[Archived] Blackburns Marks And Spencers

[JAL]

Told that M&S is moving into the new part of the shopping centre, the Mall, after making them an offer 'too good to turn down'.

For me IF, this was to go ahead it would be a startegic disaster to Blackburn town centre, as it will kill off the king William street side of the town.

[thenodrog]

Told that M&S is moving into the new part of the shopping centre, the Mall, after making them an offer 'too good to turn down'.

For me IF, this was to go ahead it would be a startegic disaster to Blackburn town centre, as it will kill off the king William street side of the town.

Personally I couldn't care less. Blackburn is getting what Blackburn deserves. The town has deteriorated so much in my lifetime that it's difficult to comprehend. I wouldn't be at all suprised to find that the new M&S will be much smaller...... come to think further it wouldn't even suprise me to see em pull out of the dump altogether.

But don't worry though I'm sure another Pound Shop / Computer Games shop / Arcade will move in in no time. They wont pay much rent and rates of course but no matter, the council will simply look to increase the revenue from car parking and fines to cover it.

JAL do us a favour and switch the lights off when you leave would you?

[JAL]

Personally I couldn't care less. Blackburn is getting what Blackburn deserves. The town has deteriorated so much in my lifetime that it's difficult to comprehend. I wouldn't be at all suprised to find that the new M&S will be much smaller...... come to think further it wouldn't even suprise me to see em pull out of the dump altogether.

But don't worry though I'm sure another Pound Shop / Computer Games shop / Arcade will move in in no time. They wont pay much rent and rates of course but no matter, the council will simply look to increase the revenue from car parking and fines to cover it.

JAL do us a favour and switch the lights off when you leave would you?

OK, Theno.

I lay the blame at the older selfish, more spiteful generations similar to that plantpot Lord Taylor of Blackburn.

[thenodrog]

OK, Theno.

I lay the blame at the older selfish, more spiteful generations similar to that plantpot Lord Taylor of Blackburn.

Yeah Jal..... Me too.

[cletus]

I`ve heard most of the existing market stalls aren`t moving into the new market when it opens. The new market`s rates are said to be extortionate & any new stall holder has to sign up to a 5yr deal. It really is madness.

In my view, Blackburn town centre is on its arse & has been spiralling downwards for years. There`s plans to knock the old markethall down & put a new bus station there. Why? One of the only remaining historical parts of the town centre is the old boulevard. It serves a purpose. Why move it for moving its sake?

Soon the entire town will be totally devoid of any history.

[Al]

I`ve heard most of the existing market stalls aren`t moving into the new market when it opens. The new market`s rates are said to be extortionate & any new stall holder has to sign up to a 5yr deal. It really is madness.

In my view, Blackburn town centre is on its arse & has been spiralling downwards for years. There`s plans to knock the old markethall down & put a new bus station there. Why? One of the only remaining historical parts of the town centre is the old boulevard. It serves a purpose. Why move it for moving its sake?

Soon the entire town will be totally devoid of any history.

There's no history left already apart from the Cathederal. The 'Old Market Hall' as you call it is the new market hall as far as my generation is concerned. The old market hall was a fine stone built building crowned by a four sided clock. There was a lot of controversy when it was sadly ripped down. That clock was Blackburn personified. Nobody has any respect for tradition any more.

[JAL]

Who are the wealthmakers in the town, your next Jack Walker, I cant think of any, can you ?

Regarding the shopping centre, I think the Mall management are as about as good as you can get to manage a shoppig centre, so its not necessarily all bad.

[jim mk2]

There`s plans to knock the old markethall down & put a new bus station there

Why move the bus station from the boulevard where it provides a convenient connection with the railway station ? What happened to integrated transport ? Doesn't make sense.

This is the old market hall by the way, ripped down in the name of modernism in the 1960s. A beautiful building sadly missed.

http://www.cottontow...rket%201910.jpg

[deryck guyler's spoon]

Ewood Spark will be along shortly to tell you that you're all mad and you should be grateful to live in Blackburn.

[MeanGreenMachine]

From an outsider, blackburn makes st annes in nottingham look classy

[thenodrog]

Why move the bus station from the boulevard where it provides a convenient connection with the railway station ? What happened to integrated transport ? Doesn't make sense.

This is the old market hall by the way, ripped down in the name of modernism in the 1960s. A beautiful building sadly missed.

http://www.cottontow...rket%201910.jpg

I rem detesting that outdoor market. Trailing around with my mother on cold wet winter days and the rain always managed to drip on my my head and down my neck as it dripped of the canvas sheets.

