How could Longford improve??

JimmyR

I'm just starting up this thread to talk about how it could be possible to regenerate Longford.

I think that the works they are starting by knocking down the old swimming pool and allowing the Canal to come into the town will definitly be a start but I think the time scale for completion is about 5 years... I could be corrected on that.

We need jobs in the town and surrounding areas but unfortunatly Longford is unlikely to get any multinationals due to a number of factors:
1. the lack of a decent Dail representative since Albert Renyolds.
2. the unatractiveness of the location to foreign multinationals.

That means that we're unlikely to get someone to come in and employ 50-200 people in one swoop, so we need a lot of small industries to start up in Longford and surrounding area, the €1,000,000 question is what are these industries going to be?

Would it be possible to encourage some sort of Financial Services to locate in the area, there are alot of people with adequate qualifications working in Dublin with Longford connections?

What about the IT sector, any chance of something happening here?

Its all very unlikely but just throwing out a few ideas, as far as I know Longford has had the highest uneployment rate for a town in Ireland for the last ten years at least, I can only imagine what the percentage is at now.

On a positive note if the Chinese project goes ahead in Athlone it is bound to employ a lot of Longford people and the area is bound to benefit.

Dizraeligears

The reopening of the Canal Spur would be a great boost.I've just heard that Longford CoCo have given the goahead to release funding for the first stage of this-huge positive news for LD.

ballsymchugh

one thing i've thought about the past few times i've walked around the town is if they could find a way to bunch up the shops. i know it would be practically impossible, but take the shops at the far end of main st, beyond the traffic lights. who goes near them these days? they should be encouraged to move to an area that would see a greater amount of footfall. same for earl st.
the empty units all around ballymahon st, dublin st, and main st just look depressing and make the town fairly unappealing to the majority of traffic that flows through.

so, when was the last time anyone was ever in the mans shop? i think i chanced it in the mid 90s as a last resort.

JimmyR

ballsymchugh wrote: »

one thing i've thought about the past few times i've walked around the town is if they could find a way to bunch up the shops. i know it would be practically impossible, but take the shops at the far end of main st, beyond the traffic lights. who goes near them these days? they should be encouraged to move to an area that would see a greater amount of footfall. same for earl st.
the empty units all around ballymahon st, dublin st, and main st just look depressing and make the town fairly unappealing to the majority of traffic that flows through.

so, when was the last time anyone was ever in the mans shop? i think i chanced it in the mid 90s as a last resort.

Good point, there are a lot of shops in the town that are not done justice by their location, if they were all grouped together then they'd all benefit....how to do that is another thing!

One good news story for the town is http://www.longfordleader.ie/news/business/retail_outlets_set_to_bring_jobs_boost_to_longford_1_3321900

anyone any idea where the two shops are going?

MrPirate

Convert the "new shopping center" into an Airsoft/Paintball site. It's been done with office blocks in the past, why not an abandoned shopping center? Hell, you can even just use PART of it for Airsoft, and allow the rest to be there for shops, if anyone ever decides to go for it...

SEANIE1

The town Needs more public art and derelect/semi derilect buildings should be painted....oh and the paths need to be widend on main st dublin rd well all the main shopping areas should have wider paths...maybe I would bring in more shoppers if this was looked into
Like so many places the car is king and eventually we all maybe be doing more walking in the future....

How about the locals buy produce from nationsl shops...so many Large British stores only suck the money out of our economy...Buy irish!

JimmyR

There needs to be something serious done with the derilict buildings alright, I'm suprised the council haven't pulled the owners up on this, There are two many buildings that look unkept. The banks in the town, Bank Of Ireland in particular could really do with a lick of paint and change the gutters.

Fixtures on all building like clocks should be working and signs should be cleaned and painted if need be, there all simple things but it would improve the image of the town.

Is there any justification in paid car parking in the town either? free parking would really help businesses in the town, I know its a a bug bearer for alot of towns but can the Town Council really justify that its to keep workers taking up parking spots for customers by parking in shopping areas all day. The reality is that its now the councils main income apart from rates and the way things are going they'll helped to close businesses and have less income from rates and parking fees in total. They should just have the parking wardens fine people that park for over 2 hours in the one place.

Hal Emmerich

JimmyR wrote: »

On a positive note if the Chinese project goes ahead in Athlone it is bound to employ a lot of Longford people and the area is bound to benefit.

Permission Granted for first phase.

