Christmas Shopping Fireworks

[Margaret Pilkington]

you don't have to go as far as Grassington for a Dickensian Market...Whalley has had one for years.....let's be different...a Victorian Market...hot chestnuts.....fire baked spuds....mulled wine, spiced ale(or sarsaparilla for the non drinkers). Carol singers...capes. lanterns....a whole different ambience. Knock fireworks on the head.....save the money for something else. Get local schools involved for the singing and the dancing.
Make it a night to remember.
I know it would take some planning, but we are a year away.......surely that is time enough to knock things into shape...to get people involved.

[jedimaster]

Originally Posted by walkinman221

Never mind greggs we now we have a £1 bakery to go with our wonderful card shops and phone shops and our other outstanding normal pound shops.We have no chance of offering anything like german markets etc in this town, the centre offers no big names for shopping and sadly a market which in my opinion is hanging on with its fingertips , why would people come to Accrington rather than go to bigger places such as Preston,Manchester for example?

the potential is there it just needs the powers that be to 1. realise it and 2. pull there fingers out and make it work


there seems to be so much negativity towards this town yet no-one is standing up and doing anything about it. maybe the residents should be standing together and acting rather than moaning. there is no such thing as it can't be done or it won't work only we can't be bothered to make it work.

shops and market stalls will only open and stay open if the people support them and spend their money in them. it's no good doing your weekly shop in tescos and then wondering why we haven't got any local butchers/greengrocers!

[Margaret Pilkington]

Can't you just see it? Taste it? smell it? Feel the cosiness of it?
Tradition can be a wonderful draw.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by garinda

You mention the costs of attracting high profile celebrities.

What on earth makes you think that people want whatever list of celebrity involved?

.

Fireman Sam & Peppa Pig along with local acts won't have reduced the numbers in Burnley & Blackburn. Both of them will still be well attended.

Was dissapointed to find out the band on stage were from Wigan, surely we have enough local bands to fill that spot and would welcome the opportunity to showcase their stuff for free.

[jedimaster]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

you don't have to go as far as Grassington for a Dickensian Market...Whalley has had one for years.....let's be different...a Victorian Market...hot chestnuts.....fire baked spuds....mulled wine, spiced ale(or sarsaparilla for the non drinkers). Carol singers...capes. lanterns....a whole different ambience. Knock fireworks on the head.....save the money for something else. Get local schools involved for the singing and the dancing.
Make it a night to remember.
I know it would take some planning, but we are a year away.......surely that is time enough to knock things into shape...to get people involved.

very true and i have frequented it many times.I only used grassington as an example as it has become possibly the most successful and is known and advertised nationally and is always oversubscribed!

[mobertol]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

you don't have to go as far as Grassington for a Dickensian Market...Whalley has had one for years.....let's be different...a Victorian Market...hot chestnuts.....fire baked spuds....mulled wine, spiced ale(or sarsaparilla for the non drinkers). Carol singers...capes. lanterns....a whole different ambience. Knock fireworks on the head.....save the money for something else. Get local schools involved for the singing and the dancing.
Make it a night to remember.
I know it would take some planning, but we are a year away.......surely that is time enough to knock things into shape...to get people involved.

Perfect Margaret -with the architecture as a backdrop -but it needs to be used: Town Hall, Market hall, Library, Howarth, Oakhill, Viaduct and other venues, get Ossy Mills involved -make it a weekend of culture and history ....get people in and get them spending!

[jedimaster]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Fireman Sam & Peppa Pig along with local acts won't have reduced the numbers in Burnley & Blackburn. Both of them will still be well attended.

Was dissapointed to find out the band on stage were from Wigan, surely we have enough local bands to fill that spot and would welcome the opportunity to showcase their stuff for free.

whats wrong with the sally army band or a local school choir hmmm....... there's another idea an inter school choir competition with the celebrity status that will be performing live at the xmas festival............. i'm off to ring simon cowell about the tv rights

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes, a sponsor like Ossy Mills would be a very useful partner in an event like that.

And getting schools involved would ensure that family members would be present at the event....after all Grandma and Grandad would be delighted to cheer on little Alfie singing some kind of solo.......and clap as little Olivia danced in her shiny clogs.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by jedimaster

shops and market stalls will only open and stay open if the people support them and spend their money in them. it's no good doing your weekly shop in tescos and then wondering why we haven't got any local butchers/greengrocers!

Very much chicken & egg. People won't support them if they don''t sell whats required, and business won't invest if there aren't enough potential customers to make it worthwhile.

The problem with having a retail business in Accrington is that the town is becoming a magnet for residents who spend their money on alchohol and get too much support for the stuff they shove up their noses or inject in to their blood stream.

One of the main solutions to the problem doesn't lie with the retailers, it lies with the landlords who rent out houses on an ever increasing basis to people who do the town and it's prosperity severe damage

[walkinman221]

Originally Posted by jedimaster

the potential is there it just needs the powers that be to 1. realise it and 2. pull there fingers out and make it work


there seems to be so much negativity towards this town yet no-one is standing up and doing anything about it. maybe the residents should be standing together and acting rather than moaning. there is no such thing as it can't be done or it won't work only we can't be bothered to make it work.

shops and market stalls will only open and stay open if the people support them and spend their money in them. it's no good doing your weekly shop in tescos and then wondering why we haven't got any local butchers/greengrocers!

I use the market every saturday morning and a couple of days in the week for fruit ,veg,t cakes , cooked meat and butchers and also a bit in m&s.But the fact remains if i want to buy a shirt or a suit for example my choice is limited to burtons and originals and when your bigger than the average bear ie 52" chest originals etc only cater for callow youths .You have also only one"new" bookshop wh smith and then your into charity shops which i may add are superb for books, so i do try to do my bit but the local shops are only going to flourish if they are backed up by quality big names Next , river island etc but they dont want to come here it seems.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by jedimaster

there's another idea an inter school choir competition with the celebrity status that will be performing live at the xmas festival............. i'm off to ring simon cowell about the tv rights

It used to happen in days gone by...inter school contests and very competitive they were too....all good for getting interest in the evening........and advertising......flyers,poster - schools could be involved in the design of these too.
The money that went up in smoke on fireworks could be put to good use by having prizes for the winning schools.

[mobertol]

Well, I'm looking into a flight for the 1st Victorian Christmas Fayre in Accrington next year -keep me informed as to the date and events...

[walkinman221]

And if folk do come where would they sit the council is busy taking out all the benches

[jedimaster]

Originally Posted by lancsdave

Very much chicken & egg. People won't support them if they don''t sell whats required, and business won't invest if there aren't enough potential customers to make it worthwhile.

The problem with having a retail business in Accrington is that the town is becoming a magnet for residents who spend their money on alchohol and get too much support for the stuff they shove up their noses or inject in to their blood stream.

One of the main solutions to the problem doesn't lie with the retailers, it lies with the landlords who rent out houses on an ever increasing basis to people who do the town and it's prosperity severe damage

wrong. the problem is that there is less disposable income going around with job cuts and higher cost of living which is why we have to drag people in from outside and i'm sure residents and businesses alike would prefer tax money to be spent on this than the other 'worthwhile' causes that you mention

[jedimaster]

Originally Posted by walkinman221

And if folk do come where would they sit the council is busy taking out all the benches

i believe i've already raised that point and have been informed that it is in discussion