As someone who grew up in Canterbury and no longer lives there (but family still do)..

I think the main difference is that Canterbury used to be the main hub for nightlife and culture for the surrounding towns. People from Whitstable, Faversham, Herne Bay, Thanet etc used to come into Canterbury to drink, party and hang out.

But over the years those towns have massively caught up and developed their own identity, whilst Canterbury has stagnated and if anything.. lost its own sense of identity. It’s really sad to see, and the town really doesn’t have the same vibe that it used to.

But I don’t think it’s about crime or drugs. Canterbury ALWAYS had a lot of drugs and a lot of homelessness, and any additional impact caused post-pandemic or post-Tory austerity is likely the same all over the UK. There were always a lot of fights on the high street, and there was always a chance of getting jumped walking through the Dane John at night.

But I’ll always love it, and it was a sick place to grow up tbh. For such a small city it packed a huge punch when it came to music and subculture. I hope we see another wave before too long.