Curious visitors

WillowTheWhisp said:
I've found one! There was a little wall along the bottom of the slope that it was possible to sit on. You can just about see one of the benches with a couple of people sitting on it up on the road level. Must not have been a very busy day that day!

Just looking at this now I remember those chain links between the little stone pillars and swinging them back and forth. They had a good weight to them and once you started them swinging it went on for ages.
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I used to swing the chain links too .. wonder if at anytime, you held one end, me t'other, bet they are illegal now .. were pretty lethal looking. Wasn't there some on the Oak Hill Park Entrance ? Are they still there ?

Sorry Archstud (?) Got us reminiscing, and off yer' thread.

Anyway, Willow, shouldn't have bin sitting on the walls of the flower beds :D
 
They did look dangerous with those great diamond shaped lumps in them didn't they?

Those walls alongside the flowerbeds were plenty wide enough to sit on. Kids used to walk along them like they do now on the one round St. James' church.
 
It is interesting to hear about what Accy used to be like.... I like the picture of the sunken gardens too, that bit by Marks and Sparks has changed a bit hasn't it?

What would be the one thing you would change about the town centre for future generations?
 
....plus a much needed makeover for the bloody blue and white monstrosity, that is the Town Hall extension/Broadway shops.
 
katex said:
Oh come on Cashman, only because like me, you are one of the older generation in town and long for the deck, the old jazz clubs. pubs as they were, etc. Things have had to change to suit a younger generation and this is what is happening.

We now have more shops than we ever did, although could do with a few more high street shops to bring the younger generation into town on a Saturday afternoon. I love the design of Broadway now and when the trees grow will be extremely pleasant to sit there in the Summers to come.

I also like the fact that there is very little traffic now in front of the Town/Market Hall and can stroll there a little safer than dodging the traffic to get to t'other side.

I think Marks and Spencers (sorry M&S) is the heart ... always meet someone I know in there when shopping.

Ok, not so many 'acquaintancies' as in the old days, as due to our loss of Industry, people are working further afield. I myself never travelled to Accrington centre whilst working in Manchester for 16 years ... no need.

Efforts are being made to improve Blackburn Road and looking much better.

We still have our Coppice and, if you make the effort, still a wonderful spectacle from there.

I think the nightlife is improving and love the way I am accepted for me, not my age, with the younger people of town .. just there to enjoy themselves. Events in our parks, more theatre events, etc., etc.

I will not profess to be an expert in Council matters, etc., but at least you have more access to speak your peace in what you wish to happen to your town instead of criticism constantly, behind their backs. No, I think the heart beat is still extremely strong ! There said my bit now. :p
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katex just answer this simple question! Do you think it has changed for the better? and as for the coppice they destroyed that lovely hill by planting all those sodding trees.ruining the hill and also the nice walk direct to the top.and pumpkin i don't think i'm being dramatic just stating it as i see it,but your entitled to your opinion.;)
 
cashman said:
katex just answer this simple question! Do you think it has changed for the better? and as for the coppice they destroyed that lovely hill by planting all those sodding trees.ruining the hill and also the nice walk direct to the top.and pumpkin i don't think i'm being dramatic just stating it as i see it,but your entitled to your opinion.;)
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I always thought it was strange it was called the Coppice, yet didn't have any trees planted on it until relatively recently.

Surely it must have once been planted with trees, otherwise we wouldn't have called it the Coppice in the first place?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coppice
 
It may once have had trees but surely if it did it would have been more natural looking than them things up there now!
 
WillowTheWhisp said:
It may once have had trees but surely if it did it would have been more natural looking than them things up there now!
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Would it look 'natural'?:confused:

Coppicing is managed woodland after all.
 
I was told when I was at Peel Park school that it was probaby a corruption of he word 'copse', which funnily enough is itself derived from 'coppice' but came to refer to any small wooded area rather than just a managed woodland of coppiced trees. Either way it was probably trees which belonged naturally to the area which them lot what we've got up there just don't seem to do. They look incongruous.

Mind you at school I was told that Accrington was so named because the town was surrounded by oak trees but we've had various disagreements about that too.
 
Here are the photos I took on Broadway today which I hope will illustrate why I am not impressed. Apart from the fact that Broadway always seems to be "a work in progress" the street furniture just looks so bland and boring. I know PB and Co wanted to make sure there'd be enough space for the visiting French market but they seem to have been more interested in leaving enough room for the occasional visiting market than in ensuring that our own regular market was properly catered for.

Please note the empty shop and office properties to, an all too common site in the town.
 

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What I don't understand re:Broadway, is why they are resurfacing the bit that was supposedly finished last year, outside Home & Bargains?
 
