sidcow Posted March 22, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted March 22, 2022 (edited) 10 minutes ago, chrisp65 said: I’ve spent a good while studying it, literally stood there today in the sunshine. Far be it from me to dis Norman Foster, but it’s ok. Maybe back in the day it had a bit of the shock of the new, but no it actually wasn’t anything ‘new’ in concept. I’d gone and sought it out, if I hadn’t known it was a famous building, I’d have driven passed without noticing it. Youngest ever Grade 1 listed building. I would say it's an architectural version of modern art. If Norman Foster hadn't gone on to become such a "name" it would be just another building. I can confirm that the accounts people who work in it are every bit as shit as every other accounts team anywhere. Edited March 22, 2022 by sidcow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seat68 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 37 minutes ago, chrisp65 said: What is Britain’s most anonymous town? I guess it could be Swindon, but bloody hell, Ipswich would give it a run for its money. Just back from Ipswich and already I’ve forgotten most of it. Just no obvious…anything. Not a great building, a cafe quarter, surrounding landscape, canals. Just, meh. Unless someone can put me right and tell me what I’ve missed? I have a few to add to your shortlist, Corby, Coalville, Rugby, and Grimsby. Just all about, as you say, meh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Aren’t most medium to large towns pretty grim and meh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 8 minutes ago, Wainy316 said: Aren’t most medium to large towns pretty grim and meh? Superficially, yes. But they’ll have some redeeming feature. A decent river, a short walk to countryside, interesting architecture, a bloody decent record shop or a cafe quarter or just a **** cheese market or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam-AVFC Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 3 hours ago, sidcow said: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Building,_Ipswich The Willis Building (originally the Willis Faber & Dumas regional headquarters) in Ipswich, England, is one of the earliest buildings designed by Norman Foster and Wendy Cheesman after establishing Foster Associates. Constructed between 1970 and 1975 for the insurance firm now known as Willis Towers Watson, it is now seen as a landmark in the development of the 'high tech' architectural style. The building houses some 1,300 office staff in open-plan offices spread over three floors. Only one of Norman Fosters most famous buildings......... Although yes, it is just a black box. That even had its' thunder stolen as there's a new Willis building in London, right next to the Lloyd's building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 15 hours ago, Seat68 said: I have a few to add to your shortlist, Corby, Coalville, Rugby, and Grimsby. Just all about, as you say, meh. Corby isn't meh, it's one of the genuinely most unpleasant towns in the country. 'Meh' to me signifies somewhere a bit bland and unassuming, like Basingstoke or the aforementioned Swindon. If you had a scale from irredeemably shit on one side (eg Middlesbrough or Blackpool) to lovely on the other (Eg Stamford or Stow-on-the Wold) then the 'meh' towns belong in the middle. Corby is an utter shithole, a combination of old steelworks and associated industrial estates and a horrific town centre, populated mostly by violent Rangers and Celtic fans. It's a 9.5/10 on the horrible scale. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seat68 Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 2 minutes ago, Risso said: Corby isn't meh, it's one of the genuinely most unpleasant towns in the country. 'Meh' to me signifies somewhere a bit bland and unassuming, like Basingstoke or the aforementioned Swindon. If you had a scale from irredeemably shit on one side (eg Middlesbrough or Blackpool) to lovely on the other (Eg Stamford or Stow-on-the Wold) then the 'meh' towns belong in the middle. Corby is an utter shithole, a combination of old steelworks and associated industrial estates and a horrific town centre, populated mostly by violent Rangers and Celtic fans. It's a 9.5/10 on the horrible scale. I was being polite as I once spent a week in Corby and it was as bad as you say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted March 23, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted March 23, 2022 16 hours ago, chrisp65 said: What is Britain’s most anonymous town? I guess it could be Swindon, but bloody hell, Ipswich would give it a run for its money. Just back from Ipswich and already I’ve forgotten most of it. Just no obvious…anything. Not a great building, a cafe quarter, surrounding landscape, canals. Just, meh. Unless someone can put me right and tell me what I’ve missed? Has something happened to Milton Keynes to improve it? In my experience it’s a larger version of East Kilbride. Utterly soulless place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Where do all the smells go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Mandy Lifeboats Posted March 23, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted March 23, 2022 1 hour ago, Genie said: Where do all the smells go? St Andrews. 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted March 23, 2022 Moderator Share Posted March 23, 2022 17 hours ago, chrisp65 said: What is Britain’s most anonymous town? I guess it could be Swindon, but bloody hell, Ipswich would give it a run for its money. Just back from Ipswich and already I’ve forgotten most of it. Just no obvious…anything. Not a great building, a cafe quarter, surrounding landscape, canals. Just, meh. Unless someone can put me right and tell me what I’ve missed? I vote Southampton, it's a cultural desert, I've never found the city remotely interesting in any way If they could build a wall around it and not let anyone in or out, it wouldn't negatively impact anyone's lives 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 1 hour ago, choffer said: Has something happened to Milton Keynes to improve it? In my experience it’s a larger version of East Kilbride. Utterly soulless place. I grew up in Milton Keynes, and it's a bit of a mixed bag. It's soulless in that it doesn't have a proper town centre other than the central very-American looking mall, and most of the housing estates are a bit identi-kit. But it was decades ahead of its time in a lot of ways, like dedicated off road cycle paths everywhere, planting a million+ trees, and having "green" housing. You're never that far from a park or green space in MK. If you know where to look it incorporated quite a few nice old villages as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 17 hours ago, Seat68 said: I have a few to add to your shortlist, Corby, Coalville, Rugby, and Grimsby. Just all about, as you say, meh. could have just said Up North and left it at that 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chine Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 20 hours ago, Xela said: I genuinely don't know how people eat a full portion of fish n chips. I like my food but can just about manage mini fish n chips. A full portion is far too big for a normal human. One of my uncles used to order fish and chips twice and eat them both with bread and butter ! Seriously! Absolute machine ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rds1983 Posted March 23, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted March 23, 2022 3 hours ago, choffer said: Has something happened to Milton Keynes to improve it? In my experience it’s a larger version of East Kilbride. Utterly soulless place. I think they might have built a few more roundabouts recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Yeah, MK has decent road routes, good cycle ways, Bletchley park, concrete cows. It’s a bit monotonously pleasant. Places that are truly bad bad, well they have their own inverted glamour. Merthyr is never going to rival Barry Island for culture and intellectual residents, but it has its own charms. A one legged skinhead got his mates to throw him on our supporters bus and he fought like a mad man anyone that tried to toss him off. Simialrly, they have the originals of the red flag. So a complete non-starter as far as thoroughly anonymous towns go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted March 23, 2022 Moderator Share Posted March 23, 2022 6 minutes ago, chrisp65 said: Merthyr is never going to rival Barry Island for culture and intellectual residents, but it has its own charms Portuguese cafes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 15 minutes ago, chrisp65 said: he fought like a mad man anyone that tried to toss him off. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 18 minutes ago, chrisp65 said: nd he fought like a mad man anyone that tried to toss him off. 18 mins and i still got to be first with a Kenneth , shame on you VT 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 1 minute ago, tonyh29 said: 18 mins and i still got to be first with a Kenneth , shame on you VT Cough... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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