Christmas Shopping Fireworks
 

Does anyone know why we have to have fireworks at the start of late night Christmas Shopping in Accrington. I feel sorry for all the animals who have just got over bonfire night. I was walking on Washington Street on Thursday night when the fireworks were going off. I could feel the vibrations of the bangs.

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Because we are all so americanised we have lost all contact with our native traditions.

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probably because they are traditionally associated with celebration and have been for hundreds of years. Don't worry it won't be long before the ramadan/divali etc. fireworks start going off. properly organised firework displays are a joy to watch and great for families and children. long may they last and not be ruined by a minority lefty group of people who have already systematically destroyed most of our heritage and national traditions. :mad:

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It was last Thursday.

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...hts-59763.html

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Probably just another way for the council to waste ratepayers money.

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I was told it's the Arndale that pay for them. The council pay for the lights switch on stuff

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Fireworks seem to be obligatory for any occasion these days and I'm afraid they are not among my favourite things.

Here in Morecambe we had Diwali for several days at the end of October and Guy Fawkes started midweek and went on till Monday the 7th. You'd think that with the fifth being a Saturday they could get it all over with on one night.

Forty years ago when I was a student I went to a big bonfire and display at Lewes in Sussex which has lots of traditions around 5 November. Someone behind us threw a banger which landed between me and my boyfriend who was standing very close. It went off in my ear and deafened me temporarlly. When I got home I undid my hair which had been in plaits and a lump came off in my hand, burnt by the firework.

And that is why I don't like fireworks. I know I sound like a killjoy but can't help it. As I studied chemistry one thing I can do is look at the different colours and work out the chemicals causing them. Is that sad or what?

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Yes it is, very sad in fact :p

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Wonder what she does in her spare time Neil:rolleyes:

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Plays on Accyweb of course. Probably just as sad! :plaugh:

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Not sad Susie -it can be a laugh a minute!;)

I'm afraid i'm one of those who goes Ohhhh! and Ahhhh! every time she sees fireworks -now that IS sad! In Italy it's only on New Year's Eve -always keep my cats in to be safe...

Remember once having read some anthropological studies about how Latin peoples in particular use fireworks as a provocation to their neighbours -there is great pride in having the biggest and best display to be seen from one village to the next...typical male thing (re:mine is bigger than yours and therefore better!) a sort of ostentation of strength if you like.:D
They show wealth and power and therefore in troubled times are a way of saying "we are alright" . Perhaps that's why there are more and more occasions when they are being used nowadays -sort of sticking two fingers up at adversity!:rolleyes:

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If we only had them once a year here I might get a bit more excited.

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I don't like them either.......the animals hate them. This year before bonfire night wasn't too bad, but in previous years there had been sporadic 'setting off' of fireworks for weeks before bonfire night......it makes it hard to safeguard the wellbeing of the animals.
I also don't like them because I worked for a spell on childrens ward at and around the time of Bonfire night.........it is a long time ago and the regulations were far more lax then, and there were fewer organised displays.......more backyard bonfires....the number of children who came to us with burns from fireworks was to be seen to be believed.......the screams when these children were having their burns dressed would chill your soul.

I think it is a great waste of money.........I hate seeing money go up in smoke.

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I don't know if I could go along with the anthropological stuff ... I even have trouble with the weak anthropic principle;). However, exactly what kind of fireworks make you go "Ohhh" and "Ahhh":confused:;):D

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Echo my thoughts exactly Margaret... Even this year our new neighbours next door were setting them off in the back yard right below my bedroom window - didn't think to tell us what they were going to do - and the chap in one of the other flats (next door is divided into 3 flats) has 3 cats - bet they were terrified. I think people were setting them off on the beach as well - lots of noise coming from that direction.

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I trust that by "americanised" you are talking our noisy neighbours;)

In Kingston we have a fireworks display once a year, on July 1, Canada Day:alright: A few folks let them off in their back yards; but there isn't much of it. Strange to say, it doesn't bother my animals. Hope, Emma, and Pookie slept through it this year. Angus and Babette sat in the window looking mildly interested.

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Thats probably where we differ susie, when I'm on Accy Web its the most serious part of my day:D:D

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I know a girl like that mobertol, but it ain't fireworks that makes her go Ohhhhh and Ahhhhhh:D

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John i think you need to have a cold shower all this talk of ohhin and ahhin and black underwear will be getting you overexcited:D:D

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Chance would be a fine thing Dave:D:D

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Try Googling Ohhhh and ahhhh John -i just did;) Quite a revelation!

