Since pedestrianisation and out of town shopping centres, Worksop town centre has died a slow painful death. **Buy me a coffee www.buymeacoffee.com/timawells **
You can understand the benefits of 'out of town' shopping centres, but the demise of the high street due to idiotic ./ corrupt council decisions leads me to think they must be planning the demise. The amount of street furniture is ridiculous, If I had hindsight I would have invested in a sign manufacturing company, or CCTV !
Retford didn't it different. They have the supermarkets next to their town centre, no out of town and they have a thriving High St Mark. I won't touch Meadowhall etc. I would prefer one drive into a town centre and then walk around.
it's a strange situation. They seem to want (allegedly) the high street to improve, but by banning all cars. It seems the more they ban cars the worse the high street becomes. A viscous cycle that is a race to the bottom. At least a few people may make money out of the failed white elephant projects... @@timawells
Notts Boy Great video Tim, but sad to see the old place shrouded in such an air of apparent neglect and decay with all those empty premises and so quiet now, like a ghost town, compared to how I remember it from growing up there during the fifties and sixties. The toy shop on Gateford Road was originally Len Hibberd's (a 'proper' toy shop) and the cinema on Carlton Road was The Regal. We also had The Gaiety cinema, on the right hand side of Bridge Street as you walk down the hill, The Savoy, which was originally in Victoria Square, and The Essoldo at the junction of Newcastle Avenue and Hardy Street. There was also the Palais de Danse on Newcastle Avenue and most the pubs in the town were open and thriving, so we weren't short of entertainment back then. Thanks for posting, it brought back so many fond memories, keep up the good work and let's hope that things pick up for Wassup soon.
Thanks Bob I would love to be posting positive content of the town I remember when it was alive and kicking. I am told 80 pubs gone, but I can't believe the number of cinemas it once had for a small town. I went to the last performance of the Regal. My mother says I went in before it was made into smaller cinemas. But I remember going to watch Live and Let die in one of the smaller screens and getting in as Bond was escaping across crocodiles, we had to wait and watch the beginning bit.
Great vid Tim, Worksop has taken a dive like most places these days, we remember it being a really vibrant place...sad,and unfortunately it won't come back from it's current state. 17 million won't scratch the surface really! Take care Tim ok.👍🍻
Hi Sam. Its not improved in the 4 years since lockdown. Doesn't help that all those new houses on the bypass probably shop at Meadowhell. 17 million spent on the wrong things.
I travelled around the UK in the early 90s updating Midland bank branch communications. All these branches I refitted no longer exist and the towns have all been butchered. Poultry our flag ship branch in the City is now a hotel.
Still got lots of lovely old world buildings but, you are right, what a disaster pedestrianisation was for all town centres. It was to get parking charges off the public. It would have been interesting to count how many empty shop units, banks & pubs. Nice walk Tim.
It was fantastic once Miss Havisham. Used to go Saturday afternoon shopping there rather than Sheffield. Carlton Rd has a lot of Old world buildings and a beautiful train station.
On the subject of empty shops, I understand the business rates still have to be paid even when they are empty. The council would blame the government (who set the rates) but this is one reason they quickly turn the empty shop (which has no future) into accommodation. They pay for empty shops and get no rent. I always think free parking would seem like a good idea. I bet in many cases the parking enforcement costs more than they get in parking fees. Although automation may help them here. Basically it seem they are doing everything to accelerate the demise of the high street.
Excellent video Worksop should spend most of that funding on flood defences and improvements. Flooding is happening every couple of years these days in the town centre. The new barber shops in Worksop appeared very quickly. Money-laundering is the probable motivation, because the barbers rarely seem busy and there are so many of them. I remember Lockside when it was Morgans, a huge two floor hardware store, Frank Godfrey's shop was a fixture in the town for many years as well, until Wilkos moved in to a big store and killed off the local businesses. The Skills Hub building was also the Worksop Jobcentre for many years until it moved to the Bassetlaw Council's Queen's Buildings on Potter Street. It's the King Edward pub on Ryton Street, the Marquis was near the Jobcentreplus office. Apparently, the Lion Hotel has a room which you can book/stay in and there is a tunnel underground from that room to the Welbeck Estate. I totally agree with you about the market, they should have let some stalls stay at the top end of town. All the corporations are at the other end, which is exactly where they moved the market to. The corporations are killing small businesses.
