[Closed] Farnborough

It's next to Aldershot.

And Camberley.

Both prime candidates too.

We are talking about the Hampshire Farnborough aren't we?

I assume you are basing this on the town centre which is about to undergo an £80 miillion re-development. There are some nice areas of Farnborough and mile after mile of excellent singletrack on MOD land.

most definitely basing it on the town centre, i took a courtesy bus from our office complex into town, when i arrived i was convinced that bus had been a time capsule. Life on Mars. i would implore everyone to visit, its astounding.

I was just about to post in defence of Farnborough, given that I've enjoyed playing at the Tumbledown Dick on several occasions - a couple of hundred year old pub with a good sized music venue out the back, run by nice people. It turns out that Farnborough has recently granted McDonalds permission to rip the place down and build a 'restaurant' instead, which is about as crap as town-based crapness can get.

Jebus, if you think Farnborough centre is bad, you really don't want to try a bus to Aldershot

I am typing this within 500m of said shopping centre* 🙂

* F'boro not Aldershot

Mind you, with that many military planes buzzing around each year you wouldn't want to build anything too nice in case of things landing unexpectedly.

Wordnumb - Interestingly there's loads of new development (residential and business) going on all around the airport, prime targets for stray aircraft of all kinds!

I wouldn't mind but Farnborough was actually revamped some time ago. They did it so well they need to do it again! The upcoming revamp of Aldershot looks great on paper. I will watch with interest to see how it pans out, and to see who will buy the very expensive apartments they plan for the Cambridge hospital. Full marks though to the contractor who did the work on Smith Dorrien House - it looks great now.

There I go again, assuming common sense to be common.

🙄

Raised in Aldershot and spent most of my early working years in Farnborough (and my first flat in Cove), I am never in a rush to return to either. Is Farnborough town centre still the same since the 90's, I remember it being grim back in 98 when I was last there?

Tumbledown Dicks has been closed for a good few years now. While I agree that a fast food restaurant might not be ideal at least they might stop the building falling down.

And yes, Farnborough is a hole. Some fantastic houses there though, we considered buying there recently because you can get a good sized, old, well built house there for reasonable (for this area) money. The wife didn't really want the kids growing up amongst all the dirty folk down the precinct though 🙂

Is the Aldershat revamp still upcoming? It was upcoming when we moved there 15 years ago. It was still upcoming when we left 5 years later. Mind you, it does now have a Morrisons!

how does it not win reccuring Crap Town titles every year?

Because Yate exists.

Is Farnborough town centre still the same since the 90's,

No, it's been ripped apart. New shops, big Sainsburys, VUE cinema opening in the summer (That said I reckon there'll be too man cinemas round here soon...)

FWIW I've lived here 20-odd years now, and yes, there's nicer places, but Farnborough suits me fine.
There's LOTS of good riding round here, transport links are fantastic (M3, A31 and 3 stations very close) I can afford to live here, and there's plenty of jobs.....

So, OP, where do you live? Some amazing private island in the sun.....?

Because Yate exists.

...somewhere, deep beneath the Tesco mothership.

Does it not have a VUE cinema now?

Seemed to have gone up market when I was there last week.

...somewhere, deep beneath the Tesco mothership.

LOL!! 😀

Yeah, they certainly made an impact with that one!

I was just about to post in defence of Farnborough, given that I've enjoyed playing at the Tumbledown Dick on several occasions - a couple of hundred year old pub with a good sized music venue out the back, run by nice people. It turns out that Farnborough has recently granted McDonalds permission to rip the place down and build a 'restaurant' instead, which is about as crap as town-based crapness can get.

**cracks knuckles**

I used to spend a LOT of time in the Tumbly. I worked there for a while too.
Here's the facts that the 'Friends of the Tumbledown' won't tell you:

The place was falling down. The rooms were damp, the carpet and decor filthy, the kitchen a health hazard (Which is what eventually closed it down, someone got ill and complained, HSE went in) and the beer badly kept. I wouldn't drink anything that didn't come in a bottle form there, and a friend of mine got very ill on the bad beer once
Nice people? Yeah, they were, but the management and staff didn't give a SHIT about the place. It was treated as a doss house. That's why I didn't work there long, I was sick of being the only one doing anything. When it closed, all the regulars and staff just went elsewhere, they didn't care then*
It was bought out by another brewery who decided it wasn't a viable proposition as a pub, so they sold it again.
By all accounts the inside was wrecked after years of standing empty too.

