidpetromusic]

I would say that Cheltenham is a bit of an exception to this rule. Whilst there are chain shops etc there are a lot of independent places that seemingly do better than the corporate chain retailers. There was a massive kick up after "Covid" that the independent businesses were being pushed out and a massive resurgence has happened since.... We have only been in Cheltenham for almost two years after getting out of Swindon and I must admit it seems like a bit of a hidden gem.

[@brianbell4937]

The idea of the bus lanes is robust. Make buses so attractive that people will realise how futile using a car is. But that only works if the bus service is frequent, cheap and reliable, but that's where it falls down with the city removing any subsidies and expecting the bus operators to be happy to loose money. To be honest this is the case all over UK, not just Bristol. Buses should be a service, not the private concerns they are now with the bottom line only being to make profits for the shareholders.

[@yp77738yp77739]

I was a student in Bristol 25 years ago, recently returned for the first time to drop my child back there to study. I was shocked at how little the city had developed in those 25 years, it was virtually the same as when I had left except more run down, dirty and graffiti ridden. I don’t know who your city leaders are, but you better get rid of them quickly as they are not serving you well. I’ve moved around a lot and never seen such stagnation in any other city, my advice to my child is going to be as soon as the studies are over get out quick.

[@benfletcher9659]

1998? It was good then. Right before the Millennium when they started coating everything in aluminium to make it look shiny and modern.

[@yp77738yp77739]

@@benfletcher9659 All I know is that I had a poke about the Gloucester road area where I was dropping my lad. There was considerably worse litter, graffiti, the green amenity areas were unmanaged and the general dereliction was worse than it was 25 years ago. My sons comment, unprompted by me, was that it was the worst dump he’d seen and will move elsewhere for his post grad studies. And we have moved around a lot with my job, including a spell near the worst parts of Manchester. To be fair, I only skirted the city centre, because of the stupid emissions zone they had put in. The city council should be ashamed of itself.

[@benfletcher9659]

@@yp77738yp77739 Gloucester Road was where most of the Students from University of the West of England go to shop/drink and some live. Bristol University, the posh ones do the same in Park St, Whiteladies Rd and Clifton. I have not been there for a few years but it was a up and coming area supposedly.

[@yp77738yp77739]

@@benfletcher9659 Yes, there a mixture of kids from the university, where my lad is, and the polytechnic campus, I guess they converted the poly to a university too now. I saw no sign of development or investment at all, same as before, but even more decay. The university buildings themselves were much improved, my sons at the maths campus, it’s stunning. But it’s a shame they aren’t doing it for the general housing stock and amenities. I think it’s a labour council, I’d have thought they’d have got some cash out of the Blair/Brown governments, most other labour councils did at the time, Manchester and Sheffield grew and prospered at that time. Near the downs was always nice, I’m guessing it still is. I remember an amazing cocktail bar with revolving glass doors, hit my head many a time.

[@benfletcher9659]

@@yp77738yp77739 I went to UWE from 2001-2004 and lived in Bradley Stoke (3 miles away until 2011 before moving more inner-city Bristol - Brislington/St George). I haven't really been around past the UWE since but know its double the size as it was when I was there. I used to occasionally go up Gloucester Road in the mid 200's before I had a car, as back then it had a few interesting, independent shops (most long gone now). I occasionally went up Park St and Whiteladies Rd (more for a wonder) as Clifton did not really have any shops I found interesting. I was into rock music so generally stuck to the two rock pubs the Hatchet and the Crown. Trendy wine bars not at all my thing. There were many places in Bristol I have never been due to my taste.

[@serenadavis5956]

I live in Bristol. Your absolutely right the city of Bristol is almost dead it's the most boring place to go. The shops are closed and the homeless are everywhere here. I go to broad mead every week with my daughter all we do is sit in the food court and walk around the closed shops. After 2 hours we are on our way home. Thinking what a waste of time this day was.

[@danbee415]

Go to cardiff. im from Bristol and im moving there I think its much better. Its much more affordable to live close to the centre and the centre in cardiff looks very pretty and the arcades are really nice and lots of nice shops. Very compact and pleasent. You just get more for your money here. Bristol isnt worth it unless you live very close to the centre

[@MrNiceHk]

Always has been ..lived there in the 90s...nothing there ...but cool people a unique vibe

[@petesmith2465]

Spot on assessment, Bristol centre is dying a slow death with the clean air zone being the final nail in the coffin.

[@matlockmeat]

Looking forward to this one. You are doing a great service to us by capturing this footage in such a great way. I take my hat off to your sir.

[@Guapito1973]

I’m from Bristol but left over 30 years ago when I was in my teens. Broadmead used to be a great shopping area but is now a shadow of itself. Unfortunately, it is not only down to the cost of visiting the city but also the rents. Business are being pushed out by greedy landlords and this is happening all over the UK. I know live near Reading and have noticed a big decline in the shopping centre there. The place is full of alcoholics and homeless people. This is a nationwide issue, not just the odd “turf town”. My visits to Bristol are usually for cultural visits (the museums are good, especially the M Shed) as well as the lucre around the harbour. It’s bustling with indie shops and eating establishments. Up the road from the centre of Bristol is Stoke Croft and the Gloucester and Cheltenham Rds, which are a couple of miles long and are full of independent traders. It’s a bit manly in places but worth a visit.

