Since this video was made... the Forum has become... different (I hesitate to say 'better'- thank you for shortening the main pool and disconnecting the sauna from the pools... NOT!) and the rest of the town centre has got... worse.
I actually quite like Billingham- well, certainly the Forum is probably the best leisure facility in Stockton Borough, if nothing else. More of the multi-level walkways and half the charity shops not closing might make it better- as would the general dereliction not being there in parts...
Thanks for this tribute to the legacy of Soviet-style Communism. It looks like the Soviet sector of East Berlin before the wall came down. Erich Honecker of the GDR didn't die in exile in Chile, but is still alive running Billingham council.
This has to be THE crappiest, most depressing town in Western Europe.
Full marks for providing a historical record Wolfgrade.
When built the Town Centre was thought to be state of the art. Everyone loved it. I guess it would be possible to hold a massive debate about why it wasn't developed / updated. Billingham is a great example of an urban sprawl so if people keep coming there could be a case for redevelopment. It's happenning at Thornaby.
Anton Corjbin sent people to the town centre in june 08 to check out backgrounds and angles for forthcoming U2 video release date 09. Band members are shooting stuff Oct/ Nov time. Billingham council must know about this.
Billingham deserves a break, .....like discovering oil under the town centre. Damian Hirst / Banksy doing things within the town centre to bring new investment . Local artists do not have the media pull that these artists do. U2 shooting a video there. Bryan Ferry , Dave Stewart , Chris Rea , Sting they have pull.
You are mistaken by me missing "of" between the words era and communism, as to place "of" would have required me to have used an article such as "the" before the word era.
"The era of communism" would be correct, but as my sentence fragment stands "Erich Honecker era communism" I think you'll find if you investigate thouroghly that I am correct.
I may not spell at my best sometimes, but you need to work on your grammar structure.
However, I do accept that I am wrong, I made mistakes, however i would advise you to acttualy visit places like this before you go make assumptions, and to be honest quite hurtful remarks about not just my town, but others, as I am fiercly proud of my time.
After all, I'm sure that you would not like me to start spouting off about all the things wrong with your country, regardless of which one it is.
shit mannnnn, a single typing mistake, unlike you with hidous, shadowed you missed of between era and communism, and disappointed is spelt incorrectly.
Just because it looks bad, doesn't mean that the people who live here are bad, i live in Billingham, and yes I am educated, and just because people don't like the look of it, doesn't mean its a bad place.
I think that the bloke below should grow up, and learn to keep his mouth shut.
Billingham is a hiddious stalinist monstrosity, shaddowed by brutal concrete moniliths.
Tourists from the former East German soviet bloc come here to rekindle the days of Erich Honecker era communism, and are by no means dissaponted by what they see.
As a postcard of my hometown, this is both wonderfully accurate and kinda depressing ... I love how the sound came out, especially the shot filmed near Boyes.
Billingham town centre won a major national architectural design award when it was built back in 1968. Unfortunately they've done sod all to it since then except for pulling down the parts that looked like they were going to fall down anyway. Only last year they pulled down La Ronde (K2 night club) which had turned into the biggest pigeon home in the world.
The rest of the town is improving rapidly - let's hope they can catch up in the centre.
I used to go to school at Brunner 1975 - 1980, haven't been back in England for 22 years, seeing this clip brings back heaps of memories, I always liked the place, it was much friendlier than Hartlepool where I was born.
hi paul boon here known to everyone as boonie i left billingham in 1972 i left stevenson hall billingham campus 1n 1966 anyone kkow any of my old class mates stanley innes john husband peter gardner long ago now but a merry xmas to you all im in the soft south now deal kent but i could murder a pint of camerons strongarm the town centre has not changed much best wishes paul boon (boonie)
Billingham is a nice old fashioned town but unfortunately those bloody foreign shitheads are getting in now and spoiling it....just like the rest of the fucking country...get em all out i say....starting with the bloody politicians.
I practically live in billingham (go to school there, go to after-school groups there, and most of my relatives live there), I think it isn't that bad. Except for the huge amount of chavs.
i think people need to get other the fact that billingham is an northen industrial town and always will be it was built as a small town for workers in the neer by ici chemicals plant but since the plants closed the town has grown n ok its not the best town in the world but im happy to call it home id also like to say theres more to billingham then just the town centre and a lot of the people are genuinly nice
Although Billingham is a shit hole. Having lived there most of my life, you start to see beauty in it's old decrepit buildings, like a relic from the 60's, a town that never evolved. Still, I wouldn't want to live there again.
I live in Billingham , And its AMAZING always cold but oh WELL !!!!!!
