International Way in Weston is the cheapest street in Southampton (From Daily Echo)

It is a very classy place to live, and all the people are so nice and quiet


sw giro-mums

Well I certainly wouldn't buy a home there even for the views.When I was younger the area wasn't too bad but like most of our estates it's full of an underclass who don't work won't work and let the tax payers keep them.

and those that live in the five star apartments can admire the view all day long because most have no jobs. Parents also have the ability to keep an eye on their delightful children whilst they knock back a carling or ten on weston shore.

Apart from bashing Weston most people just can’t be bothered to ask what has created this environment that has created the fractured social conditions.

Those of us who have lived in Southampton long enough know that the Council kept on stuffing the place with problem families, without providing proper back up services. Rather than pointing the fingure at the real culprit, establishment, now most people are trying to blame the majority of decent residents who are the victims.

Sadly if John Denham MP’s latest well publicised ruthless remarks on social equality are any pointer, there is very little hope for most victims of this right wing government’s pro rich policies.

Weston is a great location that is why few years ago the Council tried to pass it on to their rich friends for creating their own exclusive zone. And that was not a Tory run Council either. Perhaps there is a secret agenda to keep creating bad image for the place and then use it as an excuse to regenerate, which basically mean hand over to privileged classes on subsidised prices.

Paramjit Bahia wrote:
Apart from bashing Weston most people just can’t be bothered to ask what has created this environment that has created the fractured social conditions.

Those of us who have lived in Southampton long enough know that the Council kept on stuffing the place with problem families, without providing proper back up services. Rather than pointing the fingure at the real culprit, establishment, now most people are trying to blame the majority of decent residents who are the victims.

Sadly if John Denham MP’s latest well publicised ruthless remarks on social equality are any pointer, there is very little hope for most victims of this right wing government’s pro rich policies.

Weston is a great location that is why few years ago the Council tried to pass it on to their rich friends for creating their own exclusive zone. And that was not a Tory run Council either. Perhaps there is a secret agenda to keep creating bad image for the place and then use it as an excuse to regenerate, which basically mean hand over to privileged classes on subsidised prices.

this smells off land grabbing, so they can build places for the rich, over the years i watch true southampton people being push out, so the rich londoners can move in, or buy a second home that is empty for most off the year. this sort off thing is not needed. it pushes up home prices so the local can no long afford to buy or rent there.
Paramjit Bahia when your next meeting and where.

Southy, we normally meet in Lewes or Crawley, I will let you know when I hear about it. I am trying to find free time in Scargill’s diary to arrange a meeting in this area that may be good opportunity as well.

SLP were organising a rally to support campaign of trade unionists who were framed and jailed in 70's in Shrewsbury today, but due to health reason I could not got.

yes i remember, theres a rally there to-day the sp from here and other places are there this afternoon.
we could meet up some where localy and have a chat, like we got a open meeting this thurday at nutfield or there the hoglangs park fes on the 18th this mth we could meet there and have a chat

Nice location, but plagued with anti-social people.
It's the same with Thornhill, Shirley Warren, Lordshill, Millbrook etc.
Homes in any of these areas can be bought for peanuts.
It's sad, because a drive through any of these estates shows that most residents take a pride in their gardens and homes.
The council does it's best,(as finances permit) but any improvements to local amenities are soon negated by the activities of the anti-social minority. In a truly democratic society, this minority would be disposed of.
In reality, they're allowed to reduce the value of neighbours homes, and quality of life.
I wonder how much the average scrote really costs society - apart from it's benefit payouts ?

Paramjit Bahia wrote:
Apart from bashing Weston most people just can’t be bothered to ask what has created this environment that has created the fractured social conditions. Those of us who have lived in Southampton long enough know that the Council kept on stuffing the place with problem families, without providing proper back up services. Rather than pointing the fingure at the real culprit, establishment, now most people are trying to blame the majority of decent residents who are the victims. Sadly if John Denham MP’s latest well publicised ruthless remarks on social equality are any pointer, there is very little hope for most victims of this right wing government’s pro rich policies. Weston is a great location that is why few years ago the Council tried to pass it on to their rich friends for creating their own exclusive zone. And that was not a Tory run Council either. Perhaps there is a secret agenda to keep creating bad image for the place and then use it as an excuse to regenerate, which basically mean hand over to privileged classes on subsidised prices.

I agree with nearly all you are saying. Weston has virtually no amenities- bar a few shops, a church and a brand new dr's surgery. Massive playing fields are ok but the leisure centre is not affordable for local people.

However, a community is run by the people who live there. Weston, like all estates, expect to be drip fed by the council. Locals don't take responsibility for their environment, don't bring their kids up properly and don't participate in the wider economy. This is not a new thing and until recently Southampton had so many jobs it imported 20,000 Poles to do the jobs those in Weston didn't want to do.

If Weston is to improve all the blokes need to stop drinking Stella outside the shops and start being the figureheads in their families and bringing home the bacon.