I don't think it'll do longford much good.

garfieldsghost

Iceland are going to open a supermarket (and a seperate convenience outlet) in the town, according to the Longford Leader. Here's hoping they become an anchor tenant at the Town Centre!

Hal Emmerich

garfieldsghost wrote: »

Iceland are going to open a supermarket (and a seperate convenience outlet) in the town, according to the Longford Leader. Here's hoping they become an anchor tenant at the Town Centre!

Aye, that's the link in post 4.

I don't think there's room for another Supermarket myself, they just take jobs from other supermarkets or close little shops down. These sort of jobs aren't real jobs at all.

Manufacturing jobs are the only ones that count and we let them all go.

garfieldsghost

Hal Emmerich wrote: »

Aye, that's the link in post 4.

I don't think there's room for another Supermarket myself, they just take jobs from other supermarkets or close little shops down. These sort of jobs aren't real jobs at all.

Manufacturing jobs are the only ones that count and we let them all go.

D'oh... missed that earlier link.

I don't think Iceland's presence will have too much impact on the current supermarkets in town (or smaller shops, for that matter) as they're a little bit different from the rest. If you've ever been in one of their stores you'll know what I mean.

The ship may have sailed in relation to manufacturing (the town was losing such business even during the boom years in any case), but it should still be possible to attract foreign business in the services sector... I don't have much faith in the people sent out to secure such opportunities, though.

ballsymchugh

while an announcement of jobs is always a good thing, iceland moving in to the town is never a good sign of where you are economically.

SEANIE1

Iceland will give the town jobs but again another UK chain only drains the money out of the country....besides the food is so bad... We should have local produce sold in the area every day! LIKE A LONGFORD SHOP WITH LONGFORD PRODUCTS FOR LONGFORD PEOPLE!!

garfieldsghost

SEANIE1 wrote: »

Iceland will give the town jobs but again another UK chain only drains the money out of the country....besides the food is so bad... We should have local produce sold in the area every day! LIKE A LONGFORD SHOP WITH LONGFORD PRODUCTS FOR LONGFORD PEOPLE!!

You must've picked up a dodgy pack of frozen peas so, because I can't fault Iceland's range.

There is local produce sold in town, but people will always gravitate towards the cheapest sources and, unfortunatley, local produce ain't as cheap as the imported fruit & veg you can buy in the supermarket.

messrs

ballsymchugh wrote: »

one thing i've thought about the past few times i've walked around the town is if they could find a way to bunch up the shops. i know it would be practically impossible, but take the shops at the far end of main st, beyond the traffic lights. who goes near them these days? they should be encouraged to move to an area that would see a greater amount of footfall. same for earl st.
the empty units all around ballymahon st, dublin st, and main st just look depressing and make the town fairly unappealing to the majority of traffic that flows through.

so, when was the last time anyone was ever in the mans shop? i think i chanced it in the mid 90s as a last resort.

Didnt think the mans shop was still going!! havent been down that end of the town in years, usually when i do go home for weekend i tend to stay round main st/ballymahon st - never venture down that far!

markbld65

agree with a above poster on parking in the town its a joke i know it generates a lot of revenue for the council however i think 6 traffic wardens in a town the size of longford is ott

i do know it puts a lot of people off going to town and trying to get parking and pay for it then move to another area and have to pay again in a different zone althought the first ticket would have covered all their visit

quickrack

Well I spoke to a friend who USED to have an active business in the town and had to close. Reason was the COUNCIL RATES.
If they were profit linked then it would be fair but she used a lot of space and was charged accordingly but footfall is slow as we all know and she had to choose between paying and hoping, or closing.
Not the only place either.
Anyone else ever hear 100% of nothing is ZERO?
What use is a Council that is that inflexible? Which is weird cos the town is generally well looked after.
The MALL is brilliant and I use it often. But closed businesses limit influx of spenders!
A section of small cheap premises with FIXED charges for a FEW years would also encourage those afraid to set up business under the current set-up???
The wee yard behind Luigi's and the Post Office springs to mind. What a waste they are.

garfieldsghost

quickrack wrote: »

Well I spoke to a friend who USED to have an active business in the town and had to close. Reason was the COUNCIL RATES.
If they were profit linked then it would be fair but she used a lot of space and was charged accordingly but footfall is slow as we all know and she had to choose between paying and hoping, or closing.
Not the only place either.
Anyone else ever hear 100% of nothing is ZERO?
What use is a Council that is that inflexible? Which is weird cos the town is generally well looked after.
The MALL is brilliant and I use it often. But closed businesses limit influx of spenders!
A section of small cheap premises with FIXED charges for a FEW years would also encourage those afraid to set up business under the current set-up???
The wee yard behind Luigi's and the Post Office springs to mind. What a waste they are.

