Is Donny dangerous?

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

As an exile, i don't often spend much time back in Donny.

My mum moved away from Scawsby about 8 years ago nearer to me in the midlands so i only go to Donny now for the footy, to visit my sister in Kirk Sandall and to see a mate in Scawsby and so i don't really know what changes are happening in the town and how it is perceived by locals now.

I've been away for 20 years but used to go round town drinking friday / Saturday nights etc up until about 2010, before i felt too old 

The one thing i have noticed by reading the DFP online is that the instances of violence / crime etc seem to be frequent. When i compare it to my local rag for a similarly sized large town, i don't see half of the bad headlines in my local area than i do the DFP.

I know the press like to skew things obviously but if it isn't drugs gangs with guns in Cantley then it's a cyclist getting attacked with a machete on Church Way in today's DFP.

Maybe it is also an age thing? Growing up around Donny, i saw some bad stuff and got involved with some bad stuff but it was just sort of normalized and maybe when you are taken out of that environment, that stuff still happens but you are not involved or don't experience it.

I must admit, there are some areas of Donny which i went to a lot when i was younger where i would not feel particularly safe now, and i don't really feel that in any area of my nearest town.

Do any of you think that Donny or your local area is more dangerous than it used to be or that it is the same as it's ever been? Do you feel safe in Doncaster in general ? Is there anything that has changed for the worse / better?

I must admit that i prefer Donny to bigger cities.

Anyway, comment if you wish. If not, please ignore although i am still half expecting the 'what a pointless thread' accusation. 

[keyser_soze]

As an exile, i don't often spend much time back in Donny.

My mum moved away from Scawsby about 8 years ago nearer to me in the midlands so i only go to Donny now for the footy, to visit my sister in Kirk Sandall and to see a mate in Scawsby and so i don't really know what changes are happening in the town and how it is perceived by locals now.

I've been away for 20 years but used to go round town drinking friday / Saturday nights etc up until about 2010, before i felt too old 

The one thing i have noticed by reading the DFP online is that the instances of violence / crime etc seem to be frequent. When i compare it to my local rag for a similarly sized large town, i don't see half of the bad headlines in my local area than i do the DFP.

I know the press like to skew things obviously but if it isn't drugs gangs with guns in Cantley then it's a cyclist getting attacked with a machete on Church Way in today's DFP.

Maybe it is also an age thing? Growing up around Donny, i saw some bad stuff and got involved with some bad stuff but it was just sort of normalized and maybe when you are taken out of that environment, that stuff still happens but you are not involved or don't experience it.

Do any of you think that Donny or your local area is more dangerous than it used to be or that it is the same as it's ever been? Do you feel safe in Doncaster in general ? Is there anything that has changed for the worse / better?

I must admit that i prefer Donny to bigger cities. Sheffield i have always hated.

i live in Lichfield and was out locally one mate brought along a lad who was shouting his mouth off, overly unwanted flirting with waitresses, bar staff, swearing etc, generally making a scene of himself all night. Lichfield is so safe we didn't get any trouble apart from some withering looks, but for the first time since I moved away from Donny a bit of self-preservation instinct kicked in and I had an urge to get myself away from the lad for my own sake. Its likely in Donny he would have attracted attention and got his head kicked in and likely mine (and I've been away 13 years!) - made me remember how different the rules were.

Never been in a scrap in Donny town centre but certainly seen it happen and several times been in the situation where something could have started through no fault of my own if i didn't actively avoid it.

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Thanks Keyser Soze. Scraps in Donny were a staple of our weekend in the 90's early 00's

Remember us waiting for mates outside what was a kebab shop on the corner of sunny bar before you go into that ginnel bit where the Old George was after leaving Visage nightclub and some lads just randomly whipping off their belts and laying into us. 

It is amazing though what you don't feel when you've had a skinful. 

Feels like a lot of things though could be sorted out back then a lot easier before fights occurred.

Silver Street in particular at chucking out time was like fight club!

Weird because we also used to go round Wakefield, Cleethorpes and sometimes Hull and not really have any bother.

[Bentley Bullet]

Not sure of the figures now but around 40 years ago there were an estimated 30,000 pub goers in Donny town centre on a Saturday night and a handful of Coppers on duty. It's ironic that there were about 5,000 footy fans at Belle Vue games and scores of Coppers. What makes it more strange was that many of the 30,000 town dwellers were temporarily insane through alcohol abuse!

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Not sure of the figures now but around 40 years ago there were an estimated 30,000 pub goers in Donny town centre on a Saturday night and a handful of Coppers on duty. It's ironic that there were about 5,000 footy fans at Belle Vue games and scores of Coppers. Maybe the reason was that many of the 30,000 town dwellers were temporarily insane through alcohol abuse!