[@multifaceteduser3405]

'A but manly' what do you mean by that?

[@jonnytenebrous1113]

I live in the West Country. I used to visit Bristol every so often, either for shopping, or for a show/gig - was quite fond of it. I drive an older car, and the parking situation around Broadmead was already ridiculous - slap me with a £9 surcharge on top of that, and I see no reason to go out of my way to spend time or money there unless there's a particularly special event on. Sorry to hear things are headed downhill there.

[@thedivinemrm5832]

These are strange times. Society (apparently) wants and expects shops but we don't want to pay their prices, thanks to the convenience of ordering online and having home deliveries. Towns and cities are having to reinvent themselves with dwindling budgets and no blueprint on the possibilities. I'm not defending the dereliction of town centres but the solutions aren't patently obvious. How DO we rebuild our town and city centres if resorting to student housing, countless chain coffee shops, art installations and whatever a "community hub" is, isn't enough?

[@paulosullivan3472]

I think the solution is make it easier for people to get into the town center and make it easier to shop. Online shopping has a degree of convenience but then you end up waiting two weeks for it to arrive and sometimes there are problems with delivery. I would much rather go into a town center but with our nearest town center they have introduced fines for cars using it and parking has been reduced to almost nothing. A lot of people would happily go to town centers if politicians werent doing everything in their power to kill them all.

[@JakeLDS]

@@paulosullivan3472 even with Amazon Prime, nect day delivery there are still lots of things I prefer to go to an actual shop for. The main problem with Bristol seems to be transport. If it was easier to get into the centre then I'm sure more people would. Add in a few community attraction rather than just shops, for example a roller skating rink, and then people will come.

[@AymanTravelTransport]

​​@@paulosullivan3472they're trying to get people out of cars and into buses/trains or bikes (reducing congestion), but that won't work if the public transport doesn't work the way it needs to work; as long as people are unwilling to part with their cars, it will just drive people away from the place altogether instead of switching the mode of transport

[@ange1098]

All is planned as you can’t have a reset without destroying the original , remember you’ll own nothing but you’ll be happy 😂

[@thedivinemrm5832]

@@paulosullivan3472 Are you seriously suggesting that Debenhams, BHS, Woolworths and the rest all folding was the design of politicians? That way madness lies. You need to face up to the fact that the need for such shops just simply isn't there anymore.

[@neilelkins2009]

It kinda says something that the centre has a river running under it. But they covered it over and put a fountain thing on top. That doesn't work. Wouldn't it be nicer just to have a river?

[@lord8139]

You’re so spot on! Visited Bristol about a month ago and I was shocked at the amount of homeless begging, taking drugs and passed out in the middle of the centre everywhere. Never seen so many druggies on a Saturday afternoon.

[@martinnewtonholmes]

Donating drugs to homeless people might help

[@puppy1584]

I’m so sad…my city. The last time I went into town was to the eye hospital. We left there and walked through to the centre to the bus stop on the harbour side. The centre was dirty, and the electric scooters darting everywhere was frightening. It’s lost it’s warmth.

[@alant1647]

I used to live in Bristol 25 years ago: Broadmead was pretty awful then, I would never consider going there now. The infrastructure and roads are terrible, just try taking the airport bus from Temple Meads to Lulsgate (probably the worst rip-off airport in the UK) to see what I mean. If you are thinking about public transport alternatives to using a car, forget it. For example, it has taken them decades to get around to thinking about reinstating the railway to Pill and Portishead, which of course will now cost £ millions. Sorry, but the answer to city centre rejuvenation is NOT to make life expensive and unpleasant for motorists - people will just go elsewhere.

[@andrew6382]

I am shocked that the train station is a fair way from the shopping centres. Surely the council could put on a fleet of shuttle services.

[@robwarner9371]

I lived in Bristol for two years in the late 80’s. I made a return visit a few years ago and could barely find my way around. The feeling driving into the city centre from the M32 was mainly confusion and claustrophobia as the lovely, open roundabout I remember had become a nightmare of traffic control cameras, incomprehensible road markings and lane management, surrounded by new and very overbearing buildings. The car parks were poorly signed and I ended up in a privately-run car park by mistake, which charged me a fiver when I left two minutes later. It was called Broadmead Shoppers, but what shoppers want to pay a fiver for up to 30 minutes. Trying to find Broadmead shopping centre among the monstrosities of the new(er) buildings was surprisingly difficult and my overwhelming impression was “you’re not welcome here”.

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Basically if you’re in a car, you’re not welcome in Bristol. True.

[@yellowgreen5229]

RailTransit

[@ajivins1]

The last time I went to Bristol in the car (pre ULEZ) it started hammering down with rain. I drove to the multi-storey but it was closed 'for renovation' and I just circled round and round with the wipers going full pelt. I couldn't find anywhere else to park and just turned back for home! The following week I got a fine for being in a bus lane!

[@smoozerish]

Google maps.....never leave home without it

[@yellowgreen5229]

@@smoozerish or better yet don't let ourselves be dependent on a Yankee capitalist monopoly that can track all your movements and turn it off at any time.

