Bray - Another shop closed.

lucy2010

God - Its like a ghost town now. I was down in Bray earlier & noticed Elvery's are closed down ... So you have Connollys mens, Hiltons, the olde Bray pub, Ledwidges, The Bally more mess, closed down elverys, Chines pound shop, Book shop & city 2. I was just standing gawking at what a run down mess it looked. Is there any incentives for shops to open? the more shops that close the worse it looks... The worse it looks the less people will come into the town. The less people who come in the more that shuts down...... big viscious cycle.

Judgement Day

Don't understand your post - is Ledwidge's closed along with all the other shops you mention or are they the only survivors on the street? Haven't been on the Main Street for a year or so.

lucy2010

No they are still there -Elvery's is gone .Thats that row from Connolly s to City 2. Looks derelict ..

White_Wolf

Ledwidges is still open as far as I know, he just choses when to open it.

Judgement Day

White_Wolf wrote: »

Ledwidges is still open as far as I know, he just choses when to open it.

Is it still run by?

Annasopra

lucy2010 wrote: »

No they are still there -Elvery's is gone .Thats that row from Connolly s to City 2. Looks derelict ..

Dubray books doesn't look derelict

beatrice33

Yeah, whats wrong with Bray? is it the bad reputation? the parking problem?Is it left out of improvements on purpose? What happened to all those great plans for a MUCH needed shopping centre and lovely pavemented walks along the Dargle river?

I am starting to think about opening my own business and I am already getting answers like "anywhere but in Bray". I am told people are a bit strange there...

lucy2010

I meant the row looks derilict. It seems every week another shop is closing. I worked for years in Bray & know importance of local trade. Is anything being done to stop the town completely closing down by the powers that be ?
On a positive note I saw a little shop gone into Falcon.

people arent odd lol Ive been in worse towns.

zoobizoo

You could have a word with the main street traders.

There is a new flower shop open on the main st. where the garage used to be. So that's certainly a "green shoot" pardon the pun.

I've never had an issue finding parking - the one on the Florence/Quinsborough road is adequate.

The Larder is still thriving, Doyle's, the fishmongers up the arcade, Smyths, the art supplies shop, Dubray - so there are a lot of shops open.

There's a new Newsagents on Quinnsborough rd.

If your business is good enough and if there's a demand for your product, then give it a go.

lucy2010

God dont get me wrong - I didnt mean to to be a negative post - I just see it sad all these shops over the last number of years closing down & wish the council or whoever is responsible would see this as an issue. Id just hate to see any more go.

That new garden centre in central garage seems to be owned by the really nice guy who had the shop down at the green grocers beside Dunnes a few years back. Great to see him back in business.

What type of shop are you thiking of opening if im not being too cheeky asking.?

yep plenty of parkin now

foxy06

The amount businesses are being charged by the council for rates would put anyone off. The town will not improve until there are more businesses going in. Businesses won't set up in Bray because there is little trade from locals. Most people just go to Dundrum or carrickmines. Vicious circle but thats how it will stay until there is more incentive. Shame though.

Wicklowrider

beatrice33 wrote: »

What happened to all those great plans for a MUCH needed shopping centre and lovely pavemented walks along the Dargle river?

Its held up by a protest.

Little Bray ( area north of the bridge for anyone not familiar) has a history of flooding when the river rises. The plans for the new shopping centre were altered so that it was to be built on the flood plains. The flood plains are there to allow the floods to run off into an uninhabited area. The people protesting are not against the shopping centre - they propose the green area in the plans should be the existing flood plain and the shopping centre be built behind the plains.

beatrice33

lucy2010 wrote: »

What type of shop are you thiking of opening if im not being too cheeky asking.?

yep plenty of parkin now

I am on the very early stages of planning for this business so i will prefer to keep it to myself until i have contacted my local enterprise board about it and know it is viable. I would be offering a service, not a product. But i think this service is very much needed. Thanks for asking

foxy06 wrote: »

The amount businesses are being charged by the council for rates would put anyone off. The town will not improve until there are more businesses going in. Businesses won't set up in Bray because there is little trade from locals. Most people just go to Dundrum or carrickmines. Vicious circle but thats how it will stay until there is more incentive. Shame though.