In the 90's and early 00's town was heaving at the weekend. Like an industrial sized stag do. On summers evenings it felt like you were in Ibiza or somewhere such was the actually buzz and energy on the streets, and i'd regularly meet people who had come to Donny from all over. Worksop, Retford, Barnsley, Gainsborough, Selby and literally everywhere within a 50 mile radius. Donny had a reputation and was known as the best night out for miles around. Utter carnage. Not sure what it is like now but those memories of town every weekend growing up will stay forever. Well, those i can remember. 

Biscuit Billy's enjoying a 12 and 2 and not being able to actually move. Great days.

[Petche]

I also spent many a weekend around town drinking from mid 80's until I  got too old, never really got into any bother or felt unsafe.
Don't live in Donny now but on the odd occasion I return the main thing that strikes me is the empty streets, hardly a single person about outside of the shopping centre/market areas.

[keyser_soze]

Not sure of the figures now but around 40 years ago there were an estimated 30,000 pub goers in Donny town centre on a Saturday night and a handful of Coppers on duty. It's ironic that there were about 5,000 footy fans at Belle Vue games and scores of Coppers. Maybe the reason was that many of the 30,000 town dwellers were temporarily insane through alcohol abuse!

In the 90's and early 00's town was heaving at the weekend. Like an industrial sized stag do. On summers evenings it felt like you were in Ibiza or somewhere such was the actually buzz and energy on the streets, and i'd regularly meet people who had come to Donny from all over. Worksop, Retford, Barnsley, Gainsborough, Selby and literally everywhere within a 50 mile radius. Donny had a reputation and was known as the best night out for miles around. Utter carnage. Not sure what it is like now but those memories of town every weekend growing up will stay forever. Well, those i can remember. 

Biscuit Billy's enjoying a 12 and 2 and not being able to actually move. Great days.

I'm from Retford originally and there used to be a mad bus (The Nightlife Express i think it was called  ) that set off for Visage/Karisma early evening on a Saturday night and came back late on. I had my stag do back in Donny in 2011 after I'd moved away and the lads from Lichfield/Birmingham were staggered at Silver Street and the sheer quantity of people going bar to bar.

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

I know. The bar hopping was mad. Literally get bought a drink and before you knew it mates were off to another pub! It honestly scares me to think how many units of alcohol we drank on a night out.

Today i can drink 4 bottles of Whitstable Bay and feel i've overdone it.  Those days i'd have about 3/4 pints in the snooker club before hitting the pubs. Then about 10 pubs and nightclub or walkabout.

Many time though i'd walk home to Scawsby over the old North Bridge on my own after not being able to get a taxi at 3am or getting parted from mates (no mobile phones then) and come across some real shifty folk but never feel in danger.

Wouldn't do that now. 

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Are these pubs still going?

What we used to call 'The Swinger' at Woodlands?

Tut n Shive in town.

Adam and Eve in Scawthorpe?

Newton at Sprotbrough?

Grove Inn on York Road?

All frequented by me in the past as well as usual pubs which i know are still there like The Mallard and Sun Inn in Scawsby, Pickburn Arms and the Boat Inn at Sprotbrough.

I know the Roman Ridge got pulled down.

[Bentley Bullet]

Adam and Eve in Scawthorpe is now a Herons freezer shop and Weldricks chemist.

[Bentley Bullet]

The Newton and Grove inn, and Tut'n' Shive are still going.

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Adam and Eve in Scawthorpe is now a Herons freezer shop and Weldricks chemist.

When did that close then BB?

[Bentley Bullet]

Adam and Eve in Scawthorpe is now a Herons freezer shop and Weldricks chemist.

When did that close then BB?

Around about 2018, I think.

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Adam and Eve in Scawthorpe is now a Herons freezer shop and Weldricks chemist.

When did that close then BB?

Around about 2018, I think.

Cheers BB.

Is Bay Horse next to Bentley library still there?

Should rename this thread to 'pubs in Donny - old and new' 

[Bentley Bullet]

Yes, Bay Horse is still there. Druids, and the Railway Tavern, and the Good Companions are no longer pubs and the drum was demolished a few years ago.

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Yes, Bay Horse is still there. Druids, and the Railway Tavern, and the Good Companions are no longer pubs and the drum was demolished a few years ago.

Ah cheers for that BB.

Was the drum that pub just before the bend as you come round towards the railway station at Bentley from Watch House Lane?

Used to play for Good Comps. Sad to hear it is no longer there. Heard of Druids but forgot where it is and can't recall Raliway Tavern.

