Living in or around Plymouth

[craigxcraig]

My best mate was killed in Plymouth - on a night out. There was a spate where people were getting their heads kicked in by a gang of lads who would pull up in a car and thought it funny to kick the shit out of someone.

My best mate was out and about, approx 10.30pm about to head home (just married and wife had recently given birth) when 3 lads pulled up in a car, got out punched him once in the face whereupon he fell backwards and smacked his head on the concrete. The hospital turned his life support machine off a week later.

Plymouth is a fackin hole and my memories of the place are that its a very violent city, have seen girls getting their heads punched in by a group of guys, homophobic attacks, random violence all over the place - not occasionally, this was from Wednesday night through to Sunday!

I did hear (someone may verify) but by all accounts Derriford Hospital now have a medical field tent at weekends, at the bottom of Union Street!

 

[nightowl]

I did hear (someone may verify) but by all accounts Derriford Hospital now have a medical field tent at weekends, at the bottom of Union Street!

it does. avoid union street like the plague

 

[Skim]

Sorry to hear about your mate Craig, that's tragic.

Union Street isn't pretty, but in Plymouth's defence, random drink-fuelled violence happens every night in cities and towns all over the country

 

[t0bytoo]

Thanks for all your replies (and chit chat).

I arrived in Plymouth today and will be leaving in the morning. The dive business I was looking at is a non-starter.

It's pissing down with rain outside, which, I reckon, is the best way to get an overview of what a place would be like for living in.

Not a very pretty place, is it?

 

[Idaho]

Yeah my impressions are that it's a hole, but I didn't want to say. However there are loads of places around that are nicer. Don't give it up just yet, just extend your search.

 

[Poot]

This thread is making me sad.

I'm sorry about your mate, Craig. Really, that's a horrific tragedy and there are some total fuckwits in the world. It was an indefensible act.

But Plymouth is not all bad. I never thought I would ever defend the place, to be honest, but it has improved no end in the two years I've been here. There are places I would avoid, Union Street being top of the list (yes there is a field hospital there) but there is also the Barbican, the Hoe, some great new restaurants, a shopping centre which opens this week, and a general sense that people are finally starting to take some pride in the place. If I was going to invest anywhere, I would invest in somewhere like Plymouth because there's a lot of regeneration here and I've just heard of a huge new development that has the green light.

Obviously it's far from perfect, and no it's not pretty. It was bombed massively in the second world war and rebuilt hurriedly. But it's definitely getting better.

 

[fractionMan]

Truth be told, I had a great time growing up in plymouth. There was a wicked rave scene for one thing.

I live in bath now, but growing up here must be really fucking dull.

 

[Roadkill]

I haven't been to Plymouth for a long time, but I've a friend from there who says its great.

On the other hand, she and I studied together at Hull Uni: she described Hull as the one and only city with an uglier centre than Plymouth! Not that that's surprising, since Hull got the post-war rebuilding plan that Plymouth turned down! In fact, there are a lot of similarities between the two cities. Both are quite isolated, of a similar size, dominated by maritime indutries of one sort or another, and both were flattened in the war.

I'd like to visit again. Since I love Hull I'd probably feel quite at home there!

 

[craigxcraig]

Thanks for comments re my good friend - very much missed (only just saw this thread again and saw your comments!) I was in Plymouth myself for about three years and I did have a great time - though the threat of violence at all hours has given me a poor view.