Comments about Worthing

 
The word that rhymes with 'Goring' is of course 'Boring'. Never-the-less we like living here. There are undoubted good things:

• The beach and the sea
• The greensward along the front, for kites, ball games and barbecues
• Goring Gap, one very few places where the farm land comes down to the sea
• Ilex Avenue, a unique asset for nearly a mile between Goring and Ferring
• Highdown Gardens which flies a Green Flag recognising its beauty
• Highdown Saxon Fort, and the Millers Tomb
• Titnore Woods, ancient oaks in beautiful parkland
• Castle Goring, our Grade I listed building
• The South Downs
• fresh air, peace, quiet, easier driving, at least compared with living nearer London
• friendly people, good shops, schools, hospitals and services
• maintenence of a clean and tidy environment by the county and borough councils

But recently Worthing has been called "the most boring place". Other people have also commented in this vein:

In 1971 the short-lived magazine Image stated: "Worthing is a fair sized town with a small town mentality. If a town has a personality, Worthing's is that of a majestic middle-aged matron - wearing hot-pants"

In 1943 in a book by Dr CEM Joad, he described Worthing as: "a totally abominable place". He was struck by its "purulent beastliness, it's utter horror". Adding for good measure: "The place is so much worse than I could have believed possible".

Even Pevsner damns us with faint praise: "Worthing is an exasperating town. Put very briefly, it began by imitating Brighton, and ended up imitating Bournmouth, and the two seaside traditions have met head-on without benefit to either. The result is that architecturally it is full of brave beginnings and ignoble endings; socially it seems to have become the most genteel of Sussex resorts, without any of Bournmouths compensations. Yet at the same time it is both friendly and lively".

A common description of Worthing is "costa geriatica".

Will any one speak up for Worthing please?