The vast majority of my working life was spent in Rotherham in more than one role. I always found it to be a pleasant town, with most of it's folk having an outlook not too dissimilar to our Tarn. It suffered, like Barnsley from the demise of coal, and also from the gradual decline of the steel industry. The CSE issue has dragged it's name through the mud, and exposed large parts of it's local governance to be incompetent at best, and rotten at worst. The perceived shortcomings of it's former mayor as Police and Crime Commissioner have placed the whole PCC regime in jeopardy. Yesterday comes the news that the town is no longer to have it's own magistrates' and County Court, and 700 (of 1200) jobs at Tata Steel are to go. You have to feel for the vast majority of the townspeople (of varying background/origin) who are decent, honest folk. I hope Rotherham can get over this blighted period in it's history and move forward.
I was in Barnsley one Wednesday afternoon recently and was genuinely shocked. Loads of Zombie-like creatures off their heads on something. I usually only make a fleeting visit on Saturday mornings and never really seen this type of person. Rotherham has lots of problems, but so do we.
At least you haven't got the Roma gypsies, they're everywhere in Rotherham nowadays. However most Rotherhamers shop at Parkgate or Meadowhall and I'd rather shop in Parkgate than Barnsley because Barnsley is heading in the same downward direction as Rotherham no mistake.
Yep - M & S moved out of the town and set up at Parkgate, did they not GS? That's usually a barometer.
Yes and there's a BHS as well, Primark is still in the town centre though, I don't know what that says.
