howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
I was once asked what Dover had to offer someone that wasn't interested in the seafront, castle, history or scenery. I suggested they move to somewhere like Ashford, Basildon or Milton Keynes which has none of those awful things and leave the rest of us to enjoy what we have here.
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Guest 2476- Registered: 2 Feb 2018
- Posts: 33
I forgot those delights Brian. I really have hit my pain threshold with this place.
Time to stop pretending everything is fine when it quite clearly is not. Quite the opposite in fact. The cosy cliques and petty, megalomaniac, warring little jumped-up tyrants should be dragged from the Palace of Whitfield and forced to look at the horror that they in their complacent non-wisdom have allowed to happen.
Forcing them to live in the centre of Dover would be a fitting punishment. They would probably do something about the physically and socially derelict embarrassment of a non-town in that case.
Sometimes anger really is the only correct response. Except I know that people here are uncomfortable with genuine, justified anger and deal with inconvenient truths by attacking the messenger with trolling and drowning them in sneers and sniggers. Live in denial if you like but, really...
WAKE UP.
ray hutstone- Registered: 1 Apr 2018
- Posts: 2,158
I'm struggling to think of any councillors within the Tory hegemony who have been resident in central Dover since I became interested in local politics. The attitude has always struck me as being one of leaving the town and the harbour (i.e. DHB) to plough its own furrow. The historical assets are unco-ordinated. Western Heights, Roman Painted House, Grand Shaft - there is no coherent unity in their marketing. NH runs the castle, of course, but has no real interest in sharing their clients with the town.
They'll happily spunk away the Farthingloe Valley for a few housing brownie points and a party donation in the full knowledge that luxury out of town houses will add no value whatsoever to the town centre.
And then there's our beloved DTC. What more can one say?
I do share your despair but there are one or two local candidates who do their best.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,807
Droid wrote:I can understand why someone would want to leave. How many of us would stay in Dover if we could easily escape? What is left here?
I left and came back out of choice to live in the centre of Dover that is after having lived in several other places. Droid's comment is the type usually given by those who have never lived elsewhere and think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
Nowhere is perfect, for instance I would not return to filthy smelly London where I grew up even if you were to pay me a fortune.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 1831- Registered: 1 Sep 2016
- Posts: 395
Droid (Robot)
A droid is a fictional robot possessing some degree of artificial intelligence
note..it is said "some degree".
Really, everytime I enter this forum these days, it is awful.
Fishy Feet is so racist and superior you could not take the poor Cpt H seriously.
It is moan moan and moan again.
No-one has a good or positive word about anything or anyone.
Dear ole Brian Dixon, has, at least, a decent, oblique sense of humour.
Keef Sansum1 one or Foggy as he is known. . Knows nothing, cannot act on anything and is forever taking the high ground. Actually, he never does anything. Poor Soul. He cannot even, make a decision.
At least dear, cat loving, nature, flower loving, hunchback, sad Mcswee, or Richard III has stopped stalking and photographing everything and everyone who has upset him. St. James's Shopping Centre has saved him. He now spends his time, counting the populace wandering about it. Market Research is his forte, he missed his calling.
However, to be fair to him, he has lived elsewhere. He does favour Dover, and always praises it when he can.
Dover lets you be what you want to be. Look at the motley bunch above. They all rub shoulders together and get along. You, just so get tired of people saying. Why do you live here? What has it got?
How sad you are? etc etc.
The wonderful thing about the UK. Is we have options and choices. Free to do what we want, when we want.
Think about it all.
These constant negatives, are so tiresome and inhibiting.
The positive is that we all die...you cannot get away from that.
How, about being nicer to each other, the life that surrounds us.
The places we see and live in.
Look at the sky, the clouds, the sea, the castle. The people's faces and the struggle faced each and every day.
Look at the courage of each person. Living their daily lives, sofar a possible to the full.
Thank each other for your health and energies to greet and enjoy.
Be kind, be positive and really try to be nice.
Laugh and say Thank You, as each day, is a gift you will not receive again.
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Button
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 3,030
Personally I drink to forget. Can't remember whom though.
Cheers!
(Not my real name.)
Guest 2476- Registered: 2 Feb 2018
- Posts: 33
Jan Higgins wrote:I left and came back out of choice to live in the centre of Dover that is after having lived in several other places. Droid's comment is the type usually given by those who have never lived elsewhere and think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.
Nowhere is perfect, for instance I would not return to filthy smelly London where I grew up even if you were to pay me a fortune.
Well Droid has lived in several other places. Dover may not be the worst place in the UK but it stands in poor comparison to its neghbours.
Guest 2476- Registered: 2 Feb 2018
- Posts: 33
Chrfistine.a getting personal. Although I notice ner "positive contribution" includes insults and moaning towards fellow forum members. Anyone tells the truth and doesn't do a jig of positivity about the town at all times always gets personal attacks from certain types.
Limited intelligence. LOL. Pot calling kettle black if you make remarks like that about someone you have never met. What exactly in my posts reveals limited intelligence? Back up your insult with hard facts or you can apologise.
I know how it works, though. A little gang of haters will form up waiting for one person to make an attack and before you know it about half a dozen little doggies are coming out of the woodwork to have a bite.
There is supposedly freedom of speech in the UK although I do not think we even have freedom of thought any more. People are scared of veering from the consensus and if they do they get hounded and marginalised. It's called consensus terrorism.
back to Dover, take a walk down whats left of the High Street and tell me if Dover really doesn't have big problems. It does leave me feeling angry and depressed. Why should I not be honest and true to myself? This is a forum for discussing Dover, right?
You have also proved my prediction correct that anyone displaying well-founded anger, that taboo emotion in soggy old England, get attacked.
