Friday 6 March 2009

Town busy as ever!

I was delighted to see everywhere so busy by mid-morning today. Many people in Abbeygate Street were walking away from rather than to the arc, whilst the newsagents in Central Walk had a queue right to the door.




Shown below are people managing to cope in one of the current three major links, and you can see that a good number are travelling to the existing town.

No doubt this will not be good enough for the prophets of doom who spend so much time talking down our beautiful town. Speaking of which, I was interested to see the wife of one of them having a good look round Debenhams.

19 comments:

Picklesmum said...

I am sure people will 'manage to cope' with the 3 walkways but it just could have been so much nicer if what was promised had been delivered.

Charlotte Howard said...

Hi PM. How are you?

It was never 'promised' for the opening but I am still hopeful that there will be an improvement on top of (excuse the pun) the demolition of the overhang and refurbishment which should be ready by Easter.

My point was that its absence isn't the tragedy that some people would like to make out because they like knocking the council.

St Edmunds Blogger said...

Its not so much that people like knocking the council, its that the council continually ask to be knocked

Charlotte Howard said...

Please explain, and which council?

Richard Rout said...

Paul, I think an interesting thing to note is the flow of ‘traffic’ down Central Walk towards the existing town centre. It isn’t all people going away from the existing shops – they are heading towards them. It was a similar picture when I was there. I’d upload my photos to twitpic but it is still down.

St Edmunds Blogger said...

you refered to the people that like knocking the council. No one goes out of there way to knock the council, i wish that the council was perfect and that we didn't need to complain; But its not so we execute our democratic right to give the council a good shoeing when we see fit.

Charlotte Howard said...

Exactly Richard. There is a definite flow to the existing town.

SEB - Sad to say several individuals make it their life's work to talk down or knock the council. You are in danger of turning into one if you're not careful, although your latest post on your own site is more measured.

St Edmunds Blogger said...

indeed, think i got a bit carried away. Will try to be more objective in future postings

St Edmunds Blogger said...

Regarding the flow of pedestrian traffic, the links have always been fairly one way, at different times of day. This was mainly because a large proportion of parking is situated on that side of Bury.

The new development can't take credit for that.

Charlotte Howard said...

SEB - I'm flattered that you should pay so much attention to my website, but I wonder how you have so much time to devote to it. Have you recently been made unemployed? Perhaps you should stand for election if you feel so strongly about these issues. Which ward do you live in?

St Edmunds Blogger said...

I'm not sure of the ward name but I know who my ward councillor is , not that I’m telling because that would narrow down my secret identity.

Nope not been made unemployed, I have always had this much time free, but I have just been introduced to the blogosphere.

Picklesmum said...

I am fine thank you. Looking forward to visiting spaceworld/cowboy town soon!

OOH! Who is the secret squirrel? Very mysterious!

Bury Boy said...

Did you read Fridays East Anglian? their picture show a slighty different story. Still positive for Bury, lets hope we have sufficent parking for all our new visitors?

Please lets call it as it is, and as the local community seem to perfer.
"The Cattle Market"

Charlotte Howard said...

BB - I didn't see it, but heard about it. I wonder what time it was taken and how long the photograper waited for the window of opportunity? I just took mine when I walked through.

St Edmunds Blogger said...

One thing I noticed about all photographs of the cattle market, there are lots of people but very few people carrying shopping bags.

Anonymous said...

I don't think there's any need to worry about the town centre being empty. Due to the types of shops there at present the town centre will still be full of people doing everyday shopping.

Charlotte Howard said...

Hi ROSE. Yes, e.g. huge selection of restaurants, all the banks, solicitors, dentists, doctors, newsagents, sweet shops, lots of independents and of course the charity shops.

Only on Monday I was stopped by the owner of a cafe on the opposite side from arc and was told his takings were still well up even that day. "It's more like summer trade", he said.

Anonymous said...

And of course we all need the chemists. I was only thinking today that the sweet shops must do better now with Woolworths gone and I've seen queues at the one in central walk before. As long as we also have M & S, Boots and Iceland the town shouldn't suffer.

Charlotte Howard said...

How could I forget our vital chemists Rose?

You are right, Marks and Spencer was always seen by the Borough Council as the 'anchor store' for the old part of town, now complemented by Debenhams.