I would'nt mind betting the Developers would love to get their hands on this area. It would be another Ocean Village BUT how would they get rid of all those people who,as mentioned above, are of questionable calibre. Still, leave it to the Council - if they can make money out of it they will find a way. Incidentally, I remember as a child all the land was marshland with bull rushes and course sea grass. At the time we were put off swimming because oil was lapping the edges of the shore and we were covered in black tar.

goard

Condor Man do you normaly go round with your eyes closed.
theres not been that many jobs in southampton for 30 years, unemployment in southampton has been higher than the numbers off jobs that are going, and its been like that for 30 years,
and 20,000 poles imported into southampton, can you count you be lucky if there,s 200 poles in southampton thats been imported to southampton in the last 10 years, most of the poles that are in southampton there familys have been here since the WW2 and just before. so less off your BS please
when you say Locals don't take responsibility for their environment that is true for all the estates not just woolston you can in-clued places like the rich area off chilworth they are no different, maybe it might help abit if the well off stop there kids from going into other estates to cause trouble

southy wrote:
Condor Man do you normaly go round with your eyes closed. theres not been that many jobs in southampton for 30 years, unemployment in southampton has been higher than the numbers off jobs that are going, and its been like that for 30 years, and 20,000 poles imported into southampton, can you count you be lucky if there,s 200 poles in southampton thats been imported to southampton in the last 10 years, most of the poles that are in southampton there familys have been here since the WW2 and just before. so less off your BS please when you say Locals don't take responsibility for their environment that is true for all the estates not just woolston you can in-clued places like the rich area off chilworth they are no different, maybe it might help abit if the well off stop there kids from going into other estates to cause trouble

200 Poles? you clearly don't live in the Portswood area.

If there was such high unemployment why is my mate at a warehouse one of the only native English speakers?

Back in the early 60s the tower blocks area was a huge council rubbish dump. Nothing changes does it.

Condor Man, the reason for bring in labour from other country,s is to force the unemployment figures up even higher, it makes for cheap labour, we have people in this city from all over europe and asia, and only 8% off southampton are none uk residents, whitch amounts to about 15,600 and the biggest bulk off these are asian,s mainly south south east-asia, you will find that the poles come here for a very short period then go back home and not return again, because by the time they have to take out the money to live here they are worse off than if they stayed at home,
i heard in the grapevine that an insurance company in southampton is going to start interducing office workers from sweden and finland, if this do happen then you can safely say a lot off other compamys will follow suit, because they make less mistakes and work for 1/3 of the pay.

P.S> condorman portswood only has a population of around 14,600

Condor and Southy, both of you have some valid points.
I think the real problem with some discussions is political tribalism. We on the left tend to dig our heels and find every possible reason to blame the right and they do the same. But let us try to be real.
It can’t be denied that there are some professional unemployed. I have given up making excuses for them long time ago, because they only bring genuine unemployed people bad name. But how can anybody have the cheek to criticise them when the hollow pillars of our society the MPs and government ministers have been ripping the nation at much higher rate than few benefit cheats in Weston? On top of that we have bent bankers, who have cost the nation more than all the genuine out of job and professional unemployed of the nation put together.
We also must try to understand how people end up becoming lethargic lay abouts. When all the jobs were destroyed by first right wing Sunny Jim and then by that Thatcher woman no hope society got created, which contributed towards stress depression and new generation without confidence, that has also created so called lay abouts.
Yes according to government figures 10% of Southampton population is Poles, and most of them are new arrivals. They are the victims of the EU that has created pool of surplus cheap labour. Because they could earn comparatively more than in Poland they were willing to work on the cheap and be exploited. But many local workers thankfully knew better, so ended up in paying the price for principles. So rather than blaming them I rather question the morality of shark employers whose greed has destroyed many local lives.
SAdly the current Brown led government has failed to address these problems.

This government has created a socially divided society. Yesterday in West Quay people were queuing to get into the Hollister shop? I thought we were in the worst recession since 1981?

Rising house prices have caused housing apartheid and falling interest rates have plunged pensioners into poverty (not helped by Brown stealing from the pensions by scrapping tax relief in 1997).

Where has the money gone? Certainly not to the poorest. Poor people are now likely to die at a younger age than in the past.

A friend of mine is the church youthworker in Weston, he's been there for 13 years. Over that time the council have paid out for many schemes but have made little impact. In order to improve lives people need to be empowered and encouraged, not simply given handouts all the time.

The council are knocking down the shops in Weston. Building more houses, for part rent/buy, private sell, and some go to an RSL. They call this estate regeneration, I call ripping the heart out of communities. Yes you blokes drinking Stella there, but you get there on every estate.
Meggesson Ave Townhill shops are, so Kendal Ave Millbronx, and Exford Ave Harefield

saint can i point out to you kendal ave is redbridge and not millbrook, millbrook is on the other side off tanners brook, redbridge is a very big area, and is broken down into 7 sections.

what is needed is to turn the clock back to the 1978, and go from there, and to improve things and not destroy like what happen in the 80's, like the state pension can be improved alot, at the moment only 13 weeks in the year, and 30 years off your working life go's towards your state pension, this can be up to 26 weeks in the year easy, by stopping state IN money going towards private pensions. some thing that was done in the 1980's. there was a lot off things changed in the 80's where state money went towards the private sector all this needs to be stop. if any private sector cant make it then nationalize it or turn it into a co-op.

