I finished most of my Christmas shopping in Dover today , the queue in Card Factory was phenominal but the assistants where very quick so the wait wasnt too long , In fact all the shop assistants seemed very happy today . I do like Dover
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Here is the situation shoppingwise in Canterbury today about mid morning, throbbing, thriving...I doubt if it had even warmed up...
All kind of life is there..markets stalls sublime, music, food, fun...and thats before you even go into a shoppe.
I had to get out before the crowds came !!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
oh well, we cannot compete with that.
a bit of street entertainment would have gone down well in town but any busker worth his salt would go where the crowds are expected.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
I gave a pound to a dwarf playing an accordian...he was giving it the the ol ding dong merrily on high and was doing good business. Foolishly i didnt get a picture.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i trust he didn't short change anyone paul.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
why do we accept such dismal times in our town?
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
PaulB - your comment about giving money to a dwarf playing an accordian, conjured up an amusing picture, then Howard's comment about him short-changing you, tipped me over into a giggle.
Keith - we shouldn't I agree, but if those in authority don't care and those who do care don't have the authority, what can you do ?
In a recent article in the D/Express, DDC and DHB supported the idea that a body could/should be set up to manage/run the Town but DTC said no; without DTCs support, no progress can be made.
Roger
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
that's muddied the waters even more roger.
a few weeks back we read that the town clerk was fully behind cllr sherrat in his attempts to get the district council to put pressure on the district council to clean up properties.
bearing that in mind i don't see why that sort of link up cannot carry on into other matters that affect the town.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
ROGER;
I don't realy care who's fault it may be, i'm not into laying blame, only to ask the question that is asked every day of the year, why is Dover being left behind?
why doesn't Dover get the thousands of tourists like the places i have visited which are far smaller and far more up for it?
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Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Dover's problem is geography and there is nowhere else quite like it - it is a place people go through to get in or out of the country.
Secondly it has a very small catchment area and won't be able to pull people from Ashford, Canterbury or Thanet
Lastly it is rather restricted in space, there isn't enough room in town for any big developments and everyone seems against the idea of the town expanding outwards (Whitfield) where there is more space.
Been nice knowing you :)
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
paul scotchie;
i think you will find forumites are ok with some building
but not all in one place (whitfield)
on the 'do we have room'? as i stated small villages just 2 roads managed to pull thousands in.
this is more about
1; good stratergy
2; officers/councillors wanting dover to prosper
3; agencies all working together to make it happen
4; good planning and continued planning
5; will to say yes rather than find a reason to say no
theres a start
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
It doesn't have to cost a fortune, and tourism doesn't depend on the developments we have discussed, which are a separate issue. The developments in St James are domestic and in house, the tourism issues are outward facing and need different strategies. We do have a great deal of history here, but we also have beauty and more to offer, the trouble, as Keith points out, is lack of will, cohesion and strategy.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
If people think the current councils, councillors and administration aren't doing a good job then what are people doing about it?
I think it is the apathy of most of the people in the town not caring about what happens is stopping anything happening in Dover !! Just look at the hospital rally - with a district population of over 100,000 people (reported by the BBC) only 100 or so people attended so not particularly impressive ?
Been nice knowing you :)
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
paul(scotchie)sadly the general public have always led down the road of apathy all you can do is try to raise the bar.
thank you bern for your comments
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Paul - we elect people and recruit people to do a job. If I work in Essex long hard hours and have a life, I don't expect to also have to do the job of local government people paid to do it. There is a huge amount of apathy in Dover - do we think that part of the reason for that is that there is an amount of apathy in local government? As far as I can see there are few changes in the faces of the public organisations, and apart from a few notable exceptions including PaulW and our local MP there is a palpable lack of the right skill set.
Tell me, genuinely, not being difficult - what would you have me do about it?
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
We elect our political representatives to do what they say they will do in their election promises, after that there is little Joe Public can do except remember next election time.
Sadly we have no choice with regard to the unelected fat cats sitting in offices who seem to dictate what happens in our area or not as we all know.
Not apathy more like little we can do except complain on here.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
Maybe your last line is nearer the case Jan, but we are told that there are many "important/influential" people who read the postings on here, or are told about them, so our postings can make a difference; it's when there's postings full of drivel, that those people then think the Forum is a waste of time and I believe we should be able to influence some of the decisions made on our behalf, by intelligent (and sometimes light-hearted) discussion.
I don't know how to succesfully influence those in a postion to make a difference, but first of all they must be open-minded enough to accept change and not go blindly on.
Post 69 Howard - I think everyone is behind Pat Sherratt's attempts to get DDC to work on section 215s. I had tried this a couple of years ago - going right to the top and still not getting anywhere - no funds and no resources to follow them through.
If he is successful, then well done Pat, but I'd then like to know what is different now, that allows it to get the support it needs. If DTC are to financially support it, then that will help of course, so I would encourage the Town Council to do that.
The buildings are a very important part of Dover's image, but there are so many other aspects of moving the Town forward and that is why I think there should be a full-time employed person to drive it forward and support the businesses here too.
Roger
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
ROGER;
Your post 78 says it all.
you are (hopefully) one of the influencial people and with your in built majority at district and county levels should be seeing major moves in the direction jan and others call for.
or are you saying your party has no influence/or theres nothing they can do?
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Guest 663- Registered: 20 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,136
Finished off the last few bits of christmas shopping in dover this morning have to say it was very quite, most unlike yesterday in Canterbury, Oh Howard love your post #65 i was looking at the sweet little dog who was snuggled up in the suitcase beside him.
