Mark Dicker » society

Bolton’s new market place - what a joke!

admin — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:37:11 +0000

I had to go into Bolton today and whilst there I thought i’d take a look at the newly opened market place. I can tell you, i’m appalled that as a tax payer i’ve paid for what is essentially a white elephant. There is nothing in the new shops that I can’t get at the Trafford Centre, where theres plenty of paring and I it’s free. Today I spent 23 minutes in town and it cost me £1.20.

Bolton’s market hall was built in the victoria era most notable for it’s huge cast iron support columns. Originally it was a typical market layout with row and rows of little stands where you could you get just about anything. It was redeveloped once before and was a successful marriage of the old victorian market and our modern lifestyles. Now all the victoriana is gone and the new scheme just doesn’t sit well in its old surroundings.

What is most annoying is that 60,000 people ( about 20% of Bolton’s population ) signed a petition to stop this going ahead. The council took that to mean 80% were in favour when in fact it just means that 80% where not able to sign the petition or just don’t use Bolton anyway. The upshot is the carbunkle we now have. I wonder in 12 months will the designer shops renew their lease’s? If not are we going to be left with the same situation as the Ellesmere centre in Walkden where shops are just left empty. What a waste that will be.

I don’t want to be the soothsayer of doom but I think the new marketplace will struggle against the shopping centres in the town surrounding Bolton. Especially come the busy holiday shopping season.

Well done Lewis

admin — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:09:54 +0000

We’ve done it again. As a nation we have an annoying habit of building up our sporting talent, beyond their capabillities some times, and then knocking them for six when they don’t match our expectations.

Take Lewis Hamilton as an example. Instead of concentrating on the fact that he’s become the No. 2 F1 driver in the world (a position David Coultard and Jenson Button would both love to achieve) and the fact that he’s done it in his first year as a F1 driver, we’ve adopted our usual stance of ripping him to shreds because he missed out by 1 point.

When will we realise that this approach just deters people from trying to achieve anything. The sooner we start to appreciate what UK talent can achieve the sooner they will strive to achieve more.

So well done Lewis. I’ll say it even if no-one else will.

Are you smarter than a ten year old?

admin — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:12:41 +0000

I watched this show for the first time on Sunday and it proved both interesting and alarming. It was interesting to see what actually passed as prime time enterntainment these days. But alarmingly it highlighted what seemed to be flaws in the national curriculum.

Whilst the kids were able to recount nursery rhymes with laser like precision (something i’ve often needed in meetings) and they could deduce that Milan is further north than Marseille (handy for long distance lorry drivers) they couldn’t spell simple words like thistle. Thats what alarmed me most.

If these kids were the best of the best then it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the nations children. I really hope i’m wrong on this otherwise in ten years were in deep effluent.

Minneapolis I35W bridge collapse

admin — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:58:31 +0000

I was concerned to hear about the I35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning, not just because of the disaster itself but also because I have familly that live in Bloomington and because I am fairly certain i’ve travelled across that bridge. I believe that my family is safe and were unaffected.

It’s fairly close to the Metrodome and on my first visit to the ’states I attended a baseball game there (the Twins lost to the NY Mets.) I35W is the easiest route from Bloomington to the ‘dome.

What is all the more amazing is that more people were not killed. I realise the death toll is still set to rise but when you look at the pictures of the twisted remains you have to wonder why not more.

So i’d like to send a pat on the back to the rescue services and express my condolonces to those who’ve lost loved ones and friends.