There's no place like home (Warrington)

Member Name: mrsgladwin

Product:	Warrington
Date:	22/06/09 (181 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I live there!

Disadvantages: Crime, the odd murder...nothing to worry about!

As soon as I tell anyone I'm from Warrington I can see the mental images flash up in their heads....Kerry Katona, chavs, Ikea, crime. Just the other week the town that I live in was the punch line of a comedian's joke on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Road show (I do confess to having to stifle a giggle, but that's by the by). We had to sit back and watch George Sampson tell the Britain's Got Talent viewers how he couldn't wait to escape his life of poverty and drudgery he had to endure growing up in socially deprived Warrington. Oh please, what a load of twaddle.

I therefore want to show everyone that we aren't all alcohol dependent, manic depressive losers with drug addictions and no morals, (yes Kerry, I do mean you) and that you can venture into Warrington and find well educated, socially responsible members of the community that do actually work for a living. Like me!

~ Location and transport links ~

So I can imagine you're sat there thinking how Warrington sounds the ideal place for your summer holiday this year, if only you knew where it was! Well, fear not dear reader, I shall tell you! Warrington is located pretty much equal distance between Manchester and Liverpool and is easily reached by the M6 and M62 motorways. We have two train stations in the town centre, one which is more for local travel and the other where you can travel a bit further afield including London and the like.

Being between Manchester and Liverpool means we have two airports to chose from, Liverpool's John Lennon Airport or Manchester International Airport.

Like many towns across the country Warrington has its nice places to live, and it's not so nice. It's the old rule of you get what you pay for, and there are certain places I would never consider living. I don't want to go into naming places that I consider "rough" as I don't want to offend anyone, but I personally wouldn't want to live in the town centre, just as I wouldn't want to live in ANY town centre. Town centres are hotspots for noise, vandalism and heavy traffic and crime, not idea living conditions in my opinion.

I was born and raised in Lowton, a little village on the outskirts of Warrington. We had a Warrington postcode and address, but our phone number was Wigan but as a St Helens RL fan I refuse to say I was born in Wigan! Since meeting my husband I have also lived in Croft and Gorse Covert (where we live now) and we have never had any trouble at either place. We have quiet respectful neighbours who have families of their own and we feel safe and secure in our home. Don't want to jinx anything (touching wood as I type...) but I just wanted to show that not all areas in Warrington are filled with criminals and drug addicts.

~ Shopping ~

I always preferred to go to the Trafford Centre just down the motorway for a spot of retail therapy, but the town centre's Golden Square shopping centre has recently been revamped meaning it really is a decent place to shop. New stores such as Debenhams, H&M, River Island, Topshop and Dorothy Perkins have been opened, as well as many jewellers, men's clothing stores and coffee shops.

We have quite a few retail parks in Warrington which have stores such as DFS, Mothercare and CSL located on them. Perhaps the most well known retail park in Warrington is Gemini, where there is a large Marks and Spencer, Boots, Next and of course Ikea. The retail parks tend to open until quite late (usually 10pm) so it's handy for those wanting to do a bit of shopping after work.

We also have almost any supermarket you can wish for including Sainsbury's, Morrison's and a 24 hour Tesco and Asda.

~ So what else can I do there? ~

Well Warrington isn't exactly a chic sophisticated place and neither is it a place for great sightseeing, unless puddles and railways tickle your pickle. We do however have a couple places that can offer some amusement without needing to head on down to Liverpool or Manchester. Although I did ask my husband could he think of any and he suggested the hospital (I seriously worry about that man)

1) Walton Hall and gardens

I am a big fan of Walton Hall, it's great for families. It consists of the hall itself which was built in the 1830s, as well as lawns, picnic areas, play area, children's zoo, heritage centre and crazy golf. Apart from parking it is free to walk around the grounds although certain activities do have a small fee.

2) Gulliver's World

Gulliver's world is a family theme parked aimed at children between the ages of 2 and 13. Whilst it is no Alton Towers, it does offer rides, attractions, shows, restaurants and shops and at £12.50 per person (free for those under 90cm) it's a relatively cheap alternative.

3) Rugby League

Rugby league is the most popular sport in Warrington, and is home of the Warrington Wolves, also known as The Wire, with Widnes Vikings just down the road in...well Widnes. However if you fancy watching a good team just pop down the motorway to see St Helens and see how rugby should be played!

We also have a cinema, bowling alley and a variety of restaurants to keep you amused.

~ Nightlife ~

If you're looking for trendy upmarket bars you're better heading into Manchester or to the Docks in Liverpool because you're not going to find them here. However, if you fancy a bit of a boogie at a weekend and some low cost drinks, it can at least provide that. Warrington has a bit of a reputation for being rough on a night out but I personally have never witnessed any violence and always feel safe while I'm out but perhaps that's because I know the area so well.

We have the usual suspects, a Flares playing 70s music, Reflex playing 80s music, Babylon playing, you guessed it, 90s music whilst Panama Jacks and the like play a bit of everything.

If you are after something a bit classier, Stockton Heath is worth a visit and they tend to have bars rather than the traditional "clubs", but it is a bit more pricey.

~ Hotels ~

So if I've sold it to you and you want to hurry on down (!) you need a place to stay. There a variety of hotels in Warrington, and quite a few a really very nice, including The Rhinewood, Park Royal, Paddington House and the Daresbury.

~ Did you know? ~

It's not only chavs that originate from Warrington, some other well known names and faces have also managed to appear on our screens or radios, including:
Pete Waterman, Chris Evans, Sue Johnston, Pete Postlethwaite, Ian Brown (of Stone Roses fame), Rick Astley (although technically Newton-le-willows), Steven Arnold (the lovely Ashley in Corrie) and Darren Jeffries (OB from Hollyoaks). What a high class bunch!

~ Summary ~

So there you have it. I'm not naïve, I know Warrington's not perfect, it has many faults, but to me, it's home.

Summary: Home sweet home