Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Our Royal Family under attack - again!
I know that it isn't of local interest but it so irritates me when yet another member of the Royal family is attacked by the gutter press for just being themselves. What is a Brit other than slang for British. Am I offended by it? I can understand that a person from India would be offended by being called a Paki or a person from Scotland being called a Paddy. I shall continue to call a welsh mate of mine Dai. I don't know any Chalkys or other of the names that the tree huggers get so anxious about - but I will continue to despise the pea brained idiots who promote what passes today for political correctness. I mention this here because Prince Harry is a serving soldier and Colchester is a military town and I, for one, am proud of our culture, our boys and of our Royal family. What other country affords the freedoms that we enjoy but which are being seriously threatened by these pacifist appeasers?
Saturday, 3 January 2009
The New Year of 2009
We go into this new year for Colchester with:
1. The VAF in limbo, an empty, unfinished shell, that nobody (we are led to believe) wants, an embarrassment to us all, with no fixed price to finish it or to demolish it, no name that anybody can be proud of that would make it the promised flagship of the arts in Colchester.
2. No permanent bus station or decision as to where there will be a bus station, if/when the Visual Arts Fiasco gets completed.
3. Not one marker as to the location of the Roman Circus that was discovered in Colchester over 4 years ago.
4. No Colchester Carnival or Festival or any promise of funding for such an event in the future.
5. No Park and Ride or any firm decision as to the location or timescale.
6. Lots of political midgets in the Town Hall who clearly derive immense pleasure out of knifing their fellow councillors in the back over things done and said but not achieved over the past few years.
7. Lots of political midgets in the Town Hall who have no balls to take the decisions that would make the real changes that are needed in Colchester to make it a place that people really want to visit.
1. The VAF in limbo, an empty, unfinished shell, that nobody (we are led to believe) wants, an embarrassment to us all, with no fixed price to finish it or to demolish it, no name that anybody can be proud of that would make it the promised flagship of the arts in Colchester.
2. No permanent bus station or decision as to where there will be a bus station, if/when the Visual Arts Fiasco gets completed.
3. Not one marker as to the location of the Roman Circus that was discovered in Colchester over 4 years ago.
4. No Colchester Carnival or Festival or any promise of funding for such an event in the future.
5. No Park and Ride or any firm decision as to the location or timescale.
6. Lots of political midgets in the Town Hall who clearly derive immense pleasure out of knifing their fellow councillors in the back over things done and said but not achieved over the past few years.
7. Lots of political midgets in the Town Hall who have no balls to take the decisions that would make the real changes that are needed in Colchester to make it a place that people really want to visit.
All Must Go!
The press is reporting the fall of Woolworths. People are saying that they used the shop regularly. Clearly not enough of us did; otherwise it wouldn't be closing - or should they have charged more for their products? Either way, it is too late now so there is no point in crying about it.
More to the point, we should be looking to the future. My family did much of their Christmas shopping on the internet this year. Why? Because its easier, cheaper, more convenient, delivery to your door, etc. Who, in their right mind, wants to drive into town (no convenient buses where we live), get delayed in traffic with like minded people, having to queue to park the car, having to pay to park the car, having to put up with the foul-mouthed shrieks of ill mannered children/parents/youths, having to dodge traffic, having to try several shops for the thing that you want because they don't have what you want or the size (I buy underwear for my wife), to carry my purchases back to the car, pay Colchester Borough Council for the pleasure of parking my car (whilst being informed that all risks are mine), getting back into the traffic jams - and then driving home?
Look to the future. Woolies has gone the way that more will follow. Until CBC realises that our shopping experience (yuk PC phrase) is made easy by either Park and Ride or free parking, people will avoid the town unless they have to. We have lost Zavvi now too and things are looking bleak for a few others. Look at how many pubs have closed in the town when you can buy beer in Sainsbugs at a third the price and avoid a punchup by drinking at home.
It is my prediction that, in 10 years time, CBC will have woken up to reality, the town will be a joyful place to visit, for leisure rather than for shopping, parking will be cheap and easy and traffic jams will be a thing of the past.
The big question is, has this council got the balls to get things moving in this direction - or do we need a new thinking council in place?
More to the point, we should be looking to the future. My family did much of their Christmas shopping on the internet this year. Why? Because its easier, cheaper, more convenient, delivery to your door, etc. Who, in their right mind, wants to drive into town (no convenient buses where we live), get delayed in traffic with like minded people, having to queue to park the car, having to pay to park the car, having to put up with the foul-mouthed shrieks of ill mannered children/parents/youths, having to dodge traffic, having to try several shops for the thing that you want because they don't have what you want or the size (I buy underwear for my wife), to carry my purchases back to the car, pay Colchester Borough Council for the pleasure of parking my car (whilst being informed that all risks are mine), getting back into the traffic jams - and then driving home?
Look to the future. Woolies has gone the way that more will follow. Until CBC realises that our shopping experience (yuk PC phrase) is made easy by either Park and Ride or free parking, people will avoid the town unless they have to. We have lost Zavvi now too and things are looking bleak for a few others. Look at how many pubs have closed in the town when you can buy beer in Sainsbugs at a third the price and avoid a punchup by drinking at home.
It is my prediction that, in 10 years time, CBC will have woken up to reality, the town will be a joyful place to visit, for leisure rather than for shopping, parking will be cheap and easy and traffic jams will be a thing of the past.
The big question is, has this council got the balls to get things moving in this direction - or do we need a new thinking council in place?
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