[@tomhaines5049]

Bravo! You are so right about this... I am from Bristol and have seen the steady decline of the city due mainly to those in charge. Broadmead was already struggling before they build Cabot Circus but they still went ahead with the construction... and they're are always building student housing and offices despite the amount of disused offices they already have there!! Glad I left the city before the crackpot green air charge came in....

[@mintlou]

I've lived here all my life and you're right about everything. I didn't really see it until an outsider pointed it out. Bristol is place to enjoy expensive food/drink. It's shite for everything else.

[@sonnymangion1245]

I lived in Bristol from 2008-09. It wasn't much different back then. Being harassed on a daily basis by aggro homless squatters and crackheads. Stopped going out in the city centre on weekend nights because I got tired of watching people being kicked in as well as being started on by drunk local dickheads. The council were always incompetent for handling waist collection to public transport. Never witness so much crime from first hand because there's not enough police there. I thought it was dying then tbh.

[@Habu2]

waste

[@mus139]

Leftism Destroys Everything.

[@MrEdrftgyuji]

It has got a lot worse in the past 5 - 10 years.

[@benfletcher9659]

2009 is when it was starting to go bad!

[@kerryfry1857]

I was born in Bristol. I lived there 52 years. Had to move out because couldn't find affordable housing. Now living in Dursley Gloucestershire. Which is lovely. But miss being close to family and friends.

[@SilverfoxJB]

I visited Dursley this Saturday, first time ever. The high street was very quiet, but the place is lovely and free parking was a rare delight.

[@sunnyonion3461]

My dad was evacuated to Dursley as a young boy in the war - he still has wonderful memories of his time there.

[@thetoonpiper]

Nice place Dursley.

[@rob-fb5xs]

Dursley sounds lovely

[@thomashall7035]

@@mattthx50 indeed- I consider it a grotty and slightly rough place. Wotton is a lot nicer.

[@wulla2]

London has already done most of these things - congestion charge, ultra low emission zone, street closures, high parking costs. With the exception of department and chain stores closing (mainly because of the shift to online) the city centre is doing just fine. But the key difference is public transport - lots of it, in all directions.

[@Turdtowns]

Yes that is key for sure

[@Abraham_Tsfaye]

When I was in UK. I saw empty boarded up streets under a constant grey sky, litter everywhere. Homeless people sleeping in doorways. Opioid addicts out of their mind and women so drunk they urinated on the streets. It's a sad declined country

[@amandalewin2872]

The last time I was in Bristol was over 10 years ago when I worked on the refurbishment of a sheltered accommodation block for recovering addicts. Even given the nature of the brief and the fact it was in a rougher part of the city I never felt unsafe walking across from BTM station (about a 20 min walk), quite depressing to see what Cabot's circus looks like now as a wander around there after a site visit was my little treat to make up for the 6 hour round trip from Manchester. If you are considering another episode of 'Posh Towns' Bath has the most beautiful shopping center now with all the fancy brands, its a bit crowded but again a place I've not visited for a decade but was blown away at how nice it is now.

[@FutureProofPerformance]

As someone who has spent the last 5 years working in bath, it has also become increasingly expensive and hostile to "outsiders" i.e. anyone that has the poor fortune of not being rich enough to live inside bath.

[@SminkyBazzA]

Bath has plenty of empty shop fronts now too unfortunately. And a Primark.

[@amandalewin2872]

@@SminkyBazzA Oh fpr a Primark back when I was a student there!

[@jonlilley9288]

I must admit that I really like Bristol, it has a great arty vibe and punches well above its weight culturally. The main issues are: poor transport network, some poor housing (even in the posh areas like Clifton), it’s very expensive and the shopping areas are spread out in a disparate way. The video focused on the shopping ‘centre’ but Bristol offers a lot more than this.

[@Kualabear02]

Bristol will always have its amazing geographic location, it’s wonderful green expanses and it’s interesting history but all of that needs to be valued and appreciated and unfortunately the Green Party will never understand what’s required to retain the city’s vibrancy and liveability. They have different priorities and are blinkered by progressivism so sadly, like other similar cities around the world it will decline further.

[@Mulletmanalive]

My experience was always that the cultural output of the place was either puddle shallow activist stuff or perverse, but to each his own. I thought the nightlife was great 15 years ago, with the little jazz clubs and so on, but the innards got pulled out of that by the smoking ban.

[@bobbuilder3687]

Bristol is full of illegals and foriegners. Oh and woke students. The mayor wants to spend all money on minorities

[@gleeart]

Surely the green agenda though would advocate a reversion /conversion to a sub-tropical jungle environment instead of a city, everything ploughed over & planted with lush green foliage. With just information signs & a few hijabs thrown in visible.

[@AlexDoel94]

as a local HGV driver in the Bristol area the Bristol CAZ has hit small hauliers hard, if you cant afford a new truck its going to cost you £100 a day to enter doesn't seem like much but the answer for us right now is to add a £100 charge onto every load that takes us into Bristol and just keep on driving the extra miles to skirt around the CAZ, its the same with bath too having ordered 2 new trucks in the last year to replace our older trucks will allow us to renter the zone charge free it will become less of a problem but for things like our spare truck that is better suited to tight access work like in urban areas there just isn't the work to pay the cost of a new £300,000 truck car wise i have a old land rover and its not exempt from the zone plain and simple we just don't visit the centre of Bristol at all any more got to pass through Bristol or bath i just drive around adding more miles to a journey burning more fuel and producing more emissions end of the day Bristol is just got a bunch of conditions forced upon it that's killed the centre, the next step will be it being regenerated into a area of very expensive high rise property

[@MrEdrftgyuji]

And the smug residents who proudly boast about not owning a car (as if that is some kind of positive) are too stupid to realise that everything they buy has been on the back of a lorry at some point.

