Reasons to love Stevenage after TikToker branded town a ‘hell hole’ and Luton’s ‘little brother’
Stevenage #Stevenage
A TikToker has posted a ‘Guide to Stevenage’ where he slates the Herts town – but there’s so much more to our wonderful town. Digital creator Phil Carr poked fun at the Herts town after posting a video on Monday (January 2) where he visited the town centre and gave his honest thoughts.
The TikToker – who has amassed over 440,000 followers and 23.2 million likes currently – filmed shops in the town centre, Westgate shopping centre, the Lamex Stadium, the Old Town and more, where he jokingly slammed the area. The video currently has 1.4 million views.
Phil said: “It is a place of nightmares. For those who don’t know, Stevenage is an outpost town in the area of the country called ‘the frontier’. This is where those of us in the affluent southeast send our roughest residents to form a garrison to protect against the armies of the north.
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“Luton is by far the worst place I’ve ever done a post from and Stevenage is like Luton’s little brother. When you arrive in Stevenage, they bombard you with images of all the famous people that have come from the town, none of which you’ve heard of.”
However, we at HertsLive believe he is wrong about his tongue-in-cheek opinions on our town and there are some really great places to visit in the area. For example, the Roaring Meg in Stevenage, whether you love it or loath it, is always bustling with cars and people wandering around making purchases in the money-making retail park.
The Roaring Meg’s huge M&S store has become a recently much-loved destination and drivers passing by the area will almost always see a car park filled to the brim, showing just how much people love the retail park. It has become so full seven days of the week that a system has been implemented so that those parking there only have three hours free parking before they need to exit.
The retail park is one of the brighter spots in Stevenage and if you looking for a bite to eat, you can also visit the new Nandos which opened late last year. The Afro-Portuguese chain restaurant opened in October 2022 and it also is another reason why the area is packed with cars.
Another reason we disagree with the TikToker’s takes is the numerous popular places to drink in Stevenage’s Old Town. The Old Town High Street has many bars to drink from including: The Standing Order Wetherspoons, Draper’s Arms, The Mulberry Tree, The Marque of Lorne, Coach & Horses and more.
Every Friday and Saturday, the Old Town is bustling with punters getting dropped off in the Old Town to go into boozers for a well-earned drink after work. These places can make Stevenage rowdy on occasions but most of the time people are there to enjoy themselves.
In his video, Phil wrongly stated that the town does not pay homage to Stevenage-born Formula One driving champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, as he walked through Stevenage’s Wall of Fame and missed the photograph showing his achievements.
As Phil joked that the town “does not acknowledge him” in any way and explained this may be because “he’s never paid tax here”, but the tunnel shows gratitude to him along with numerous celebs from Stevenage including: athletes Ashley Young, Ian Poulter and Kevin Phillips. Phil did however issue an apology after accidentally missing Lewis on the wall of fame.
As well the Stevenage sporting talent, there are also people from the fine arts of Stevenage such as actor Ed Westwick, author Ken Follett, musicians Uriah Heep and Ken Hensley, and actress Vikki Michelle. The area has born ‘n’ bred many celebs and is another reason for Stevenage residents walking through the wall of fame next to the Gordon Craig Theatre to aim for success whilst being brought up in the area.
The town’s local football side Stevenage Football Club is a particular attraction for the sport lovers of Stevenage and surrounding areas. Hearing the humourous songs chanted by the ‘Boro’ fans is always an enjoyable day out and if you haven’t done it, you definitely should.
The League Two side play at The Lamex Stadium and currently sit in second place just two points behind league-leaders Leyton Orient. However, the TikToker slated the Stevenage Westgate shopping centre and, although it’s not the finest places in the town, the place can still reel in residents spending their money on local business.
There are over 30 great stores – and some of the biggest high street names in the country. From fashion to phones, from stationery to jewellery, you will find everything you need for the family. And speaking of spending money, the Leisure Park’s restaurants will also earn thousands every month and is another hotspot for residents.
The area has the capability for couples to have an enjoyable day out, by going to watch movies at Cineworld, whether that’s 2D or IMAX, and then people can walk out to an eye-watering amount of places to eat including ASK, Nandos, Firejacks, Frankie & Benny’s, Five Guys, Wagamama, and of course McDonald’s, to name a few.
The Leisure Park also allows for parents with young children as well, as they can take them to 360 Play and Hollywood Bowl, making the place a popular one for children’s parties. The Herts town also has some small hidden gems in the area and close by.
One of which is Knebworth Park, which may be known by few people unless you are from the area. The location allowed 250,000 young music fans who famously went in 1996 to an Oasis gig, where three million people applied for tickets.
Another hidden gem is the wide open natural spaces in Stevenage such as Serpentine Park and King George playing fields. For example, Serpentine Park in Great Ashby is a great location for children and young families to enjoy the outdoors and play.
The park is absolutely huge with space for endless football, frisbees and all types of ball games. Some in Stevenage may not know just how much use residents can make of the area, and there is also play areas and equipment for young children to enjoy.
King George playing fields is located opposite The Forum car park in the town centre. This field is commonly used for local football matches, but also can be enjoyed by those who like to exercise or those who like to enjoy the weather have a picnic. Although this may not be possible in the winter we’re currently still experiencing, the area is a great location for people to again enjoy the outdoors.
The field also stages Stevenage Day, which is held every year and is the largest free event of its kind in Herts. So there – there’s huge amounts to love about Stevenage and many gems that us locals love!
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