That article paints a pretty picture, it isn't like that at all!
The rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down. Oh, the rain falls hard on a humdrum town. This town has dragged you down. -
Morrissey was right and still is right, because he could have wrote that about Stalybridge.
The town centre used to be a good place to shop 30 years ago, it had a busy a market hall and small market with some good shops. Then Tesco came along and later Aldi. Those 2 stores helped kill off the local shops.
There isn't even one shoe or clothes shop in the town, and only the NatWest bank remains when there used to be 4 banks. If you want a bookies no problem, there are several. And as for the town once being dubbed 'Stalyvegas', well it was, but that was over 20 years ago. It's ok to drink in still at weekends but it's heyday of attracting 5 to 10000 weekend revelers from all over greater Manchester Yorkshire and Derbyshire, those nights have long gone.
I know because I was born there. When I got married I moved away for 27 years and I've ended up living back there 3 years ago. Where I live is nice and I have a great view of the pennine foothills. But Stalybridge is no longer it's former self, unfortunately.