[@seklerek]

@@MrEdrftgyuji what's wrong with not owning a car lol

[@yorkiegilly4355]

Good video and well done . Your right in your analysis of a lot of town centers ,but it"s been a while since I visited Bristol . My old Uncle used to travel around a lot of markets in the North of England from a Sheffield base for many years & sometimes I went with him ,it"s also surprising how alike most of these towns are . We used to do a lot of markets in South Yorkshire but no matter how popular the markets were the Council had to interfere ,Barnsley was a particular case ,always busy and people came from miles but they reduced the amount of parking spaces ,so it declined ,in Sheffield they knocked down the old market that was always busy and built a new one - off the town center that didn"t have the same atmosphere or shops and that has proved a flop .Plus all the parking is by mobile phone and a app only and the charges are as you would expect - high . We used to go to Wakefield market ,a nice quiet town that had a shopping center punching way above it"s weight and the council made the same mistakes there ,demolishing the massive market ,building an indoor one to get more money ,then within 3 years have it fail and eventually demolished . We used to arrive at the market at 3 a.m. spend over an hour unloading our large van and start selling to the night shifts in the area [shelf stacking the supermarkets nearby] and stay there till the following afternoon - all gone and the area is practically dead . The councils for some reason think if they renew the buildings ,accommodation and shops it improves the area and the class of people living and shopping there ,the high street is probably a dead duck and deserves to be ,we voted our local politicians - in ?. Keep up the good work .

[@yvonneupton9587]

I'm a Bristolian born and bred, i moved away 5 years ago. Bristol has changed so much and has become a slum i'll never move back

[@robertbrowne5690]

You are correct the Green Party now has the greatest number of City Councillors but not a majority. Even if they did have a majority it would be irrelevant because the City is run by a Labour Mayor who can override any decisions made by full council. The CAZ has been implemented by the Labour mayor not the Greens. :-)

[@robertbrowne5690]

And I’m really surprised we weren’t stopped by security in Cabot Circus for filming!! Lol

[@alihenderson5910]

Communist ran sh*thole then?

[@TG-ts3xn]

Same same. Both report to the WEF.

[@StuArch1]

John Hedley had a good poem about Bristol. 'If you catch the train from Preston to Bristol Temple Meads, you don't have to change your underwear, but you have to change at Leeds' I use the poem regularly when I meet people not only from Bristol, but Preston and Leeds too.

[@alanhynd7886]

My particular favorite of his was a comment on the Isle of Man being the last part of the UK to decriminalize homosexuality, called "Thoughts on a ferry, heading to the Isle of Man: From memory, it went: To the Isle of Man, Where its bad to be gay, Though the ban doesn't stand anymore, Yet has no one noticed the irony in this, Upon entering Douglas before?

[@westaussie965]

I don’t get it?

[@cattysplat]

@@westaussie965 Douglas is the capital town of the Isle of Man. It's also a common male name.

[@martinnewtonholmes]

Obviously not one of his better poems @@westaussie965

[@69waveydavey]

excellent video, I'm in Preston their solution to unused buildings is for them to accidentally burn down. It's amazing how planning is denied, it sits empty for a few years and then burns down. Preston is a sea of cafes and student flats. It's only a matter of time before they catch on to the clean air thing. What amazes me is.. you can see the problem, I can see the problem but the council either can't or has a different agenda than what it says publicly.

[@marccarter1350]

I grew up in Bristol. Glad i left. I visited recently. Its a hole! Its really dirty. It reminded me of some slum in downtown Rio. The night life is fine. You can always find a decent band to see. The Downs Festivial is the other highlight in early September.

[@wayneprewett6114]

Though on the plus side of the clean air zone, you can now get into Bristol for hospital appointments for nine o clock and actually leave around thirty minutes before. Bristol's shopping area has been written off many times, to be fair Broadmead is a 1950s relic. It last had anything done to it in the 90s and only needs to be half the size in the days of internet shopping.

[@Ross6041]

I was last in Bristol around 2002 for 6 months. I live in Sheffield, which is an industrial, not so beautiful city. But Bristol scared me at times. I was in Temple Meads in a hotel, and decided to walk to a cinema 1.3 miles away. Not a good idea, as I encountered burned out cars on the way, and wished I had paid for a cab. I was also assaulted at random, outside a Tesco, near St Pauls, on my lunch break. I just happened to get in someones way, and I was shoulder barged to the ground, before the attacker ran off. This is the only time in my life I have been attacked at random. My two memories of Bristol, although to be fair took place in 2002.

[@Justin-ee3im]

2002 eh? so likely worse now...