Ewood Spark will be along shortly to tell you that you're all mad and you should be grateful to live in Blackburn.

I'm dreading it. Truth is that he is very sound and a stout supporter of all things Blackburn and Darwen and all credit to him for that. On the other hand I'm just a disappointed reallist.

[jim mk2]

I love living in East Lancs. I have lived and worked around Britain and travelled extensively and there's no place like home.

People who hanker after a "better life" elsewhere should take a long hard look at their own personal shorcomings rather than blame the town or the country.

[thenodrog]

I love living in East Lancs. I have lived and worked around Britain and travelled extensively and there's no place like home.

People who hanker after a "better life" elsewhere should take a long hard look at their own personal shorcomings rather than blame the town or the country.

Not being pedantic but I seem to recall from somewhere that you live in the Ribble Valley. Am I correct in this assumption?

[Al]

I rem detesting that outdoor market. Trailing around with my mother on cold wet winter days and the rain always managed to drip on my my head and down my neck as it dripped of the canvas sheets.

That market had character. You could buy just about anything you wanted cheaply there and at Easter when the fair was there it was brilliant. Far bigger and better than the pathetic effort we have now. I saved my pocket money for months to go on there with my Grandad on Easter Saturday and if I was lucky my Mum and my other Grandad would take me for a second visit on the Monday or Tuesday. We used to catch the tram at the top of Harwood St. and I couldn't wait to get to town.

Happy memories.

[JAL]

Not being pedantic but I seem to recall from somewhere that you live in the Ribble Valley. Am I correct in this assumption?

Theno, in the seventies for me Blackburn was a real dump, far worse than it is now, far more rows of derelict terraced houses and redundant mills . That picture of the old market looks a dump to me, the picture of the outdoor market looks like it was taken during the depression so depressing it looks.

[ABBEY]

Ewood Spark will be along shortly to tell you that you're all mad and you should be grateful to live in Blackburn.

and that if you go to the trafford centre you should be a utd fan and not a true rovers fan.

[thenodrog]

Theno, in the seventies for me Blackburn was a real dump, far worse than it is now, far more rows of derelict terraced houses and redundant mills . That picture of the old market looks a dump to me, the picture of the outdoor market looks like it was taken during the depression so depressing it looks.

The people were better thats for sure.

Rough possibly with working class roots certainly but most people were in 'proper' work, and many too proud to live their entire life off state hand outs. Far fewer work shy, scrounging, drug taking / dealing / supplying / thieving / scroats all round, and those that were were despised or at best tolerated rather than accepted as normal as appears to be the case now.

[JAL]

The people were better thats for sure.

Rough possibly with working class roots certainly but most people were in 'proper' work, and many too proud to live their entire life off state hand outs. Far fewer work shy, scrounging, drug taking / dealing / supplying / thieving / scroats all round, and those that were were despised or at best tolerated rather than accepted as normal as appears to be the case now.

Theno, were is the 'proper work' nowadays what with no ROF, no Mullards/Philips, no Scapa, no Walker steel, no Reed paper mills, no star paper mill, no crown wallcoverings to mention a few.

WERE IS THE WORK the 'proper work'.

If the benefits are stopped, then we will all have to put our tin hats on as theres going to be one hell of alot of trouble, the benefits culture supports the lack of proper FULL TIME work, and a very poor underachieving state school system.

[thenodrog]

Theno, were is the 'proper work' nowadays what with no ROF, no Mullards/Philips, no Scapa, no Walker steel, no Reed paper mills, no star paper mill, no crown wallcoverings to mention a few.

WERE IS THE WORK the 'proper work'.

A point that I have made many times JAL. The lack of opportunity went largely unoticed by me until my kids were leaving school and then it really hit home. The decline of Blackburn has been gradual. But wallowing in self pity is useless, in fact I want my kids to move away from here in order to have a decent chance to realise their potential. As Norman Tebbitt once advised those whingeing about employment opportunities 'get on yer bikes'.

The destruction of British industry was started in the 60's and 70's by the politically agendad unions as a way to overthrow and dominate the Govt, carried on by the Thatcher to overthrow and dominate the unions and carried manfully on by New Labour who don't know their arse from their elbow anyway and just wanted to use cheap imports in order to keep inflation off the political agenda.