I really should have better things to do....:D

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Now, this is what I call a firework...:D:D:D:D:D:D

World largest fireworks! (48 inches shell !!) - YouTube

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This aint bad either, the ohhhs and ahhhhs are all in japanese - sorry,

Japanese Ground Shells (FX) - This is Just Madness - YouTube

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Why do the japanese do these things so much better than we seem to be able to manage...

09??????????????????100????? - YouTube

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Last one - this is breathtaking!

** HD ** 83rd Fireworks of Omagari ( Bushido ) - YouTube

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The Japanese have made the whole world glow ;) (Fukushima)

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well mine never seemed to look owt like that.

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"There is great pride in having the biggest and best display to be seen from one village to the next...typical male thing (re:mine is bigger than yours and therefore better!) a sort of ostentation of strength if you like.:D" (My earlier post)

How does this tie in with your comment Acrylic-well you know what they say about Oriental men -must have somthing to do with a certain kind of envy....;):rolleyes:

Spectacular fireworks though...

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Errm, actually, what they say about oriental men is, in my experience, pretty wide of the mark.

However I do not propose to be drawn any further down that particular path.

Did anyone see BBC Breakfast this morning? There was an item in which local traders were complaining about the German Christmas Market which has been running in Birmingham, in the city centre for some years. Apparently it brings in about £90 Million every year and it is visited by tens of thousands of people. How? Simple. It is the biggest outside Germany.

And I compared this to Accrington Town centre at Christmas. A few Rockets and a couple of strings of coloured bulbs. And I thought, is it any wonder the town centre is going down the crapper. The shops are selling the same stuff they sell all year long. The shopkeepers are, for the most part, surly, unhelpful and slovenly. Their premises, and the decoration of them, leave such a lot to be desired.

The Council, when it comes to the Markets and the town Centre are, if this can be imagined, even more clueless. They would much rather throw the limited budget they are granted each year away on mind numbing drivel such as this...

http://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/downloa..._Framework.pdf

They have no understanding or appreciation of Art and the uses to which it can be put - They employ Gayle as their ARTS CZAR, enough said.

As it stands at the moment the Town Centre looks more like some industrial backwater in communist controlled eastern Europe.

It needs smartening up. It needs to be made user friendly. I would strongly advocate free Prozac for market traders (compulsory). It needs good and broadly circulated advertising. It needs events. Specatacular Events. All year round. The whole town needs this.

And it also needs most of the Progress Towards Equality Framework, PC, Inclusive, diversity babble dragging to the nearest tip and dumping.

Oh dear, I seem to be on a rant. Sorry!:o

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yaaaaaaaayy, recognition for our customer service at last :D

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And this, young t-shirt person, is what I mean... everything in town is so half-hearted and apathetic. People cannot even be rude properly. You wouldn't mind so much if the service was Spectacularly awful. Or if the shop assistants were routinely, viciously sarcastic. At least it would be something to remember. But for the most part, shopping in Accrington is just so much time that passes in a grey, uniform, depressing blurr. Everything is just the same as everywhere else, there is nothing original or unique. Take the Market Hall, The only reason that is still standing when most of the others are long gone is because Accrington couldn't make it's mind up what it wanted to do with it and neither did HBC and both of them prevaricated and prognosticated until, hey presto! it is a Victorian Architectural Gem. So what do the council do with it? Of course, they try to turn it into a pale imitation of Blackburn shopping centre, on the merest fraction of the budget and with absolutely and utterly none of the imagination. And then stand back and wonder why it is a failure.

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Ya mobertol the devil finds work for idle hands:D

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Oh dear, Acrylic - I actually quite like the rennovation of the Market Hall and find it quite sympathetic. It is swamped by what surrounds it and cannot be appreciated for the fantastic building it is. They should never have knocked down the 1960's outside market which was functional and pleasing for that period's attempts at architecture... to replace it with yet more awful modern shoddy buildings to house yet more cheap shops...