So yeah, whist i'd rather see it as a pub too, that's not gonna happen, ever. So it's better to let McDonalds do [i]something[/i] with it rather than let it fall down or demolish it. It's all work for someone.

*These are the people that have been kicking up a stink since McDonalds announced their plans. I know a couple of them from wayyyy back. But it's cool to hate a big company these days, isn't it, so on the bandwagon they jump, wailing and gnashing their teeth. Too late now.

I work in Farnborough often. Yes, it's a bit shit*, but it's surrounded by great MTBing and if you head west great road riding too.

Not many places you can leave work and have a blast around the woods on the way back to your hotel..!

* ok so the centre is - but the suburubs have quite a lot of pleasant streets so the environment is quite nice

I was just about to post in defence of Farnborough, given that I've enjoyed playing at the Tumbledown Dick on several occasions - a couple of hundred year old pub with a good sized music venue out the back, run by nice people.

😀 It was one of my daughter's hang-outs and she was VERY goth at one time. 😯

Wonders if my daughter knew Mr Poddy, she looks nothing like me Pete. 😆

CG, yeah, we've discussed this before. I'd say 'probably, yes' 🙂

Do you remember the foot-high fungi growing underneath each urinal in the toilets at the club entrance of the Tumbledown Pete?

Had some great times in that place (not the gents) but it was neglected for decades and the beer was dire.

As for Farnborough town centre, I only go there if I absolutely have to, but the local riding is great and there are plenty of transport links to other good riding too.

Incidentally I may be down there again very shortly, I wouldn't mind someone showing me round the new trail centre..

First house was in Cove, backed onto Hawley Woods. Blimey, got married there too. 😐

Worked in Farnborough for a bit. Remember Kingsmead being updated in the 80's.

Great riding, transport links, affordable housing, decent schools and enough jobs - what's not to like?? If you want some shopping pop down to Farnham.......

With the rise of internet based shopping i expect most town centres to become dire over the coming years, wealthy areas may be ok as shops will be replaced with cafes, bars, restaurants etc but the age of having a nice high street with loads of independent and chain shops is gone in my opinion.
Farnborough has the very concrete and very ugly shopping centres (Kingsmead, Queensmead, Princesmead etc) because people simply arent prepared to travel around shopping anymore, they want everything in one place for convenience, sad but true....so you have a town centre that contains a cinema, a gym, some chain shops, some chain restaurants and not much character unfortunately.

As others have said though, the suburbs are actually very pleasant with quiet streets and large houses, good travel links and loads of MoD land mountain biking.

@PeterProddy - Sad to read that, fairly common trend though it is. Whilst I'll stick to my guns about giving McDonalds planning permission being a terrible idea - something I'll never back down on since arriving in Florence by train - places falling into ruin through nostalgic inaction is also a bad thing.

far more eligble contenders tbh...
boringstoke / basinghole
swindon (even the singletrack behind nationwide doesn't let that off the hook)
bracknell
woking
...

As far as I know, those listed above were all designated 'new towns'. Farnborough wasn't therefore it's a cut above those. 😉

Im from and still live in Ramsbottom up north. I have been working and staying in Central London the last few years and now im out in Farnborough.

I was looking forward to finding digs out here, bringing my bike down and enjoying some of these illustrious MOD trails of an evening - still staying in my London digs and commuting everyday seemed like a nightmare to me when i started, but having been doing it for a couple of months now, i cant wait to GTF outta here after work and back to London!

First house was in Cove, backed onto Hawley Woods

Was that Cove? I lived on Sandy Lane for a year or so and figured Cove was south of the M3 as there was a sign saying 'Welcome to Cove' when I drove that way.

So yeah I worked in Farnborough at Data Sciences/IBM near the centre before leaving for London and never to return in '98. Well I did return once to see the centre flattened some years ago. I mostly went to Camberley which had a few clubs I could cope with. Used to run in Hawley woods and sometimes came across tanks and army men.

You'll change your mind on a summer evening on Tunnel Hill, I'm sure 🙂

If Farnborough itself depresses you that much stay in Farnham.

Do you remember the foot-high fungi growing underneath each urinal in the toilets at the club entrance of the Tumbledown Pete?

I've tried to forget needing the loo in the Tumbly.......
[URL= http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/sick/smileys-vomiting.gi f" target="_blank">http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/sick/smileys-vomiting.gi f"/> [/IMG][/URL]

Farnborough isn't great, bit its nowhere near the worst place in the world.
Peckham, new cross, dalston, and anywhere north of the Watford gap. 😀

Farnborough isn't great, bit its nowhere near the worst place in the world.