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Hexthorpe, Edlo, Balby, Highfields, Carcroft, Woodlands, Hyde Park. Are they any better than 10 -15 years ago?   

[selby]

  Up to press this season our forwards havn't been.

[Prez]

Roman Ridge in Scawsby another pub no longer with us.

[Bentley Bullet]

Yes, Bay Horse is still there. Druids, and the Railway Tavern, and the Good Companions are no longer pubs and the drum was demolished a few years ago.

Ah cheers for that BB.

Was the drum that pub just before the bend as you come round towards the railway station at Bentley from Watch House Lane?

Used to play for Good Comps. Sad to hear it is no longer there. Heard of Druids but forgot where it is and can't recall Raliway Tavern.

Yes, that's where the Drum was. It was demolished around 2014 and a supermarket was built in its place.
The Druids was on Bentley High Street, on the right-hand side as you entered the shopping area going North.
The Railway Tavern was near Bentley railway crossing on Cooke Street.

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Ah yes. Recall the Railway Tavern now you've said where it was. Druids rings a bell but still cannot picture it.

[rtid88]

Hexthorpe, Edlo, Balby, Highfields, Carcroft, Woodlands, Hyde Park. Are they any better than 10 -15 years ago?   

I would say all of these areas have deteriorated over the last 20 years, other than Carcroft which I don't know much about tbh.

Balby in particular where I grew up and spent a large proportion of my life is on the whole not a particular pleasant place to live anymore. There are still some nice parts of it but few and far between.

[roversdude]

Yes, Bay Horse is still there. Druids, and the Railway Tavern, and the Good Companions are no longer pubs and the drum was demolished a few years ago.

Ah cheers for that BB.

Was the drum that pub just before the bend as you come round towards the railway station at Bentley from Watch House Lane?

Used to play for Good Comps. Sad to hear it is no longer there. Heard of Druids but forgot where it is and can't recall Raliway Tavern.

Yes, that's where the Drum was. It was demolished around 2014 and a supermarket was built in its place.
The Druids was on Bentley High Street, on the right-hand side as you entered the shopping area going North.
The Railway Tavern was near Bentley railway crossing on Cooke Street.

My uncle used to have the Railway Tavern

[ravenrover]

Aaaah The Drum, had my 1st pint as a 14 year old in there

[belton rover]

Yes, Bay Horse is still there. Druids, and the Railway Tavern, and the Good Companions are no longer pubs and the drum was demolished a few years ago.

Ah cheers for that BB.

Was the drum that pub just before the bend as you come round towards the railway station at Bentley from Watch House Lane?

Used to play for Good Comps. Sad to hear it is no longer there. Heard of Druids but forgot where it is and can't recall Raliway Tavern.

Yes, that's where the Drum was. It was demolished around 2014 and a supermarket was built in its place.
The Druids was on Bentley High Street, on the right-hand side as you entered the shopping area going North.
The Railway Tavern was near Bentley railway crossing on Cooke Street.

I worked at Wood’s Supermarket warehouse on Cooke Street on a YTS back int’ 80s.

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

My mates dad owned and ran Richards hairdressers on the main road in Bentley for donkeys years. I also had my second tattoo done at the tattoo place t'other side of the hill in the 90's. Used to play tennis in the concrete courts in Bentley Park as a yoof. Lots of memories of Bentley, despite living in Scawsby.

Must admit when i go back through Bentley, it appears to be a 'rougher' than i remember. No offence to anyone living there of course.

[roversdude]

I think the only time we ever played tennis was when Wimbledon was on. You couldn’t get a court for love nor money at Hecky Flatts for those 2 weeks a year

[andy didcott]

Bentley has gone down hill big time, full of smackheads and thieving t**ts.

[rich1471]

Adam and Eve in Scawthorpe is now a Herons freezer shop and Weldricks chemist.

When did that close then BB?

Around about 2018, I think.

Cheers BB.

Is Bay Horse next to Bentley library still there?

Should rename this thread to 'pubs in Donny - old and new' 

It is I live close to it ,it's a shit hole and should be pulled down,horrible place ,some woman was a sleep next to the steps not long ago and people just walking over her to get in when I was walking past.

[ColinDouglasHandshake]

Adam and Eve in Scawthorpe is now a Herons freezer shop and Weldricks chemist.

When did that close then BB?

Around about 2018, I think.

Cheers BB.

Is Bay Horse next to Bentley library still there?

Should rename this thread to 'pubs in Donny - old and new' 

It is I live close to it ,it's a shit hole and should be pulled down,horrible place ,some woman was a sleep next to the steps not long ago and people just walking over her to get in when I was walking past.