The SHOCKING Demise Of Portsmouth’s Commercial Road HIGH STREET

[@Gunnerholic]

I remember being chased out of the Cascades by a security guard when I was making a film for my media studies course as a student in Portsmouth 20 years ago. Now everyone is filming everyone its kind of hard to believe there was an era where people were suspicious of cameras. Its a shame the game shop opposite Wilko has gone, memories of buying loads of Dreamcast games dirt cheap with my student loan. Nice bit of nostalgia watching this, cheers!

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Yeah now there is no expected privacy in a public place so anyone can film anything and anyone without comeback. Which is all a bit strange isn’t it. But makes for good videos I suppose.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

And yes Gamestation across from Wilko was great.

[@ElzevereBlock]

Punctuation wasn't on that course you took then? 'Oh sorry, you're probably under 40 and won't know what "punctuation" is?

[@ScottReviewsThings]

No need to be a cunt is there?

[@Anon-vu2jx]

90% of UK town centres look like this now, in my town centre even the Poundland has shut down. Homeless sleeping in boarded up shop doorways, drug addicts begging outside Greggs, refugees loitering around doing nothing, Britain is close to becoming a failed state.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

You’ve made some absolutely blinding points. And I cannot disagree with anything you’re saying.

[@Brad_Evans92]

Shame how the country has gone down hill , bloody depressing isn’t it ☹️

[@nectafarious8842]

It's not that bad apart from Arundel Street. They should have kept the canal basin there. When I lived in Copnor 50 years ago, I could drive down Arundel Street from St. Mary's Road, turn left down Commercial Road at LDB (Landport Drapery Bazaar), under the railway bridge, past the Guildhall and down to Old Portsmouth for a pint in the Still and West. Long gone days...

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Thank you for sharing. Always interesting to hear people’s bygone days memories.

[@kellymelrose8527]

this is happening everywhere ...im from Bournemouth ... it breaks my heart to see what a total shithole its become ..ruined by the council the university and immigration ..the "great reset " is well underway

[@ScottReviewsThings]

A lot of people have said the same sadly.

[@Charlieb6308]

Looks like some dystopian wasteland. This is what happens with poor government, poor local government, too much immigration, too many students, lack of policing and zero investment looks like. Sad

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Absolutely spot on.

[@waykiwayki]

Everyone buys online.....sooo....in 2 years these high streets will be boarded up - save for a few cafes / coworking spaces. Business rates are off the charts (inc tax / nat ins etc).

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Nailed it.

[@jaybeemods]

Hello Scott, I'm also sadly a Pompey lad myself. Great little tour you've done here. I'm amazed you didn't capture any seasonal shoplifters being jumped on after leaving without paying or even a couple of drunken rival wineos trying to have a fight over something very trivial. I remember back when the Cascades was actually good and had a nice food court. Sad times. You must have caught Commercial Road on a good day! When is the grand tour of Fratton Road/North End? lol

[@ScottReviewsThings]

@@jaybeemods if you notice the sped up bit. That was where someone was trying to sell me knocked off perfume 🤣🤣

[@jaybeemods]

@@ScottReviewsThings I didn't notice that on the first watch! looooool

[@ScottReviewsThings]

@@jaybeemods I’ll do north end and Fratton next week if I get and chance. Probably have my phone nicked.

[@jaybeemods]

@@ScottReviewsThings Awesome! Look forward to it. :)

[@SharikaOnofrio]

Fratton has been taken over by Muslims

[@leeallsopp5152]

I loved this walk around with you Scott.. its a shame isnt it vut i do love walking in towns this time of year.. i wsnt to get upto York at some point. my local/homegrowntown centre is Cambridge which is luckily still decent.. but then as im from Huntingdon 15 mins the other way is unfortunately Peterborough... which is dead/dangerous as you know 😅

[@ScottReviewsThings]

This was completely off the cuff mate. And to be fair it wasn’t a bad day down there. No mugging or shop lifting spotted. 🤣🤣 Yeah. Peterborough was an experience shall we say 🤣

[@leeallsopp5152]

@ScottReviewsThings hahaha awesome mate. Keep up the great content Scott 💙

[@donsswitchlite8178]

This is my home town, it's gone down hill bad, I remember the tricorn ect, the only nice place in Pompey to visit is Southsea seafront and gunwharf to look at the boats, me and Mrs was down Pompey town the other day and we said the Christmas market has got smaller, I remember the bowl Plex in town and remember when it was decent down there, I feel like online shopping has a lot to the high streets decline, towns will probably be Primark, charity shops, and vape shops and mobile phone case stores, it's shame really, same as north end that's badly declined as well

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Cheers don. Yep it is a depressing place now isn’t it. I’ve lived here all my life and have seen so much come and go. The amount of neon bloody vape shops is migraine enduring now.

