Tourism in Accy

Acrylic-bob · 15-07-2004, 05:50

One of the stated aims of Hyndburn Borough Council is to raise the public profile of the Borough by encouraging tourism. In the last few weeks we have had a Continental Market, a procession of community groups carrying decorated bed sheets on poles, a municipal cake cutting at the Town Hall and a new flower bed at the end of Hyndburn Road.

I don't know about anyone else, but somehow I don't think that HBC has quite got it's act together on this.

Has anyone seen this months 'Lancashire Life'? It has a four page spread on the annual Transport Festival, regarded as one of the major transport festivals in the North West. It has been going now for twenty years and draws crowds numbered in the tens of thousands.And this in a small, one industry, town!

Sort of makes the procession to mark Hyndburns 30th Birthday look a bit sad. Or maybe you disagree? What do you think could or should be done to turn Hyndburn into a tourist hotspot and make the Borough a place that people would want to visit and keep coming back to?

Darby · 15-07-2004, 07:22

Accrington never has, nor ever will be, a tourist attraction...simply that.

HBC should concentrate on making the town habitable, and attractive to its inhabitants. The only thing I can remember being an "attraction" in Accy was the open Market on Tuesdays & Fridays. However, any market requires good, competitive stalls and traders who will only come to the town because there will be lots of people at the markets. Since the days of the market at the rear of and around the market hall we have had many attempts at different locations all without success.

If the town is full of "dog dirt", empty shops, and yobs...nobody will come and no decent market traders will either.

I cannot see anything else viable that will upgrade Accy to a normal decent town (in that I really mean the town centre). HBC should get back to basics, and stop dreaming (and wasting money at the same time).
Sorry to be so despondent...but I think it's true!!

Ceejache · 15-07-2004, 09:21

My sentiments exactly Doug...short of razing all of Hyndburn to the ground then making a lake in the middle surrounded by massive floral gardens and the worlds biggest rollercoaster planted on top of the coppice (next to the biosphere of course.....) there is NOTHING that can be done.

I agree that we should get back to basics and address the problems that we are currently facing. How could we ever hope to attract tourists when the town centre is a disgrace, little ghetto-type residential areas have sprung up and idiots and bits of kids roam the streets drinking and dropping their detritus all over the streets?

Like you Doug its seems that I am always slagging off Accrington/Hyndburn and HBC's ineptitude but I do for good reason. I love Accrington having been born and bred here, I love the friendliness of the majority of people, its history and of course its football team. I have also lived in places such as Guildford, Leicester and Norwich and have seen by comparison what a dive Accy has become (fair enough I'm comparing to bigger towns and cities but you get my point). If there was some initiative to applaud then I would do so - but unfortunately our council just seem to come up with schemes designed to waste money. Accrington has changed a lot even in my short lifespan and not for the better - I sincerely hope that this decline can be arrested.

Doug · 15-07-2004, 10:17

[QUOTE=Ceejache]My sentiments exactly Doug...short of razing all of Hyndburn to the ground then making a lake in the middle surrounded by massive floral gardens and the worlds biggest rollercoaster planted on top of the coppice (next to the biosphere of course.....) there is NOTHING that can be done.

Like you Doug its seems that I am always slagging off Accrington/Hyndburn and HBC's ineptitude but I do for good reason. QUOTE]

HI Ceejache,

That would be Darby not Me (Doug) I am the good looking one. But no offence taken. I personlly would be tempted to agree with both points, but should we not do something to change attitudes not only of HBC but the locals as well.

Darby · 15-07-2004, 10:26

QUOTE Doug:
I personlly would be tempted to agree with both points, but should we not do something to change attitudes not only of HBC but the locals as well.

Your point is very valid Doug...I wish I knew how to change local attitudes in this day & age.

As for HBC, the only thing they understand is pressure from above or votes against them at the next election....we are mere mortals.

simon · 15-07-2004, 10:31

The council could spend some of this money they keep wasting!!!!! on Enforcing the laws on littering and dog fouling.....That would be a good start in making the area "acceptable" before they try and make it "appealing".......

becki* · 15-07-2004, 10:34

Accrington never has, nor ever will be, a tourist attraction...simply that.

yes i agree!! they should make it a place where peole are comfortable i also think that they should listen to the public views on certaion things. after all, we have to live here!