I grew up in Worksop in the 80s and 90s and remember the town centre being a thriving place. The mine(s) closing was a big hit for Worksop and the area and I think places like Meadowhall didn't town centres like Worksop any favours. Great video though pal.
Marquis of Granby was next to Co-op on corner of Watson Rd before they demolished it and built what is now Skills hub. I think it's King Edward on junction with Ryton St and Watson Rd.
It was, I remember it as a teenager living in the town centre. Jobcentreplus was there also, in the noughties mainly, but they moved it to the council offices a few years ago.
You can understand the benefits of 'out of town' shopping centres, but the demise of the high street due to idiotic ./ corrupt council decisions leads me to think they must be planning the demise. The amount of street furniture is ridiculous, If I had hindsight I would have invested in a sign manufacturing company, or CCTV !
Retford didn't it different. They have the supermarkets next to their town centre, no out of town and they have a thriving High St Mark. I won't touch Meadowhall etc. I would prefer one drive into a town centre and then walk around.
it's a strange situation. They seem to want (allegedly) the high street to improve, but by banning all cars. It seems the more they ban cars the worse the high street becomes. A viscous cycle that is a race to the bottom. At least a few people may make money out of the failed white elephant projects... @@timawells
Notts Boy
Great video Tim, but sad to see the old place shrouded in such an air of apparent neglect and decay with all those empty premises and so quiet now, like a ghost town, compared to how I remember it from growing up there during the fifties and sixties. The toy shop on Gateford Road was originally Len Hibberd's (a 'proper' toy shop) and the cinema on Carlton Road was The Regal. We also had The Gaiety cinema, on the right hand side of Bridge Street as you walk down the hill, The Savoy, which was originally in Victoria Square, and The Essoldo at the junction of Newcastle Avenue and Hardy Street. There was also the Palais de Danse on Newcastle Avenue and most the pubs in the town were open and thriving, so we weren't short of entertainment back then. Thanks for posting, it brought back so many fond memories, keep up the good work and let's hope that things pick up for Wassup soon.
Thanks Bob I would love to be posting positive content of the town I remember when it was alive and kicking. I am told 80 pubs gone, but I can't believe the number of cinemas it once had for a small town. I went to the last performance of the Regal. My mother says I went in before it was made into smaller cinemas. But I remember going to watch Live and Let die in one of the smaller screens and getting in as Bond was escaping across crocodiles, we had to wait and watch the beginning bit.
Great vid Tim, Worksop has taken a dive like most places these days, we remember it being a really vibrant place...sad,and unfortunately it won't come back from it's current state. 17 million won't scratch the surface really! Take care Tim ok.👍🍻
Hi Sam. Its not improved in the 4 years since lockdown. Doesn't help that all those new houses on the bypass probably shop at Meadowhell. 17 million spent on the wrong things.
I only been to Worksop once , still plenty of places I want to visit
I travelled around the UK in the early 90s updating Midland bank branch communications. All these branches I refitted no longer exist and the towns have all been butchered. Poultry our flag ship branch in the City is now a hotel.
Thanks Tim , good video xxx
Hopefully in the future Linda I can go back and film our booming High St. XX
Still got lots of lovely old world buildings but, you are right, what a disaster pedestrianisation was for all town centres. It was to get parking charges off the public.
It would have been interesting to count how many empty shop units, banks & pubs. Nice walk Tim.
It was fantastic once Miss Havisham. Used to go Saturday afternoon shopping there rather than Sheffield. Carlton Rd has a lot of Old world buildings and a beautiful train station.
