it's a Vision thing

[stokoe]

well dug-up mk1.

[steveL]

I came across a letter that I had in the Hartlepool Mail about 4 years ago. It shows that nothing much changes.

NEVER let it be said that Hartlepool as a town lacks imagination.

So much so that, finding myself with some time on my hands, I have been giving serious thought towards the organisation of imaginary mystery tours around imaginary Hartlepool.

These would run on the imaginary trams that were to be run from an imaginary Church Street which the City Challenge committee had once imagined would, when they had finished their work, would closely resemble Yarm High Street.

The imaginary tram would set off down the imaginary Church Street over the imaginary Tees Metro Link railway lines towards the still, largely imaginary Marina.

It would then pass by the imaginary Imperial War Museum before stopping briefly at the North East's leading imaginary factory outlet complex, where passengers could buy imaginary gifts for their imaginary friends.

After a quick imaginary cup of tea, the imaginary tram would set off again towards Navigation Point with its imaginary hotel and imaginary Tall Ships Exhibition and Repair Centre.

Turning north we would pass through the enormous, but totally imaginary, Victoria Harbour Development before crossing the £20m imaginary foot bridge to the Headland whose ancient history has made it an imaginary tourist magnet.

North again, we could soon imagine to our left the three imaginary wind turbines once imagined to adorn Central Park before passing through the collection of imaginary executive houses developed on the hard-to-imagine death trap of the Steetley site.

Turning south on the home run we would skirt the boundary of the soon-to-be-imaginary hospital and pass by the new housing redevelopment consisting largely of what someone once laughingly imagined to be "affordable" houses.

Our final destination will be an imaginary Middleton Grange, so full of thriving, imaginary national chain stores that we couldn't possibly imagine having to go anywhere else to do our shopping.

And so ends our tour of imaginary Hartlepool.

This week the Mayor and his executives, whose fabulous salaries mere mortals like us can only imagine, will meet to produce their next imaginary plan covering the next 10 years.

Among the imaginary gems we can expect are plans to build 3,000 imaginary homes and to make Hartlepool the imaginary centre of wind turbine production in the UK, generating thousands of imaginary jobs.

Hartlepudlians will be tripping over themselves in anticipation at what marvellous things are to come – or at least I imagine they will.

[craig finton]

It's worth pointing out that the inclusion of  'hotel' accommodation is often used as a ruse in these sort of 'visions' as well as the planning applications from developers. Mandale's Central Tower of Navigation Point was originally meant to be a hotel and Jomast's plans for Trincomallee Wharf, which never came to anything, also included 'a hotel' next to the Historic Quay. In both cases, the pitch was that a hotel would help bring visitors to the town.

Mandale dropped the plans for a hotel and built more flats instead after declaring that was no demand for extra hotel accommodation in Hartlepool. Since then Travelodge has built its own hotel and Premier Inn is in the process of extending its own. I doubt very much, even if Jomast's plans for Trincomallee Wharf had gone ahead, we would ever have seen the proposed hotel.

Flats come with a steady monthly income, especially if like Jomast and Mandale you're not too bothered about maintenance whereas hotels are a business which require both staff and additional costs.   

[notenoughsaid]

   Perhaps this "vision" has something to do with the recent "very valid" visit by the dymanic duo to Portsmouth? (As posted under the heading of FAME AT LAST on this forum).  May have been  a fact finding mission!!!!

[stokoe]

Going a little bit off track here but have a look what the council says we are famous for on slide 3  .


http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CEgQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.20splentyforus.org.uk%2Fthe_20mph_city%2FHARTLEPOOL%252020'S%2520PLENTY%2520PRESENTATION.pdf&ei=jyjZUpqtDOvQ7Aba2YGIAQ&usg=AFQjCNGuwwK_7h8hssEaZGpqkNlmaN3HJA&bvm=bv.59568121,d.bGQ

should we be proud of the canoe man.

[mk1]

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/back-on-board-hms-warrior-once-more-after-a-29-year-wait-1-5815868

I was helpless with laughter at the squeaky voiced SAB.............

[stokoe]

Well done MK1 getting this up before the mail.whats that on top of his head?.

[fred c]

I wonder if they called into Bournemouth on the way back home to meet old friends ?

[clav 73]

Nice to see its not just the mail who don't check the facts from the scabs as it's can't be more than 330 miles to Portsmouth wonder what he claims in expenses

[steveL]

I suppose we should all thank you mk1 for finding the video clip but should we? I watched it and found myself just praying he would stop.... God help us all.

[mk1]

The  Mail picked up on it and it is now on their site.

[mk1]

Nice to see its not just the mail who don't check the facts from the scabs as it's can't be more than 330 miles to Portsmouth wonder what he claims in expenses

And I fully believe  a 6 year old SAB was watching the Warrior leave Hartlepool................

[not4me]

When the Warrior was being restored and the Foudrant (Trincomalee) everyone hoped that is was the start of something that the town could become known for i.e. the restoration of ships and no one could say that those involved didn't give us a grand start. However, as with so many things in Hartlepool, it wasn't followed up or pursued with any real commitment. As a result, what was briefly a bright light soon dimmed to a mere after-glow. It's now 25 years since the Warrior left for Portsmouth and we're still chasing rainbows.   

[stokoe]

Well done MK1 getting this up before the mail.whats that on top of his head?.

The  Mail picked up on it and it is now on their site.

Wow they much watch this site all the time for there news,hour and a half after my post it went on the mail website.

[steveL]

Interesting post on CAB's Twitter account. I get the feeling, knowing that he's an avid reader of this forum (and just a little paranoid), that the post is actually aimed directly at you guys but read into it what you will.