Weston used be such a bad area, with a bad reputation, but in recent years it has changed. Ive been living here now 3 years and I had no trouble.

Im sick and tired of hearing people say that everyone who lived in weston are jobless scum, this really is NOT true, my husband works, and there are plently of others who do as well, you can usually see people going to work at 8am, but I guess some are still in bed at that time and dont even know that the clock has an 8 am. Myself I dont work, but thats not through choice, I am classed as disabled, but would rather go out to work if I could. I agree there are some people who just claim the dole and sit on their backsides all day, or drink, but not everyone in our tower blocks, take a closer look and you'll see there are a wide variety of residents, not just young mums and problem families.

People love to bash the people living here and whilst I can agree to some extent, the councils do like to throw all the problem families into weston, its not just weston. Have any of you visited thornhill recently? You cant get a pizza delievered there, or have a taxi come to your home, because these firms are scared of getting attacked by the yobs who like to cause trouble.

ANd whilst the daily echo reports that international way is the cheapest street in soton, they are only reporting international way, and not the rest of weston. Like most estates you get your good and bad area, and I would say international way is a good area of weston, that is my view and many may not agree.

Theres alot more to international way than what mindless people see, try looking further than the end of your nose!!

Condor Man wrote:
This government has created a socially divided society. Yesterday in West Quay people were queuing to get into the Hollister shop? I thought we were in the worst recession since 1981? Rising house prices have caused housing apartheid and falling interest rates have plunged pensioners into poverty (not helped by Brown stealing from the pensions by scrapping tax relief in 1997). Where has the money gone? Certainly not to the poorest. Poor people are now likely to die at a younger age than in the past. A friend of mine is the church youthworker in Weston, he's been there for 13 years. Over that time the council have paid out for many schemes but have made little impact. In order to improve lives people need to be empowered and encouraged, not simply given handouts all the time.

Condor Man, I agree with the failure of this government bit. Problem is not the personalities, which we (including me) keep on blaming; it is the policies that have not basically changed. The leaders we elect are only serving as decorations to make democracy look good. But the country is run by behind the scene pen pushers. Just like Yes Minister.
I am sure we can agree on empowering the people, but may have different ideas on how to do that.
Throwing money around to solve the problem without properly worked out policy behind it certainly is not the answer. As will be proven when bankers create another crisis.
Kind regards

southy wrote:
saint can i point out to you kendal ave is redbridge and not millbrook, millbrook is on the other side off tanners brook, redbridge is a very big area, and is broken down into 7 sections. what is needed is to turn the clock back to the 1978, and go from there, and to improve things and not destroy like what happen in the 80's, like the state pension can be improved alot, at the moment only 13 weeks in the year, and 30 years off your working life go's towards your state pension, this can be up to 26 weeks in the year easy, by stopping state IN money going towards private pensions. some thing that was done in the 1980's. there was a lot off things changed in the 80's where state money went towards the private sector all this needs to be stop. if any private sector cant make it then nationalize it or turn it into a co-op.

I can remember the late 70s well. The four day week,elecricity strikes,postal strikes, rubbish piled up on the streets, bodies not buried or cremated, high interest rates, high inflation. Wonderful days, I think not.
In the 80s I was at home with 2 young children and the interest rate went up to 15% but things were not as bad as in the 70s or indeed as they are now.
If we didn't pay out so much money to those that won't work or those who have babies they can't provide for, then maybe the government could give more money to pensioners.

This place has gone down hill over the last 5 years i have been here.
How anyone could say this is a nice place is beyond me, its been nicknamed the "dumping ground" by us parents who have been housed here with young children amongst the drug addicts, peodophiles and drunks. No-wonder the market is so cheap for these homes, no-one wants to move in to a place where you have to watch where your walking due to the amount of needles and dirty nappies people throw out there windows! not to mention the obvious drug dealings that go on right outside the blocks and the young children some as young as 4 out on there own without ANY adult supervison till late, bikes and cars revving back and forth up and down international way and behind the blocks themselfs, i speak to alot of the elderly residents around this way and most of whom are scared to leave there homes most days due to high magority of Youths hanging around, that is NOT how people should live. International Way should not be classed as anything but a discrace to Southampton, Weston would be better off if this 1 bit of the estate was still a scrap peice of land, i know theres Many estates all over exactly the same but this 1 really does deserve the worst area ever award.

Have any of you visited thornhill recently? You cant get a pizza delievered there, or have a taxi come to your home, because these firms are scared of getting attacked by the yobs who like to cause trouble.

Sorry Badass Tash this statement is completely untrue I live and work in Thornhill and know the majority of people on the estate due to my job, and personally, I can see the area has vastly improved over the 6 years I have been here, and guess what I got a taxi last friday and a take away on staurday.Yeah there are a few scumbags around but its no where near as bad as it was due to the general neighbourhood, police, city patol and shop workers all clubbing together most of the anti social behaviour has been knocked on the head.Alot of regeneration has gone on and I think it looks great.