This morning I have migrated from Costa, after a pricey yet effective beverage, to the Gosport Discovery Centre. I haven’t been here before. There’s Wi-Fi. I came here intending to gather information on local events that may hold potential worth as future articles and it seems there’s plenty on offer. Apparently Gosport has a jazz club!
I have only lived in Gosport for a few years but that’s enough to become aware of its reputation. Neighbouring communities spout claims of crime and unemployment and there is some exaggerated truth to this.
A couple of weeks ago I rode into town to purchase some shears for the garden from Argos. The salesperson instantly demanded I show my ID due to recent accounts of ‘kids doing murdering’. With shears! Confused and lacking ID, I went to leave when the manager appeared and permitted the risky transaction. Clearly he believed I was old enough to partake in some ‘murdering’. I rode home like a botanical jouster, accomplished zero fatalities and proceeded to trim my borders.
I have obviously heard nothing of these suspected murders, but recent local media does dictate accounts of burglary, assault and indecent exposure. The UK crime stats website reveals that the vast majority of Gosport’s criminal activity is anti social behaviour with theft and violent crime also ranking fairly high. Comparatively, drug related crime is fairly low in spite of commonly voiced speculations.
I live fairly central within Gosport, an area depicted as substantially crime concentrated according to statistics. I personally have not witnessed any acts of crime since inhabiting the town but I do have a particular issue with my street. Walking to and from the Co-Op, i’m constantly kicking through rubbish and dog shit. It’s not a huge inconvenience, i’m no prude but I was still pleased to see a big fluorescent Littering Notice crop up on my street. Tragically, it was on the floor covered in dog shit.
Ask kids today why they’re such delinquent little turds and they’ll reply ‘there’s nothing to do’. Admittedly Gosport is the largest town in Britain lacking a train station, but this doesn’t create and hasn’t created a violent mass of isolated dullards. We receive more sunshine per annum than most of the UK and are never far from the (kind of dirty looking) sea. Naval history is rich and areas of conservation are genuinely pleasant, especially the newly spruced up Alver Valley. There’s plenty to do. My debut trip to the Discovery Centre further backs this up with it’s vast information on galleries, clubs, public gardens and beneficial volunteering opportunities.
To conclude, I like Gosport. There’s a jazz club.
88chadw 