| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Must be doing something right | |
| Posted by: | Raymond Havelock | |
| Date/Time: | 18/01/13 18:10:00 |
| Having been away from the town of my birth and youth for some time I'm shocked and appalled at what has and what has not happened to it. The swimming pool has gone, the old folks place in Ealing road has gone, Pubs have gone, trees have gone, but why has it not got better? It has new developments which seem dead and souless and yet it still looks the same old run down place it always was. The crappy bits are still there but some of the developments, crumbs!! How did the council approve some of this stuff? From reacquainting myself with old pals and neighbours consensus seems that Hounslow is still a plaything for small minded party politics of a stagnant and dubious kind. So, some things never change and I guess this is the net result. But then, I hear about Watermans. For my youth to adulthood, this was the hub of Brentford, of the universe even. It had it all, great and varied music, live acts, quizes, good theatre, a nice cinema although it always seemed to have scratchy prints, a cheap bar, but always a great mix of people and a super atmosphere. It was never a great building, clearly designed by a council employee with a chip on his or her shoulder but it was buzzing and at times, packed. I walked in this week, cinema was great, but what a soulless place it has become. If it can't thrive here then moving will make no difference. There must be more than a few reasons why it has declined. But to commit to moving seems more like a bad workman blaming his tools. To commit to moving without any idea of where to or what to seems foolhardy at best. I'm old enough to remember almost the same scenario over Richmond Ice rink Where is that now? Promises, corruption, ineptitude, the whole episode was scandalous. And yet just a few miles up the river it's all showing remarkable parrallels. Smacks of developers desires and a colluding council with gullible or mislead people in between. Truth if reading on here and in the papers is already a casualty. Deeply concerning. It should stay where it is, sort the building out and make it the thriving community asset once again. It really was the best thing that happened for Brentford this side of WWll. |