[@Max15tz]

Sheffield is most beautiful out of Leeds and Manchester for sure. Yes it's post-industrial, but I think it plays off that well and is one of those "beacons of hope" (like the other comment mentioned) in the country. The greenness and proximity to the peaks more than makes up for the ex-industrial look. Could use better public transport and routing but where in UK doesnt.

[@MrHammoreds]

This is a refreshingly honest video. It never ceases to surprise me how so many people heap praise on Bristol, it's a city which has managed to get a reputation for being a 'great place to live' - people from other parts of the UK probably fall for the delusion of it being a city 'on the up', because of the crazy house prices. When in reality, it's been falling behind England's other big cities in so many respects. The fact that it's got many thousands of students, a massive drug culture and very 'trendy/urban' politics (similar to London) seems to a big part of it's appeal, whereas for most 'once proud Bristolians' we can see exactly what kind of no-go dump its becoming.

[@MrMjp58]

As a northerner; in my youth, I always imagined the south-west of the uk to be some sort of rural, merrie England style paradise (Arthurian legends, folk music, pop festivals, etc). A bizarre fantasy I held for some years..

[@comanchedase]

I have a mate that lives in Bristol and was in N. IRELAND with the army for 8 years...he's regretful he hasn't gone back to it when he had a chance...

[@krob2327]

It is outside of Bristol and swindon

[@Delabane]

It probably was 20 years ago!

[@andrewstones2921]

I lived In Bristol in the early 80s, It was a lively and interesting place. When I visit now I get to see it from a different perspective. The dock area is certainly a massive improvement, shopping centers are in decline the world over so that’s a bit of an unfair example. The problem is that so many parts near the city are dirty and graffiti filled, maybe it just seems more visible to me. There are nice parts and grim parts, but that just about sums up every city in the UK.

[@koolade76]

Bristol, does have the other streets that have more independent stores, it’s going the same way as Cardiff too many chains with zero personality and everywhere possible a f’ing student block of flats, at least Bristol still has independent bars and venues. All you have to do is compare UK cities with European ones to realise the economic decline, most places are like the film The Road.

[@Kualabear02]

Actually shopping centres were supposed to be in decline but having lived in Asia and Australia over the last Twenty years I can tell you they are thriving. In the US they do appear to be in decline but lately that is due to massive amounts of shoplifting and vandalism. Bristol was a beautiful, vibrant and interesting university city when I lived there from 1986 to 1990 and it’s sad to see it in this video but not surprised with the Greens being in control as that happens everywhere they come into power unfortunately.

[@ericshaun6078]

@@Kualabear02 Thriving are they ?😄

[@Cimmerian89]

I was in Bristol a few weeks ago and I had never really explored the city before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I can now sum up the city in one word: decay. The heart of the city was filthy, covered in graffiti and crappy 'murals' giving the place a sinister feeling. There were many homeless people who intimidated passersby for change. I saw one unfortunate soul being resusitated on the street by paramedics after he overdosed. The old Georgian buildings were mostly well maintained on the outside, though it was sad to see too many of these beautiful period houses in disrepair with the tenants leaving their rubbish piled up in front of their doors giving off an air of squalor. Having said all that the Clifton suspension bridge is simply stunning with fantastic views of the gorge. Just try to ignore the signs for the Samaritans phone number at either end of the bridge so you don't leave feeling depressed.

[@user-eh8zn7uh5y]

You clearly don't appreciate good graffiti. Like it or not, graffiti is part of Bristol's culture. A lot of it is in fact commissioned. There's even a graffiti festival every year. Sure there are some crappy tags and unwanted/unsightly stuff but a lot of graffiti you see it meant to be there. I've always loved how Bristol is an eclectic mix of architecture, the Georgian polish of Clifton etc, contrasted with the urban jungle elsewhere.

[@wimschmied3800]

@@user-eh8zn7uh5y Graffiti will never be art. It's messy and ugly.

[@roygavin8219]

The answer to every old city centre seems to be vehicle driving and parking charges and restrictions and ...... STUDENT ACCOMMODATION! The entire centre of Exeter is now student accommodation and empty cycle lanes, which is why I don't go there. Bristol used to be the flagship shopping centre of South West England. I gave up the 90 mile drive from Devon to Bristol years ago after spending an hour trying to find a parking space. It's online shopping for me now.

[@BristolPeterUK]

Such a brilliant video - and absolutely spot on. I live there, but never go into central Bristol - why would you? The centre of Bristol is a student ghetto, that no real Bristolian ever goes to. There is no real public transport worth speaking of. This is what happens to cities, when you have crazy mayors, controlled by cycling pressure groups. People move out, students move in, city dies. Bristol RIP.

[@danarcher9012]

I love Bristol, but the buses aren't very reliable. The trains aren't great either. It is quite easy to get around the inner city on foot though. Most of the other points against Bristol in the clip are accurate, but this city is still one of my favourite places in the UK.

[@Kualabear02]

How long have you lived there? I’m wondering if you aren’t seeing the relative change.

[@stew.c]

Lived in Bristol my whole life… you summarised the city centre perfectly!

[@sevendaughters]

I've been living here for about 18 months and the city centre feels like it belongs to a much shabbier and smaller place, like Wrexham or Darlington or something. There are little nooks and crannies that are cool, and new venues popping up, but on the whole Bristol is just super localised anyway - if you live near Glos. Rd., Clifton, Whiteladies - you're just not going to the city ever. I know people who live in Stokey or St Paul, which is 5 mins walk away, and they never bother either.

