Archive for the ‘Shropshire’ Category
STCRA oppositions – am I surprised!
A group has been set up on Facebook opposing Shrewsbury Town Centre Residents Association (SCTRA), claiming it does not represent the interests of most people in the town.
So far 475 people have signed up to the campaign which is called “Disenfranchised Shrewsbury Residents”
The group states its aims as to “counteract the appalling influence of the STCRA”.
The group, created by Shrewsbury resident Elliot Howells, objects to statements made by the influential pressure group opposing the number of tables outside a town centre wine bar and plans to remove noise restrictions in the Quarry for live music events.
The group has received a number of comments from people stating the residents association does not speak for them.
The page says: “This is a group purely for the purpose of counteracting the appalling influence of the STVRA.
“Have you lost out? Has your favourite venue been closed down for no good reason? Why are these people strangling the life out of our town? What on earth was the point of the Darwin sculpture?
“How about some live music played at a volume you can hear? Please join up, the sole purpose of this group is to try and give a voice to all us mere mortals who live in and around Shrewsbury and would very much like it to be full of verve and life and variety.”
A spokesman for STCRA said they had decided not to comment.
Commenting on the group’s wall Chloe Evans said: “They may as well put up a new sign, Shrewsbury – Town of Flowers and Residential Home.”
I am a member of STCRA but their precious comments on noise levels have annoyed and confounded me and I have made my views known to the chairman but have been written off as a trouble maker – but as I do attend meetings I have only myself to blame but I think I will join the Facebook group!
Butcher up for it
A former Tory MP is to stand in Shropshire against the party in a bid to win his old seat for the UK Independence Party, it has been announced.
Christopher Gill, one of the eurosceptic rebels stripped of the party whip by embattled prime minister John Major, will be a candidate in Ludlow.
The move will cause concern for the Conservatives in a marginal seat where sitting MP Philip Dunne enjoys a slim majority of only 2,027.
It is a key target for the Liberal Democrats, who dramatically snatched the seat when Mr Gill stepped down in 2001 before seeing it narrowly swing back in 2005.
Ukip secured only 783 votes there in the last general election but Mr Gill predicted his personal intervention would make it a "close call" three-way fight this time.
"I am standing against ‘call me Dave’s’ Tories because I cannot tolerate their utter contempt for the concerns of voters on matters of immigration, economy, individual liberty and the broken promise of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty," Mr Gill said.
"The huge increase in the Tories’ spin has been mirrored by the shocking decrease in their spine," he said – claiming the backing of "many" former party colleagues in the area.
He went on: "I have the advantage that, apart from millions of pounds, no one can tell the difference between Conservatives and the Liberals and, with Labour standing no chance here, I can really win this seat for Ukip and for the people of Ludlow."
Liberal Democrat candidate Heather Kidd welcomed Mr Gill’s decision, which she said would split the Conservative vote.
"I have been out on the doorsteps and this move by Gill has already had a massive impact," she said. "It is causing a big shift in our direction."
Lavatory humour but that pic!
Ladies loos-ing out in toilet trauma – 
Women are claiming that they have been left inconvenienced by a new toilet block planned for a car park in a small Shropshire town – which has no female loo.And a space-age pay-as-you-go public toilet block dubbed “The Tardis” has got residents of another town so worried about getting locked in that some of them say they would rather relieve themselves in nearby bushes.
Developers of the new loos in the car park at Childe Road, Cleobury Mortimer, have been caught short by protests about the lack of a female toilet.
The Shropshire Council loo block offers a urinal for men, a toilet for the disabled and another section with unisex loos.
There are nappy changing facilities in all three sections but no separate ladies’ toilet.
Resident Jim Reynolds said: “A lady assures me that research many years ago made it clear toilet provision should give greater precedence to ladies because they require more time than men.”
Elsewhere in the county, pensioners in particular are said to be scared of being locked in the hi-tech loos at Shifnal.
But the 20p-a-visit toilets by the village hall are the only public conveniences available.
Councillor Gerald Nickless told a meeting of Shifnal Town Council on Thursday: “There is a real problem with those Tardis toilets. I saw a group of people up there and they weren’t using them, they were using the bushes instead. No-one uses them.”
His concerns were backed by residents who said the Shropshire Council-built toilets were known as “The Tardis” and claimed they were universally disliked.
Jane Blackstock said: “I wouldn’t go in there. They frighten me to death.”
Steven Brown, Shropshire Council’s head of environmental maintenance for south Shropshire, said: “We are carrying out a consultation on public toilet provision in Shropshire and encourage people to let us know of any concerns they have of public toilets in the county. We will visit the toilets to ensure that there are no problems with the lock systems. We would like to remind people that it is an offence to urinate in a public place.”
Beeching reversed
Trains could be running through Oswestry within the next five years, bringing a huge economic boost to the town.
It follows a decision by railway enthusiasts to join forces in a landmark agreement.
The Cambrian Railways Society and Cambrian Railways Trust members have unanimously voted to unify in a bid to restore services after more than 40 years.
This development has been co-ordinated by the Cross Border Tourism Development Group on behalf of Shropshire Council, with the intention of seeing a fully operational heritage railway operating out of Oswestry by 2014.
Pete & Liz do it again
Pete & Liz at the Cock Hotel, Wellington, Shropshire will go all the way to the CAMRA national finals and will win this year – good luck my friends
Quantum Leap – a homage to Darwin
Obviously I did not take this pic and will try to get a better one showing the whole structure but the builders are still on site so it maybe some time. I like it but it does not look like the maquet and it cost too much.
Good News for the Sun Inn
The future of one of the UK’s last surviving parlour pubs on the Shropshire border has been secured.
The Sun Inn at Leintwardine, which was run by Flossie Lane – reputedly Britain’s oldest landlady – for 74 years, was expected to fetch up to £300,000 at auction in August.
But a decision was taken to postpone the sale so an offer from a local consortium could be considered.
Local businessman, Gary Seymour, who runs the Fiddler’s Elbow chip shop next to the pub, has teamed up with Nick Davis of Cleobury Mortimer-based Hobsons Brewery to buy the pub and secure its future. They have now exchanged contracts through Jackson International and the two-man consortium aims to complete on November 6.
Mr Seymour said: “We are delighted to be able to retain the pub’s character. Clearly we need to get it on more of an economical foothold but without spoiling what is clearly a unique pub.”
He said that he hopes to launch the pub in the next few months.
The pub, a large 18th-century listed cottage, had been offered at auction following Miss Lane’s death, at 94, in June.