Agreed, but isn't the yard behind the post office used for storing vehicles and for the loading/unloading of mail?

quickrack

garfieldsghost wrote: »

Agreed, but isn't the yard behind the post office used for storing vehicles and for the loading/unloading of mail?

Not that one. If you turned in as if to go to Post Office Yard but took the left turn you will see the place I mean. Big paved yard inside a fenced area with about 20 garage type buildings.

_Lady_

Hey folks, seriously agree with the intentions of the OP in terms of the need to do something for Longford. What's the current status of the new Longford SC beside the cinema? It's such a fantastic building and would be a great boost to the town - are there just no interested tenants? Such a pity.

There are lots of great people in Longford and plenty of small specific retailers that are being choked by rates - anything - even a good sentiment or suggestion - has to be a step forward in the current environment. Even a minority of positive people could create some nice changes to boost people's attitudes towards the town.

JimmyR

_Lady_ wrote: »

Hey folks, seriously agree with the intentions of the OP in terms of the need to do something for Longford. What's the current status of the new Longford SC beside the cinema? It's such a fantastic building and would be a great boost to the town - are there just no interested tenants? Such a pity.

There are lots of great people in Longford and plenty of small specific retailers that are being choked by rates - anything - even a good sentiment or suggestion - has to be a step forward in the current environment. Even a minority of positive people could create some nice changes to boost people's attitudes towards the town.

A bit of a mad idea and not one that I could realistically see been taken up but... There are a load of shops in the town like the Manshop which probably don't do a lot of business because of their location and then there are other shops which aren't doing particularly well, just because of the current economy and the affect it has had on Longford in particular which had grown to rely on the construction sector for jobs both directly and indirectly, but how about giving these shops an option of opening a second shop at no extra rate or rates in the new shopping centre. The building is lying ideal anyway therefore the council is not going to be getting any rates from it but would continue to get rates from the original premises. The building itself is now owned by Nama therefore its just another empty property owned by the state.

I think if alot of the shops were under the one roof they'd all benefit as people checked out shops they'd never stepped in before. They could leave two or three units free for new businesses to start up with no rent or rates for six months. There would possible be alot of demand for just a few units but they could hold a lottery system for each unit every 6 months.

A bit of an off the wall idea which would take some joined up thinking by the likes of the Town council and NAMA but its better than having a building lying ideal which I expect it will unfortunately.

lakill Farm

from working with the developer of the Longford SC it was hard to get an anchor tenant and because of that it was viable to open the SC. However at the time 18 months ago there was lots of interest in the smaller units but all is with NAMA now.

quickrack

What a White Elephant that SC was. Who really thought that something that size was actually viable!!
And now the rest of us have to look at the big stupid yoke getting slowly more dilapidated. Has anyone looked across the road from the cinema lately???
Thats how the SC will look soon I reckon.
That wee market at the Axis center is similiar to an idea posted above.

truesmiles

Open the Longford Town Centre! And also make the cinema 3D! Does anybody know where Iceland is going to be?

messrs

truesmiles wrote: »

Open the Longford Town Centre! And also make the cinema 3D! Does anybody know where Iceland is going to be?

Is there def an iceland coming to longford?

garfieldsghost

messrs wrote: »

Is there def an iceland coming to longford?

Iceland confirmed it some time back, but I haven't heard anything else about it, except that they're planning on having two stores in the town (I'm guessing a supermarket and some kind of convenience store).

gingernut79

Anyone else itching to go to this http://longfordexpo.com/ just to have a nose around the shopping centre? Hope something good comes of it!

garfieldsghost

gingernut79 wrote: »

Anyone else itching to go to this http://longfordexpo.com/ just to have a nose around the shopping centre? Hope something good comes of it!

I'd love to have a look around it, but unfortunately I'm away that weekend.

kerash

Great for a nose around I guess, might pop by.

(note: All exhibitors must provide own extinguishers!)

Friday 25th May - 1pm - 6pm Expo open to Public and Attendees

Saturday 26th May 12pm - 6pm Expo open to Public and Attendees

Misty Midlands

Are Iceland still coming to Longford? I would love Marks & Spencer to come but I suppose that is wishful thinking!

