[Archived] Shadsworth Area

[Brfcrule1]

Hi All,

I have just been offered a ground floor, 1 Bed Flat, with a garden in the shadsworth area of Blackburn on Oban Drive close to queens park & Shadsworth Road Can people please advise is this a safe area?. I have lived in my current flat for 9 years and I am generally quite quiet person keep myself to myself not out to cause trouble do people think I will settle in this area ok? Any info people can give will be much appreciated.

Thanks

Savio

[Stuart]

I suggest you go on Google Maps and take a look on street view.

It's on the fringes of the estate that was featured on Panorama but to be honest that programme was heavily biased to paint a poor picture of the area. Like many council estate areas, Shadsworth doesn't have a great reputation but I know some good people from the area.

It's a fair walk to Ewood though if that is one of your main reasons for being up here.

[Tom]

Stuart has a good point Savio

Whilst it may not be a great area if you are waiting on an council properly then its likely that people will say the same about any area in Blackburn

[Al]

Stuart has a good point Savio

Whilst it may not be a great area if you are waiting on an council properly then its likely that people will say the same about any area in Blackburn

Having said that there is a very nice council area at Brownhill. If you can get a property there it is a much nicer area.

[Tom]

Having said that there is a very nice council area at Brownhill. If you can get a property there it is a much nicer area.

Ah true my comment was possibly unfair but true for the most part I imagine

Is the one in brownhill still council I thought it wasn't anymore

Savio - have you got time to have a look or do you need to make a decision straight away?

Either way good luck to you just don't build Blackburn up too much in your head and I'm sure you will be fine

[Boner]

I lived on Oban Drive appr 1990-2002. As far as Shad goes it's one of the better/quieter streets, there's a good proportion of private ownership as well as council houses. Bear in mind I've not been there in 10 years though so things may have changed.

If possible I'd recommend driving/walking past any potential property a few times at different times of day just to get a feel for the area.

[J*B]

Savio are you SURE you really want to move to Blackburn? It really is a shithole mate. Why leave all of your family and friends, and a flat your comfortable in, for an entirely new area. You'll have to make a new friend group, you'll be in a strange area, and it isn't pretty in Shad no matter what anybody says.

[Brfcrule1]

Josh one of the reasons I am moving is because I have this season ticket this year.

I understand I will be leaving my family and friends. I am sure I would like to move to blackburn because as I am a season ticket holder I would also like to attend a lot of the U21's & reserve games which come cheaper with a season ticket.

I realise I will have to make a new friends group but I have spoken to my social worker and he has said we will sit down and discuss groups & visually impaired groups I can join.

I now have a decent circle of friends on here and elsewhere.

Thanks for your advice I understand your concern but I have seriously thought about this move back to Blackburn.

Thanks Stuart I have looked at it on google maps. I know it is a fair walk to Ewood but I understand there are buses from there to Ewood.

Thanks Al it would have been nice but with the lack of council housing all over it has proved very difficult & considering this is a ground floor 1 bed flat with a garden I have to seriously consider it & the social worker will be looking at the property with me to make sure everything is as it should be.

Thanks Tom for your advice I am not under pressure to make a quick decision hopefully I will be looking at the place next friday providing there are no last minute hitches.

As you state I have been waiting for an offer for 9 months now and have been told the chances of getting another offer soon is unlikely thanks for the tip I won't build it up too much do you think if I keep myself to myself I will be ok?.

Thanks for the tip Boner I will try to do that & walk around the area at different times of the day to get a feel for the place.

[Al]

Ah true my comment was possibly unfair but true for the most part I imagine

Is the one in brownhill still council I thought it wasn't anymore

Savio - have you got time to have a look or do you need to make a decision straight away?

Either way good luck to you just don't build Blackburn up too much in your head and I'm sure you will be fine

In common with a lot of council estates a lot of the houses have been purchased by the residents but there are some that are still rented by the housing agents appointed by the council.

[Tom]

I really hope it works out Savio but its a huge upheaval moving from London for a football club, its a move I personally wouldn't dare make

People online you may see in passing at games and stuff but its no replacement for a proper support network. In reality there is little social aspect of this site and twitter in the real world.

Maybe its just me that wouldn't be brave enough to make a move like that and leave the familiarity of friends and family back home

Good luck if you make the jump though

[Kamy100]

I entirely agree with what Tom and Josh are saying Savio. Think VERY carefully before you move. In London you have the support of a network of family and friends, here in Blackburn you won't have that.

People that you know online you will most probably only see in passing at games, so you will have to make a whole new circle of friends. Your social worker will help but it still a massive jump, especially if Rovers are your primary reason for moving.

So think very carefully, maybe come up for a week and test things out with your social worker etc. There are huge cutbacks happening at Blackburn with Darwen council, support for people with disabilities has been scaled back massively.

If you do decide to come up then good luck.

[john.leigh]

I'm truly amazed by what you're planning to do mate. You deserve a hell of a lot of respect. If anyone can make a go of it you can. You need to keep your positive outlook.

I moved to Australia with no family here and no job, but I had my wife and two kids. It was a struggle for a while but we've been here 10 years and have no regrets.

I've worked in and around Shadsworth and had no dramas - Knuzden is just next door & I have friends & family there.

My thoughts? Life's what you make it Savio.

Best of luck whatevet you decide on.

[jim mk2]

You'll love it here in the north west. I've lived and worked all over England and there's nowhere better.

Ignore the doom mongers and those who have left, most of whom blame the area and / or the country for their own personal failings.

