I visited the UK's worst high street and 1 thing left me surprised

Some UK high streets are devastatingly depressing places. It is a somewhat tired and sadly overfamiliar observation, with the common reasons cited being high business rates, online shopping and fewer overall reasons for people to venture into their town centres day-to-day. When I was growing up, it was genuinely exciting to venture into the Midlands towns of Nuneaton or Hinckley with my family.

At the weekend, they were genuinely bustling with people, and we had to stop at the former's market so my nan could buy some cheese from a particular store. I have no idea if it is still there. The shop next to it was a Marks and Spencer for as long as I can remember, selling clothes and food. No longer. It's now a Poundland, perhaps a metaphor for the average consumer's declining spending power.

We also sometimes used to get lunch upstairs at BHS - a once mainstay name now long gone - in the Ropewalk, Nuneaton's shopping centre, looking out at the crowds filing up and down its range of stores from above.

Pokcet money was well spent in Waterstones or WHSmith, and a hot chocolate and a teacake at the Barracuda Bar was compulsory.

I believe the building has had multiple businesses take up residents in it since then.

The other year, I found myself wandering through the Whitgift Centre in Croydon.

The post-apocalyptic building was gripped by an uneasy atmosphere, its vacant glass fronted outlets ensuring that it resembled an empty aquarium.

Aldershot also felt less than thriving, with the usual betting shops, charity stores and chicken shops lining its streets.

Its Nepalese district, however, is a unique selling point.

My expectations were rock bottom as I arrived in Waterlooville, a town I visited the other week as it had been named as the worst high street in the UK.

People had even said being there was like being in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

But after arriving at the main car park, the first sight that greeted me was not bad at all.

People were milling around a line of stores - including an Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Savers, the Works, Card Factory, Bonmarche, Holland and Barrett and cafe.

The Wilko, however, is now closed.

Heading onto the Boulevard, there was an optician, homecare services and a Costa on the corner.

Sitting on a bench was Geoff Maidment, 90, and the long-time resident told me Waterlooville is "generally quite a pleasant place to come and sit and have a coffee and whatever".

I certainly got that impression, as the area around the cafe was quite busy. The further away you went, however, to emptier it got.

Once you got to the memorial clock, it was more or less silent. I presume it is this that has made sure the area has gained a reputation for being rather undead.

The main high street is home to a Poundland, Boots, Superdrug, Timpson, a couple of carpet shops, a noodle bar, some barbers, a vape shop, stationary shop, cafes and a Halifax bank.

There are also two pubs on the corner.

Yes, it isn't exactly Frome or St. Albans - two places I was really impressed by when visiting of late - but it is also not the worst offering I've ever seen, which, given what people have been saying about it, surprised me.

Locals told me that they don't agree with Waterlooville being labelled the country's worst high street, and say that other places, like Eastleigh, are a lot worse.

Nevertheless residents told me that Waterlooville is not a destination for locals, who find themselves heading to nearby cities like Southampton instead for big shopping trips.

There were some empty shops in Waterlooville, with a notice from the council above one of them stating that it was working to regenerate the town.

Schemes sound promising, with one offering grants - ranging from £1,000 to £50,000 - to newly established, expanding or relocating businesses, to help with capital costs in bringing a vacant store back into use.

But one local claimed that businesses open for six months, and are gone again once they get their cash.

Rents and a lack of footfall are also big problems, according to the Heroes pub's general manager.

She added that plenty of houses are springing up locally, but the high street doesn't seem to be benefitting from it.

When in Frome, I was told the it used to be a s*******, before the area was flooded with wealth from London commuters and tourists.

The same word was used to describe Waterlooville, but it unfortunately doesn't look set for an injection of cash from these sources.

Let's hope the local authority's plan to improve things bears some fruit.

The signs seem to be promising, as one resident told me the town is already "improving dramatically".