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Lonely Planet boss in rethink
Monday 4th January 2010, 11:30AM GMT.
Travel bible Lonely Planet is considering carrying out a review on Wolverhampton after it named the city as the fifth worst in the world in an online poll, it said today.
The inclusion of Wolverhampton on the list has provoked outrage in some quarters and some of the city’s best known faces such as Wolves legend Steve Bull and the TV presenter Suzi Perry have stepped in to defend it.
Two groups have also been launched on the website Facebook with a combined total membership of almost 4,000 complaining about the city’s treatment.
But today Lonely Planet travel editor Tom Hall told the Express & Star such polls was meant as a starting point for debate and he added: “I am a fan of Wolverhampton, I have been to the city several times and have enjoyed it and the surrounding countryside every time. It is not a case the city does not have anything to offer.”
Mr Hall added: “It is not listed on the site because it is not in our guidebook, we can’t include everywhere, it’s a matter of space.”
And when asked whether the publication would consider doing a review on Wolverhampton he said it was being considered and added: “At some point myself or someone else may come up and have a look.”
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ooops!
better get your skates on then Wton Council. There is a railway interchange and a new shopping centre to build… and while you are at it how about completing the original design of the western side of the ring road (which would actually render the eastern side redundant and release the land for additional facilities). You can also sort out the market… and how about demolishing the bunker you stuck in front of St Peter’s Church?
A face lift for the Mander Centre is a pressing need and while you are at it why not take back the corner of Queen Square, from them and rebuild something approaching the former Victorian splendour that preceded the concrete monstrosity? After all… that concret slab was built to level the entrance to the proposed “piazza” which never was built…. fortunately.
Then you could do something about access to the City Centre… How about re-establishing the traditional routes in (crossing benath or above the ring road)… Build some car parks so that people who want to shop in the City can actually get there… etc.
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The inclusion of Wolves in the list should act as a wake-up call.
Wolverhampton has been neglected by successive councils and governments.
It also reflects very poorly on quangos such as Advantage West Midlands who have done very little to improve the city, while Birmingham has attracted plenty of investment – Wolverhampton seems to have had none.
PJW Holland makes plenty of good suggestions. Most of those are things that should have happened during the last 20 boom years.
Instead, due to the incompetence, inactivity and indecisiveness of these organisations we have the City fall into the neglected, underinvested mess it is currently in.
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Why are they backing down on this? Wolverhampton is a mess and a bloody horrible place to live. Just because a few local slack jawed knuckle draggers have complained about this poll, doesn’t change that fact.
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As a lifelong WULFRUNIAN ,I am at a loss to comment! If Wolverhampton ,as a city (wich it never should be)is to be assesed ,Monday to Saturday ,then the “lonely planet” is in the wrong; However ,should the jugement be on a Sunday in the Mander center ,they would think they where reviewing “WARSAW” ,as English is never spoken !!
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The polls simply represent user opinions. Just go there and find out for yourselves – my opinion? Wolverhampton is a dump..I’ve lived here, worked here and I no longer wish to stay here. I’m not a snob, either – I’ve just outgrown what I see as a miserable dump going nowhere.
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Always a good subject matter for discussion this one. PJW make some very good points, I was born there but have since move to the USA. Wolverhampton is an example of a badly managed large town with poor infrastructure, in which the majority has no respect for their environment. Litter strewn streets, a character less high street, endless council housing estates populated by the vermin of society. Do I sound bitter, yes, that’s why I moved away. I have worked with and on council committees , for too long they are made up of highly intelligent overpaid people who’s biggest failure all too often is execution
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Having lived in Wolverhampton for 10 years now I have seen a real decline since when I first moved here. The city is not a safe place to go out in at night due to the constant threat of voilence. This violence seeps into the pubs in the suburbs with regularity. The fact that they are having to draft people in from Northern Ireland to help with the problems says it all really. Aside from that the points made by PJW are all excellent. I work in Birmingham and so travel on the train to and from Wolverhampton. It strikes me how unappealing the city must look to anyone travelling in by train as they are greeted with derelict buildings and scrap yards on the way in. It’s really unfortunate because I’ve met some solid gold people since moving here but I’m now doing everything I can to work towards moving out again purely because of the neglect of the social problems. And this comes from someone who lived in Sunderland!
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Yes – but I bet this has not received the same amount of publicity as the original defamation of Wolverhampton. Bet it’s not on the news tonight or in any of the national press.
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Lonely Planet screwed up big time, and hopefully will be exposed for having zero credibility.
The Wolverhampton listing was based on a SINGLE readers comments, a weak joke which Lonely Planet didn’t even understand so they took it seriously.
The ‘joke’ is poking fun on any city where the people have distinctive accents. It has absolutely nothing to do with the actual city!
It is merely a word play on the word STATE…meaning ‘US State’ in the US, & meaning ‘condition’ in the UK.
The joke gets misconsrued anyway, and the ‘accent’ part gets overlooked to the point Lonely Planet think its a serious comment on the state of Wolverhampton!
The joke is:
George Bush is at Ground Zero talking to someone from “Insert City Name Here”.
Where are you from?
I’m from “Insert City Name Here”
Oh, I’ve not heard of “Insert City Name Here”, what STATE is it in?
…”ITS LOIKE THIS AY IT ”
Translation…”Its like this, isn’t it”
D’oh!
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Having been born and raised in Wolverhampton i automatically consider my hometown the best place on earth. However, I had a very interesting train journey a few days ago, i laughed with my friend about wolverhampton being voted as the 5th worst city in the world. However as the train slowed down approaching Wolverhampton it was extremely hard to back track all the good id been telling my friend about Wolverhampton. The derelict buildings and copious amounts of rubbish and litter was an appauling sight! Any commuters happening to pass Wolverhampton by train will not see the community and heart of Wolverhampton where it makes every Wolverhamptoner proud. So im not remotely suprised Wolverhampton is considered 1 of the worst places when there’s a sorry sight as u pass through on the train :(
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I have to take issue with Asha.
I find the journey into High Level is a most interesting one. The line is so closely hemmed in by buildings reminiscent of a Dickensian novel… Yes there is some rubbish too but take a look at any other railway approach to any town or City.
The route into Low Level was, of course, less interesting although more efficient. It runs through a tunnel… It is still there and ripe for re-opening. Remember… journey time to Brum was 5 minutes quicker from Low Level and the journey to London 35 minutes quicker.
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