Friday 24 June 2011

No Truth Please, We’re Accringtonites!

Stuart Maconie, a BBC 6 Music presenter and a regular on TV, travelled to Hyndburn while writing Hope and Glory to retrace the history of the Accrington Pals, who fought in the First World War.

However, the book paints a less-than-flattering portrait of the town today, complaining of ‘pallid youths’, ‘chain-smoking women’, graffiti and the prevalance of shops like Cash Converters that offer payday loans.
Sounds a lot like Southend!
Maconie writes: “The main street is a crowded, unlovely hotchpotch of cheap shops, minicab offices and fast-food outlets that can fur your arteries just by looking at their logos and a few desultory and cheerless pubs.”
Oh, no, not really that much like it, then. We mostly have coffee shops…

But the description hasn’t gone down well with the worthies in Accrington:
Michael Whewell, a chamber of trade member and owner of Whewells of Accrington in Bridge Street, said: “I live and work in Accrington and it is not very comforting to have these sorts of comments from outsiders. It is insulting.

“The town centre has had its problems but we have tried to improve its image.

“Cash Converters is a national chain. We also have a Costa Coffee and a Marks and Spencer but I notice he doesn’t mention those.”
Wow! A Marks and Spencer AND a Costa Coffee! Accrington’s going up!
Hyndburn Council leader Miles Parkinson added: “We would all like to be like Knightsbridge or Monte Carlo but we are a hard-working town that’s going through change to make it better.

“It is very easy to knock from the outside.”
The comments – usually vociferous in condemning the outside, are surprisingly in favour of Mr Maconie’s outlook, though...

6 comments:

spud pie said...

The town centre is a bit rough and over enriched but the surrounding area is beautiful. Rolling countryside and gorgeous little villages. Plus fantastic old Victorian villas at knock down prices.

English Viking said...

Could be describing almost anywhere North of Watford, really.

Anonymous said...

It sounds better than Bracknell (The Crappiest New Town In The South TM) - we haven't even got a Cash Converters!

JuliaM said...

"The town centre is a bit rough and over enriched but the surrounding area is beautiful."

Often the way with a lot of those 'North of Watford' towns, isn't it?

"It sounds better than Bracknell (The Crappiest New Town In The South TM) - we haven't even got a Cash Converters!"

You're a 'Deprived areas', then, clearly!

Greencoat said...

Maconie is one of those brain-dead Lefties who sees the world that he and his kind have created and then has the gall to complain about it.

Mark said...

Greencoat- spot on.

The Lancs. Telegraph writes- 'Wigan-born Maconie has written for NME and Q magazine and now lives in the West Midlands.'

Hmm... now would that be inner city Birmingham, Tipton, Bilston...or somwhere in leafy Shropshire ? Answers on a postcard please to-

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