[Stuart]

Savio are you SURE you really want to move to Blackburn? It really is a shithole mate. Why leave all of your family and friends, and a flat your comfortable in, for an entirely new area. You'll have to make a new friend group, you'll be in a strange area, and it isn't pretty in Shad no matter what anybody says.

-1

Thanks Stuart I have looked at it on google maps. I know it is a fair walk to Ewood but I understand there are buses from there to Ewood.

Don't mean to patronise but just checking: Did you use street view (dragging the little orange man in the top left corner onto the map shows you photographs). You will be able to see a photo of your actual property from outside the front of it.

[adopted scouser]

You'll love it here in the north west. I've lived and worked all over England and there's nowhere better.

Ignore the doom mongers and those who have left, most of whom blame the area and / or the country for their own personal failings.

So have I, and if you include the Wirral then I agree with you.

Not the vast majority of Blackburn though, I'm up at the top end of Darwen at the moment and that's OK.

Spotted 'country', you fishing again ?!

[Brfcrule1]

Thanks Stu yes I have checked out the street view of the place.

Thanks Tom & Kamy yes I have thought about it I do realise what I will be giving up but football is not the only reason for my move with this property being a 1 bed flat it is bigger than what I have at the moment but as I have stated before my social worker will discuss in depth various visually impaired & disabilities groups & I know there is a RNIB centre in Mill Hill & Preston thanks very much for the information. Kamy I do understand about the cutbacks and things but there are other organisations that can help. I also would like to move because I will also be near my 2 favourite places Blackpool pleasure beach & the Lake District and the various groups organise days out to both.

Thanks John & Jim for your kind words as I say if I do make the move I will do my best to make it work out.

Thanks very much to everyone who has given me some valuable advice.

[Tom]

Ok good luck bud

[Alex Rover]

I would say go for it as well. I've found it's good to move around a bit for new experiences and meeting new people. I've done it but I would just make sure you leave a back door open so that you know if you change your mind you have can always move back fairly easily for peace of mind. Depending where you are in London some parts are grim and there's nothing a day or two in the Lakes can't beat. All the best.

[Brfcrule1]

Thanks everyone for your advice Tom thanks for everything it was good to see you at half time at the last 2 home games. I've even been called the lucky mascot by the chap behind me.

Tom & Kamy I realise it is a big move and I understand your concern but the only real thing I will be leaving behind is family. Here in London a lot of my support network and friends have all moved on,and the groups I am involved with have folded due to the cutbacks. Thanks to you both for your help and advice.

I must also thank Glen Mullen & Mark Fish who have been really helpful in putting me in touch with the right people to get on the council's waiting list and who I regard as close friends.

Also special thanks should go to roversmum and her family who I have known personally for a few years as well as her extended family who have been very supportive of my move and have given me a glowing reference. They have also introduced me to our very own parson blue and I have made many friends at the Blackburn rovers disabled supporters bash and I have made a good network of friends there.

[Stuart]

Really pleased to read all that, Savio.

People like Glen and Mark, Paul, Paul, Ozz, amongst others, put in a bloody lot of hard work out there in the real world.

So much so that it has given me a different perspective on the forums and makes it a lot easier to take the snipers' comments with a pinch of salt.

[Gav]

Shadsworth isn't the best place in town to live, but it isn't half as bad as most would have you think.

As a town we get bad press, but when you put things into perspective, we live 30 minutes from the coast, 45 minutes for the Lakes and Peak district and have Manchester 30 miles down the road. We are blessed with wonderful pubs and restaurants and to be honest are very lucky indeed to live in this area.

I wish you all best.

[T.J.Newton]

oban drive used to be a good street(though I haven't lived around there for a few years now) oban drive used to have quite an even mix of families(mostly good decent working folk) and retired couples and a few singles & young couple in the flats, as somebody else said it is one of the better parts of shad(if you look how Dunoon drive cuts right through shadsworth on a map the more run down parts are on the east side, where as oban is on the west of Dunoon) and Shadsworth really isn't that rough or dangerous(especially compared to London or any other big city) its just run down.

though saying that, personally id say that if rovers is your main reasons for moving I think youd be much happier if you could try and find a place closer to ewood side of town or even the north end of Darwen which is also close to ewood, if its the B-with-us scheme your using then flats in those areas appear quite regularly, it just depends on how much of a rush to move you are in.

anyway, good luck.

[Brfcrule1]

Thanks Gav that's very re-assuring I will do my best to make it work out.

Thanks TJ yes it is the b-with-us scheme I have been applying to areas closer to ewood but the properties closer to ewood are very popular and I find there is a lot of competition even Darwen seems quite popular and for properties in those areas I am coming quite away down the list.

Also owning a pet it makes it more difficult to find a place that accepts pets and this is the first offer I have had in 9 months and also with this my first season with a season ticket it is important I find somewhere soon and given this is a ground floor 1 bed flat with a garden which is a bonus I have to seriously consider it.

Thanks very much to everyone for their help.

[Brfcrule1]

Just to let everyone know I have now signed the tenancy to move to Oban Drive and hope to be moving the first week of November I think I have made a good choice and the council are making a real effort to make the place very nice for me repainting the place and replacing the bathroom and doing lots in the kitchen as well as other small jobs so it should look really nice once done. Thanks very much to everyone for the advice they have given me regarding this move and I hope I have many happy years in Blackburn.

[Stuart]

Drove past Oban Drive last night and thought of you, Savio.

Best of luck mate.