Nottinghams Markets

[Fynger 841]

Nice....Me thinks ' show off ' comes to mind.....

[firbeck 859]

That wasn't very nice thing to say old pal, it's all doom and gloom on this thread, and I just felt a bit uplifted this morning on what I found in my own town, just for once, things seemed a bit more positive, it was a nice feeling for a change.

[mariag 4]

I think you're a tad touchy firbeck _ fyngers reply I read as a joke! Lighten up!

[poohbear 1,360]

An ideal spot for market traders Firbeck...in the middle of things.Too many are tucked away from the bustle of the high street.

I remember in the sixties a street market was proposed for Mansfield Road Sherwood.Big wide pavements on a busy main road...ideal.

The local shopkeepers at the time objected and the scheme was scrapped...They couldn't forsee that a street market brings the crowds so everyone benefits.These type of markets are common in London.

The result....Arnold built a market and bit by bit banks,building societies,Boots and Asda appeared and Arnold was transformed into a bustling shopping center.(Not quite so busy nowadays)

To this day Sherwood has never been a popular shopping area especially the shops opposite to Wilkos...people just don't seem to cross the road.The new supermarket on the old Metropole site had improved it slightly.

One of my favourite shopping areas that hasn't been ruined (yet) is Mapperley top...lots of variety of small independant shops.

[Fynger 841]

Twer a joke......just jealous....wish i lived in a more rural place.

[mick2me 3,033]

Finger, I read that remark as being a 'Show down' between Tesco and Morrisons?

[Fynger 841]

I was just commenting on how Nice it sounded where Firbeck was..........Fight between Tesco n Morrisons would be fun to watch tho mick.....think beeston will be getting one of them soon too.

[firbeck 859]

Sorry chaps, didn't mean to seem tetchy, but we have this terrible thing thats come apon us this morning called torrential rain, it's wrecked the the things I had planned to do today, I thought we were supposed to be having a hot summer, once again the market traders will be covered over with plastic sheets and the working party I was supposed to meet down the river has been called off, I bet you'd love this in the UAR though Mariag.

[mariag 4]

UAE firbeck lol! Yes, a drop of rain would be welcome at the moment. Today it has been mid 40sC with 80 odd% humidity. The patchy grass that I have been nurturing all winter is looking decidedly scorched! Even the water that comes out of the hose is flamin hot.... oh and brushing your teeth in warm water is yuk!

[firbeck 859]

I just thought I'd take a few pictures of a typical market day in Braintree, of course, it failed dismally, the weather was terrible and the usual suspects obviously stayed at home, I also waited till the rain stopped and didn't get up there till this afternoon, but there you go, this is Braintree:-

I only live a few minutes walk from the town centre, but this is the view from my back bedroom window, excuse Dot's satellite dish:-

This is a view up my road:-

Just past that scene is the Courtauld playing fields, the lovely pavilion has been neglected by the local council, their vandalism, no-one elses, and is about to be restored:-

This is the Braintree eastern inner bypass looking towards Bradford Street, more of that later:-

The next park on the way into town is the Tabor park, named after one of our local industrial beneficiaries:-

[firbeck 859]

The cool skateboard park, note no litter or graffiti, it's something we don't suffer from:-

Unfortunately when I got back there the market wasn't very busy, very unusual:-

This is our very pleasant shopping precinct:-

[jonesy 1]

My boys would LOVE that skate park. I dont think we have one around here.

In West Bridgford we've started having a "farmers market" and it seems to be very popular. I'd never seen it advertised at all. I just happened to be on Central Avenue one Saturday and couldnt work out why it was so busy

[firbeck 859]

One of the stall holders had an alternative form of transport:-

They are currently restoring one of the local Courtaulds town centre cottages:-

I went a different route back via our memorial park:-

Then on to Bradford Street that runs parallel to where I live and has allegedly more Grade 2 listed buildings than any other road in the country:-

Then back down our road with Bocking Windmill visible in the distance:-

This is an old industrial town that was destroyed by political descisions in the 70's and 80's by Thatcher, I think it's made a fantastic recovery, it's a nice place to live, I wish that Kimberley, Beeston, et al could be the same.

[poohbear 1,360]

That's a proper market...right in the middle of things.Passing trade from those using the shops and banks.This is where places like Arnold miss out...the market is only round the corner but those using the main shopping precincts tend to walk straight past unless they need something specifically on the market.

