Woking...what is it like?

[Fliegenmong]

I have not been in the UK now for many many many moons, though I have seen a fair bit of it.

My Mothers Aunt moved there from Queensland just after the War, and by the time we came to visit them they lived in a rather magnificent 4 storey house in (Royal) Tunbridge Wells, fabulous town, & an amazing house. Her Husband was rather high up in Natwest if I remember, and would catch the train up to the city each day, Blackfriars or Bishopgate??

Anyway, after retiring they moved to Brisbane, and not far from us really 1 1/2 drive away. For resons unknown to any of us here, there seemed to be a falling out and we did not hear from them for years. I do remember calling and extending an 'olive branch', but I forget what was said. She died 19 years ago. The last remaining Sister was snubbed from the funeral and has (understandably) been bitter ever since.

......Anyway I digress.....managed to find my Great Aunt's Son on the inneynet last week, fired off an email and received a reply!...Contact again!

He and his family now live in Woking, seems a nice enough place, what is it like?

Last I saw him he was living in a batchelor pad in Shepperds Bush!

[Capetonian]

You are right about Tunbridge Wells (Royal, actually). It's a lovely town with a lot to recommend, pleasant people, some outstanding restaurants, and some very ordinary ones, and a couple of good hotels. It has a shopping street called the Pantiles which has many small shops, coffee shops, and restaurants, and is not full of Pound Stores and Costa Coffees. If you end up going there, the Spa is my favourite hotel, it has the advantage of being about 10 minutes walk through a park from the town centre and is particularly quiet. RTW has an excellent rail service into London. All in all, it is one of my favourite places in the UK, along with Chester.

Woking is a dump. In fact, it's an unmitigated dump. The town centre is characterless and used to be distinguished by a Hawker Hunter mounted on a plinth but that has gone. It has the usual chain shops and restaurants, tattoo parlours, nail bars, nasty pubs, multi-storey car parks, and a theatre complex. WWF has its UK HQ there, in an eco-building just outside the town centre. The best thing about Woking is frequent and fast rail services to London and many other places in the SW of England.

Having been so critical of the town centre, it is fair to say that there are some pleasant villages around Woking, although its own residential suburbs like Goldsworth Park are pretty dire. To get out of Woking, there are some good walks along the canal. The best view of Woking is in your rear view mirror or over your shoulder.

[Fliegenmong]

Thanks for that Cape....I know his offices are in Woking and assumed lived in the Town, and yes I remember the Pantiles in RTW, also flying model aircraft on 'the common', actually a model I managed to pack in amongst clothes all the way from Aust. via HKG. Ha ha...loved Tunbridge Wells, and as I say the house was just stunning, and probably far too big for four people as well.

I remember going to the Spa for lunch with the family about 1986 maybe, it was a fabulous time, fanciest lunch I had ever had at that age!

[Fliegenmong]

Just looked up the Spa hotel and it's restaurants now. It's not like it was way back when I was there, gueridon service and fine dining back then...still looks a lovely place with elegantly furnished rooms..

[Capetonian]

I've just learned a new word - Gueridon. I had to look it up. I'm a bit of a peasant. Elegant sums up Royal Tunbridge Wells.

[Fliegenmong]

Far from ME to teach YOU a new word Cape!...but there you go, and that is how I remember the place, very 'La de dar' back in the 80's, seems rather more casual now...

[probes]

Woking? That's where the word 'woke' (adj) comes from?

[Boac]

I think that is where they live, probes

[Fliegenmong]

I f#*king HATE that word!!!, so damn stupid!!!

[Capetonian]

I f#*king HATE that word!!!, so damn stupid!!!
+1 (I don't even know what it means despite various to find a meaning.)

[probes]

I looked it up: aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality:

or slang: The act of being very pretentious about how much you care about a social issue'woke''?

(as there was a title 'King and Queen of Woke')

[Boac]

aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality:

- yes, but are these 'wokees' aware of the nausea they are causing amongst we non-wokes?

'! awoke this morning and found I was still not awoke' - hmm - jolly difficult for the poor souls.

[llondel]

Woking does have the War of the Worlds sculptures, given that it's not far from Horsall Common where the first cylinder landed. Not that I've ever been there.