[@deggstoid]

Dare I say... it doesn't look too bad...just needs a few more butcher shops and some green grocers (and maybe the odd craft beer shop inbetween) and you'll be sorted!

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Now that sounds pretty good to be fair. It’s a hell hole at night though. So would probably have the craft beer place destroyed in 30 mins flat 🤣

[@TedJM]

Pompey city centre isn't awful, it just needs a good tidying up and a little bit of love put into the upkeep. that would make it way nicer to just tart it up a bit

[@ScottReviewsThings]

The Arundel street area is terrible. Someone has said it’s going to be housing or fiats which is mental. The rest is vape shops or phone shops now. Remember when Woolworths, Littlewoods, BHS, C&A, M&S etc used to be in there.

[@TedJM]

@ScottReviewsThings if you want to know what Arundel street will be, look up Jubilee Place Portsmouth on Google

[@MrRQBQ]

I get the impression that, as a shopping centre, Commercial Road is doomed. Nowadays there are very few attractions in the city centre, not even a cinema, and a far better alternative is the waterfront at Portsea where Gunwharf Quays has top of the range shopping, tenpin bowling, multiplex cinema, casino etc. Also, in the same vicinity there is the historic dockyard, main train station with services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight, the city bus station and plenty of hotels.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Spot on mate. There is NOTHING that would draw anyone to commercial Road anymore. Well. Unless you like migraine enducing neon vape shops that is.

[@MrRQBQ]

@@ScottReviewsThings I no longer live in Portsmouth but I always tell people if they want to visit the city then it's Gunwharf for shopping, Osborne Rd/Palmerston Rd Southsea for dining and Albert Rd for a good old fashioned pub crawl. Anywhere except the City Centre.

[@barryhodges4821]

Went through there on my way home yesterday morning. The bit from the fountain up towards where U Need Us was is really depressing. Didn't know Debenhams was being turned into more flats, just what we need, not. 🤨

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Just the shits now mate.

[@tomwilliams7391]

It looks really similar to Plymouth where I'm currrently living. Portsmouth being closer to London doesn't seem to make much difference, it's like all the wealth stops at the M25. I moved to Plymouth for cheaper rents about 3 years ago from Reading. The town centre in Reading isn't perfect, but was shocked the first time I explored Plymouth city centre. Do they still make an effort with the waterfront in Portsmouth, I remember going there in about 1995 and it was really nice then.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

No real effort at all in Portsmouth TOM. Well maybe in Gunwharf. But I’m not rich so cannot really afford to shop there. Gunwharf is directly responsible for the downfall of the high street in Portsmouth.

[@Paul_Greenwood_]

Looks like any other high street shopping area up and down the country, same shops, same boarded up buildings, some abandoned looking bits..internet shopping has killed it all.. home bargains and B&M everywhere doing same stuff.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

So sad to see Paul isn’t it mate. A depressing fall. Used to love walking around the high street. Now there is sod all. And you’re right. Home bargain. B&M. Matalans. Curry’s. All the bloody same shops on these shopping estates now. Costa. Greggs. Blah blah blah.

[@Paul_Greenwood_]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@ScottReviewsThingsthat’s it pal..ohh a new retail park in Warrington..it’s costa, Lidl and McDonald’s as if there isn’t enough already 😂

[@bikewreck85]

Brings back memories going down town after tizwaz, dressed in the height of skinhead fashion . swapping labels in Shirt King, then down to the stalls down Charlotte Street and the Tricorn. What was that punk fashion shop at the end of town on the roundabout. Them were the days.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Ah I remember the punk place. Cannot remember of the name of it though ffs.

[@bikewreck85]

@@ScottReviewsThings BONDAGE IN GENERAL, Portsmouth's own punk 'boutique' at the top of Commercial Road.

[@rickyweatherill6021]

If you think that's bad come to Scarborough 😅, we do have some good pubs though and the seafront so not all bad.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

A lot of people have said how bad their places are. It’s madness isn’t it Ricky

[@rickyweatherill6021]

@ScottReviewsThings it's shocking, country's on its ass.

