O/t Guns, drugs and gangland killings.

[sickly_child]

Yes, it's called a work of fiction.

In fact most of it is based on another gang, the Birmingham/ Brummagem Boys‎.

Some of the people in it are real like Derby Sabini and Alfie Solomons but they are not accurate representations.

The most notable example of this is Derby speaking Italian like a member of the Mafia when in reality, despite the Italian name he was brought up by his English mother and couldn't speak Italian at all.

Was kind of aware.

[great_fire]

Was kind of aware.

It's set in 1919.

During the first two decades of the 20th century the police in England and Wales recorded an average of 90,000 indictable offences each year, a figure which increased to over 500,000 during the 1950s.

The crime rate consequently quadrupled from 250 crimes per 100,000 people in 1901 to 1,000 by 1950.

During the 1960s there was acceleration in recorded crime: it was the only decade in the century where crime doubled. Crime continued to rise according to this measure for much of the remainder of the 20th century, with an average of over one million crimes recorded each year in the 1960s, increasing to two million during the 1970s, and 3.5m in the 1980s.

https://www.parliament.uk/business/p...f-the-century/

[gm_gm]

I've never claimed life in Rotherham is great and getting better.

Rotherham's decline is a direct consequence of historic government policy that allowed the collapse of industry without any support which might have helped prevent the spiral in aspiration and attainment that followed.

I can only speak for myself, but I'd assume for many of the young people who leave Rotherham for university and then end up settling away from the town, the problem isn't immigration, despite it seeming to get the blame for everything here these days. I've lived in areas with far higher levels of immigration, and in more prosperous parts of the country there just isn't the simmering negativity you find here.

There are a lot of great people, wonderful, smart, compassionate people who live in Rotherham. These people are what give me hope for Rotherham's future. They aren't the reason I left. The big thing that turns me off Rotherham is the bitter and negative people, hell bent on stoking tensions and focused on the past. These people create a negative vibe in the town.

You'll rightly argue that the grooming scandal has played a huge part in bringing these tensions to the surface, and people are quite rightly upset, however the vibe I get from everything I encounter online from the town, is that people are stuck in a cycle of negativity, unwilling to progress and move on and make Rotherham a more positive place.

You're right to observe I come here and bang my head against a brick wall trying to bring some objectivity to the cloud of negativity and finger pointing, by trying to paint the town in a more positive light.

Is it patronising that someone who now lives hundreds of miles away takes it upon themselves to tell people their view of the town they live in is wrong? Sure! I just find it so sad. I actually pity those who are so vocal and who want to talk down our town, there is so much potential.

It's ironic that in this very post you're giving me a hard time for defending the town against all the negativity I see around it. I'm trying to make the case that Rotherham isn't that bad. Take a moment to think about how negatively that reflects on your mindset.

The negativity is self perpetuating and self fulfilling. Something needs to happen to break the cycle and to make people start to feel proud and positive about the town again, and I want to see that more than anything. Rotherham is my home town, it's shaped the person I am, and led me to the incredible opportunities I am now privileged to have. I will always be truly thankful for that and all the great people I know from my time here.

So in answer to why I don't want to come back? The problem is people like you constantly going on about how crap it is, which actually makes it a pretty crap place to live.

So instead of asking me what I'm doing to help the town sort out its problems... why don't you think about exactly what you're doing and how it's helping? At the moment all you seem to be doing is slating the town and criticising people for defending it - what's your end goal with this strategy? How is perpetuating negativity going to make Rotherham a better place for your children and grandchildren to live? I just think its really sad.

John. The downward spiral has been instigated by the council. The reason many of us are so negative is that past corruption and mismanagement goes unchecked because of tribal voting. This ensures we will always have people at the helm who shouldnt be there and have agendas that are not consistent with helping the town improve.

We have to accept our lot that this wont change for a few more generations when hopefully education will lift everyone out of their current voting habits

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Meanwhile we gave a very expensive Police Commissioner a guy with deep rooted political views, somebody that hardly anybody voted for and the vast majority of people have no idea what he does.

On the sharp end well away from the Police Commissioner's very nice office they send out PCSO plastic coppers to fight the fight against this crime wave we are experiencing.

When by some miracle the law enforcement procedures actually catch somebody a liberal judge hits them with a few hours community service or puts them on bail, resulting some never to be seen again when they do a runner.

[the_idiotb_stardson]

John. The downward spiral has been instigated by the council. The reason many of us are so negative is that past corruption and mismanagement goes unchecked because of tribal voting. This ensures we will always have people at the helm who shouldnt be there and have agendas that are not consistent with helping the town improve.

We have to accept our lot that this wont change for a few more generations when hopefully education will lift everyone out of their current voting habits

It doesn't help when middle class lefties vote labour in Rotherham to assuage their middle class guilt, then sod off down south when the Labour Council runs the town into the ground....and then go all new age on uu and tells us to not be so negative.

Just as aside, I found a syringe and foil and other drugs paraphenalia 10 yards from my front door this morning.

And there are crackpots saying we should legalise drugs because it it just a bit of fun.

Tell me truthfully, do you think a smack, crack, or dopehead would have the presence of mind to put litter in a bin?

Are smack heads known for how well they keep their gardens and the immaculate interior of their homes?

It's just a bit of fun though....a lifestyle choice.....doesn't harm anyone else does it?

[millavanilla]

It doesn't help when middle class lefties vote labour in Rotherham to assuage their middle class guilt, then sod off down south when the Labour Council runs the town into the ground....and then go all new age on uu and tells us to not be so negative.

Just as aside, I found a syringe and foil and other drugs paraphenalia 10 yards from my front door this morning.

And there are crackpots saying we should legalise drugs because it it just a bit of fun.

Tell me truthfully, do you think a smack, crack, or dopehead would have the presence of mind to put litter in a bin?

Are smack heads known for how well they keep their gardens and the immaculate interior of their homes?

It's just a bit of fun though....a lifestyle choice.....doesn't harm anyone else does it?

Fair old thread this ibs...im 60 odd now and ive never seen the town as knacked as is is now..a really sorry state..if it wasnt for the regular boozing mob the town would be empty...the warning signs were there years ago..the big television, rotherham by the sea, ears of corn, all your money wasted by who?
We all know meadowhall and parkgate hasnt helped but the town's been left to rot..
And then theres another problem that many dont see..eastern Europeans taking fish from the don and canal ..carrier bags full of all types of coarse fish..theyll eat just about anything..and its not a one off, it happens on a regular basis..no matter what all the do gooders and ostrich's say, rotherhams had it..

[great_fire]

They have carp for Christmas dinner.

And it's absolutely horrible, not a fish to eat IMO.

[WanChaiMiller]

Yet a few months ago I read Rotherham has the fastest growing economy of any town in Yorkshire and 8th fastest in Britain. The council must be doing something right.

[Shark27]

The big thing that turns me off Rotherham is the bitter and negative people, hell bent on stoking tensions and focused on the past. These people create a negative vibe in the town.

Are you talking about the people who are still blaming Margaret Thatcher for closing the pits?

[great_fire]

Are you talking about the people who are still blaming Margaret Thatcher for closing the pits?

Probably means people who mention the grooming gangs, but that is not in the past, it's still going on.

But the left have always wanted to keep it quiet, as we know.