On the subject of empty shops, I understand the business rates still have to be paid even when they are empty. The council would blame the government (who set the rates) but this is one reason they quickly turn the empty shop (which has no future) into accommodation. They pay for empty shops and get no rent. I always think free parking would seem like a good idea. I bet in many cases the parking enforcement costs more than they get in parking fees. Although automation may help them here. Basically it seem they are doing everything to accelerate the demise of the high street.
Couldn't agree more Mark.@@markosmith8037
carrier bags being banned was a nail in the coffin in my opinion. I have never seen so much litter in the countryside and in towns. @sMansGuitars
The Tiger Pub was once called The Cottage Restaurant. A friend mines parents ran it in the mid to late 80’s
I remember Thursday nights in Worksop. The nightclub what was in the now Priory Centre was Rockfords. £2 entry and 60p a pint. I left Worksop in 1988.
I think it was Annabels when I went there in the early 80s.
Hi mate cracking video thanks
Thanks Andy. But I want to be producing future videos where we have turned things around.
Excellent video
Worksop should spend most of that funding on flood defences and improvements. Flooding is happening every couple of years these days in the town centre.
The new barber shops in Worksop appeared very quickly. Money-laundering is the probable motivation, because the barbers rarely seem busy and there are so many of them. I remember Lockside when it was Morgans, a huge two floor hardware store, Frank Godfrey's shop was a fixture in the town for many years as well, until Wilkos moved in to a big store and killed off the local businesses. The Skills Hub building was also the Worksop Jobcentre for many years until it moved to the Bassetlaw Council's Queen's Buildings on Potter Street. It's the King Edward pub on Ryton Street, the Marquis was near the Jobcentreplus office. Apparently, the Lion Hotel has a room which you can book/stay in and there is a tunnel underground from that room to the Welbeck Estate. I totally agree with you about the market, they should have let some stalls stay at the top end of town. All the corporations are at the other end, which is exactly where they moved the market to. The corporations are killing small businesses.
Thank you. Yes it was the King Edward. The town was once so full of life.
10.52, that empty shop used to be a Army recruiting office?
So much has gone. I remember buying my first hifi from Curries on the High st and parking outside to load it in the car with my dad.
I grew up in Worksop in the 80s and 90s and remember the town centre being a thriving place. The mine(s) closing was a big hit for Worksop and the area and I think places like Meadowhall didn't town centres like Worksop any favours. Great video though pal.
Thanks Chris. I am sure more of those on the Gateford estate could show more loyalty to Worksop.
Such a shame how the town centre is today.... I relocated here from Staffordshire 22 years ago...definitely has deteriorated... such a shame ..
94 was the year it went downhill fast. By 2000 I no longer wanted to work in Sheffield.
The biggest dilemma in building new houses I guess is that “knocking down or preserving as it is”
If they were building new stuff that looked good we wouldn't object, but each generation builds worse stuff.
is there a memorial plaque on Barclays to murdered policeman?
That plaque is on the street in front of Barclays. I noticed it last year. I think it was 1974.
Marquis of Granby was next to Co-op on corner of Watson Rd before they demolished it and built what is now Skills hub. I think it's King Edward on junction with Ryton St and Watson Rd.
Thanks.
Barclays has been closed for some time. They even removed the cash machine that was in the wall to rub it in.
I didn't know that. I thought it had been done up for that reason.
Everything started to go downhill after 2000-Everything
I am a Sheffielder but Worksop was my next town from 1966.
skillshub was a mcdonalds in the 80's?
Yes. I am surprised it wasn't cost effective there. I don't use Mcdonalds myself.
It was, I remember it as a teenager living in the town centre. Jobcentreplus was there also, in the noughties mainly, but they moved it to the council offices a few years ago.
Bloody hell a bit different from fifty years ago and not for the better by the looks of it. 😔
I remember from 1966 as a 2 year old on the Wednesday market day.
An unbiased unemotional appraisal of a town in decline.
I would love to be positive, my 2nd town after Sheffield.