The post you are reporting:
I can't influence anyone or any body now as that opportunity has been taken away from me.
One of the posters mentioned rent and rates being too high and they are, far too high for the level of trading that the businesses are doing.
The small-business hard-ship rate-relief needs to be looked at and adjusted to make it more accessible and relevant to today's trading conditions, but again, because I don't represent anyone any more and am just an individual, it's a lone voice.
The Chamber of Commerce won't argue because they have no appreciation of small-business needs - actually that's not completely true, the Chairman does, but the other 3 certainly don't.
It's not just the lack of money (there wasn't any) that makes me angry and frustrated about the dismissal, it's the fact I can't do anying about supporting Dover and the businesses it any more.
Mixing business and pleasure (tourism and shopping) is essential; shopping is a leisure activity; leisure is an essential part of tourism, but officially, they don't mix and so are never included in any tourism leaflet or brochure - apart from the Discover Dover leaflet.
Those Christmas shops that open for about 6 weeks selling cheap paper, tinsel, calenders and presents should not be allowed to stay open; shops operating (and paying their rent and rates) are really angry about them.
I wasn't able to determine anything at that time, but have now and they can and should be stopped on a number of issues - all valid.
But who is going to do that now ?
Maybe I should just shut up and go on holiday for a few months.
Roger