[@WhalesOfWallStreet]

Good thing its having a multi million revamp in the coming years

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Let’s see how that goes. Bet it’s still shit.

[@arma21regency]

This looks amazing compared to where I live

[@ScottReviewsThings]

@@arma21regency 🤣🤣 whereabouts are you

[@arma21regency]

@ I live in Corby but work in Northampton, the only decent thing near me is Milton Keynes

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Wandas family are from the Northampton area. Don’t think I’ve ever been.

[@Charlieb6308]

Are you in Kabul 😮

[@ScottReviewsThings]

@ 🤣🤣🤣

[@robertbrightwell3799]

Great tour of a British town/city 2024. Most city’s are the same now, lots of reasons for this, shopping online is killing high streets, Fancy doing a tour of London city ? That’s interesting these days .

[@ScottReviewsThings]

We are back in London early January I may take a look then. Cheers Robert.

[@Sid-Cannon]

10:55 I like the Kier Starmer impression 😁

[@ScottReviewsThings]

😂😂😂

[@ispi_video_photo]

It's shocking how Portdsmouth has beem allowed to go this way. The Cascades was messed up years ago, and that so-called Christmas market is abyssmal. Living in Gosport, I'd love to pop over to Pompey, but West Quay and the Southampton Christmas market is far far better.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Complete waste of time now commercial road. And cascades is terrible. The old food court was great. But you’re right west quay is so much better.

[@leemaniac9091]

TBH I need to check out 3-4 shops you've highlighted. It's an unsafe feeling place these days but there's a couple of bright sparks I need to indulge in.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Oh what shops ? It’s a horrible experience there now mate. And don’t have the dosh to shop at gunwharf.

[@aronthompson9878]

Portsmouth Waterlooville Havant Leigh park all the same now even the pigeons have started to fly upside down as it's not worth shiting on it's a shame to see over the years it's slowly becoming derelict

[@ScottReviewsThings]

🤣🤣🤣

[@jasonpratt927]

Blimey, worse than Great Yarmouth near me in Norfolk and I thought that had gone downhill ! 😳

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Yeah Great Yarmouth is a dump as well Jason

[@parallelsuns1]

Most of those shops on Arundel street will become part of a mixed use mid rise/ tall building, Its not just Debenhams. Commercial road itself is actually not too bad for shops, it could be a lot worse

[@ScottReviewsThings]

The Arundel street area is just depressing now isn’t it

[@parallelsuns1]

@@ScottReviewsThings Arundel street is shite, there are signs it might half recover but who knows. The shop I miss the most is the Sainsburys supermarket to be honest though

[@AttillatheHun-ph5eu]

I've seen worse. Try Doncaster....

[@ScottReviewsThings]

🤣🤣🤣

[@andyk3412]

Poole High Street is terrible these days.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Yeah my dear old mum used to live in Poole. And it was depressing even back then Andy.

[@allyup3404]

Sadly the same the length and breadth of the country. Even the shops that are open are the same in every town.

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Spot on. No variation anywhere mate is there.

[@allyup3404]

Maybe you could review the Greggs Christmas offerings 🤔

[@ScottReviewsThings]

I did the festive bake last year. But it seems to be the same menu this year. The costa looks more interesting mate to be honest. Maybe I’ll take a look the weekend.

[@DarrenFinch]

haven't been down there a while yep i agree it looks like a dump now

[@ScottReviewsThings]

It’s a shit hole Darren.

[@xsm5525]

hi Scott, off topic but are you gonna be reviewing the 'new' KFC burger? think you might need a loan before you purchase it though!

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Are you on about the stuffing stacker? If so. Nah 🤣

[@xsm5525]

@@ScottReviewsThings yep.ah ok. to be fair the product is largely overpriced!

[@lukepayne6207]

So thats what the peoples from Portsmouth do then eat greggs and vape

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Yep. Pretty much 🤣🤣

[@jasonpratt927]

Jealous that you have a Wendy's tho ! 🍔😋

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Bloody expensive mate.

[@jasonpratt927]

Don't care I have always wanted to try it 😂

[@chrism8705]

You think it's bad there our pawn shop has closed 😂

[@ScottReviewsThings]

🤣🤣🤣

[@TheLyricalDavidJames]

Looks a lot like Swansea.

[@johnz4860]

All of this in the country that thinks it is too good to be in the EU!

[@ScottReviewsThings]

🤣🤣🤣

[@SharikaOnofrio]

Muslim city now

[@ScottReviewsThings]

Oooff