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Share your England story

We love England! (tea, crumpets, and all that jazz!)

But blimey, we’ve also stumbled into some properly bonkers and maddening moments here that you wouldn’t find anywhere else on the planet. Situations so absurd they make you want to chuck your brolly in frustration or chuckle at the sheer Monty Python-level lunacy of dealing with businesses, government services, or even trying to get a proper pint at the local pub.

When we grumble, the classic British retort online is “if you don’t like it, sod off!”—which, let’s be honest, isn’t exactly the most constructive way to sort things out, is it?

This board is our chance to gather all your tales of woe to prove there’s a peculiar pattern of dodgy service interactions across England, unlike anywhere else in the world.

Hopefully, by rounding up these stories, England can take a gander at them as feedback and spruce things up for foreigners and locals alike—because nobody wants to queue for eternity just to get a soggy sarnie.

POSTS ARE COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS—YOUR EMAIL AND USERNAME STAY SAFER THAN A CROWN JEWEL

Update: We’ll be passing the juiciest stories and gripes to MPs, so your voice will be heard louder than a foghorn at a footy match!

Safe Pathways Oldbury – Urgent Safety Infrastructure Intervention

COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT DOCUMENT Project Title: Safe Pathways Oldbury – Urgent Safety Infrastructure Intervention Project Facilitator: A suitable organisation Strategic Safety Partner: Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel (Registered Charity No. 1008754) Target Location: School Boundary / Pathway, Oldbury, Sandwell 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & PROBLEM STATEMENT This project seeks immediate funding and local authority permission to install public safety infrastructure—specifically high-intensity solar-powered lighting—on the unlit perimeter path bordering a local school in Oldbury. The site is currently a major safeguarding blindspot during hours of darkness. While Sandwell Council has acknowledged the area's risk by deploying a temporary CCTV camera, the lack of lighting severely compromises both natural surveillance and the efficacy of any video monitoring. The area is a proven flashpoint for violent crime, including documented reports of sexual assault and rape. A community petition has mobilized 824 verified local resident signatures demanding immediate structural intervention. By utilizing the project management and bid-writing infrastructure of a suitable organisation alongside the institutional credibility of the Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel, this project bypasses council budget blockages by funding the lighting infrastructure entirely through external grants. 2. THE PARTNERSHIP DELIVERY MODEL To maximize the likelihood of securing grants and overcoming council liability objections, the project operates under a joint-delivery framework: A Suitable Organisation (Project Manager & Fiscal Host): Will act as the technical procurement lead and bid writer. They will handle the administrative backend, project management, and management of the hardware suppliers. Sandwell Crime Prevention Panel (Strategic Lead): Will act as the primary community safety advisor. Their established relationship with West Midlands Police and Sandwell Council allows them to act as the liaison to clear statutory hurdles. They provide the institutional weight required for high-level safety grants. The School & Local Authority (Key Stakeholders): Because the school is situated on council land, they will be engaged for an easement/license to occupy—permitting the installation of the lighting equipment on their boundary line to integrate seamlessly with the council's existing temporary CCTV measures. 3. FUNDING STRATEGY & TARGETED GRANTS Because this project directly addresses violent crime, vulnerability, and a heavily mobilized community, it is highly competitive for specialized safety grants. We will target the following streams: A. West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) – Community Safety Fund Focus Area: Specifically funds community-led initiatives that tackle anti-social behavior, violence against women and girls (VAWG), and localized crime hotspots. The Angle: The application will directly cite the 824 signatures and the prior reports of sexual assault/rape, framing the lighting as an essential requirement to make the council's current temporary CCTV system effective. B. The National Lottery Community Fund (Awards for All) Focus Area: Grants up to £10,000 for community-led projects that improve local spaces and support vulnerable groups (in this case, school children and residents walking in darkness). The Angle: The bid will focus on the community empowerment aspect—proving that 824 residents have shaped this solution to reclaim their local neighborhood. C. The Home Office

5 months ago
In Progress

the decline of West Bromwich High Street

Im writing this with a very heavy heart but something has to change. Ive been noticing the decline of West Bromwich High Street for a number of years. It seems that everything that Sandwell council do accelerates the decline. Every penny spent makes it worse rather than better. £4.6m spent on the indoor market and its an embarrassment. The design is rubbish and so is the interior. The "new" high st stalls are a pain to traders - the glass roof makes the place unbearable during hot days. The "play area" in the middle of the high st looks like its been there since the 70s and is not fit for purpose. Who makes the decisions and why are we still allowing this!? How can so many countries around Europe manage to build beautiful and modern structures and we get a slap in the face, for £4.6million! We need to take action. Please comment if youd like to get involved. We need an action group to start pushing the MPs and councillors to do the right thing and stop wasting our money. Im sick of whats happening! Originally posted on Nextdoor: https://nextdoor.co.uk/p/Sm8g7tNR8ctB?utm_source=share&extras=MTc1OTIyMDU4NjQ0NjU%3D&ne_link_preview_links=&utm_campaign=1760445377061&share_action_id=9a52f39f-8ebb-4344-b8c1-6f336b6f0adf

1 year ago

It's EASY to open a business. Too easy...?

Companies House in the UK have recently updated theri rules and processes but it’s still very easy to open a limited company and trade under it. I’ve had come accross people opening and closing LTDs regularly to avoid paying suppliers and staff. These companies use purchased post-forwarding addresses for mail or their accountants address. When they stop paying their subcontractors and even when a court case is won (CCJ) it’s impossible to collect the debt. There are not assets at the purchased address and accountants simply confirm the same when bailiffs attend. Something should be done about this.

1 year ago