[@TheMrShinagami]

My partner is disabled and uses a wheelchair so a 15 min walk from the station to the shops would be a huge deterrent for us but having said that I cant see much to make us want to go. What's happening in Bristol is also happening in Croydon. It used to be full of shops and busy but since the council setup the failed Westfield deal they have destroyed the town centre. Some shops were compulsory purchased and businesses were basically destroyed only for the properties to sit empty for years and the Whitgift centre is slowly emptying out of any shops you would want to go to. To make it better our new idiot mayor has setup a new deal with Westfield so they can really kill off the rest of the shops that are left and remove any reason anyone has left to visit the area. They shutdown the Fairfield halls to refurb it and went millions over budget and took several years for it to open just as the country went into lockdown. The box office will only open if they have an event on during the hours of the event so you cant even nip in to buy a ticket for something and its impossible to buy the easy access seats for the disabled unless you can dig through a few layers of website to find a phone number to talk to somebody. When I did they surprised I had found the number. The day after I booked the ticket I was emailed to say they had cancelled the show and gave me a refund. I'm not sure if you have covered Croydon yet but if you haven't you should, Its a huge turd!

[@daveb5206]

To be honest, the best thing that can happen to Bristol and many other towns and cities is to massively decrease the size of the shopping area, which will forever more have empty shops and homeless people sheltering, and to replace them with flats and apartments, which does at least guarantee people being in the centre of town. Bristol's biggest problem by far is the awful public transport, and the fact that many of its residents do like a riot or two!

[@williamsimpson8115]

I travel all over the country for work and with the exception of a couple of extremely wealthy towns and one or two with a older demographic this is the norm … I have also found that town that still allow traffic to flow through them also hold up a little longer

[@CT-ue4kg]

exactly, you cant have these stupid congestion zones without stellar public transport. a stinkly bus every 30 minutes isn't going to cut it

[@TheWolfXCIX]

@@whitmanmaleman I agree on reducing immigration, but not building any new apartments is why younger generations are screwed over and can't get on the property ladder anywhere below the Watford Gap

[@ericconnor8419]

Turn a city into a giant suburb? Terrible idea.

[@ericconnor8419]

@@TheWolfXCIX That is false we have plenty of houses for British people, the problem is people are allowed to own 10 at a time or put them on air b&b. One house should be for one family.

[@CreamTheEverythingFixer]

Honestly student accommodation is a death writ for a town/city at this point, It means less jobs for locals, a spike is users of local NHS services, land being eaten up by university of more accommodation and facilities and worst of all pushing up prices as more people 'move into' the area. But even then it sounds like the Bristol council couldn't organise a piss up in brewery after watching this vid and doing some more reading about it. Sad to see Bristol suffer.

[@petearmstrong2778]

On recent travels it seems student accommodation is a problem in Exeter and Bournemouth as well. Their locations dictate more bars and clubs and thus drive local non-students to quieter areas.

[@alihenderson5910]

Because we need more woke, indoctrinated idiots with useless social science degrees and a penchant for cultural vandalism.

[@dcarbs2979]

Great detail in this video. I thought my town had the same problems until I saw this! Empty shops seem to dominate (including an ex-Debenhams), art galleries and charity shops aplenty, barely-used 1970's mall. Having seen Bristol, my town of about 1/4 the size isn't quite so bad afterall

[@stuartwilson23]

A lot's changed in Bristol since I left in 2005! A lot of what you said could be applied to the Broad Marsh area in Nottingham, although we're a bit further down the line in so far as we've already demolished an entire shopping centre and now there's a big hole to fill!

[@benfletcher9659]

Bristol was still good then and it was a year before they knocked some of it down to build Cabot Circus.

[@somersetfan1]

I used to visit there regularly in the 2000s, then lived there for a year in 2015 and was shocked by the explosion in homeless, at the same time as house prices exploded too. I actually left because of the overpriced houses.

[@Habu2]

Don'y forget the house SELLERS agreeing to the 'overpriced' houses.....there may be one near you ?

[@somersetfan1]

@@Habu2 when you are moving from another cheaper region, Bristol was just overpriced compared to the rest of the south west

[@Habu2]

@@somersetfan1 Whilst the estate agents keep smiling.....

[@MajimaEnterprises]

Same story with Leeds here in West Yorkshire. It was genuinely nice back in the 2000s, then everything started going to sh!t around 2014. I went to Park Lane college for a bit at that time and noticed more and more homeless people popping up on my walk to and from the college. Now they're literally everywhere you look in the city. Some of which are aggressive and stand about threatening random passersby. The whole vibe of the city has shifted in a really, really bad way. It's stuff like this why our towns and cities are dying off. Nobody wants to go to them because they're not pleasurable to be in anymore. People get more joy out of playing video games and tossing off to p*rn all day than they do from the world around them because the world around them is a grey, depressing sh!thole. It's a tragedy.

[@veryhappychappy12]

Went to school in Bristol in the sixties. It was a wonderful, thriving, busy city. What a shame it's on its knees now.