That is another obstacle i will have to face... are the rates higher in Bray than in other locations, do you know?

Wicklowrider wrote: »

Its held up by a protest.

Little Bray ( area north of the bridge for anyone not familiar) has a history of flooding when the river rises. The plans for the new shopping centre were altered so that it was to be built on the flood plains. The flood plains are there to allow the floods to run off into an uninhabited area. The people protesting are not against the shopping centre - they propose the green area in the plans should be the existing flood plain and the shopping centre be built behind the plains.

Yeah, i actually heard about the flooding problem, I forgot. Still, it seems like all the other neighbouring towns are getting improvements (ie. massive harbour in Greystones) and Bray is kind of left out, nothing has changed in so many years. For example I cant believe there is not one kid's playground in the seafront. It is such a lovely spot and so wasted...

MrPreachan

Judgement Day wrote: »

Is it still run by?

I remember going in there 15 years ago looking for a something or another. Was like talking to a corpse, he was reading a paper and didn't even lift his head after asking him 3 times over a few minutes!

Muas Tenek

Travelled through the town on the 145 bus today, noticed a couple of the abandoned shops have paintings or art? in them. what's that all about?

Judgement Day

MrPreachan wrote: »

I remember going in there 15 years ago looking for a something or another. Was like talking to a corpse, he was reading a paper and didn't even lift his head after asking him 3 times over a few minutes!

Sorry I have to post this as I can't get it out of my head. It is him isn't it? We even have an hotel named after Norman in Gorey - the Ashdown Park Hotel aka the Bates Motel - if you've seen the sign on the roof you'll understand why.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4

White_Wolf

Muas Tenek wrote: »

Travelled through the town on the 145 bus today, noticed a couple of the abandoned shops have paintings or art? in them. what's that all about?

Which shops are you talking about, there is a few shops, not abandons with art in their windows, they are for sale as fas as I know.

@Judgement Day, The man himself is still there, he is still as odd also.

Annasopra

Muas Tenek wrote: »

Travelled through the town on the 145 bus today, noticed a couple of the abandoned shops have paintings or art? in them. what's that all about?

as part of the Bray summerfest they had an exhibition of 6 local artists

Muas Tenek

Should have checked my calendar. That's what it's all about.

Judgement Day

Has Bray changed much since this 1910 pic? On the left is the Starlight Hotel (it wasn't called that back then) and on the right above W. Porter is the building currently occupied by the KFC takeaway (?) and above that a building which used to house the ESB shop - I seem to remember that building is still there. And, of course, Ledwidge's was probably in business back then - with much of the same stock.

Judgement Day

Another interesting pic showing showing Quinsborough Road - note the hotel with the provincial identity crisis.

brayblue24

Judgement Day wrote: »

And, of course, Ledwidge's was probably in business back then - with much of the same stock.

....and staff

MackQ

Judgement Day wrote: »

Has Bray changed much since this 1910 pic?

It has, unfortunately for the worse.

Judgement Day

Judgement Day wrote: »

This is fairly wrecking my head...
The two girls with the dog on the left at the fore front of the picture are outside the Royal Hotel. The first lampost on the left leads out to Quinsboro road.

It's a picture from the main st looking south. KFC is on Quinsboro Rd.

Judgement Day

Its is a while since I was on the Main Street and I have probably mixed up my takeaways - there was one the right above W. Porter but it probably is gone from there years ago.

Is there a real (genuine) old style pub in Bray these days, I know that when I was living there my 'local' was the Lincoln Inn near the back gate of TCD?

loyatemu

Judgement Day wrote: »

Is there a real (genuine) old style pub in Bray these days, I know that when I was living there my 'local' was the Lincoln Inn near the back gate of TCD?

the Hibernian maybe?

tazmanian devil

Judgement Day wrote: »

Is it still run by?

tazmanian devil

As to how anyone could even stop to "window shop" outside said shop is beyond me! Still in business though..

Whippersnapper

The old Pound Shop on the corner is gone now too. Closed yesterday I think. Place looks a right state.

tazmanian devil

Didn't realise old pound shop was gone too, what next? although we might just have enough of them as it is, I don't think it could compete against other knick knack shops.