The Telegraph carries a story about DJ and television presenter, Stuart Maconie, who's written a book which features Accrington.
It's been branded as unflattering.
In it he says the main street is a crowded, unlovely hotchpotch of cheap shops, minicab offices and fast-food outlets that can fur your arteries just by looking at their logos and a few desultory and cheerless pubs.
He also mentions the town being peopled by pallid youths, and chain-smoking women.
Er...as much as I love the town, that doesn't sound too far from the truth.
We do have loan, and mobile phone shops, scattered amongst the charity shops, and empty stores.
People given Gregg's pasties as babies, instead of dummies, are bound to be a bit 'pallid'.
Mind you, the author's from Wigan, so he should have felt right at home here.
Michael Whewell, a chamber of trade member and owner of Whewells of Accrington in Bridge Street, is reported to have said 'Cash Converters is a national chain. We also have a Costa Coffee and a Marks & Spencer but I notice he doesn’t mention those.'
Unless the book has been written, published, and reviewed in the last few weeks, it's unlikey he would have mentioned Costa Coffee, because it wasn't even open.
Peel Park, and the Haworth art gallery are described as highlights in the town.
What do we think?
Misleading, or an accurate description of Accrington?
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk...d__insulting_/