[@spmusicc]

Bristol is a lot more than its shopping streets. The charm of it is that a lot of space is given to independent stores which actually offer something interesting other than just shoving more Primark, H&M, HoF in your face. I think it actually gives the city an identity, and either way there's a lot more to a city than its shops...

[@Turdtowns]

Having been born there and raised there I disagree. Massively gone down hill in my lifetime. What has been improved? Same tired transport system. No arena. Rovers still playing in a tin shed. Graffiti and homeless. and yes the shops are now a lot worse.

[@danbee415]

​theyve invested too much in the north of bristol and not imrpove transport in the whole city. If transport was excellent, thered be more to do and makes it more worthwhile to go to other places.

[@Vonklieve]

I just drive past Bristol, using the ultimate bypass, the M5 motorway. To Weston Super Mare. After seeing this video, I am pleased to say, I have not missed much. See ya Bristol.

[@SHYTBC]

I work in broadmead and it’s genuinely depressing. waiting to open this morning i got wished cancer upon me, i have not been anywhere where the homeless people are so aggressive.

[@user-cq3ez6fn6f]

The roads are dreadful here. So much traffic congestion. I always go to Cribbs Causeway now as you mentioned. It's much newer and free to park.

[@wellnessgirl2806]

Yup I visited the shopping centre last weekend and it is unrecognisable from even 5 years ago. The fashion chains are all gone and the combined loss of M&S and Debenhams has decimated the place. Were it not for Primark it would feel like a wasteland.

[@seamusweber8298]

We stayed in Bristol on holiday, as a base to explore the west country. We stayed in the Clifton area. Got to say we enjoyed our stay in Bristol. Went to the local pub The Albion. Nice pub and sells good food. Took a train trip to Bath. 20 minute train journey from Temple Mead. I'd be happy to recommend Bristol as a tourist destination

[@ethanoreilly2002]

Bristol has been my home since 2008 and watching the city centre die has been very sad to see. It needs major regneration everything just feels grotty and unmaintained but even if you look back just 10 years ago it used to be so much cleaner

[@diorocks5858]

north London is dying now shops closing everywhere

[@bugsygoo]

When I visited a couple of months back, there were loads of people in the shopping mall and fewer (it was still busy) in the centre. Nothing kills a city like a shopping mall.

[@diorocks5858]

@@bugsygoo UK does not have any cities or shopping malls...they have endless rows of terraced houses which they call cities and departments and tiny supermarkets they call shopping malls. Every time I come to England reminds me of Iraq kind of frozen in time. The 1960s and we are still stuck in it.

[@simonuden8450]

I lived in Bristol from the 1960's until I left in 1999. I loved the city back then and knew its streets like the back of my hand after years of being a service engineer. I still have family there and have visited on occasions, but every time I go back I am more disappointed with it. The last couple of times I have been annoyed by the massive 20mph zone that seems to encompass most of the city. Absolutely no good reason for such a big zone. I haven't been back since, but at least the last time I went there it didn't look like it does in your video. Fortunately, if I do decide to visit my family there, I can get to them without passing through the city, though I don't know if they're in the ULEZ zone.

[@tinachristine4573]

I moved to Bristol in 2018 and you are spot on, the centre is dying.

[@rustynail1194]

I'm from Bath. When I was a kid my mum would take us to Bristol as a day out. Even used to go to Bristol supermarkets and it would feel like we were off to the big city. I still love going, it's great, so much more going on than where I'm from. The pubs, the clubs, the venues, the atmosphere. Don't knock it too much, you could live in Bath where we have the polluter charge and absolutely fuck all going on other than bloody tourists.

[@mountaingoat3012]

I’m filled with sadness that my birth City is dying from the inside out. The Waterfront, Park St and Clifton are still vibrant thankfully

[@radicalcartoons2766]

Yeh, the posh bits are doing fine. The only thing tourists know about Bristol is "Suspension Bridge" so that area is where they spend their money.

[@arfermo853]

Glouster road is alive and thriving brilliant shopping

[@bobbuilder3687]

Welconr to mass migration. Import 3rd world get 3rd world

[@pantheraleo4170]

Clifton won't be vibrant for long. My friend ran a hair salon, she moved out of Clifton Village to the Triangle as foot traffic became less since Labour council was messing around with parking in the village and closing off roads, then expanding permit zones, other businesses are looking to move too and that boarded up eye sore ex-WHsmiths has been knocked down and replaced with eye sore graffiti and poster boarding with some posters saying premium retail units available but nothing has been built!

[@diro999]

I think the south of the UK is in dire need of an econmic do-over, its wayyy too expensive compared to other parts of the country and you dont even get much better living other than a few nice beaches not too far away and a slightly warmer summer. Ive been thinking of heading up the country so I can actually afford to live and afford to actually indulge in local shops, pubs and restaurants.

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Only trouble with the North is that it’s “Upp Narrth”.

[@johnross2924]

The North is grim too 😩

[@JK-cd1ye]

Nice parts of Manchester, Leeds etc are really pricey these days too unfortunately.

[@stephenguppy7882]

I lived in Bristol for 30 years and left in 2018. I now live by the coast. It was dreadful when I left and under Marvin Rees I expect it got worse and worse.