Sianyplox123 3 months ago
Since this video was made... the Forum has become... different (I hesitate to say 'better'- thank you for shortening the main pool and disconnecting the sauna from the pools... NOT!) and the rest of the town centre has got... worse.
Maybe they ought to redevelop after all.
thelyniezian 4 months ago
Thanks for this, im going to use this footage to misrepresent Billingham.
MsDeadCorpse 8 months ago
hello i left billingham in 1972 its so nice to see your videos im coming back soon for a few pints of camerons best wishes
paulboon 1 year ago
Our little oasis.
spaceman1979 1 year ago
My last name is billingham thats so cool
Fireburn63 1 year ago
It dosent matter how a place looks on camera, your home is your home! Nice film.
jameseyboy079 1 year ago
its totally diffrent now tho :) thnk god!
LucindaILUVHTF 1 year ago
ch@vs are cool leave them alone billingham and billingham 4 life !
AnthonySedgeman08 2 years ago
@AnthonySedgeman08 chavs are not cool
anthtom11 7 months ago
i live in billingham now that the park has been done its better but i hate it when chavs write on the slides
leothelion19 2 years ago
I actually quite like Billingham- well, certainly the Forum is probably the best leisure facility in Stockton Borough, if nothing else. More of the multi-level walkways and half the charity shops not closing might make it better- as would the general dereliction not being there in parts...
thelyniezian 2 years ago
Thanks for this tribute to the legacy of Soviet-style Communism. It looks like the Soviet sector of East Berlin before the wall came down. Erich Honecker of the GDR didn't die in exile in Chile, but is still alive running Billingham council.
This has to be THE crappiest, most depressing town in Western Europe.
Demosthenes140 3 years ago
haha i use to live here 13 years ago! lived on marsh house avenue and went to roseberry junior school. now live in perth australia, love it
57ss04 3 years ago
the best thing about billingham is its so white lets keep it that way ps the towns shit
fandingo69 3 years ago
Getting billingham larrrkk =]
I live near the Station pub!
oXoThUnDeRoXo 3 years ago
Full marks for providing a historical record Wolfgrade.
When built the Town Centre was thought to be state of the art. Everyone loved it. I guess it would be possible to hold a massive debate about why it wasn't developed / updated. Billingham is a great example of an urban sprawl so if people keep coming there could be a case for redevelopment. It's happenning at Thornaby.
julesrc56 3 years ago
i live in billingham and you cant do fuck all cos of chavs its shit
jimminz14 3 years ago
omg i live in billingham its shit lol
xvxvxVIXENxvxvx 3 years ago
before i live in billingham. i hated it. the place is too ugly.
littlejohn1965 3 years ago
haha i live in billingham
SakuraKissxX 3 years ago
Anton Corjbin sent people to the town centre in june 08 to check out backgrounds and angles for forthcoming U2 video release date 09. Band members are shooting stuff Oct/ Nov time. Billingham council must know about this.
sdfnjss 3 years ago
Billingham deserves a break, .....like discovering oil under the town centre. Damian Hirst / Banksy doing things within the town centre to bring new investment . Local artists do not have the media pull that these artists do. U2 shooting a video there. Bryan Ferry , Dave Stewart , Chris Rea , Sting they have pull.
sdfnjss 3 years ago
wtf!?!?! U2 are shooting a vid in Billinhgam i live in Billingham :D
Demolitionparkour 3 years ago
You are mistaken by me missing "of" between the words era and communism, as to place "of" would have required me to have used an article such as "the" before the word era.
"The era of communism" would be correct, but as my sentence fragment stands "Erich Honecker era communism" I think you'll find if you investigate thouroghly that I am correct.
I may not spell at my best sometimes, but you need to work on your grammar structure.
spaceman1979 3 years ago
and yes, I just realised I spelt hidious wrong.
calm it, son.
Meetyourfather 3 years ago
I'm no son of yours kid.
spaceman1979 3 years ago
And I'm no kid of yours.
However, I do accept that I am wrong, I made mistakes, however i would advise you to acttualy visit places like this before you go make assumptions, and to be honest quite hurtful remarks about not just my town, but others, as I am fiercly proud of my time.
After all, I'm sure that you would not like me to start spouting off about all the things wrong with your country, regardless of which one it is.
Meetyourfather 3 years ago
shit mannnnn, a single typing mistake, unlike you with hidous, shadowed you missed of between era and communism, and disappointed is spelt incorrectly.
by any chance, are you American?
Meetyourfather 3 years ago
Just because it looks bad, doesn't mean that the people who live here are bad, i live in Billingham, and yes I am educated, and just because people don't like the look of it, doesn't mean its a bad place.
I think that the bloke below should grow up, and learn to keep his mouth shut.
and also learn to spell.
