Got any tabs, mate?
I spent some time in Blackpool town centre today, shopping for my hollibops in a couple of weeks, and I wondered – why is everyone here a chav? Why is everyone here fat? Why is everyone here drunk?
If they are not drinking from cans of Special Brew, they’re striding through crowds like Liam Gallacher wielding a McDonalds bag, bumping into you without even looking back. In doorways, the tracksuits are loitering with intent in large groups with their baseball caps perched on their shaven heads, they’re swearing like troopers and they look scummy, cheap, and uncouth. And not even a PCSO in sight.
The crux of this is the fact that Blackpool’s socioeconomic problems have not been addressed by successive Councils. Schools are still bad. Truancy is still high. The main causes of reduced life expectancy are still drink and drug related. Business is still being driven away from the town by reduced demand and hideous parking charges complete with neo-Nazi traffic wardens.
The Council have battered anyone that dares to think they’re middle class with tax hikes and service reductions, whilst allowing employers to disappear off the face of the earth after facing up to unassisted rent and business rates in conjunction with collapsed demand.
I can’t for the life of me understand why the Council has been so ignorant on the core problems, yet is happy to commit almost half a billion on some new office blocks for town hall workers and a tram line that only the odd tourist uses. For me, it shows they either don’t care or they are so out of touch that they don’t realise what is important to us.
This is a view that was reinforced only the other day when it was revealed that Blackpool South Conservatives had taken a secret £5000 donation from Kensington Developments. Kensington want to build 600 houses on Blackpool South land, but locals are fiercely protestant.
Anyway, following my shopping experience today I will restrict my spending to Preston and Manchester in future, where I don’t have to associate with the scum of the earth if I want to buy anything.
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This is a view that was reinforced only the other day when it was revealed that Blackpool South Conservatives had taken a secret £5000 donation from Kensington Developments. Kensington want to build 600 houses on Blackpool South land, but locals are fiercely protestant.
Mmm… I don’t remember seeing any plans for a Catholic place of worship as part of the development :/
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Was waiting for that, haha. Perhaps I should reword it, but I can’t be arsed!
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I wonder if those tracksuits are fire-retardant?
The temptation to wander around the town centre armed with a can of hairspray and a lighter is overwhelming at times.
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I was thinking more of filling a super-soaker with petrol and going on a rampage.
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Well if you’re going to do that, why not hire out a Transit van, too?
We can do drive-bys of Central Drive and Dickson Road.
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I think the Pleasure Beach attracts a lot. On the train to Blackpool South on Saturday it was full of lads drinking massive numbers of cans of special brew going to the damned place. If they went on rides there must have been a good chance they’d hurl during it.
I wouldn’t go to Preston though – Bolton is much better.
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Well a couple of years ago myself and my brother paid a visit to the Pleasure Beach after one or two sherbets and they wouldn’t sell us any tickets.
We were gutted!
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Best thing we can do is create a Princes Trust type set up and get their energies involved with music, art, business etc. Some of these kids will have talent it just needs to be awoken.
God that makes me sound liberal but it just shows I’m not all stick, there is some carrot in me as well.
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Zim – I do think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Whilst I believe in punishing kids that do wrong – once the punishment is up they should be free to join in with the good kids on any scheme that gives them the opportunity to make something of themselves or do good for their community. They’ve been ignored far too long – and that’s why they mess up.
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I think all kids should have opportunities opened to them – not just the little bastards who have decided to misbehave and use their social background as an excuse to cause trouble.
When your family works, obeys the law, pays its taxes and acts as a good neighbour, you can guarantee its children will get sweet F A for the trouble of being brought up properly and behaving as civilised people.
I mean, fuck… If some little shit is qualified with 8 ASBOs and gets to go on trips and holidays, then all the others should get a fortnight out in the Seychelles!
Of course people should be given second chances – and third chances and so on – but we don’t reward good behaviour -it’s just expected – so why should we reward people who are still working towards getting to that point? By all means, give encouragement and support, but don’t reward it with grandiose prizes.
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That seems to be how society has changed. If you’re good, you get nothing, if you’re bad, you get everything.
Remember those brainless schemes to pay kids in HMV vouchers for going to school?! Bonkers.
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Or the one they had that bribed kids a token amount of money to stay in further education?
Ohh, wait! That’ll be the Education Maintenance Allowance that is still in operation.
At least it’ll be on its way out now that The Government have deigned that kids will be madatorily imprisoned in our educational establishments until 18.
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I would love to bring back places like Belsen (Pontins, lol) for these morons, where is Adolf Hitler now, when we need him most?
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