[@RushfanUK]

The way in which councils have worked hard to stop people driving into city centres in the name of clean air has just destroyed retail in cities, I live 20 minutes outside of a city centre and haven't bothered for 6 years now driving in as it is just so tedious to try to with all the changes that have been made, I buy virtually everything online now, even my weekly groceries are online and delivered, I have a nine year old car that has only done 22,900 miles because of this.

[@lemming9984]

I am a big browser. I'd go into Broadmead every week, and browse M&S and Debenhams, often buying something I didn't know I needed! Both have now gone, and I only go in for Specsavers annual appointment, and maybe HMV. The Mayor is determined to destroy the city with braindead anti-motoring schemes.

[@MrJudgementday99]

I used to live and work in Bristol and even in the 1990’s Broadmead could be violent in the daytime, one of my female colleagues got punched by a homeless man in the Center, he just walked up to her and punched her and then walked away and no-one stopped him. He was later arrested for stabbing someone, obviously punching was enough. It has always had a violent side to it. All the lads from the surrounding towns used to come in on the weekends, and it would kick off. I think since I left 13 years ago the council has accelerated the demise of the Center of Bristol, I blame the people of Bristol for this. Bristolians consider themselves as the most woke and environmentally friendly people in Briton. There are consequences to this. The most obvious is that it destroys the center of the city, makes the place incredibly expensive to live in, has the highest percentage of private school, and crime is increasing. Well the people voted for this and still support it, so you reap what you sew. Until the voters work out that the mayor is corrupt and incompetent things will not change.

[@Malky24]

I remember walking around Bedminster about 15 years ago and saw a guy with a Stanley knife half-hidden up his sleeve. There was a police car about 50 yards down the road so I went to tell them and noticed they were in a bookies talking to someone. I told them there was a guy wandering around the streets with a knife and they said they couldn't do anything because they had to take a statement from the woman who worked there. Turns out the bookies had been held up by a guy with a knife. You couldn't make it up. I think the main problem is that there are hardly any coppers nowadays and a lot of the ones we do have are just shit at their jobs.

[@rjy8960]

I used to work and live part-time in Brizzle in 2006 and it was a nice city. I used to work on Park Street. Not been there since and it doesn't sound like I should be making a bee-line to return to. The aggressive thing seems to be a Bristolian thing - there has always been an underlying passive aggression within the community. You should do Sutton Coldfield - I grew up there and it used to be nice. Now as you walk up towards the Parade past the bus stops on Lower parade past the dead pub and decaying Sainsbury Centre you are met with the illuminated sign above "Taco Bell" - an open store nestled between the shells of shops that were Beaverbrooks, Top Man, Burtons, BHS, Mark and Spencers, Dixons Electrical (I think it's now a Craphone Warehouse or maybe another coffee shop, fast food outlet, estate agents or charity shop) It's sad how almost all of our towns have been destroyed by sky-high rents and crap or bent corporate management. I spend quite a lot of time in Germany and all of the towns that I've been to or spend time in are thriving with both chain stores and small independents including beautiful craft shops and niche interest stores. What is left in the Uk is full of self-serve checkouts and staff who are more interested in what's going on in their navel or who is shagging who in the underwear department rather than what the customers want. Britain - it's a bit shit.

[@blue2thebonebluesband970]

My wife is disabled. There’s no free blue badge parking and we’ve stopped shopping in Bristol preferring instead to travel to Gloucester and Cheltenham. Recently whilst delivering a chair to my father in laws care facility in Winscombe and with a hold up on the M5 we drove down to the outskirts of Bristol, crossing across the edge of the ULEZ area. Unable to turn off the dual carriageway we had to travel 400m into the zone. Despite my wife being disabled we were fined £60. I was born and raised in Bristol and I now feel an alien in my own home town…I will never go back into Bristol again. Reece is an absurd knob womble 😡

[@neilparkin5153]

Have politicians ever been more out of touch with the lives of normal people..?

[@johnmac8084]

I remember when Marvin Rees was first campaigning to be mayor, he said, or implied, that he was going to be car friendly and reverse the 20mph speed restrictions!

[@smudger671]

He's a waste of space.

[@Jorduan100]

Nice summary. I'm a 10 year resident who has since moved to the nearby towns. Having walked through broadmead and the edge of castle park a couple of days ago, I quickly realised "I dont miss this place at all" I hate E scooters with a passion. Sweet drone shots too.

[@leoderbyshire1076]

You said everything i said when the then clean air zones were added. Just coucals cashing in but there actually doing more damage than good. Your videos are brilliant, your scripts are hilarious, there actually very useful to when it comes to property buying and employment to those of us thinking of moving to new places. I hope you continue to grow. keep up the epic work mateinterduceed

[@Habu2]

One of the comments mentions students.....they bring nothing to a city apart from keeping pubs afloat and a high rental market.

[@stephenhenning2538]

Love your vids, sadly I think Bristol is no different to many UK Towns since Covid. It's cheaper & easier to shop online & drink at home. I recently left the burbs of SE London & am moving to Exeter for a bigger house & less traffic.

[@carlwilson3482]

I worked on Broadmead back in the mid 90s for 3 months on the C&A shop which was getting built. What a great town it was back then and what a great place to visit but now, i would pass it by without a second though along with most towns these days. The trouble with all this enviromental stuff thesedays is that its destroying the enviroment