Will admit to not visiting B'burn town center for aeons so cannot comment on the imitation remark. Sometimes it's not money that counts but people with inspiring ideas -you are an artist so get pro-active, too easy to snipe from the side-lines.. I can see great potential but it needs ideas and a change in direction to something more up-market (not a pun) there is good space to be used upstairs in the market hall -get in young artists/artisans - time for a new direction? Gourmet foods, delicatessens, proper grocers etc. Think Oxford indoor market, Penrith farmer's market and others -maybe the various "Dads" of HBC should go on a day-trip to see how it works!

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Acrylic: Just looked at your link on previous post - time to stop political posturing and think about the local good and it's economy...

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Can't comment on the market hall as I haven't seen it since it was finished inside. But I do think the 60s outside market should have been saved. See my post 113 on the my early life in Accy thread.

Funny I was thinking about the Oxford market only yesterday and thinking how good it was.

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personally i think he raises some relevant points, the town does need a life boost and why not something new and unique. or maybe not so new. the space could be used to encourage local arts and crafts. and maybe they should be encouraging traditional market fayre back into the town it would certainly be unique to the area to have a traditional market with traditional market goods and wares return to a historic market town!

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Exactly that's what I meant....

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A slagging off then a bit of flattery in the space of a couple of posts :D

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The market hall is a wonderful building....but it has had the heart ripped out of it.

It has no atmosphere. None of the hustle and bustle of days gone by. None of the anticipation of the lovely stalls selling the kind of stuff that we all bought...instead this has been replaced by a sterile, lacklustre area...that truly doesn't know what it is supposed to be.
Is it a centre for trade, or is it a place where performing arts happen...or is it place where exhibitions can be held???
I don't like it much now. No character despite its heritage and its grandeur. It is sort of like tinsel that has been left up too long after Christmas.
Maybe the place should have been bulldozed........at least it would have given space for the new bus station that is being clamoured for.

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My hands are never idle John -it's my mind which needs nutrition...!

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Take a look at this Margaret for an idea of what i mean....it's empty of folk for the filming , but I can assure you it is the hub of the city and a hive of activity....

Panoramic photograph of Indoor Market, Oxford

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I know exactly what you mean. The Market in Bury is a prime example....it is packed. Even though they say there is no money about, the place is bumping and the cafes are full of people enjoying food.......the range of fresh food is fabulous too.
Leeds Market hall is another fine place with far more atmosphere. Bolton has a great Market hall too
Accrington Market Hall is pathetic.
Yes, the building is a fine structure, but the structure isn't worth much if it doesn't perform to its intended purpose....and primarily that is to trade.

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I used to love oxford market when i lived there. loved the tea and coffee shop, it still had the old drawers where your tea and coffee were served from. and traditional butchers AND GAME MERCHANTS! a lovely (although sometimes expensive) treasure trove of a place to shop!

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I don't understand why .....remember it always being packed as a girl. What has changed i wonder -are all the Accringtonians going away down the valley or to other more scenic venues? i know my aunt and uncle prefer Clitheroe for the market, shops and gallery....

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Brilliant -the game was lovely to see even though I'm not a fan. Had the best ever fresh sandwich stall too and a french bakers...fab cheese and the veg displays were to die for...used to wait till the end of the day and buy stuff up cheap . Had Mushroom soup for weeks on end!

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lack of stalls,lack of life,lack of variety and oh... a chuffin great tescos/asda/morrisons/aldi/lidl (delete as appropriate)

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never had the opportunity to go late on to get the deals as i was also working (although i did get some tasty deals from the butchers and veg merchants as they supplied my pub too)

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Yes all of those.
Money wasted.

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I adore this time of year, and the return of Acidic-babs.

The welcome return of a much loved overwintering guest.

The caustic chirp of a cocky robin.

Makes me look like a sweet-natured, young tit.

http://www.msnrules.com/emoticons/bl...d/drooling.gif




:rolleyes::D

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I prefer the small shops and stalls -especiallly now my family is dwindling. It's soul destroying to push a trolley round a supermarket, never speaking to anyone...better a few friendly faces on the market or local shops- but then I'm old.fashioned...

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young!? :d

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totally agree and quite often i prefer the quality too

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I think our M.P.'s under the delusion that because some people shop at Lidl and Aldi, that must mean 95% of his constituents are fiercely pro-European Unionists.

