Room for the clock to return?
 

I've just got back from Accrington, and noticed the cafe inside the Arndale centre has gone.

It did seem a bit of a daft place to have it, especially since you could smoke in there, yet you couldn't just over the otherside of the partition.

Anyway, the cafe has gone, and has been replaced by a few artfully placed benches.

I wonder if they'll now reinstall the much missed Arndale clock, in the empty space?

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I went down Accy yesterday,I knew something was missing:) I parked car on car park and walked through the arndale and there seemed more space just couldnt put my finger on why:rolleyes: Never mind they dont call me MTHEAD for nowt:D

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Well i am NOT going to try and take any photos of it i nearly got arrested last time:cool:

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Wonder where you can have a cigy now then?.It seemed a stupid rule at the time any way.Smoke free arndale but you could have a smoke if you had a brew:confused: :D :D :D

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I bet they do some measuring and come to the conclusion that for Health and Safety reasons, or because the colour scheme no longer matches, or because we can't find where the clock is stored that.......

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Yeh i went down town yesterday & noticed the cafe missing & much more space to swing a kid or 2 LOL I think that might get taken over by the xmas display:rolleyes:

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I suppose be great to have the clock back simply cos everytime im in the arndale i always want to know what time it is lol

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Next time use a camera phone. :p

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I don't really know much about the clock, but surely it couldn't be that difficult to fix.

:confused:

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How long ago did it get removed?

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I will do tommorow afternoon if you want to see the blank space lol

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I can remember when it first went in and thecrowds that gathered just to see it rise to the occasion. :D

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Do you have a problem getting it to rise? :rolleyes:

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That brings back a lot of memories. :D

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Only when getting up for dayshift. Even the clock is better at that than me. ;)

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Thanks Willow. I've seen that, but never realised it was a clock.

:confused:

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What did you think it was then???? Bill Halley and the Comets. :p ;)

Yip, i noticed that too. Makes you wonder if they are asking too much for the rent for the smaller buisnesses to continue.

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hehe, i've just noticed that there used to a "Dixon's" electrical store in town also. I really need to start paying more attention.

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Sorry but absolutely no way could that be described as a panopticon. It's not outdoors, it's not on top of a hill, it's not encouraging people to look at the scenery and the final point that makes it most unlike a panopticon is that everyone seems to want it. :o:)

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The clock was an absolute eyesore and made the worst din imaginable when it "chimed". I don't miss it at all and certainly won't be signing any petition to get it back! Think the Cafe has gone because of lack of trade;who wants to sit in a draughty shopping centre drinking over priced coffee ? ?

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Noun1.panopticon - an area where everything is visible area - a part of a structure having some specific characteristic or function; "the spacious cooking area provided plenty of room for servants"

saleroom, salesroom, showroom - an area where merchandise (such as cars) can be displayed; "in England a showroom is called a salesroom"
2.panopticon - a circular prison with cells distributed around a central surveillance station; proposed by Jeremy Bentham in 1791 prison, prison house - a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment

It's definition is fairly wide ranging, and open to interpretation.:D

Tick-tock.:p

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The Panopticon public art project had goals - put public art on hills where you can see great panorama views of the towns and to encourage walking.

I'll qualify my original statement a little further - In terms of the Panopticon project, the clock can not be defined as a Panopticon.

People have found the word panopticon in dictionaries to describe a prison and yes, we are aware of that definition but it is not the only definition of the word - lots of words have two meanings or their meaning has changed over the years.

The definition of Panopticon as we have used it is as follows

Panopticon n. Structure, space or device providing a comprehensive or panoramic view.

Also, I would disagree with you about the Blackburn one - it is on an elevated place which does give comprehensive and panoramic views of the town - admittedly the council could do with cutting a few of the trees back to give a better view but they haven't got round to that yet.

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http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/a...adwander11.gif

So there was never any hope of having something anywhere else othr than up the Coppice in this Panopticon scheme was there? Evene when some of us said we wouldn't have minded one elswhere we hadn't a snowball in Hell's chance?

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Not sure how you get that - there are lots of other hills around Hyndburn overlooking Accrington or the other towns.

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A statue on top of a hill is not a panopticon because at no point were the panopticons ever statues on top of hills. The Panopticons are structures providing panoramic views, I think that the definition is fairly clear and accurate.

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Hear hear. Let's hope it's rusted beyond all hope of repair and its only remaining value is that of scrap metal.

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High Form was a structure. It was going to be placed on the top of a hill. If you were to visit the structure, i.e. stand in it you would have got panoramic views of the area and town.

At no point was the phrase 'improve the view' used - it was to encourage people to use the view, to encourage people to actually walk up the hill and to see the town.

Other hills and high points were visited and discussed. The creator of the design was willing to look at lots of different sites and we took many walks around the hills around Huncoat, Gt Harwood and Oswaldtwistle.

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I went down town today and walking through the Arndale saw the benches and wondered where the cafe had gone to. For a change instead of having to walk round it to go into wh smiths i could walk straight through. I hope they bring the clock back i used to like watching the clock it was different. It was an eye opener and i know people who used to come from all over to have a look at the clock - even my relatives from ireland when i took them down accy stopped and watched it - theyd never seen anything like that before.

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Here, here Willow and Shillelagh ... I thought was great too . gave us a sort of special feature whether you liked the design or not.

Remind me... why did they remove it in the first place ?

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Well, suppose financial sense in a way to have a paying client in the space, rather than paying out for a clock to repair, however,sure did bring shoppers in, and we have to have some sort of 'fun' spending on our council taxes at times .. can't always be serious stuff, can it ? There has to be money spent on a feel good factor too.

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I hope it returns. I only saw it a couple of times but remember the huge crowd and all the little kids staring upwards and waiting.

The usual thing, if it's good, lets get rid of it.

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They probably got rid of it when they realised how much electric it cost to run it and was probably always arguing who put the next £ in the meter to keep it going :D

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It could be fueled with hot air...piped in from the Town Hall.:D

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I suspect that before any permanent structure is erected there, we will see a Santa's Grotto. Garinda will, no doubt, will be at the front of the queue.

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Somebody took these photos today whilst in the Arndale. I couldn't possibly say who. ;)
http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/a...1&d=1161794080

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/a...1&d=1161794080

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I like how the yellow "Slippery Floor" cone has replaced the cafe.

:D

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When I was down town earlier today I noticed that they have actually placed something in that place now. So sorry willow the clock may not return.

Them buckets looked lovely and just shows what Accy is really about....... ONE BIG DRIP!!!!:D

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Whoever took them had better be carefull as when i took them there was NOT a sign saying i could not take them but there is now at both entrances so they would be within there rights to have them arrested

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If you stand at the site of the cafe, can you still have a ciggie?

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Did anyone ever find a logical reason why photography was not allowed in the Arndale? I seem to remember quite a few portrait photographers setting up their stall just outside W H Smiths.

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I dont think they could arrest you, its not exactly illegal. They could just turf you out of the arndale i presume..

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LOL... Trust you to come out with that lol :D

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LOL.. i dont see the other 4 pages untill it came to last page after clicked submit.. thanks anyway tho willow :D

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I was in town yesterday and now even the triangle of benches has disappeared, there was just one lone bench in front of Superdrug with people fighting for room to sit down