Much obliged, a Billingham resident
Meetyourfather 3 years ago
Speaking of learning to spell you forgot to capitalize the I in your "i live in Billingham" rant.
spaceman1979 3 years ago
aw shut up.
MiidnightStars 3 years ago
Billingham is a hiddious stalinist monstrosity, shaddowed by brutal concrete moniliths.
Tourists from the former East German soviet bloc come here to rekindle the days of Erich Honecker era communism, and are by no means dissaponted by what they see.
spaceman1979 3 years ago
I looks gloomy in Billingham, but this scene was taken in winter time. Surely it's different in warmer weather.
jmurubio 3 years ago
It's a shame they had to waste a decent productive city like Hiroshima when they could have bombed Billingham instead.
spaceman1979 3 years ago
Huh? o.o
Taraa3 3 years ago
lol nice one
zackdude7 3 years ago
As a postcard of my hometown, this is both wonderfully accurate and kinda depressing ... I love how the sound came out, especially the shot filmed near Boyes.
CarolynGrantham 3 years ago
'm glad you liked it. I agree, Billingham is deliciously grim, if you don't live there anymore.
wolfgrade 3 years ago
So proud to live here. It's beautiful. :|
Taraa3 3 years ago
FUCK YOU BILLOCK IS THE BEST SO FUCK U YOU SHIT!!!! your from york u sheep shager
frodojames 4 years ago
That brings back memories, lived there as a kid, went to St Joseph's primary school and my dad taught at St Michael's
altangobonn 4 years ago
i went to st josephs, n ma mum worked there, n i also went to st michaels =]]
cRaZyFrOgRoCkZ 3 years ago
anyone get my name :(
sweeneystodger 4 years ago
I was at the square today it's as depressing as ever
judgejudyslover 4 years ago
I live in billingham, its ok. town centre is good for skating.
ThrownToTheWolves 4 years ago
Billingham town centre won a major national architectural design award when it was built back in 1968. Unfortunately they've done sod all to it since then except for pulling down the parts that looked like they were going to fall down anyway. Only last year they pulled down La Ronde (K2 night club) which had turned into the biggest pigeon home in the world.
The rest of the town is improving rapidly - let's hope they can catch up in the centre.
REALLYMAD6364 4 years ago
I used to go to school at Brunner 1975 - 1980, haven't been back in England for 22 years, seeing this clip brings back heaps of memories, I always liked the place, it was much friendlier than Hartlepool where I was born.
berryje1964 4 years ago
yea my town and my home wouldnt move anywere else theres nowt rong with it.
samgreg1990 4 years ago
hi paul boon here known to everyone as boonie i left billingham in 1972 i left stevenson hall billingham campus 1n 1966 anyone kkow any of my old class mates stanley innes john husband peter gardner long ago now but a merry xmas to you all im in the soft south now deal kent but i could murder a pint of camerons strongarm the town centre has not changed much best wishes paul boon (boonie)
paulboon 4 years ago
lol it looks like im from russian ghetto, butlooks can be deceiving it aint all that bad really...
realcss 4 years ago
Billingham is a nice old fashioned town but unfortunately those bloody foreign shitheads are getting in now and spoiling it....just like the rest of the fucking country...get em all out i say....starting with the bloody politicians.
Heavydood 4 years ago
i live in billingham its proppa mint all da ppl r mint even chaves pure mint
1plummer1 4 years ago
I practically live in billingham (go to school there, go to after-school groups there, and most of my relatives live there), I think it isn't that bad. Except for the huge amount of chavs.
frazzleproductions 4 years ago
i think people need to get other the fact that billingham is an northen industrial town and always will be it was built as a small town for workers in the neer by ici chemicals plant but since the plants closed the town has grown n ok its not the best town in the world but im happy to call it home id also like to say theres more to billingham then just the town centre and a lot of the people are genuinly nice
samo1992 4 years ago 3
I agree, it not really as bad as it looks in the video. It would have looked a lot nicer had I filmed it in summer.
wolfgrade 4 years ago
Nice video.
Thanks for reminding me how crap it is. A drab, depressing place.
Cheers mate.
jungly 4 years ago
Hehe.
My town centre!
Rock on!
izzy5962 4 years ago
reminds me of Russia lol
Doddsy 4 years ago
lmao youve gotta laugh its so shitty but it would be more bearble if the people(most) were nicer.
cavemeister 4 years ago
Although Billingham is a shit hole. Having lived there most of my life, you start to see beauty in it's old decrepit buildings, like a relic from the 60's, a town that never evolved. Still, I wouldn't want to live there again.
pythonbyte 4 years ago
looks worse from a camera
vonpops 4 years ago