This shot of yours shows what they wanted to do in Sherwood but the shopkeepers thought the stalls would block their displays...which of course they do a bit...but it also channels the people right past their front doors.An advantage for both the shops and the traders.

[Beefsteak 305]

I've just been down to Crewe , to pay a cheque in and get my train tickets for Sunday (£15.20 as opposed to £30 in petrol!!) Whilst there we called in to Asda, which is in the main shopping center, parking was charged at £1.20 for the first hour, then £2.00 for two hours etc. I asked SWMBO if the shop refunded this to be told no. Me thinks they are doing themselves a lot of harm there . (She only went in for a 50p loaf of bread and it would have cost £1.70p , well it would if I hadn't sat in the car for the 10 minutes she was gone !!)

[poohbear 1,360]

Gedling Borough Council is bringing in parking charges for Arnold and Mapperley Top...another nail in the coffin for local shops...It'll drive them all to the big boys with free parking...Councils never learn ..then they wonder why they get loadsa shops empty.

[Fynger 841]

Lovely place Firbeck.....and that painting on the cottage looks brilliant.

Car park charging in ASDA....sheesh.......now we'll all get screwed as we try to give them our money at the till.....better fill with petrol quick before you get clamped.

[mariag 4]

Looks a nice place to live firbeck, but boy do they all look cold and shivery!

[taxi ray 170]

Tesco have finally got planning for there store in Beeston, another eyesore that we dont need. There will be 3 large tesco stores within 5 miles of each other. There is also a Tesco express at Chilwell and 1 at Abbey Bridge.

[Fynger 841]

They just need a couple around Dunkirk now then and folk will be able to go from Long Eaton To Notts without leaving a Tesco store.....They'll be able to build the Tram as an indoor ride in the Long Eaton/Notts Tesco store.......soon they'lll be visible from space.

[mariag 4]

Tesco have finally got planning for there store in Beeston, another eyesore that we dont need. There will be 3 large tesco stores within 5 miles of each other. There is also a Tesco express at Chilwell and 1 at Abbey Bridge.

Where in beeston will tescos be? Surely there is enough with sainsburys???

[Fynger 841]

Opposite where the fire station was all the way up station rd to opposite the bus station.....Look back thru 'bips' blog to see photos.

[poohbear 1,360]

.....Just watched a programme on the gradual take over of the corner shop by the Tesco brigade.

Question addressed to a Tesco executive..."Would you agree that wherever a new supermarket appears it is to the detriment of the local high street and results in the closure of small businesses.?"

Answer...."Absolutely not...a recent government committee addressed this and came to the conclusion that this is not the case."

So there you are folks...all the high streets up and down the country cluttered with empty shops and gradually dying off are all in your imagination...'the government' and Tescos say so. Well I'll be blowed we're all wrong, and a bunch of politicians and their paymasters tell us that we're all a bunch of thickos.

[catfan 14,793]

My take on this is that the corner shops are a lot more expensive than the supermarkets and can never compete on price. A fact of life is that the small shops are dying out for this reason.

A visit to a large supermarket and I don't mean just Tesco but Morrison's , Asda etc. Most things can be bought under one roof from food to clothing, opticians, chemists & even cheap petrol on the way out as well.

People are a lot more mobile nowadays and are able to travel to the big supermarkets instead of trying to find somewhere to park in their local high street, now Gedling Borough Council have decided to implement parking charges throughout the borough. Surely the quickening demise of the local shop is not going to be helped by this idea.

Anyway each to his own, let those who want to shop at their local corner shop do so and let those who prefer the supermarket to do their thing.

[poohbear 1,360]

I don't object to supermarkets,they are a fact of life and I use them myself.What I do object to is them being allowed to get too big and numerous.

Catfan says "each to his own let those that want to shop at their local corner shop do so" But that's the point ...at this rate there won't be any left soon.

It's not just the high street shops,it's the cafes and pubs that will disappear as the streets become deserted and full of empty shops.

Tescos have got the go ahead in Beeston,not just for a big store but for a GIGANTIC store.The result will be more shop closures.There's only one way this will finish up and that is in the future these shops will be turned into housing,because nobody will rent them. It will be just Tesco town with no choice and just one big monopoly.

The whole character of the English market town is being destroyed and I'll bet your life Tescos will have in store post offices within 5 years.They can shut down the rest on the high street then.

This isn't the England I want to live in.