A_Danger

I've always said from as soon as that building was left isolated (I'm on about the shopping centre beside the cinema) that it should become a 3rd level college for the town maybe its not big enough and we wouldn't get the funding anyway but something like that would boost the town big time, really put us on the map, there is nothing attractive about the town at the minute, a new by-pass lately thats about it..

kaninhop

I have been here since July, leaving tomorrow and I can honestly say that often I feel the best solution is to drop a nuclear bomb on the place.

garfieldsghost

kaninhop wrote: »

I have been here since July, leaving tomorrow and I can honestly say that often I feel the best solution is to drop a nuclear bomb on the place.

Yes, because that's a proportionate action... :rolleyes:

jesse pinkman

kaninhop wrote: »

I have been here since July, leaving tomorrow

Thanks, that should help.

kerash

Where in Longford were you living kanihop? I quite like parts of longford, I'd prefer not to Nuke those

silver campaign

Back on topic, what kind of shops if any do you think would really prosper in Longford? Thinking about other larger towns, what have they got that you think, yea, Longford really needs one of them?

jesse pinkman

I'm not exactly sure what kind of shops would do well in Longford silver campaign, at the moment we seem to have our fair share of fast food outlets, bookies offices & two-euro shops & with these being so prominent, its probably all a bit off-putting for any potential entrepreneurs.

We need to look a other ways of attracting different types of businesses to the town.

Is their a Town Plan does anyone know? one where they visualize a goal for the future to work towards, where they might have initiatives like widening the footpaths, maybe even pedestrianize some streets, bury/hide all electric cables, plant trees & shrubbery, (some green is always pleasant) then ensure that landlords of derelict or unkempt buildings are made to keep them to an acceptable standard.

We always seem to be lagging way behind other towns when it comes to using imagination & initiative in bringing new investment & jobs to the town.

JimmyR

jesse pinkman wrote: »

I'm not exactly sure what kind of shops would do well in Longford silver campaign, at the moment we seem to have our fair share of fast food outlets, bookies offices & two-euro shops & with these being so prominent, its probably all a bit off-putting for any potential entrepreneurs.

We need to look a other ways of attracting different types of businesses to the town.

Is their a Town Plan does anyone know? one where they visualize a goal for the future to work towards, where they might have initiatives like widening the footpaths, maybe even pedestrianize some streets, bury/hide all electric cables, plant trees & shrubbery, (some green is always pleasant) then ensure that landlords of derelict or unkempt buildings are made to keep them to an acceptable standard.

We always seem to be lagging way behind other towns when it comes to using imagination & initiative in bringing new investment & jobs to the town.

I think what your saying is a great idea, its coming at things from a different angle. Really the only building or sight the town has of any great distinction is the cathedral and unfortunately thats out of action until 24 December, 2014. But the council could put in place a plan to implement ideas like you have put forward. Like all good plans its got to be S.M.A.R.T.
Specific - implementing the ideas you have put forward and others that I am sure could be thought out, this will help to improve the appearance of the town to visitors and in turn have both visitors and locals talk positively about the town.
Measureable - what we want to do should be able to be measured. Well having specific tasks as above which can be ticked off as done/not done is about as measureable as we will get.
Achievable - the tasks are more than achievable and will not cost a fortune in the greater scheme of things.
Relevant - I believe all the tasks are relevant and well I'd like to think that the council is trying to encourage business behind closed doors, this sort of work is visible and creates a more positive vibe in general. As mentioned above if someone see's that the town is improving they may see it as an ideal location for there business.
Time bound - the two year time frame I mentioned above.

quickrack

A few simple things that would make a difference;
Like Tesco + Mollohans, give your paying customer back the parking fee!
Get rid of the stupid parallel parking on the widest street in town and go back to angled. From Market Square to Stensons Chemists or thereabouts. MUCH easier to use and would stop the ignoramous's from blocking the streets by double parking.
This NEVER used to happen!
Double the lighting from Main St to Tesco so people are not in fear ,my wife would NEVER walk there after dark even if its busy.
Make all Handicapped Parking spots available to pregnant ladies or people with babies and fine everyone else who uses them, so heavily they wont dare be lazy!

garfieldsghost

quickrack wrote: »

A few simple things that would make a difference;
Like Tesco + Mollohans, give your paying customer back the parking fee!...

In fairness to Mollahans, they do provide free parking to customers.

JimmyR

garfieldsghost wrote: »

In fairness to Mollahans, they do provide free parking to customers.

