There’s a lot of talk these days about the regeneration of dear old S-on-A. This week in the local press (yes you’ve guessed it The Stratford Herald-I wish-don’t you dare! More later.) there’s speculation about Stratford’s potential at becoming ‘a top European international exhibition and conference venue’. Paul ‘what else do you expect me to say’ Ratcliffe, director of a firm that organises conferences for the likes of Heinz and Glaxo SmithKline (trust them to get a mention) goes as far to say that Stratford…’is staring in the face a major opportunity to regenerate itself…’
So here we go again. Another article, another vision of Stratford in the (near?) future and yet another failure to mention the people that live here and in whose hands lie the real regeneration. Once again no mention of what they might want. Business, business, business.
I’m not so stupid as to think that the appearance of a conference centre won’t have any ‘benefits’ for the local community, of course it will, there will be (service) jobs. And the people who arrive for the conferences, the sales reps et al will spend some of their bonuses, golden parachute money, share options etc in Stratford’s tea shoppes and public houses. They may even (let’s face it they will-just to say they’ve been) go to the theatre. However, during their free-time, time away from the flip charts and Powerpoint presentations they will inevitably bump up against ordinary Stratfordians going about their everyday lives. Ordinary Stratfordians who have no need for plastic name tags because they know who they are. Angry, ordinary Stratfordians who have watched the ongoing encroachment of big business in all its forms slowly take over the Town. Angry, ordinary Stratfordians who have watched their offspring disappear to faraway places in a desperate effort to find somewhere affordable to live. Angry, ordinary and deluded Stratfordians who for reasons best known to themselves keep voting for the same worse than useless councillors who appear unable to do anything that could be regarded as positive and for the people. (So prove me wrong? Name me something good that's happened recently that all Stratford's citizens can share and be pleased about? And don't say Town Square. I mean, honestly One plastic rubbish bag? What's that all about?)

When are The Suits going to realise that their vision of a cold sterile environment without people, only people who serve, will not work. Business Parks are not meant to live in and the view of Stratford as just a place to be wined and dined in will not work either.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Increasing the Gap.

Seems the good old Stratford Herald (I wi-No!) will do anything to attract customers of a certain ilk. Not for them the shaven-headed, heavily tattooed, ear-ringed reader of the dreadful downmarket puns of The Sun and The Mirror, no way Hathaway.
Remember the attempt to attract the more cerebral reader with the infamous Latin headline of a few weeks ago? Well, it obviously didn’t work.
This week sees another headline aimed at pulling in the more educated reader. A little lower down the scale but a nice try all the same…MP’S KAFKAESQUE ROLE IN LEADERSHIP DRAMA .

Zzzzzzzz……

Town’s gone very quiet all of a sudden.
Today I thought I’d do the tour, take in the sights, the sounds. Maybe take a few photos (see photo album), have a coffee, bit of shopping you know the kind of thing. A nice relaxed mooch about. Unfortunately I made the mistake of driving in (not something I usually do) and it took me half an hour to find somewhere to park. By the time I found a space I was spitting blood. My language was disgusting and I thought I was going to have a seizure. Om…Omm…Ommm…calm…calm… Serves me right for being such a lazy prat.
Anyway, as my first port of call I thought I’d go and have a look at developments in Barrack-sorry-Town Square. There weren’t any. Mind you there was some bloke bellowing into his mobile at some poor unfortunate, probably his wife…’I think you ought to come down off your high-horse don’t you…’. That was quite entertaining and made up for the sea of concrete and lack of human contact. (Photo).
Sad to say it looks like the tourists have all gone home. I suppose that’s it for the year. Not an American to be spotted anywhere. Except for the ever-present Japanese there was hardly any signs of a foreign presence at all, although there were a lot of French school kids about, doing some last minute shopping no doubt (ahem…nervous cough).
When I got back to the car I found myself wedged in. Aaagh…some people are so inconsiderate…deep breaths…1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10…aaand relax. Thankfully my superior driving skills and cool temperament got me out of that little challenge for David Blaine’s recent record. On the whole then? A wasted and crap day in beautiful downtown Stratford upon Avon. And I have the photographs to prove it. (ShakespeareLand plc)

Thought for the day.
I really, really hope that Stratford finds a Saviour soon. A hero. Someone who can put this little old market Town back on its feet.