Doesn't it raise a few questions when gazillions of immigrant settlers reckon that they come half way around the globe for work and yet everybody knows there is not enough to go around as it is? Difficult to actually get one's head around isn't it? I cannot rem who said "It is like watching a nation busily engaged in heaping up its own funeral pyre" but they were right.

[JAL]

A point that I have made many times JAL. The lack of opportunity went largely unoticed by me until my kids were leaving school and then it really hit home. The decline of Blackburn has been gradual. But wallowing in self pity is useless, in fact I want my kids to move away from here in order to have a decent chance to realise their potential. As Norman Tebbitt once advised those whingeing about employment opportunities 'get on yer bikes'.

The destruction of British industry was started in the 60's and 70's by the politically agendad unions as a way to overthrow and dominate the Govt, carried on by the Thatcher to overthrow and dominate the unions and carried manfully on by New Labour who don't know their arse from their elbow anyway and just wanted to use cheap imports in order to keep inflation off the political agenda.

Doesn't it raise a few questions when gazillions of immigrant settlers reckon that they come half way around the globe for work and yet everybody knows there is not enough to go around as it is? Difficult to actually get one's head around isn't it? I cannot rem who said "It is like watching a nation busily engaged in heaping up its own funeral pyre" but they were right.

Ive said this time and time again on here that the immigrants are allowed in to this country mainly to keep the low skilled, low paid, forever and a day, plus to backfill the masses who are clearing off year on year in search of their own utopia, its that simple.

People dont realise that many jobs are either temporary, part time, with no pension benefits whatsoever thats why they need the benefits culture to prop it up.

[Al]

There may be a shortage of 'Proper work' as you put it but in my opinion the 'unable to find a job' people are far outnumbered by the 'no intention of finding a job'. I have two sons and neither of them have had any trouble being gainfully employed. I believe that the unemployment benefit should last for 6 months and then be progressively reduced week by week until it becomes zero for anyone who is capable of working. There are jobs availible if you really want them and I am sick of supporting the layabouts that I see daily in Accrington drinking cans of strong lager when they should be at work.

[Al]

Theno, in the seventies for me Blackburn was a real dump, far worse than it is now, far more rows of derelict terraced houses and redundant mills . That picture of the old market looks a dump to me, the picture of the outdoor market looks like it was taken during the depression so depressing it looks.

You don't really think that picture was taken in the 70's do you? It was taken way, way before I was born (1942)as you must be able to see from the way the people were dressed and the colour of the photograph. In fact from the address of the photograph I would guess it was taken in 1910.

Did you live in the 70's? I suspect not as you appear to have a very tarnished view of that era.

[JAL]

You don't really think that picture was taken in the 70's do you? It was taken way, way before I was born (1942)as you must be able to see from the way the people were dressed and the colour of the photograph. In fact from the address of the photograph I would guess it was taken in 1910.

Did you live in the 70's? I suspect not as you appear to have a very tarnished view of that era.

Al, I said I thought the picture looked like it was taken during the depression.

I was brought up in Blackburn through the seventies, and apart from the heat wave of 76, it was a thoroughly depressing era with plenty of violence, strike action and social deprevasion especially in the area that I was in, around the Hollin bridge street area.

Blackburn was bigger slum then in the 70's than it is now unfortunately business has declined further which doesnt help but this is were we find ourselves today plus one big factor the peoples negative pompous perception of the Asians. These people you will find scattered in and around the Ribble valley and surrounding Blackburn areas.

[JAL]

There may be a shortage of 'Proper work' as you put it but in my opinion the 'unable to find a job' people are far outnumbered by the 'no intention of finding a job'. I have two sons and neither of them have had any trouble being gainfully employed. I believe that the unemployment benefit should last for 6 months and then be progressively reduced week by week until it becomes zero for anyone who is capable of working. There are jobs availible if you really want them and I am sick of supporting the layabouts that I see daily in Accrington drinking cans of strong lager when they should be at work.

Go on Al, give us a brief description of your sons skill levels. I think you fail to see the wider picture.

[thenodrog]

I love living in East Lancs. I have lived and worked around Britain and travelled extensively and there's no place like home.

People who hanker after a "better life" elsewhere should take a long hard look at their own personal shorcomings rather than blame the town or the country.

Not being pedantic but I seem to recall from somewhere that you live in the Ribble Valley. Am I correct in this assumption?

Appears by your silence that this is a yes. If so I'd suggest that living in the affluent Ribble Valley is very different to living within a mile or so from Blackburn Town Hall.