:rolleyes::D

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There is nothing to stop you starting up a conversation in a supermarket.
Although there are only the two of us...we visit a variety of supermarkets....and rarely do we leave any of them without having a bit of banter with either the staff or some other old and crumbly....it might start by seeing some old girl trying to reach something on the high shelves....and helping her reach whatever it was...but we always, always chat to someone.

Conversation is a two way street....don't wait for someone else to start one...take the initiative yourself.

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Top prize G, you've managed to bring the EU into Accy market -creative thinking!:rolleyes::D

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Know what you mean Margaret but my concentration is on the myriad of mostly superflous things on offer....

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Aw.......shucks, surely you can multi-task......:)

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Absolutely, my mind is always working on loads of different levels, have such a lot to think through lately...!:rolleyes:

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Relatively so, to old Acidic-babs.

;):D

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It came to me the other day.

Whilst whittling a Merkel doll troll, to go atop this year's festive tree.

I knew I'd get it in somewhere.

;)

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aaahhh but is it not the theory of relativity that hangs in the balance of late?

:p:D

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Its easy to understand why, as others said the heart has gone, the stalls have gone, the building is a good un n various councils have destroyed it, simple. daft as it sounds,the flea market on Thursday does more trade, not that cheaper rents have owt to do wi it.:rolleyes: i have always prefered to shop in town,still do,but nowhere near as much as i used, think yeh probably bin away to long to appreciate whats happened,to what once was a damn good town centre.;)

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Not so sure ... I'll check it out and get back to you yesterday;)

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Get your hands to rub the sides of your head and warm your brains up then:D

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I quite agree, Jedi. An outrageous claim. the only way any of us could tell how old rindy is would be to cut one of her legs off and count the rings.

Then again, as the Sublime Oscar said: "No woman should ever be quite accurate about her age. It looks so calculating."

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Inaccurate gender assumption :D

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:rofl38::rofl38::rofl38:

Too late.

I was on my last legs years ago.

I scoot about on a little trolly now, given to me by an old woman under George V bridge in Glasgow, just before she slithered down into the icy waters.

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She's just being a bitch.

;)

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Mame: Bosom Buddies (Lucille Ball & Bea Arthur) - YouTube

:D

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In a nutshell:biggrin8::biggrin8::biggrin8::biggrin8:

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I didnt catch this earlier, So to answer the exact reason why this post was created, The Fireworks are paired with the Xmas Lights switch on to make it a family event, Yeah i do understand that fireworks do cause distress to animals and they are loud however unfortunatley we are not in an Alton Towers enviroment so we have to use the space we have provided, I am sure that if we didnt have the fireworks display the comments would be WHY WAS THERE NO FIREWORKS, The fireworks are paid by the council and are only set off on the Arndale Roof.

Hope this clears up the confusion, As for next years event i have been asked to run the event next year due to its success, Any positive ideas i am open to hear them.

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keep the fireworks, celebrity switch on, seating for elderly and disabled. maybe a concert of some kind or community groups getting involved with displays,carol singing etc.. oh.. and a traditional christmas market!

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Disabled and Elderly we are looking for next year is a definate, Market Traders were asked to stay open but opted not to, so this is down to the individual traders however good feedback appreciated

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That wasn't widely known. Someone posted they thought the firework display was paid for by the Arndale.

What did the whole event cost this year?

Just so people understand what might, or might not be possible, if they are going to make submissions of what they'd like to see happen next year.

Ideas will need to be realistic, so it's imperative to know what funds are available, if people are going to make reasonable suggestions.

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you appear to have missed my point! a proper christmas market - chalet type stalls selling christmas wares from around the world such as they have in manchester/birmingham/london etc.. make it a proper christmas festival!

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Sort of like a Christmas themed Christmas celebration?

Bit radical.

Where would nineties dance acts fit into that off the wall idea?

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Great idea - totally agree -should involve local products , people, history and shop-keepers...Keep it up-market, get good local sponsorship...hope Leon is up to the task.

Sorry to bang on abut Cremona but it's where i live. We had a well-known home grown celeb. footballer Gianluca Vialli to pubblicise the event , a celebrity Chef, Music, culture, lots of entertainment - The whole festival lasted a weekend including the lights being switched on...Accy has all the ingredients -great historic backdrop etc -just needs some-one with vision to get a hold of the reins...

Take a look at link to see photos etc of the Festival in Cremona which took place last weekend. Lots of street entertainers around town finished off the whole thing...

