Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,302
8 December 2008
15:1010565A death in the family (my wife's aunt, three weeks short of her 100th birthday, the aunt that is not my wife) prompted me to place an annoucement in the Dover Express. Sadly, the Dover office is no longer open, the reporters are still there thinking about this week's exposé but no staff to take ads. Thus it was with bus pass in hand I ventured over to the vast building that is Simon Finlay's castle. That sort of ad you see must be made in person.
Rumours also abound of another town centre pub closure. Where will it all end?
On the slightly brighter side I've watched the former Volunteer Centre in Ladywell being done up. This will now be a tattoo parlour. Another empty shop re-opening is the former RSPCA shop in London Road, next to SPAR. Oliver O'Connor, photographer extraordinaire, will re-locate from Ladywell. What will become of those premises one wonders?
Just to change tack slightly, you all know I prefer ASDA to Tesco but if I hear Perry Como's "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" on more time I will just have to take to the bottle!
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
8 December 2008
16:1410567nice to see you this morning terry,allso my condolences for your loss.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
8 December 2008
17:2910572Sorry to hear about your Auntie Terry, shame it was so close to her hundredth birthday.
I've not heard of another Town Centre pub going down the toilet Terry which one is that ? or is not for public consumption yet ?
I thought O.O had just ceased trading, not relocating - good luck to him.
There must be some help for businesses - whether as an encouragement to open here, or perhaps some other help for the first couple of years. The various business rate anomalies need sorting out too.
Roger
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
8 December 2008
17:3710573Condolences Terry. Yes I feel its only a matter of time before the Dover Express goes the way of the Mercury. But it is such a shame in a town of Dover's significance that we cant have our two newspapers running their operation from here. Where did we go wrong? Did we treat the papers badly? Did we not buy them? Why is Folkestone or Deal a more important a location?
The problem with closures or national chain pullouts is that the shops that come to replace them are almost inevitably of a lower grade. An abundance of low level takeaways is usually the next step.
In fact there was an item about the wall to wall spread of cheap takeaways on the lunchtime news. One council is taking steps to ban the takeaway in North London. They attract fighting, drinking, drugging, and late night littering, all across the nation. A blight on the high street landscape. People no longer want to live where takeaways thrive and who can blame them. As premises they are cheap to open, cheap to maintain etc etc. Difficult to see at this time where any other section of the business community would risk a new venture right now here in Dover.
Of course speaking personally I love an occasional takeaway myself like those fish n chips from Castle St, but it must be done in good style, in fact just like the one in Castle St.
Terry Nunn- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,302
8 December 2008
19:2810577Thanks for the comments chaps, I'll pass them on to Maureen.
Regarding the pub Roger, it is only a rumour and it did surprise me. Until I hear of any corroboration it wouldn't be right to comment.
Regarding your comments about take-aways Paul, the LRCF did oppose the moving of the White Cliffs Tandoori in London Road. I made it plain at the planning meeting (Roger W was sitting on the committee) that it wasn't the move as such that we objected to but the fact that yet another take-away was being approved. IF the licence could have been recinded on the old premises then there would be no problem and the status quo would have remained. However, moving premises increased the number of possible outlets. At the end of my statement I wished the Choudury's good luck with their venture.
Litter is a problem. People fall out of the pub at closing time, collect their take-away, eat it on the way, chuck the styrene boxes in the road a few hundred yards further on and then chuck up another couple of hundred yards later.
Deep joy.
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
8 December 2008
20:2010583i would not like to live on the london road after closing time.
it is fairly clear that the plethora of take-aways there would lead to people congregating at much the same time and anti social behaviour following on from it.
the last paragraph from terry describes the folkestone road on a saturday and sunday morning.
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,695
8 December 2008
21:1610589I see that Jaggers have closed their wedding dress shop on London Road.
Both that and what was the baby shop are up for rent -
Sadly this leaves the town end of London Road even more of a retail wasteland
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
9 December 2008
00:1810600Is it me or does Dover shops have a bleak outlook
more and more closing.
On Terrys post on take aways theres a fair bit more on this such as;
Competition decides who stays open (im sounding like a tory!) so if take aways open he best hopeflly survive? not always the case i know.
But having 24 or late night(early hours of morning) opening was always gong to be a problem , ou ant have people in this country drinking that long without them causing Anti social behaviour.
It is sad because you should be able to , but sadly it is seen time and time again drunk people getting braver cos they have had a few beers, wanting to fight the world.
The Govt made a mistake of bringing in 24 hour drinking this country aint ready for it, there was enough problems before they put it in place, now they have the cheek to say theres to many drunks causing problems in the early hours
Does logic not come into play any more?
long time to change fings now.
Guest 670- Registered: 23 Apr 2008
- Posts: 573
9 December 2008
00:4010608Beg to differ Keith but there is no 24 hour pub in Dover and unlikely to be so because many pubs are close to residential areas and this is taken into account when applying for an extended licence. It is not so easy as most people think.
Guest 644- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,214
9 December 2008
01:4110615I really can't see how this much derided late night opening has made a jot of difference in Dover. As Dave has mentioned, there are no pubs open 24hrs in this town. The only couple that are open until the early hours are Funky Monkey's and The Party Bar. Before that we had New Age and before that Images, both of which threw out at two. All things considered, the situation is the same as it has ever been in the Market Square area.
Don't forget cheap beer drunk at home followed by a late night kebab is probably accountable for some problems too. Indeed, most landlords are highly responsible people who will not tolerate abusive drunks. It's some of the idiots that drink in pubs that are to blame, not the pubs themselves.
Anti-social behaviour on London Road is also partly attributable to the drug scene, there are unfortunately a number of dealers in the area, hardly breaking news.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
9 December 2008
20:0910671i have to go with that last post, cheap lager is available for home consumption, most of the bad behaviour is from individuals that are somewhat inebriated before they even leave home.
the drug scene is a nationwide carbuncle on our society.
it does not seem to carry a stigma, the big issue seller outside boots is welcomed with open arms back into the community after spending time with the queen for dealing in class a substances.
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
9 December 2008
20:1910674Good point Howard. I am afraid I am guilty of not putting a penny in the youngs man hat anymore. It could have been my kids he was pushing drugs to..so no more big issues for me.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
9 December 2008
20:2510677i refuse to buy one from who ever is selling them.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
10 December 2008
07:5010710Jaggars wedding shop is moving into the Charlton Centre, imminently, so that would be why the London Road shop has closed.
Roger
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
10 December 2008
10:5810720Jaggers flower shop opened a few weeks ago at the Charlton and yes their wedding shop relocates there very soon as they were not getting enough business further up the London road, too far out of the way to thrive and as Ross says that part of the London road will indeed become a retail wasteland.
Terry, Condolences to you Maureen and Family on the passing of your Aunt.What a great innings, almost 100, a long and fulfilling life!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
10 December 2008
20:1110758jaggars/jaggers seem to be becoming a small empire in itself.
the charlton centre seems to have benefited from their input.
it actually looks quite welcoming now.
Guest 659- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 331
10 December 2008
21:0010770all announcements can be placed at the newsagents in Pencester Road, opposite the bus station, as well as at Folkestone. As I understand it we will have a Dover base but it won't be the office in the High Street. Afraid I don't have the details to give you but I know it is being worked on.
sympathies on the loss of your aunt Terry.
Guest 675- Registered: 30 Jun 2008
- Posts: 1,610
11 December 2008
00:5810786Kathy, I am still waiting on an offer for the armchair by the phone in my living room.
Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.
Richard Armour