Matt
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Given that the price to fly to West Virginia is only about £600 return
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads
Occupation might be okay on Regent/Hope Street – but it’s hardly the most enthralling set of must go to shops. When highlights are Primark, Superdrug, Waterstones & Smiths/Post Office.
Looks like thousands of Portuguese planning to leave Wrexham because of Settled Status uncertainty, many of wh consider this to be their home –
Derek, I thought it was the case that the apartments were sold off and are now privately owned by individuals either to live in or buy to let? Or is it the case that the complex owners have retained a number of them for rental only?
It’s funny because Eagle’s Meadow is so derided vs Town’s other addition – Island Green. You don’t really see anyone slagging off Island Green and it’s probably because they set it up like a strip mall with a car park more central to town so that people could park up and start shopping there and then easily move onto other parts of town – like the high street.
I am unsure what designers were thinking when they came up with Eagle’s Meadow as the likes of Island Green, Broughton, Bromborough all follow a very successful shopping style model imported from the US – cars + lots of shops all in a row.
Eagle’s Meadow would be okay if they actually had a decent offering of shops still – but I totally agree about the wind tunnel – it’s awful in cold weather. Since they took Starbucks out I can’t even be bothered to go down to Eagle’s Meadow anymore as least before when you got bored very quickly of the shops down there you’d have somewhere generic but reliable to get a drink. Department store Cafes frustrate the hell out of me and Costa is like pouring raw sewage down your throat.
Number 1 – instead of enforcing the importance of Ty Pawb as part of their Market strategy – they just need to stop pretending it is any kind of hybrid environment and just use that for the arts instead (okay so there are artsy stalls but I don’t think it fits in with a holistic market strategy for the overall town). That way they can just focus on using the space for art, music, dance, film and other popular culture instead. It was an unpopular venue, it’s here to stay so they need to make the best of it one way or another.
Number 2 – Let’s stop pretending that Monday morning is a decent and popular time to hold a market in 2019 – the majority of people who would push through massive footfall and spending – the employed and families are all working or are in school. So it’s only really OAPs, house-wives (if that’s even such a thing), the unemployed and those with incredibly flexible hours and nothing better to do who will be going.
Instead they should focus on setting up a weekly market either on Saturday or Sunday – I guarantee that would attract hundreds if not thousands more people in and traders selling a whole range of wares to match the numbers of people going. You only need to see how popular the one off special Markets are (Christmas etc…) and they are all at times when people can actually attend and not during working hours. The new market day they could then make public council car parks free of charge – this would drive in desperately needed footfall into actual town itself on the weekend rather than just into Tesco, Sainsbury’s and ASDA where the majority of cars/people seem to end up.
Number 3 – have more super-themed markets dotted around the year and not just at Christmas – it doesn’t matter if it’s something like a Spring/Easter Market, Summer Fayre/Market, Autumn/Harvest Market, Christmas is covered – people just love these and the bringing in of funfair attractions like the carousel etc and other entertainment… will bring in lots of families.
Isn’t that what the Jeremy Corbyn Labour Government is?
There’s a transformational element going on in Labour – which has allowed the party to resurge – hence the killing off of May’s majority in the last GE.
However, the party itself is still very divided on ideals – there are too many centrists and Blairites who are not on the same page as the more socialist element of the party. With the likes of Chuka Umunna, Owen Smith etc… continuously frustrating everyone, chiming in and undermining from the back. Even Tony Blair is always there commenting, like a dirty old exiled War Criminal grandfather figure. With Labour, will have to wait and see.
But I was also commenting on the lack of leader for Hard Brexit and a post No Deal environment. Farage gave it the Big-I-Am and then went off to do radio – showing he’s better suited for producing hot air than any real action. Conservatives had a chance to stick the right person in directly after Cameron resigned but bizarrely voted in a staunch remainer to push through Brexit. That doesn’t add up right? They also don’t have anyone within party with enough charisma or leadership to topple May – otherwise her leadership challenge would have ended her Premiership. You’ve got a choice of Mogg, Gove or Bonkers Boris who want Hard Brexit and none of them can endear themselves to all of their party or the public. On the right that leaves the utter lunatic fringe – Tommy Robinson and now Yellow Vest thug James Goddard has turned up out of the woodwork, although most people don’t have a clue who he is.
It’s just a rogue’s gallery of comic book villains. What I want to know is where’s your Thatcher type, who would have just got the job done. I’m blaming a weakness in leadership on the right for the failure of Brexit.
This entire Brexit saga could go on Ad infinitum. There’s just no leadership on the whole thing or a long term vision.
Say we hit no deal – what is the 5 year, 10 year plan to return the country to prosperity? All I see is a bunch of fist punching in the air about Good old British spirit and how we’ll manage. Nobody has a plan – that is a terrifying prospect. People are willing to ride out with Mad old May just so she can see Brexit through, but what then? She’s failed to deliver now, so she’s not going to do a good job after. Then the general consensus seems to be that there’s nobody good enough to do anything in this country – that is peak disenfranchisement.
Normally and historically when this happens some populist leader or movement rises up out of nowhere for better or worse and things go through rapid change. This has not happened this time.
JC talks about TM’s red lines but didn’t he come up with 6 tests? Is that not also red lines by a different name?
Yes, Labour’s 6 tests are effectively red lines but the Overton Window for them are more in line with the EU and are geared towards a more mutually beneficial relationship with the EU than May’s more UK-lone wolf ones.
Starmer’s six tests for the Brexit deal are:1. Does it ensure a strong and collaborative future relationship with the EU?
2. Does it deliver the “exact same benefits” as we currently have as members of the Single Market and Customs Union?
3. Does it ensure the fair management of migration in the interests of the economy and communities?
4. Does it defend rights and protections and prevent a race to the bottom?
5. Does it protect national security and our capacity to tackle cross-border crime?
6. Does it deliver for all regions and nations of the UK?
Mays Brexit Red lines get mentioned a lot in news articles and in part but there doesn’t seem to be a succinct summary of what they all entail – the official documentation is incredibly long winded.
http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7938/CBP-7938.pdf
All I know is that May’s red lines have frustrated and not been compatible with the EU’s own goals hence the distinct lack of a decent deal.
Unless Labour get a crack of the whip at negotiating we won’t have a good idea about how well designed the 6 tests are to get any sort of Brexit deal. But my suspicion is – based on tests 1 and 2 is that it would get solid progression with the EU but then hit problems in Parliament with those looking for a harder Brexit especially if Labour didn’t have a strong majority – as they’d also be against the remain at all costs MPs from all parties.