Just seen G's post which overlaps mine -go back to tradition -that's what people want in difficult times -things that have stood the test of time...
Festa del Torrone di Cremona 2011

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Agreed, and that's down to the lack of vision by anyone on the council. Not down to the person they've somewhat lazily passed the event over to. Who I'm sure is doing his best, but running a bar and a nightclub act, isn't really the experience that's needed to turn this event into a must see destination.

It is funded from the public purse, and at times when we are seeing cuts in public services, people have the right to question if the benefits outweigh the considerable costs involved.

We've already had one town centre business owner post it wasn't worth him staying open financially, the night of the event.

A nice night out for the neddies, bouncing along to dance anthems from a couple of decades ago, but not really an event that attracts the whole comunity, or even something that's particularly Christmassy, in a traditional sense.

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What you mean something that should be a draw for the whole county?:eek:

Our "nougat festival" (sorry Torrone is nougat) drew in over 120,000 people....late night shop opening -business for the whole town...

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Ok people few questions for me to answer -

1. Christmas Markets etc, The German Market was asked to come to Accrington, Think that you need to realise is that Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham are all cities, they will not come to Accrington due to the size and also expected turn out, In some regards the council have to pay for this market traders to come into the town, which sounds ludcrious.

2. Budget wise, Ill have to speak to the powers that be before i post anything on here re how much budget their is, However trust me as i worked with it for the past 3 months, The council do not waste money on this event, they have to work to a tight budget as the goverment controls it, so unfortunatley the funds do not cover for some huge huge celebs and turning the event into a full weekend event.

3. This year was my first year and i have seen just how hard it is to run an event that everyone enjoys and your always not going to please anyone, however its a learning curve and weve learned things for next year.

I hope this answers few things, Budget wise what you need to take into consideration, Road Closures are £1500.00, Licenses, Fireworks, Staging, Speaker Systems, Talent on Stage, Security, Police all invisibles that dont get seen, so please do not be thinking that this is a huge budget as it is not

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tradition is the key to an event like this, hence why the bigger events are so successful

look at grassington dickensian christmas fair for example, traditional, good value well advertised and every year oversubscribed with coach companies having to book in advance to get in! why not make regular events like this. promote our town and make it one to be proud of. we potentially do have much to offer so why not build on it.times are tough - we all know that so if there is not enough money floating round in our own residents pockets to keep local businesses afloat then it needs to come from elsewhere. and the answer to that my friends is to bring it in from elsewhere by attracting outsiders in from other areas to spend what little they have in our town by making our town more attractive than theirs, by making it unique and by offering what they can't get in their own town(s).

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Let's start realistically.

Attracting people from all sections of the borough, families, older people, might be a start.

Rather than just crowds of people in trackies.

Which might mean more money being spent in the town.

Instead of just in Gregg's.

Where people queue to buy a sausage roll for their baby mother's kiddy to suck on, whilst watching Rowetta, or whatever big star is going to be knocking out their nearly were hits, next year.

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firstly, if something is worth doing, it's worth doing well!
or
if you aren't going to do it properly don't do it at all!

secondly, who needs the german market to come, i'm damn sure that just as good a job can be done by local residents offering local traditional fayre

ie.you supply the chalets and the people supply the goods and the atmosphere (a fair trade in my book)

why are the organising bodies always so short sighted.

'errr........... we can only use the resources that are already available and that costs too much'

why can't it be ' those resources are too expenxive....... i know we'll look at this from another angle........... why can't we make our own resources hmmmmmmm........... much cheaper WE CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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pound bakery! get with the times!:D

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Oh, and before anyone says -Cremona must be a big town to afford all that....the official population is 71.912 - I think that's less than Accy. Although there is a very mixed population here and there are immigrants from Eastern Europe, India, Pakistan and Africa -+ the odd British citizen (threre are 12 of us officially!) and other countries -they don't have expensive initiatives for black and ethnic minorities and such...money is spent on the community as a whole...

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and like most little european towns is proud of its heritage and understands the importance of trade from both internal residents and outside trade also

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Never mind greggs we now we have a £1 bakery to go with our wonderful card shops and phone shops and our other outstanding normal pound shops:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:.We have no chance of offering anything like german markets etc in this town, the centre offers no big names for shopping and sadly a market which in my opinion is hanging on with its fingertips , why would people come to Accrington rather than go to bigger places such as Preston,Manchester for example?

