Today’s blog is about trams and the town centre, specifically the game of chess which is moving buildings around!
But first, how have you all gone on with the weather? It’s still blowing, and has rained with a bit of sun forecast for later, what a mixed bag! I don’t know about you but I’m getting sick of the wind and rain. It seems endless.
Speaking of the weather, Derek has just been reading out to me that a Dutch Marine engineer has predicted a six feet rise in sea level by 2050, wow! I hope he’s wrong, but then unless they find a miracle cure for old age I won’t be here to get drowned. That’s looking on the bright side, but not for the people who will be here then! Now onto local matters.
Trams and the Town Centre
It’s a shame that a lot of feet have been dragged, but you can’t be surprised can you. Of course I’m talking about the new tramway which should open next March. Sadly not this one as originally hoped, after a two year delay. The council blame the hold ups with the Wilkinson’s site being vacated and demolished, which is vital for the new terminal to be built. They were supposed to move to Tower Street at the back of the Houndshill which should have been open before 2020. As you’ll have seen, work hasn’t started yet. Maybe they are hoping for a miracle, which it would have to be to keep their promise!
As has been reported, Wilkinson’s are supposed to leave their current site in the next two months. After demolition of the shop, the regeneration work can carry on. The council is still hoping that Wilko will move into the site at the Houndshill when it’s ready. A council member has said it could be built by September or October 2021. They need to do that to get the five million of funding from the Government’s Future High Street fund towards the three storey development. It will also include a cinema and two restaurants.
Better Blackpool
I personally hope it does happen, as anything that can help Blackpool to thrive is ok by me. The whole town is starting to improve, with this, that and the other being built. Although I so wish, as do many others, that the owners of the dreadful places could be made to do something about the look of their properties. For example, when you go to the Houndshill car park, a lot of the buildings in the streets around there look so tatty. It’s not a good look for visitors. Some of the properties are nothing more than dumps. You can but hope can’t you.
When I think of all the hoops we had to jump through to get our plans passed at home because we are on a main road on the seafront. It really annoys me that so much seafront shabbiness is allowed elsewhere. Time will tell, I’m not holding my breath. It just seems such a shame, when the town is looking so much better overall, that these landlords or owners do just what they want.
Peeping Tom
Anyway, changing the subject completely, I just had to mention the story of the eighteen year old who used a secret camera to watch people doing what they had to in public toilets. What can you say. I just wonder what the pleasure is in seeing people weeing, pooing or whatever else they care to do on a toilet. It would turn me off very quickly, I don’t know about you.
The lad had been released from a young offenders institution and was living in supported accommodation when he decided to plant his Nintendo DS games console in the bathroom, hoping to record members of staff. Luckily, a member of staff saw him repeatedly going in and out of the toilet and wondered what he was doing. Well I certainly would have too, that’s for sure. Then she saw the console hidden behind some toilet rolls. I did wonder how he could get a clear view and not have his console seen from behind the said toilet rolls, but at least he got caught out. There was also a video of something else which I won’t say, but I will say it was sick, to say the least.
Back behind bars
The person had been convicted on three counts of child rape and one of inciting a child to commit a ‘nasty’ act with a seven year old. He had been sentenced to six years in a young offenders institution but was released on licence two years later. He will now be back in prison to serve the rest of his sentence, and I should think so too.
You have to wonder why he was released in the first place, as he sounded as though he wanted the key throwing away never mind being released. He is obviously heading to be a danger to other people and children, so why is he living in the middle of a street surrounded by unknowing people. He gets a further three months sentence to add on to his other one and as usual the ‘authorities’ seemed to manage to get things wrong.
While you’re here…
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