By Dave Eadevic
September 7 2011

It has to be said first impressions on leaving the car park were not favourable. Neither were second impressions for that matter. Sunderland seems to have suffered more than most towns (I will not call it a city) from whatever collective madness gripped architects in the sixties and seventies.

The madness where after thousands of years of creating beautiful buildings, they suddenly became gripped with a fever to build ugly ones! It was like there was a competition for who could build the ugliest place to live in the country, I am not sure who eventually won, but the block of flats that overlooked the car park must have been high up in the running.

Walking through the shopping centre (another monstrosity but frankly Sunderland is not alone in this, I have yet to see a nice shopping centre, the metro centre is my idea of hell on earth.)

It had a sports direct so I went in and messed up their folded jeans for a while, but becoming bored with this small act of rebellion against FCW, I left to see outside.

I was at this point still fairly determined to find a bit of it I liked.

Walking up a street was a bearded man in a Sunderland top and flip flops carrying a sign saying ‘Christ is the answer’, presumably the question was what you would say if you were told you had to live in Sunderland.

Coming to the conclusion that I would not actually find anything I liked around the shops (I have yet to enjoy a single shopping experience that does not lead directly to me getting a new gadget) I decided to try a local hostelry.

Now I have this knack when it comes to pubs, drop me anywhere in the world and I will instantly find the worst pub on offer. 

This was to be no exception. The place looked like a holding pen for the Jeremy Kyle show. There was obviously some sort of do going on as they were dressed in their best track suits. I was at least gratified to see the barmaids tattoos were spelled right.

I ordered a pint and tried to blend into the wallpaper, to avoid an argument or even worse a conversation.

The pint was without doubt one of the worst I have ever actually tasted. I took it back twice before it occurred to me that it was meant to taste like that. I gamely had another mouthful and left three quarters of it.

And frankly it was just more of the same, boring shops, ugly buildings and I was just about to give up hope of finding anything I actually liked when I discovered the museum.

Now it would be unfair to compare it to say the great north (Hancock), but it wasn’t bad. But what I really liked was the winter gardens tagged onto the end of it.

Basically it’s just a big greenhouse with trees, but it does have a walk way where you can stroll among the tree tops and see the tops of people’s heads. Which allows you to return to the ground and look knowingly, at people and think, ‘ha I’ve just seen the top of your head.’

And that was it. I returned to my car in the knowledge of next time someone challenges me that I have never been to Sunderland I could smirk in confidence

I even found a small part of it I quite liked. I won’t be going back; it’s really not worth it.

Dave Eadevic

Fear & Loathing In Sunderland (Part 2)

Discussion started by TyneTalk (IP Logged), 07/09/2011 21:09

TyneTalk
07/09/2011 21:09

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.

Reply Quote Report

tunyc
07/09/2011 22:39

Abandoned 3/4 of a pint!?

Reply Quote Report

davenufc
08/09/2011 00:12

aye you have te realise how bad it was

Reply Quote Report

senyabtoon
08/09/2011 07:19

i only go to the forsaken place to remind myself it can always be worse not matter how bad life seems

Reply Quote Report

davenufc
08/09/2011 12:40

You know its just occured to me that I have done loads of these city things for this site down the years (most away trips) and I have never done Newcastle.

I think that may be next.

Reply Quote Report

tunyc
08/09/2011 17:30

Looking forward to it! Turn 'em into a book...

Reply Quote Report

davenufc
09/09/2011 11:41

I have several books out should you wish to purchase them and fund more trips I will be grateul.

(worth saying I suppose they are actually my translations not my books, I do however recieve money which is the main thing)

Reply Quote Report

Goto: Forum List•Message List•Search• Log In

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment. We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals. We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards. If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing abuse@sportnetwork.net