Unofficial-UK

I've lived away from Preston for over 30 years - currently in Leamington Spa - but I come back frequently to see my parents and other family members and I think its brilliant. It has one of the best bus services in the country, a vibrant football team, excellent market, interesting surrounding countryside, not to mention the docks area. I will return!

Having come back from a short break to Brighton I have become really depressed with Preston.Things like Brighton marina puts Preston's marina into perspective.Also for example the North Laine shopping area of Brighton renowned for the creativity of its retailers & quality of its merchandise on offer makes shopping in Preston a dreadful & boring experience.Come on Preston you need to grow up & catch up with a 1st Class city like Brighton.

I lived there for two years and i can honestly say they were the worst years of my life. Preston is dirty, the people are ignorant and English seems to be a dying language there.

I honestly wouldn't recommend it

Ali for the love of god don't do it!!! I live in belfast and not one of the nice areas, i have lived in preston and i would rather stab my own eyes out than go back there even for a weekend.

have just got here for uni, but i will give it a chance, to get used to it... its so depressing, never been in a dull city as preston, i like small cities but preston doesnt bring that element of a small quite city!!!

Preston isn't a bad city, it is on the verge of major re-generation to cement it's place as Lancashire's main ciry.

It does have absolutely First class transport links, with a rail station on the West Coast Main Line you can go anywhere from Preston, plus a huge Bus Station interchange and being next to 4 different motorways.

Also lots of nice areas to live in, look around at surrounding towns and viliages and commute into Preston using the good transport, it's easier.

Also Preston North End FC have their Stadium at Deepdale Completed and they have the National Football Museum both well worth checking out, the museum is free.

Also the Ribble Steam Railway on the Docklands is great aswell.

I have lived in Preston all my life and it is a dump. Considering it is now a city it has no big attractions or venues. The locals consist of mainly dole dossers who smell and students who think the pavements are for tossing their empty take away wrappers on!

The only god thing about Preston is that the Lake District is less than an hours drive away!

How British it is to slag off a Provincial English City.

Sorry Emo's but I'm gonna disappoint. Brought up in the Potteries & spent most of my early years in various places across the UK, I've been lucky enough to spend much of my working life in France, Holland & Germany.

I've spent the last three years in Preston & it's been the most fantastic experience in my life. Yeah, it aint Bermuda but then I never expected it to be. What it is: - A place of genuinely decent people who unlike most Emo's, have a dream - That dream is to build a new vibrant English city after years of decline. Preston is a fantastic night out & the people just want to enjoy themselves without (in the main) upsetting anyone else.

Some comments would indicate a disapproval of Preston because it is a more cosmopolitan city than most places in England - Oh & I don't mean sexy cosmo like US nationals, Australian nationals etc but cosmo including many people from East Asia but then perhaps I'm stumbling on the reason for some of the less educated critisism. Yes you may notice that there are a large number of Asians in the city but I happen to find it a really positive addition - you may also like to know that Preston is the most Catholic city in the UK - perhaps those who disapprove of the asian population would think similarly of the catholics.

In all probability, those people who choose to slag off Preston are not anti asian, catholic or anything else but I do believe that they are in common with the general lazy, fashionable view which sees any place outside London, Manchester or Brighton as being a dowdy backwater.

The big plus is that as long as this ignorance continues - the less likelihood there is of those who wish to remain unlightened to travel to such exotic places as Preston any many other towns & cities across the UK.