The Med
Not wishing to draw attention away from my previous post, but folks might wanna take a look at this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6068972.stm
[although I'd recommend cut-and-pasting the URL into your browser, cos some weird meta-internet stuff is happening when I try to interpolate it as a link, which kinda dilutes the potency of the point I'm trying to make...]
and send their suggestions in on a postcard or sealed envelope.
posted by Rob at 2:00 AM
11 Comments:
If and when I get my job at Google this sort of hyperlink-not-working shit will be ironed out pronto. that's a promise!
2:27 AM
I'm concerned that commenting on one's own post is pretentious. Commenting on one's own comment on one's own blog is, ipso facto, inexcusable...
2:29 AM
You can rebrand a turd but it will always be a shit
1:34 PM
Rob I've think you've put the wrong thing before your colon there.
Too easy.
5:43 PM
You've duplicated http:// in your html.
Guessing you pressed a button to insert the code for you that included it, in which case you just need miss the http:// bit off in future.
Or type it in yourself ;)
[a href="http://www.rufous.co.uk"]Rufous[/a]
Only using more-than/less-than signs instead of square brackets gives you:
Rufous
11:51 PM
The (positive) things I always mention when telling people about Medway are the Castle, the Cathedral, Dickens and Chaucer. So pretty much just one square mile of Rochester really, and all stuff that Medway is making the most of already. I'm sure DickensWorld will get the tourists flocking in.
The trouble with Medway, and the reason I can't imagine it attracting loads of visitors, is that it just isn't pleasant enough. I was in Nottingham last weekend for the Robin Hood Pageant - it's got a similar number of historic claims to fame, but there's no comparison in terms of how much more welcoming and enjoyable it is. You can happily wander round the spacious city centre, nipping in and out of shops and taking in the beautiful old buildings, then find a nice restaurant, all within walking distance. You can't really say that about Chatham High Street.
12:25 PM
But Medway isn't laid out like a city, it's a long line of towns joined linearly, so it's unfair to compare one of the 5 high streets with that of a major UK city. The problem is that all the attractive parts are, as Joe has already said, in Rochester high street.
Not that i want to get all defensive of the Med just because i live there but every town has it's shit bits - the problem being is that we all know the shit areas and that it far outweighs the good. Look at Gillingham - apart from Hempstead, most of Wigmore & Darland it's pretty much all rubbish. Hell, even Rocester is relatively scummy apart from a few really overpriced houses. But i bet even Nottingham residents can name more shitty areas than nice ones. Medway is shitty, but there are plenty more worse places in Kent and certainly along the Thames gateway. Gravesend is a crap hole, and i'd say only just on a par with Strood, but that area never gets slagged.
My issue with the story is that with 16,000 homes being built at least a quarter of that will go to council housing then another quarter will become subsidised homes. Now i'm sure this may not sound like it's meant to but this housing will not go to those deserving of it, some of our closest friends have had to suffer because of this. Then this breeds animosity, creates an uncomfortable atmosphere and will ultimately be the downfall of said development.
Of these 20,000 jobs, how many will go to Medwites? I know that some of the more skilled roles will have to be filled by the best people, but then how many will be temporary? How many will go to dick-head teenagers who don't give a shit? Or dick-head adults who don't give a shit?
I'd love to see this work if only so that (a) I don't have to explain to people where the hell Gillingham is cos hopefully they'l have heard of Medway and (b) I can start to be proud of where i'm from.
8:15 AM
Apparently Tim Burgess AND Alan McGee were DJing at the Tap last night (Wed 25th). Maybe that'll help solve Medway's problems with attracting visitors.
Or not.
8:38 AM
I know there's all manner of geographical and economic reasons why Medway isn't able to rival a city centre like Nottingham, and Nottingham definitely has several dodgy areas (I've stayed in a few of them over the years). But at the end of the day none of those are going to matter to a day- or weekend-tripper; they'll just judge a place on how good a time they have during their stay, which is usually going to be based around the station and the town centre.
I'll always defend the Med against other towns (especially local crapholes like Gravesend Dartford and Maidstone). However, at the end of the day it's an OK place to live but a crap place to visit unless you know people who can show you the better bits beyond Rochester. I'd love it if something could change that but I just don't see how that's going to happen.
10:39 AM
I've always put some shitness down to the fact that because Medway is so close to London it gets ignored.
Aside from the Libertines reformation gig and Tim Burgesses obsession with the Tap, when was the last time a decent gig happened in Medway?
Even tho' the Gills are in division 3 they should attract more fans but it's too easy to support a london team - the amount of 'Wall fans proves this.
All the high streets are pooh for shopping cos it's better to get in the car for 30 mins and go to Bluewater or even the regenerated bits in Maidstone.
There's now only 2 proper nightclubs plus the Manor club - that just isn't enough for a population of quarter of a million.
Man - this topic needs a seperate blog site of it's own!
5:14 PM
I've never heard a fairer saying than "Kent (was) the garden of England, and Medway is its compost heap"
8:45 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home