I think you misunderstood, thats what he is saying, they both provide paid parking to customers.

The only downside to this is that you have to pay yourself in advance and I've heard numerous people say that they don;t shop in Tesco because they always have to have change for paid parking, but in fairness to Tesco at least they do the best they can with regard to providing free parking to customers.

garfieldsghost

JimmyR wrote: »

I think you misunderstood, thats what he is saying, they both provide paid parking to customers.

The only downside to this is that you have to pay yourself in advance and I've heard numerous people say that they don;t shop in Tesco because they always have to have change for paid parking, but in fairness to Tesco at least they do the best they can with regard to providing free parking to customers.

Apologies, it seems I mis-interpreted that sentence!

jesse pinkman

quickrack wrote: »

Double the lighting from Main St to Tesco so people are not in fear ,my wife would NEVER walk there after dark even if its busy.

Agreed, Grafton Court should have become a brightly lit shopping thoroughfare that given its central location, would benefit the town greatly if it had a major makeover, especially if it were pedestrianised, however the flats overhead are still gonna be a big issue no matter what's done at street level, perhaps eventually these could possibly be converted to office or business space.

sammy007

I been hearing stories and things on facebook that the canal spur to longford town is starting in march this year, anyone hear anything further about that, would be great for the town if it did happen, also there was something about a cycleway from longford to clondra maybe thats to happen along with the canal spur, also heard the angel investment in longford are hoping to make a big announcement early this year about potential company setting up in longford, dont see why it doesnt get more attention the location and id say cheapness of setting up in longford are great benefits hopefully things start to happen sooner rather than later, if only the council could press nama on there plans for the shopping centre that was built make sure they are actively looking for a buyer or retailer to move in or to possilby open up the car park in there to raise revenue, hopefully also this year they announce plans for the barracks it would be ideal to set up a college there or run evening classes in science or IT, they should lobby the govt for funding big time even athlone IT stated it wanted a presence in longford a year ago under its reach out campaign, real shame about the politicians in longford, there not worth the money they get, anyway happy new year longford

starskey77

jimmy r started this thread positively what we first need to do is looby
our so called t.d.s bannon is just pussy footn around. he,s comfortable
in the position that he toped the poll the last three times. Guaranteed votes
to a hopefully x Representative his feet are up all day. cluster shops good idea
makes sense could develop better parking. Try big brand named companys
to invest in empty shops with minimum rent or subsidised.

scotzgeeza

Best thing that can be done is relocate all the rough ***** and travelers.

jesse pinkman

Johnny Fallon – Nobody’s going to help Longford, we have to do it ourselves.