WillowTheWhisp said:
Something to do with it being the wrong kind of tarmac I was told.
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Unbelievable!!!

They already changed their minds last year about the surface, laying the red beachy grit on top of the finished black tarmac.

Not get drunk in a brewery springs to mind.
 
cashman said:
katex just answer this simple question! Do you think it has changed for the better? and as for the coppice they destroyed that lovely hill by planting all those sodding trees.ruining the hill and also the nice walk direct to the top.and pumpkin i don't think i'm being dramatic just stating it as i see it,but your entitled to your opinion.;)
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Well, yes actually I do think it has changed for the better sweet, darling Cashman ... will ask a question with a question ... which time warp would you wish Accrington to be stuck in ? ... have to move on with modern trends to compete with other towns and the demands of the rising generations, don't you think ?

Loved the piccies from Willow of the sunken gardens because of my memories, however, if you think back, was very little shopping in the area of the now Arndale, was wholly the Market and the Market Hall, plus a few surrounding shops, that would not invite anyone now ... I had to travel to Man. to get a decent dress in them days.

Whether the council are implementing plans of great quality is a matter of the individual's taste, but at least, I feel a good effort is in force for the space available. Had to incorporate a car park too,because of the ongoing wealth/laziness of our society but at least they don't charge.

As for the Coppice, I love the trees .. a much more pleasant walk; and as for the direct route up to the top, could be extremely difficult, soggy and slippy with a few strips of concrete here and there, which disguised themselves as steps.

I would like to see a few more high street shops on the top end of Broadway instead of the Poundsaver shops and I think, in time, this could happen if a good case is put forward. Also, a regular night of late night shopping could help and give the town a buzz as workers can meet workers during these hours. Some sort of entertainment would be lovely too on this night on Broadway to jolly people along.

Course you entitled to your opinion .. I respect that, however, just a wild statement is of no use .. that's why Pumpkin said what she said.

Hope we still friends ... enjoy your hols xxxxx
 
Ianto.W. said:
Every driver that comes to the roundabout at Paradise St has at sometime or other pipped the horn in impatience, I know I hear them 24 hours a day.
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And you once told us that you wanted to remain anonymous;)

I saw through you from the first time you posted:)
 
katex said:
Oh come on Cashman, only because like me, you are one of the older generation in town and long for the deck, the old jazz clubs. pubs as they were, etc. Things have had to change to suit a younger generation and this is what is happening.

We now have more shops than we ever did, although could do with a few more high street shops to bring the younger generation into town on a Saturday afternoon. I love the design of Broadway now and when the trees grow will be extremely pleasant to sit there in the Summers to come.

I also like the fact that there is very little traffic now in front of the Town/Market Hall and can stroll there a little safer than dodging the traffic to get to t'other side.

I think Marks and Spencers (sorry M&S) is the heart ... always meet someone I know in there when shopping.

Ok, not so many 'acquaintancies' as in the old days, as due to our loss of Industry, people are working further afield. I myself never travelled to Accrington centre whilst working in Manchester for 16 years ... no need.

Efforts are being made to improve Blackburn Road and looking much better.

We still have our Coppice and, if you make the effort, still a wonderful spectacle from there.

I think the nightlife is improving and love the way I am accepted for me, not my age, with the younger people of town .. just there to enjoy themselves. Events in our parks, more theatre events, etc., etc.

I will not profess to be an expert in Council matters, etc., but at least you have more access to speak your peace in what you wish to happen to your town instead of criticism constantly, behind their backs. No, I think the heart beat is still extremely strong ! There said my bit now. :p
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Katex if the above is what you see and think of Accrington so be it, I really can't agree with you, I'd even go so far as to ask you to remove those rosed tinted spectacles you are wearing when you go into town. After reading your post all I could think of was the new Lily Allen video for the song L.D.N. try to watch it sometime.:)
 
Someone has had a letter published anonymously in this weekend's Observer.

'Accrington is much improved, blah blah blah, aren't the council wonderful, blah blah blah, isn't Greg Pope awful, blah blah blah.'

I think it may have been a rose tinted, glasses wearing, Tory, who sadly didn't have the bottle to sign his name to his/her thoughts on the regeneration of Accrington.;)
 
garinda said:
Someone has had a letter published anonymously in this weekend's Observer.

'Accrington is much improved, blah blah blah, aren't the council wonderful, blah blah blah, isn't Greg Pope awful, blah blah blah.'

I think it may have been a rose tinted, glasses wearing, Tory, who sadly didn't have the bottle to sign his name to his/her thoughts on the regeneration of Accrington.;)
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Hope ya' not suggesting 'tis me Garinda ... not so literate, I'm afraid. :D
 
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