My thoughts exactly. I've lived here longer than anywhere else now, but I'm originally from Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, so I know what Mansfield was like.....
**shudders**

my comments were just about the town centre tbf, im sure the surrounding areas are lovely.

so what is the riding actually like round here? any comparisons? ive just read tunnell hill trolls website and it says they mainly use single speed and rigid bikes? if theres not much technical stuff i dont mind giving it a miss...

Wow I hope some of you guys don't ever come to Todmorden, home of STW, if you dislike Farnborough so much. Some great riding up here but boy are some of the towns struggling.

And we don't get big payouts when we flood up here which doesn't help.....

FWIW I think Farnborough town centre isn't the best but it's improving. It's honest and it's trying hard. Plus PP lives there so that adds 20% to its awesomeness factor. 🙂

I have a friend who comes from Mansfield ( I am from Sutton) and we take turns to say how bad it is.

Was that Cove? I lived on Sandy Lane for a year or so and figured Cove was south of the M3 as there was a sign saying 'Welcome to Cove' when I drove that way.

Yes, definitely Cove, Farnborough postal address. I lived just off Sandy Lane!

so what is the riding actually like round here? any comparisons?

Hmm.. not sure. It's somewhat unique because it's MOD owned land which has not much purpose beyond allowing soldiers to run around and be preserved for the environment's sake.

Some hills, some flat bits, loads and loads of twisty mostly man-made singletrack. Sandy soil, which means it drains well unless it's wet enough to be properly waterlogged, in which case there's nothing to bind it so it dissolves into mush and is unrideable. Doesn't last long though like that. Swinley is a highlight imo (at least it was before the trail centre stuff). If you've got a bit of leg power and can handle a bike it's an absolute blast of flat out high speed singletrack. Tunnel hill is less extreme sport more rambling exploring, but very pleasant - nice mix of woodsy singletrack and clearnings with views.

As for technical - depends what you mean. It's not rocky or steep, but if you ride fast it's very technical indeed. Definitely worth a try.

[quote=molgrips said]
As for technical - depends what you mean. It's not rocky or steep, but if you ride fast it's very technical indeed. Definitely worth a try.

This.

so what is the riding actually like round here

Tight twisty singletrack mostly, and LOTS of it. Head over towards Caesars Camp (aldershot way) for more steeper stuff to play on. There is some slightly jumpy suff around here, but there's not a lot of elevation to loose/gain so it's mostly pedally. It's easy enough to do a 50-mile loop hardly touching any roads but you've really GOT TO know where you're going or you'll never find most of it. For instance, I can ride out of my garage to the end of the road then use traffic free cycle paths 90% of the way to Tunnel Hill, ride Tunnel, Porrigepot & Frith Hills over to Swinley, do 25-40 miles and probably not use more than a mile of tarmac total.... 🙂
Get out on a Trolls ride if you can is the best bet, cos you'll just get lost otherwise! 🙂

Down next week then, by the look of it.

I live a couple of miles from the centre of Farnborough, and think I have been into the town centre once or twice over the past 10 years. Once you get away from the centre there are plenty of nice areas. Funnily enough I was born very near Ramsbottom, and while I go back occasionally I have never felt the desire to fully return.

The posts above sum up the local riding pretty well. Lots of twisty rooty tree lined single track, no rocks, fairly small hills but plenty of fun.

The section on the Tunnel Hill Troll website about single speeds and rigid forks was a bit of an injoke at the time. Plenty of people do ride them and keep up okay.

Probably easier for you to go over to Camberley isn't it Jason? 🙂
To be honest I'd imagine most people don't go to any town centres that much any more these days do they?
We buy stuff from wherever its best or most convenient. Supermarkets are mostly out of town, small specialist shops like butchers are generally not in the middle of town either.

To be honest I'd imagine most people don't go to any town centres any more these days do they?

Not if we live somewere with a crappy centre, no. If you live somewhere with a nice centre people go there all the time, cos it's nice 🙂

Mol, yeah, but big towns are mostly all the same these days aren't they? Gap and H&M. Move out of the centre and they get nicer usually, all the cool shops and cafés are there because the rent is cheaper and there's more space.
Small towns and villages are where it's at. 🙂
That said, we've been going into Farnborough more and more recently..... Because it's getting nicer. 🙂
It'll never have a bustling nightlife because there's no clubs. To me this is a plus point though.

Mol, yeah, but big towns are mostly all the same these days aren't they?

