Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 841247)

I've been accused of worse things, Kate....

I have nothing against the Civic Theatre itself and can see the wider good intentions for it but it is becoming little more than a trophy for Peter Britcliffe which is demeaning the whole thing. There is an uncomfortable amount of sloppy accounting involved with the actual allocation of funds and we're talking about a lot of money, sums of which I'm sure you're already fully aware of.

Peter's jiggery-pokery with the eventual invitations is well known within the corridors of HBC as it is going on with a couple of other things as well. As I've said before, in the run up to next May expect to see Peter Britcliffe's name on as many brass plaques as are due to be unveiled in Hyndburn, not Malcolm Pritchard's.

Gayle's mention of Labour's stance on capital expenditure implies that I'm entrenched in a Conservative/Labour argument here, which I'm not. What annoys me is that one man is pulling the purse strings of an entire borough just to satisfy his own ego and get his name associated with as many things as possible.

Hyndburn is suffering as a borough because of what is being dictated by that man to the masses.

Originally Posted by Ken Moss (Post 841247)

I've been accused of worse things, Kate....

I have nothing against the Civic Theatre itself and can see the wider good intentions for it but it is becoming little more than a trophy for Peter Britcliffe which is demeaning the whole thing. There is an uncomfortable amount of sloppy accounting involved with the actual allocation of funds and we're talking about a lot of money, sums of which I'm sure you're already fully aware of.

Peter's jiggery-pokery with the eventual invitations is well known within the corridors of HBC as it is going on with a couple of other things as well. As I've said before, in the run up to next May expect to see Peter Britcliffe's name on as many brass plaques as are due to be unveiled in Hyndburn, not Malcolm Pritchard's.

Gayle's mention of Labour's stance on capital expenditure implies that I'm entrenched in a Conservative/Labour argument here, which I'm not. What annoys me is that one man is pulling the purse strings of an entire borough just to satisfy his own ego and get his name associated with as many things as possible.

Hyndburn is suffering as a borough because of what is being dictated by that man to the masses.

Originally Posted by Stephanie Wallace (Post 841399)

I used to love the Accrington market hall and loved Blondie's cheese stall. Bought big hunks of crumbly delicious Lancashire cheese and brown eggs. Liked the clothes and handbag stalls and meat stalls. The outside market seems to be doing a disappearing act. I hope things pick up again, in time for my visit next year. Just love the lancashire markets-is the Burnley one still alive, not to mention Blackburn?

Originally Posted by katex (Post 841265)

I think you are maybe getting a little confused here, Ken. There has now been some funds allocated for refurbishment of 'The Theatre', which is entirely different to the Arts Centre.

Originally Posted by Atarah (Post 841404)

Blondie's cheese stall?????? Where please?

Originally Posted by garinda (Post 841900)

'PLANS to revamp more of Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre are back on the cards following a VAT windfall.'

'An additional £300,000 will be spent on improving the first floor theatre space itself, following the unveiling of the ground floor Civic Arts Centre on which £400,000 has been spent.'

More of Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre to be revamped (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Originally Posted by Gayle (Post 841024)

Please get your facts right before dragging the Civic Arts Centre into this.

For a start it was not the Civic Theatre that was due to be officially launched, it was the newly refurbished Civic Arts Centre.

The original date was the 12th not the 4th and the official launch event has been postponed - not cancelled.

The Centre is very much Open and there was an Open Day on the 22nd August. The Centre is up and running and very much open, please don't go round saying that the opening has cancelled as that implies that we're not operational and we are.

The official launch event was POSTPONED because there are three big projects happening in the run up to the event (two already happened) and the third next week. The Board and I decided that we didn't have time to do the Official Launch Event the justice it deserved so have bought our selves more time. Plus, some of the board were unable to attend the date of the 12th, so the Board of the Arts Centre made the decision to POSTPONE the event.

Peter Britcliffe will undoubtedly be a huge part of the rearranged Official Launch event (and was always intended to be) as it was he that has championed this project from day one and it's in his ward. Don't forget, the Labour Party opposed this project and voted against the capital expenditure.