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Well said OB1!! Give the young people of the town a place to show what they can do too -schools could partecipate -young artists/ artisans ..the possibilites are endless if the flesh is willing.....Lacking spirit?:rolleyes:

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The public will decide on whether something is a 'waste', or is good value for money, or not, only after all the costs involved have been made public.

Until then, 'waste', 'value for money', and things like 'worth', or all subjective terms. They can't possibly be judged, until all the finances are made known.

You mention the costs of attracting high profile celebrities.

What on earth makes you think that people want whatever list of celebrity involved?

When did Christmas become about 'celebrity'?

People associate Christmas with tradition, not some naff has been.

This isn't your fault. It's the lazy arse person at the council, who lacking their own vision, passed the job over to you.

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you don't have to go as far as Grassington for a Dickensian Market...Whalley has had one for years.....let's be different...a Victorian Market...hot chestnuts.....fire baked spuds....mulled wine, spiced ale(or sarsaparilla for the non drinkers). Carol singers...capes. lanterns....a whole different ambience. Knock fireworks on the head.....save the money for something else. Get local schools involved for the singing and the dancing.
Make it a night to remember.
I know it would take some planning, but we are a year away.......surely that is time enough to knock things into shape...to get people involved.

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the potential is there it just needs the powers that be to 1. realise it and 2. pull there fingers out and make it work


there seems to be so much negativity towards this town yet no-one is standing up and doing anything about it. maybe the residents should be standing together and acting rather than moaning. there is no such thing as it can't be done or it won't work only we can't be bothered to make it work.

shops and market stalls will only open and stay open if the people support them and spend their money in them. it's no good doing your weekly shop in tescos and then wondering why we haven't got any local butchers/greengrocers!

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Can't you just see it? Taste it? smell it? Feel the cosiness of it?
Tradition can be a wonderful draw.

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Fireman Sam & Peppa Pig along with local acts won't have reduced the numbers in Burnley & Blackburn. Both of them will still be well attended.

Was dissapointed to find out the band on stage were from Wigan, surely we have enough local bands to fill that spot and would welcome the opportunity to showcase their stuff for free.

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very true and i have frequented it many times.I only used grassington as an example as it has become possibly the most successful and is known and advertised nationally and is always oversubscribed!

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Perfect Margaret -with the architecture as a backdrop -but it needs to be used: Town Hall, Market hall, Library, Howarth, Oakhill, Viaduct and other venues, get Ossy Mills involved -make it a weekend of culture and history ....get people in and get them spending!

Re: Christmas Shopping Fireworks
 

whats wrong with the sally army band or a local school choir hmmm....... there's another idea an inter school choir competition with the celebrity status that will be performing live at the xmas festival............. i'm off to ring simon cowell about the tv rights:D

Re: Christmas Shopping Fireworks
 

Yes, a sponsor like Ossy Mills would be a very useful partner in an event like that.

And getting schools involved would ensure that family members would be present at the event....after all Grandma and Grandad would be delighted to cheer on little Alfie singing some kind of solo.......and clap as little Olivia danced in her shiny clogs.

Re: Christmas Shopping Fireworks
 

Very much chicken & egg. People won't support them if they don''t sell whats required, and business won't invest if there aren't enough potential customers to make it worthwhile.

The problem with having a retail business in Accrington is that the town is becoming a magnet for residents who spend their money on alchohol and get too much support for the stuff they shove up their noses or inject in to their blood stream.

One of the main solutions to the problem doesn't lie with the retailers, it lies with the landlords who rent out houses on an ever increasing basis to people who do the town and it's prosperity severe damage

Re: Christmas Shopping Fireworks
 

I use the market every saturday morning and a couple of days in the week for fruit ,veg,t cakes , cooked meat and butchers and also a bit in m&s.But the fact remains if i want to buy a shirt or a suit for example my choice is limited to burtons and originals and when your bigger than the average bear ie 52" chest originals etc only cater for callow youths .You have also only one"new" bookshop wh smith and then your into charity shops which i may add are superb for books, so i do try to do my bit but the local shops are only going to flourish if they are backed up by quality big names Next , river island etc but they dont want to come here it seems.:confused: