New to forum, been investing in the town.

[Retlaw]

[QUOTE=GEaston;1046740]This sure is the sceptics forum :-)

I am a real person. I founded the following companies:

Travelshark - killer recommendations.
Internet Search Marketing - The UK's Leading Provider of Tourism and Hospitality Websites.
The HUNT Guides.
QUOTE]

Originally Posted by susie123

Yep sure is. I'm one of life's sceptics and as soon as I joined I knew I'd fit right in.

Had a look at those web addressess, right load of gobbledegook, and now I'm even more skeptical than susie123.
Your spiel might sound good to some but not me, why after all these years have you picked on Accrington for these fancy ideas, especially as you don't know where it is without a map.

[GEaston]

Morning All,

Watch the video on Travelshark - killer recommendations and if you can't understand that then I can't help you. That is though what we do, like it or not.

Lets be honest Retlaw, nobody is going to pull off the motorway to stop at Accrington, me included. Prior to last year my knowledge of Accrington was seeing an old postcard with a Tram from Manchester terminating at Accrington and not much else.

I bought a property via a commercial auction on Welcome - Pugh - Property Vendors and Auctioneers. It was on St James Street. Beautiful Georgian style stone property acquired for just 50k. Cosmetically had not had a penny spent on it for 30 years, but if you looked past that it was a fine property not dissimilar to those of Downing Street. I couldn't believe you could buy a place like that for 50k so I bought it without seeing it (20,000 mile round trip from Singapore doesn't make sense). Spent a further 12k renovating it, so I'm all in for 62. Nice property, now tenanted, because post renovation a business wanted to move into it. Prior to me buying it, it had been empty and uninhabited for 4 years.

I currently own 3 properties in the conservation are of the town so own 1/100th of your town :-) That will grow as I acquire more. I don't live in your town, but in a small way I am improving it and providing full time jobs and quality renovated workspace.

Whether you or anyone else approves of what I'm doing, or not doesn't matter two hoots to me. You can sit on the sidelines throwing sticks if you like - seems you may have had plenty practice, but I didn't come here to make friends.

To be clear the reason I came here was to find locals. I can employ some of them and learn from others (they know the town and its officials). I simply don't believe most folk are as negative as you.

Susie - no I'm not the person looking to start a tourism portal on the town. That's a sure fire fail because the town has no merit whatsoever in it's current state. If the Accrington Town Plan were actually funded then maybe the town could be revived, but not before.

[Restless]

Will have to pardon my ignorance.... But a tram from Manchester to Accrington.. Wouldn't that take a long, long time? damn I think even back then I would've preferred horse and cart to a tram for that distance

[susie123]

Originally Posted by GEaston

I bought a property via a commercial auction on Welcome - Pugh - Property Vendors and Auctioneers. It was on St James Street. Beautiful Georgian style stone property acquired for just 50k. Cosmetically had not had a penny spent on it for 30 years, but if you looked past that it was a fine property not dissimilar to those of Downing Street. I couldn't believe you could buy a place like that for 50k so I bought it without seeing it (20,000 mile round trip from Singapore doesn't make sense). Spent a further 12k renovating it, so I'm all in for 62. Nice property, now tenanted, because post renovation a business wanted to move into it. Prior to me buying it, it had been empty and uninhabited for 4 years.

£12k renovation on a building that hadn't been touched for 30 years. Wouldn't like to think of what kind of job you got for that sort of money. Were you paying your workers peanuts? Did you do CH and electrics, plumbing? Or just a quick coat of paint. I'm not being sarcastic, genuinely want to know, I might pick up some tips.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Restless

Will have to pardon my ignorance.... But a tram from Manchester to Accrington.. Wouldn't that take a long, long time? damn I think even back then I would've preferred horse and cart to a tram for that distance

Think in those days there might have been a decent rail service. The tram was probably only for short journeys.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Gordon Booth

He didn't need to, susie. Didn't you look it up? I did but I'm not much wiser.

Sorry Gordon must have missed your post earlier. No I didn't look it up earlier because I wanted him to tell me. I have now and it's another piece of useless up its own @rse cr@p the internet is so good at creating. Ho hum.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by GEaston

Beautiful Georgian style stone property not dissimilar to those of Downing Street.

Sorry having another go but if anyone thinks those buildings look like Downing Street they need their eyes testing. At least there's still a Specsavers in Accy...

[susie123]

Originally Posted by Retlaw

Had a look at those web addressess, right load of gobbledegook, and now I'm even more skeptical than susie123.

That takes some doing, Retlaw...

[GEaston]

Suzie - I got a great job for that money. Building was structurally sound and internally dry. Was thus only cosmetic. Property had the following done to it:

- New Locks
- A few tiles replaced on the roof, gutters fixed
- External rendering and painting to rear
- New double glazing and bars at rear
- All carpets removed and replaced
- New bathroom, all old removed, tiles out, ceiling out. Was replaced with new lighting, new bath, new sink, new toilet, tiled to ceiling, new floor.
- All wallpaper removed (whole property was covered in the padded type, that was originally white but brownish with smoke and age), entire house repainted internally.
- New heaters installed in all rooms
- Boiler replaced
- Electricity supply and wiring upgraded
- Certs for Electric, Water, and Gas obtained as required by law.

Job was entirely outsourced to local contractors in the town. These are skilled honest tradesman and yes it also amazes me how reasonable the quotes were. Take the bathroom for example, total cost of stripout, new units, tiling, and a week's labour to do it - all in cost of that was 2.2k

Local lad, born in and still living in Accrington, highly skilled and very reasonable.

[GEaston]

One of many interesting pics on Google images for Accrington Trams Electric Tram Accrington, Lancashire | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Mick]

Please use other sections this in for introductions only ta

[susie123]

As advised by Mick, have started a new thread to continue this discussion. See General Chat.