Tourist Attraction

Acrylic-bob · 26-03-2005, 12:50

HBC is keen to promote the town as a Tourist Destination. What a good idea!

So I thought that I would take a look at one of the main attractions the other day. Together with Acrylic-Biff - the Terrier with Attitude I had a wander up Manchester Road to sample the surroundings of our splendid Art Gallery, the home to the internationally recognised and largest public collection of Tiffany Favrille glassware in Europe.

Now you would expect that given the location and with something like that to boast about the area would be pristine, wouldn't you. Have a look at the pictures below, they cover only one section of the grounds, I was too depressed and disgusted to go any further.

We all know that HBC do not understand that assets require maintenance and management, but how do they imagine that they are going to persuade people to visit if they do not take even the least pride in them. The grounds of Haworth Art Gallery should be a horticultural gem to echo the inspiration that Louis Tiffany took from plants and flowers. Instead there are bare compacted borders strewn with weeds, piles of last year's leaves, dog dirt and a lawn full of bullrushes. What message does this give to visitors?

janet · 26-03-2005, 12:58

If you think that's bad A-B then take a walk around milnshaw park.

Acrylic-bob · 26-03-2005, 13:07

Milnshaw Park, the oldest in the borough, is a disgrace! The level of neglect there is breathtaking. I did begin a thread about it some time last September-ish.

Funny isn't it, that although the borough is up to it's ears in debt, Britcliffe and his pals can still find £150,000 to build fountains outside Scaitcliffe House, squander thousands more trying to get the wretched things to work and then, last May, calmly announce the expenditure of a further £30,000 to fill the bl**dy things in because they don't work and they are a bit of an eyesore. In last weeks Observer the Idiot-in-Chief equally calmly announced the expenditure of an unspecified amount of money to bring the damned fountains into bloom. Why is it that they can always find money to ensure their own comfort while the rest of the borough has to make do or do without?

garinda · 26-03-2005, 14:26

The Howarth Art Gallery should be a gem, sadly it's not. The grounds are uninspiring l agree, thankfully someone realised a couple of years ago that the shrubs, which were obscuring the veiw, needed lopping back. The house has a fantastic veiw, once again thankfully restored as it would have been when they decided to site it there.
I've stated my veiws about the quality of the exhibits, and the current curatorship before. The Tiffany collection is so badly displayed it makes me seethe.
Any other part of the country would cherish this gallery and park, unfortunately the powers that be don't.

WillowTheWhisp · 26-03-2005, 15:03

I remember a time when the grounds of HAG were beautiful. We were promised vaguely at one time that they would be restored to their former glory. This town could have some great assets in its parks if only they were looked after properly. Oakhill is another eyesore these days, and as for Bullough - park? what park?

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garinda · 26-03-2005, 15:20

These things were given to the people of Hynburn in good faith, for the enjoyment of generations to come. l'm only suprised they haven't sold them off, [must be a clause to stop them, l bet they've checked!]
Oswald House at the bottom of Rhyddings St. in Ossy was given to the town and was sold off by the council, just the same as Rhyddings Hall in the park, which was run as a gallery/ museum before being demolished by the council.
These 'gifts' to the people were pay off for our ancestors blood sweat and tears, sadly today's council have more urgent priorities.

park381 · 27-03-2005, 21:33

All the parks in the borough must be suffering from the same fate, look at this one, rhyddings park where the pavilion used to stand, before the youths fired it. And that is several years ago.

park381 · 27-03-2005, 21:51

Good job HBC are not involved here, they would spoil it.

WillowTheWhisp · 27-03-2005, 21:55

Have you got a larger version of that image? I can't see what it is.

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park381 · 27-03-2005, 21:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Have you got a larger version of that image? I can't see what it is.

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Hi, yes but have not got the hang of adding images yet.

WillowTheWhisp · 27-03-2005, 22:04

Oh I can see the large one now and very beautiful it is.

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park381 · 27-03-2005, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Oh I can see the large one now and very beautiful it is.

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Looking down on Haweswater from the fells, have lots of views like that. Tend to go during week, not to many folk around then.

Neil · 27-03-2005, 22:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

squander thousands more trying to get the wretched things to work

I always thought that when you buy something that does not work the supplier was supposed to sort it out. Maybe someone at HBC project department does not know how to write such clauses into contracts. We always hold back at least 10% of a project expenditure until we are happy with the supplied equipment. £15,000 held back from the contractor would have been quite an incentive to sort out the fountain.

Neil · 27-03-2005, 22:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by park381

look at this one, rhyddings park where the pavilion used to stand

Have you any pictures of the pavilion. When was it burnt down. I bet you remember the tops of the stone gate posts as well. I never saw them either.

park381 · 28-03-2005, 07:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil

Have you any pictures of the pavilion. When was it burnt down. I bet you remember the tops of the stone gate posts as well. I never saw them either.

No sorry, just took that one to show how HBC had left the site after the fire, we used to have a band stand as well, where bands used to perform in the summer, but that suffered the same fate as the pavilion. The park is now an utter disgrace, when it rains heavy the water comes over and through the park wall. Even the park gates are chained closed because the hinges are damaged. A few months ago the yobs even pushed off the stones on top of the gate posts on the fielding lane entrance. The lass that works in the park has been told not to do anything in the area at the back of the park, there was talk of HBC selling it off