Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,321
#1
....in Dover's coffin.
I see that the former supermarket in Canterbury's New Dover Road (near Blockbusters) is being converted into a ten pin bowling alley and "synthetic" ice rink. Oh that we could attract such things here. Sadly we seem to have missed the boat yet again.
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#2
That is a shame Terry I agree - but where would it go in Dover ?
As you say, it is an ex-supermarket, so it would have had plenty of room for 10-pin bowling and an ice-rink.
We do need leisure facilities and affordable ones too.
Roger
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#3
Yes more bad news...the sad fact is that Dover doesnt have the population or the money per head to warrant this kind of investment. Companies research these statistics very well and realise a substantial amount of people are not working here, and if they are, they are not in high grade jobs. They therefore wont have the surplus in the family budget to spend on leisure, as say their equivalent in London might have. Companies then see the investment here as a bad risk or too much of a risk.
This was one of the arguments mooted by I beleive Paul Watkins and others re the need for more housing and more population. More people living in more houses would encourage more facilities by the sheer fact that they will create more of a marketplace. You will sell more burgers to a population of 100,000 than you will to a population of 30,000 and so on.
Terry Nunn- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,321
#4
Absolutely agree Paul. However, it is a chicken and egg situation. As to which should come first, jobs or houses is a moot point. At the moment neither is happening.
As to Roger's question "Where would it go?" there is a huge building that could have accomadated it. I refer to what was built as the M.O. Valve Company, latterly the Post Office building in Charlton Green.
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
#5
Yes it is another nail in the coffin .There have been plenty of empty buildings where a bowling alley could have gone .Its a great shame that our young people have to visit other towns for entertainment ,Ashford /cinema Ashford /Bowling alley /Deal /night clubs /Gillingham /ice rink /
What do we give them a giant TV .Fancy sitting down there today in the rain .I think not .
Sadly too many people are brainwashed into believing every bit of spin .
Over the years I have heard so much of it .I do rebel at times but you need a lot of coiuncillors to take a stand .Sadly politics is the name of the game .
I have had many councillors Conservative that is who were sorry I was removed from the cabinet .Pity they did not speak up for me .
Back to the thread we must not give up .Clarendon play area we must not give up .
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#6
susan
you do not miss an opportunity to raise the issue of the screen.
you have lost the argument, try to get over it, the screen was not given by ddc incidentally.
to try to compare the spending power of gillingham and ashford with dover is ludicrous.
as for the screen being useless because it is raining, does that mean we take away the seafront seating on a wet day?
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
#7
No I will never miss an opportunuty Howard .Over twenty years ago the Council wanted to flog off River Rec .I never gave up and today the rec is there for everyone to enjoy .We could not enjoy all those football matches or indeed our fete .We could have had loads of houses .
I have only spoken to one person who likes the screen .Hardly compare the seafront with a giant TV Howard .You go to the seafront to watch harbour movements .Big boats ,rowing boats and sailing boats .
I wonder if th e MarinesConcert is going to be transmitted on to the TV???
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
#8
It may well be a chicken and egg situation Terry, but at this present moment it is like a getting a quail to lay that egg. It isn't as if we have 'missed out' in this case
We should really drop this obsession with bowling alleys and ice rinks, these are just things that adults think young people need, but in reality only serve a small proportion of society. Interaction between young people isn't the same as previous generations, something the older generations forget. This is why older people think bowling alleys are the answer to anti-social behaviour, thinking all young people want to be 'socialised', ice rinks do not fix this!
The reality is that places like bowling alleys become the destination for courting age couples, families (both groups easily able to drive to Ashford) and old people. If these establishments succeed in attracting young people (which is not what they want as they don't spend much money) then the other groups, such as the older people, do not go.
Bowling alleys don't have to be these big money making warehouses (look at the 4 lanes at Roly's), I think it's about looking at how to accomplish facilities realistically within what we have. I think it would be quite nice to see some of the lawn bowls clubs giving up some of their (often ample) land to build 2/4 lane alleys. The 2 things are very similar and I feel this would give manageable (and sustainable) numbers of young people something to do, creating respect between the different age groups and also insuring future generations of lawn bowlers.
The screen is a positive thing. Again I will admit it is not where I would position it and I'm not a fan of watching sport on TVs, but that is not to say it is a bad idea (it's not just all about me (a common Conservative outlook)) Is the Marine Concert being broadcast on the BBC? If not, how do you suggest this happens? If this is rehtorical and you are suggesting that it should (even though you know it is not) Then are you suggesting that people should watch local events on a TV rather than going to support them, first hand?
#9
The discussions about the telly are boring and distracting - the telly is here, it is an addition to Dover that other towns don't have and isn't killing people, causing headaches, or inciting riots, get over it. And DT1 is right - ice rinks, bowling alleys or Chelsea Flower Shows would be nice but this is Dover, and if we are trying to appeal to "young people" we need to hear what they are trying to say! Each generation has a unique way of communicating and interacting, and is often misinterpreted by the previous generation. I am so grateful to my childrens friends - all charming incidentally and not dysfunctional or yobbish - for the insights they give me (often unwittingly!) into their world.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#10
DT1 - shame no-one has thought of putting the marines concert on the screen (unless they have)
Been nice knowing you :)
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
#11
Sorry to be a boring old Conservative ,but I understood local events would be televised .Well that was the big sell point ??I think we should support local events and having just attended Rive Fayre and now going to another fundraising do, I think i play my part .
River Fayre was attracting the people and Harry was walking around in a green costume waving his hands around .
You are right .DT1 young people do have different aspirations .I gather we donot have a a scout troop in River and a lot of youngesters tell me Brownies is boring .
They had fish the ducks at the fayre the children were not really interested .
I think the art of conversation small talk has gone and a lot of children want instant action .
You will get the small minority who like to swim ,sail play football but there are a lot out there who donot want tp participate .
That Howard is why I was apposed to the screen .It does not bring interaction .
#12
To encourage people, especially the young with their notoriously short little attention spans, to do anything we have to make it attractive, maybe give incentives and keep going until they find out how good it is! It isn't rocket science but it does take creativity and patience.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#13
sue,if i remember there is a nightclub opening soon its called karma somthig or other,where nuage used to be.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#14
just to remind people, the screen is on test at present, still not fully functional.
when i went past today it was showing a short film from a budding film maker, something it does rather a lot.
it has been said by a few people in this thread that the young demand different things today.
quite true, the internet hooks many, each generation has different things on offer, it is not for us adults to tell the teens that they need a skating alley or bowling rink.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#15
Isn't the official 'launch' something like 22nd August ??
Been nice knowing you :)
DT1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 15 Apr 2008
- Posts: 1,116
#16
Oh my god, just had to correct an 'e' for an 'i' in my last post due to media indoctrination. God knows how those affiliated to parties feel!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#17
not sure about the date paul, they are a national company, probably got many things on the go.
they have a proven record in filming, then displaying events relevant to each screen location.
i have been advised that the first outdoor event to be filmed and shown here will be the finals of the daily "throw your old lager can in the river" competition.
the competitors have been training very hard for this.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#18
And over quite a stretch of the river.
Roger
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
#19
Just to consider a question raised by DT1 about how do we go about covering the Marine Concert and other local events too so that they appear on the big screen.
Well I cant see this happening at all. How would it happen? First of all you would need camera crews covering the event itself, technical crews, satellite transmission...how on earth is this going to happen. Imagine the cost. Unless Im missing something basic here events like the Marine Concert will never be covered unless the BBC cover 'em.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
#20
paulb,just out of intrest itv meridian were there yesterday covering the event.