The Irish Times recently ran a story on the top choices for holiday destinations in Ireland. Unfortunately Longford was at the bottom of the list. It’s sad to say but this is probably not something that surprises us. We have become accustomed to such ratings and pass it off with a laugh or a shrug.
I lived in Dublin for 10 years and spent all of that time yearning to be able to move back to Longford. Now, perhaps I’m in a strange group of friends but when I meet people they are always eager to come back and to spend time in Longford. I remember talking with some friends from Cork many years ago who shared a house with another friend of mine from Longford. After spending time discussing the GAA and the relative merits of both counties the Corkonian turned to us and said ‘I have never met fellas so proud of their own bloody county and what’s worse is ye have no right to be boy!’ In a way he, perhaps, summed up the feelings of many from outside the county. He was at a loss to see how we could possibly continue arguing that Longford was better than Cork.
One of the problems with tourism is that you have to work with what you have got. Longford has some real beauty spots but it is not famed like various locations on the West coast, it does not have an abundance of natural resources. The thing is, that’s fair enough if you are aiming to be top of the table, but surely getting off the bottom would be an achievable aim?
Look at a rail map and see how many towns in Ireland have no rail link in them, we were the first county with an indoor heated swimming pool; we have one of the very few viable airfields in the country. We are bordered by the River Shannon presenting immense opportunities that remain untapped, we have lakes and countryside that can certainly rival several other counties that seem to be rated higher simply because they offer more activities.
Once upon a time we seemed to be willing to build and invest, but it would appear that those days have gone. If anything, we simply lack a bit of self belief. When trying to identify investment everything starts with ‘Why Longford?’ surely it should be ‘Why not Longford?’ there is very little the county cannot offer if we put our mind to it.
However, we are in danger of stagnating. For some time now it has been clear that services, opportunities and investments are going to other urban centres in the midlands. We need to address this. County Councillors need to overcome their own political divisions and start to work together at a far greater and higher level to attract investment and provide opportunity. We need ideas and we need them fast. There is no point wishing and hoping that someone in government or elsewhere is just going to hand an opportunity to us, or that investment will just fall into our lap if we talk about it enough. Longford needs to take matters into its own hands. Eamonn Gilmore was under fire in the last few weeks and there is talk of him seeking a more ‘relevant’ ministry. He defended his position by arguing that in Foreign Affairs he has been repairing Ireland’s reputation, attending trade missions and pushing for investment. One wonders who has been doing that for Longford. Where is the plan to save its reputation or to go out among business leaders and actively fight for investment?
There is a lot of work to be done. South Longford is in the unique position of having three of the tidiest villages in Ireland (Abbeyshrule, Newtowncashel and Ardagh) and yet it’s struggling to sell itself as a place where people might want to live if a company invests here. In fact, South Longford possesses the world’s first road in Corlea so perhaps there was an entrepreneurial spirit alive at some stage that thought big and aimed high. At the moment we have a central town that is being choked by traffic, on a busy day you can waste quite a bit of time circling around searching for a parking spot. All the while you may gaze down at the unopened shopping centre. Now, while finding tenants for such a place is a difficult business, you can forgive drivers for wondering why, in a town blighted by a lack of parking, that a multi storey car park is left idle, whatever about the shops.
What we do know is that this time there is nobody going to help Longford; we have to do it ourselves. In the current environment, with every town screaming for investment and jobs, there is no white knight coming to generously give Longford all it deserves. We need far more comprehensive plans, there are business people in our county with plenty of ideas, but they need to be facilitated and that takes vision and hard work. Co-ordinating such efforts is a key part in that process and genuine leadership is required to make people believe in it. I said it before and I’ll say it again, you can keep your Kingdoms, and Banners and capitals, your rivers and hills of this that and the other, you just can’t beat Longford.
—
Johnny Fallon is online at http://johnnyfallon.wordpress.com/ and on Twitter @jonnyfallon

garfieldsghost

jesse pinkman wrote: »

Johnny Fallon – Nobody’s going to help Longford, we have to do it ourselves...

Read that article earlier. Johnny has told it like it is...

Misty Midlands

scotzgeeza wrote: »

Best thing that can be done is relocate all the rough ***** and travelers.

Fully agree. Who is going to invest in a place, with so many of menacing looking characters hanging idly around the town every day?

garfieldsghost

Misty Midlands wrote: »

Fully agree. Who is going to invest in a place, with so many of menacing looking characters hanging idly around the town every day?

:rolleyes: That's most definitely not the reason.

JimmyR

garfieldsghost wrote: »

:rolleyes: That's most definitely not the reason.

Well I'll have to agree that it doesn't help. Centra for instance got it very hard to do business, in my opinion, with a group of lads sitting outside their shop daily. I'm not certain what the laws are on loitering but I would have thought you can only hang round a place for a reasonable amount of time..whats a reasonable amount of time I guess. I saw a young lad out St. Mels walking past them one day and then something was said, I presume by them first because he was on his own and I'd say unlikely to look their way, and the next thing he one of them made a chase after him for a bit and as they all got a great laugh out of it.

Well I think Johnny Fallons article is a good one, I think we have to be realistic about investment in the area. Even in the 80's there were a number of factories offering good employment in the county, they no longer exist and the changes of any outsider coming in without some sort of political encouragement is unrealistic. We need an Albert Reynolds style politician, I don;t care what party but the party will have to be in power. The politician will have to be smart and charismatic, not like what has represented us since Reynolds finished. We might as well not have been represented and there is no local politician a the minute that gives me hope that this will change.

Its very sad to drive through our main town and see so many businesses on our home streets closed down. From talking to the ones that aren't closed down, the majority are struggling and there is no sign of anything changing soon. I've tried to think of a business that could open up in the town and do well and I honestly can't think of one other than a hotel but thats not realistic in this current economic environment as no bank is going to give money to anyone to invest in a hotel when they already have so many badly performing hotels around the country. While I have given praise to Albert I'm afraid I could not give the same to his brother who has to take alot of the blame for their being a number of businesses that done well in past closed such as the Annaly Hotel and the Fountain Blue and also being influential in ensuring no rival hotel opened up in the county in opposition. The lack of at least one decent hotel prevents the town from getting people to come in and give business to restaurants, night clubs, pubs etc that they would not otherwise get.