Rochdale should replace the twinning arrangements with overseas places in favour of a suicide pact with Oldham -recently voted the worst paid town in the country.

Not surprised at all. Rochale town centre must be one of the most down-trodden depressing centres in the entire country and considering the cost of our council tax I do wonder where the money goes to.

Sometimes I do try to put myself in the same situation as a first time visitor to our town arriving by train. Not a pretty sight and it gets worse as you travel down Drake Street,

Years ago I did used to be so proud of our town centre with the lovely town hall but even that can't obliterate the other areas of the town that are filthy and full of drunks or whatever their poison might be these days.

Paul Rowen does say that we have Hollinworth lake or Healy Dell and yes they are beautiful but other towns have similar if you care to travel and not all of us have cars,

Well I for one never feel the inclination to visit the town centre anymore and these days much prefer Bury.

I see Paul Rowen has responded to this story by flatly denying that Rochdale has a depression problem. Perhaps he should stop burying his head in the sand and pop into MIND in Rochdale to speak to some of the people who use their services. This is a big problem and its scandalous that our MP is ignoring it

i was born and bred in rochdale then moved to australia. the demise of rochdale is the high populaton of muslims. shame on the goverment !!

Rochdale and the people their need to look at it's leaders as to why the area is so depressing. The councillors oppose absolutely anything adn everything that has a hint of modern life about it. Anything that involves opening your mind and exploring alternatives is shuned by the councillors and mps. Then the people see this, jump on the let defeat everything attitude and low and behold they become depressed that other areas are looking forward and improving and theirs is not. Ding Quarry will be good for the area as will the wind farm. Get over it, get on with life and make something of it by looking forward instead of being negative.

When is Rochdale Councillors and the Observer going to stop relying on Hollingworth & Healey Dell to rescue Rochdales reputation. Most people don`t live in the these places. Why don`t they admit that 95% of Rochdale actually is a Boring, Ugly, Miserable Dump.. and it`s getting worse!!!

I live in Rochdale and work in Oldham. Help!

To take the price of one years anti-depressents, when the figure is equal to the price of one packet of fags is no real measure of the saddest place in the UK. Lets look at : The number of suicides per 1000 people. The number of drug addicts per 1000 people. The fear of crime of the population etc. etc. This will show the real story, that Rochdale is not the seventh most deprtessed place in the country, but the first or second.

I am depressed reading the comments on this topic.

There are far worse palaces to live . Go to a third world country and starve for a while and come back and tell me Rochdale is depressing.

There are a lot of good people in this town, who band together when we have tragedies.

Depression is high in this country due to over inflated gas, electric, phone and fuel bills etc , people cannot afford to live thats why they are depressed.

It's a good town on the whole. Every town has it's problems.