Daventry, the opposite of Hotel California

Living in Daventry, East Midlands

I went to school in Daventry and lived in a village nearby until I scarpered to London in 1997, aged 19. I couldn’t wait.

Years later, I’m browsing Facebook and find out a school mate had made it to Australia, married and had kids. The other side of the planet! Desperate times. Others got to Birmingham, London, Portsmouth, joubed the army and ended up in Afghanistan (still preferable to Daventry *fist bump*).

Daventry is an very old town that had the heart ripped out of it in the 1960s when, as an overspill town for Birmingham, (yes, Brummies chose to live there) huge estates were built, as well as a ring road, but the council did nothing to invite good shops to trade in the town centre. There was, back in the 1990s, for a bored teenager, nothing to do. It was huge news when New Look opened there, and Costa is still regarded as “posh”. There is still nothing for teenagers to do.

How grim is your Postcode?

I go back to visit family and friends and I just see a town, despite now having a Maccy D’s and a Tesco, slowly dying on its ****. My niece and nephew go to school in Warwickshire to avoid going to school here (they are **** schools). Most people drive to Rugby or Northampton to do their shopping. I once took the ****** journey by public transport on a Wednesday and apart from the driver and the Universal Credit payees I saw no one. I think you are getting my drift. No wonder people emigrate to Australia to get away from the place.