JohnW · 15-07-2004, 10:57

I would have thought the way to make Accrington a thriving town again was to take it back to its roots and encourage industry. It is a town built on, and for, industry. You are in the position of having excellent Motorway links and you have many industrial type buildings which could be utilised. Your council needs to offer some incentives to different industries to bring their businesses there, particualarly manufacturing. Your local institutions of further education need to offer training to the workforce in whatever industries you do attract and this would be a further encouragement for companies to bring their businesses to the area. They need cheap buildings, low rates and a skillful/diligent workforce. I think that Accrington has the ability to offer all of these. England's wealth was built on the hard work of the northern people of Lancashire and Yorkshire. They just need a chance to repeat the process.

KIPAX · 15-07-2004, 11:09

I agree with one thing.... Yes you (a few people on here) do seem to be knocking Accrington and Hyndburn all the time.. It gets quite depressing to read..

I look at the place from a different point of view.. I was not born here and have moved here as an adult wiht my family and after 15 years I would never dream of moving away.. I love the place...I ahve kids born here and I am more than settled and consider this to be my home town so much so that I feel I ahve always lived here

Its far better than living in a big city type area.... As for all the problems you mentione re dog dirt and teenagers blah blah... well .... it's not exactly unique to hyndburn is it?

If your quest is to make Accy some sort of buetifuul, clean, crime free place of perfection then your going to have a very busy but wasted life.

Accy/Hyndburn has its problems.. No more than your average I am sure..

Your making too big a thing of this tourist lark... most towns have a tourist section as part of the council... why make such a big song and dance about it?

Lets be positive for a change eh ?

Be proud of Accrington

simon · 15-07-2004, 11:15

I agree kipax but I think most of us are being negative about the council's failures to do right by our beloved town

I too have moved from a city (manchester) and would never go back....

But surely we can be positive about accrington

yet remain unhappy about things going on here

KIPAX · 15-07-2004, 11:19

Yes.. I am not suggesting everyone walk around with a smile on there face and not complain.... Its just that I only see the complaining on here and very very rarely see a nice thing said about Accy... It would be nice to balance out the moaning a bit

Darby · 15-07-2004, 11:25

Proud I am....Born in Burnley but bred in Accy since 1945......and proud of it....

But also realistic. I'm not knocking Accy or anybody's attempts to improve the place. But if you can remember Accy in the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's, and look at it now, you'll know what I mean.

Accy had pride, cleanliness, and honest straightforward people, who knew how to behave and treat all other people with friendliness and kindness.

Not that the rest of the world has improved, and Accy stood still, but to put the clock back is impossible and would really make no sense. Realism and sensible ideas, well implemented by a council who not only say they care, but actually put into practice what they say. All bearing in mind, that Accy is not the richest town, not the most fortunate town, but a good town neverthless, and basic improvements are what everybody wants and would benefit from.

Cut your cloth according to your wealth!!!! and no waste for dogmatic ideas!

Doug · 15-07-2004, 11:51

Ok I’m not trying to pass the work over to others but, at the moment I am working and I’m stuck in B***** Blackpool so it’s not an easy task to do from here.

What do people think about setting up two separate threads that can be linked at a later date?

Thread One.

What’s good about Accrington, what makes you proud?

Thread Two.

What’s left of our local heritage that we can preserve and promote as a tourist asset?

This should include our famous people and their home’s, their influences on the area and family histories.

Local Beauty spots, we have a few….

Local Industrial Heritage sites (What’s Left)

Architecture, History, Archaeology and its PEOPLE along with all the other little things that make what it is

Ceejache · 15-07-2004, 12:07

Sorry Doug.

Yes Accringtons/Hyndburns problems aren't unique I agree yet the problems will not get better until the council stop wasting money on crap like the 30th anniversary for a start - what a pointless exercise that was! Like I said I am proud to be from Accy, but would I move away to a nicer place if the chance arose - YES, its only friends and family that keep me here. Like I said the problems aren't unique but that doesn't mean I should accept it or be happy about it - if my football team was in the relegation zone I wouldn't say it was ok because two other teams are also there, I would want improvement and for the team to be amongst the challengers, and thats what I want for Accy/Hyndburn. There is no such thing as a crime-free, totally clean place as we both know Kipax, but we would be way below the average I would say.

Ceejache · 15-07-2004, 12:13

Maybe the attitude of us locals does need to change, but as someone pointed out earlier the majority cant be bothered to be bothered. We all have our JOBS to go to and worry about etc. so why should we have to do something to change the borough when that is the JOB of HBC. Why should we take on extra work to compensate for others not doing their JOBS. If we did our jobs to a sub-standard level then what would you expect to happen...?