Not really.. some are, for sure, in terms of shops. That's why people usually stick with one when they want to shop for clothes etc. But The environment is a key thing.

When we go into Cardiff we go to a coffee shop; browse some of the big chains for clothes or whatever; our kids usually want to look in one of several good toy shops that we have; sometimes we visit the library; sometimes we have lunch somewhere good; sometimes we pick up essentials which you can still do in Cardiff; sometimes we are at the dinosaur museum which is also in town; sometimes the castle or just the park. So town is still fun for us.

I also like small towns and villages - I'd live in a small country town if I could (and will move when I can afford it I think).

So town is still fun for us.

Cardiff is a city...

Used to live just off Sandy lane also, and as said above, its only the town center that lets the area down, its relatively nice compared to a lot of other places.
I'm surprised they never developed the local airport into something more major instead of getting a 3rd runway at Heathrow, there are some good transport links there.
As for the Tumbledown, went in there a few times in the 90's but I used to work the bar at the Agincourt in Camberley, that was a far worse experience.

I'm surprised they never developed the local airport into something more major

Apparently they can't because of the technical college being slap-bang on the end (beginning?) of the runway. Or summint.

I lived in Northcamp.... that's not too bad. Sydney is nicer tho.

Is there a decent LBS in Farnborough? One that can install an in-line brake lever to some drop bars?

I would aim for Mountain Trax in Barkham, near Wokingham.

Another thought - Purple Bike Shed are mobile and possibly in Farnborough, worth a call.

[url= http://www.purplebikeshed.com/ ]Purple Bike Shed[/url] are in Farnborough, Andy's a great chap.

Xodus Cycles, North Camp (area of Farnborough).

Anyone riding Tuesday eve?

I would but I'm working nights! Can probably do Weds?

Trolls will be, somewhere in the area.

Maybe after the Bank Holiday Mol if you're still around ?

Weds night would be ideal, after work.

ATP yes, I'll be there for the long haul. You'll know were to find me 🙂

No probs Molgrips. I'm off on Weds so let me know a time and we can meet at the layby just after the Basingstoke Canal Visitor Centre on Mytchett Place Road. All are welcome. E-mail in profile. Will probably be around 10 miles on Tunnel Hill and Porridge Pot at a social pace!

Might be up for that depending on time.

I'm staying in 'boro so I can be there 7 or so.

[quote=molgrips said]Weds night would be ideal, after work.
ATP yes, I'll be there for the long haul. You'll know were to find me

Ah, I can guess !

PeterPoddy - Member

[i] how does it not win reccuring Crap Town titles every year?[/i]

Because Yate exists.

I was back in the area over Easter and I had forgotten how faceless Yate is & that Tesco's really is like a cross between The Mother Ship & The Death Star.
I thought to myself "how did they get planing permission for that" & then I looked around and realised I was in Yate 😮
Yet 1 mile up the road is Chipping Sodbury which has character?

Quick reminder for Molgrips and anyone else who's interested. I'll be setting off from the layby next to the Basingstoke Canal Visitors centre tomorrow night at 7pm. We should be able to squeeze in and 1 hour to an hour and 30 before it goes dark. I'll be on a grey Santa Cruz Nomad. Let me know if you'll be attending. 🙂

Cheers

Andy

Yep, will be there and will be lit up in case it goes on a bit longer / anyone wants to extend a bit.

Is there a decent LBS in Farnborough? One that can install an in-line brake lever to some drop bars?

If it's mechanical services you need, my email is in my profile.
LBS mechanic by trade, I do private work too. 🙂

Nice one TOJ. I'll bring two sets of lights so I'll have a spare should anyone else need it.

I can also recommend PeterPoddy as a bike mechanic. (Wasn't sure if you were still doing work from on here Peter hence not mentioning you earlier!)

I'll be there too, I will have lights, and can donate my helmet light if anyone needs it.

Hopefully there are fewer puddles than at Swinley last night...

are you guys 'fast'?

I'm not fast by any means. Not looking to go out racing, just a social pace on good trails.

Tunnel Hill drains very well. Should be fine by this evening. See you at 7 guys.

Fast as lightning. You'll be eating my dust.. For breakfast.. Or something 😉

Someone pm me with a mobile number. I might not be able to make tonight after all, but I'll need to text someone.

Oh.. looks like I can come after all.

Sorry only just checked back here. Any issues just mail me.

Just commuted back home over Ash Ranges, it's wet out there 🙂

Have a good ride.