EDIT: And having re-read your post, I had a good laugh. You spend half of it attacking about six other people in quite offensive and personal ways and then say we should all be nicer to each other.
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Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
You can walk down any seaside town in Kent and they will be the same as Dover some are better some not so good,but walk down to Dover sea front and find one of the best in the UK.Any way this page is about Dover pubs and with that one I do not know now.
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Guest 1831- Registered: 1 Sep 2016
- Posts: 395
Droid. ...quote...And having re-read your post, I had a good laugh
Delighted to have made you laugh.
However, humour me... What exactly would you want Dover to be like?
What would you have done that would have pleased you now?
How and why would you enjoy living here?
Guest 2476- Registered: 2 Feb 2018
- Posts: 33
OK, a list off the top of my head:
1. A High Street where many more shops are full
2. More and better quality, independent shops in High Street
3. Better quality chains in St James. I don't expect a Harrods but how about a TK Maxx ?
4. Local authorities that spend their time working together more both among themselves and with each other
5. An end to long-term lorry diversions through the town
6. More effort made to get help for/rehome rough sleepers
7. Reclamation of public spaces such as Pencester Gardens for the enjoyment of decent people and crackdown on drunks/hooligans
8. Pub/cafe in the Market Square where you can enjoy an al fresco drink/coffee
9. Less anti-social behaviour in general - not being assaulted by aggressive foul language everywhere you go
10. Some police effort to end downright dangerous pavement cycling
11. Similarly with boy racers ruling the streets with impunity
12. More emphasis on the town and an end to the constant bleeding of facilities to Whitfield.
13. Better education which would breed more self-respect among young people and stop them wasting their talent and potential.
14. The police bothering to stop people openly smoking weed in the street.
None of this is unreasonable or unachievable.
BTW do you live in the town? I mean in the centre or at least not in the suburbs?
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Guest 782- Registered: 4 Oct 2012
- Posts: 357
A really good list of action points.
It is difficult to take too seriously someone hiding behind a pseudonym though. Maybe your points would have more credibility if we knew who you are. Then perhaps tell which of those very well articulated points, you are able to physically work on in order to make things better in our town - and some of us might be motivated to help too.
Let's do something instead of moaning about it?
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Weird Granny Slater
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 7 Jun 2017
- Posts: 3,003
Simon Crowley wrote:It is difficult to take too seriously someone hiding behind a pseudonym though.
Not to go too far off-topic, but why exactly? An idea's good or bad regardless of who it comes from. For all I know 'Simon Crowley' may be a pseudonym, but that wouldn't make what you have to say any less credible.
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'Pass the cow dung, my dropsy's killing me' - Heraclitus
Guest 1467- Registered: 30 Jan 2015
- Posts: 149
I thought this forum was to discuss and air views on the town, not the forum members!
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Weird Granny Slater wrote:Not to go too far off-topic, but why exactly? An idea's good or bad regardless of who it comes from. For all I know 'Simon Crowley' may be a pseudonym, but that wouldn't make what you have to say any less credible.
Mr Slater seems to have no connection to Dover if he doesn't know Simon Crowley and his endless good work and effort he puts in to make our town a better place.
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Guest 782- Registered: 4 Oct 2012
- Posts: 357
Sometimes maybe I should be someone else when I spout forth on the forum, to save my wife from the embarrassment of the words that dribble from my fingers. Maybe that is one of the reasons you hide Ganny?
Anyway, good point Lewis, we shouldn't be discussing the people who have good ideas but are too shy to identify themselves, poor things. Nor shall we discuss the pseudonomic critics. Their criticism or their ideas may well have merit but who is to know who to congratulate or offer help to? The anonymity allowed in the digital age allows for unaccountably which is detrimental to getting things done.
The irony is that several points that are raised by the droid are being addressed and if a few more people would come forward with time and energy, things would change much quicker. Then we can move on to more items on the list.
I didn't respond to all the ranting before, but the reasonable and articulate list of action points is one that I can identify with and get behind. I have enough trouble with computers and the thought of dealing with a droid fills me with horror. Knowing who this is and maybe working some things through would benefit us all! Maybe I am just too old fashioned in preferring honesty and openness even when it comes to using my real name in public.
Guest 782- Registered: 4 Oct 2012
- Posts: 357
Gee, Howard! Thank you
Guest 2476- Registered: 2 Feb 2018
- Posts: 33
Maybe people try hard to get things done but find themselves blocked by those jealously guarding their little bit of power.
And know that some people lurk on this forum and will not hesitate to use people's words against them.
Moreover forum posts can end up in Google searches.
If some people in power stopped being devious underhanded Machiavellis maybe more people would be inclined to use their real names.
Trust me, talent, intelligence and ideas are NOT welcome among the "great and the good" of Dover. Too much of a threat to people's fiefdoms and people who got into the positions in the first place because of who they know or knowing the right handshake. It's downright medieval.
Honesty and openess - now they really would be welcome in Dover. Bring it on.
Why is anonymity such an issue now after all these years?
And please don't dismiss posts as a "rant" - say why you disagree with them.
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Weird Granny Slater- Location: Dover
- Registered: 7 Jun 2017
- Posts: 3,003
howard mcsweeney1 wrote:Mr Slater seems to have no connection to Dover if he doesn't know Simon Crowley and his endless good work and effort he puts in to make our town a better place.
Born here, longer ago than I care to remember, HM1, but I obviously don't move in the right circles.
'Pass the cow dung, my dropsy's killing me' - Heraclitus
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,807
I do not object to the use of pseudonyms I simply find it easier to relate to someone using a "real name", even though I know who the Captain is I still feel the same.
Maybe this is because deep down I feel the person has something to hide to seek anonymity or maybe it is simply an old age thing not having grown up with the internet and all its potential problems.
We all need a rant at times, deserved or not.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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