SON OF GRIDKNOCKER Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 As we will shortly be approaching the 'moment of truth' for what we are all now being encouraged to call 'Old Market', I thought I'd go and take a really good look at it yesterday (perhaps Colin could treat us to one of his excellent pics later in the week?). Well, peeps, the optimum vantage point is a few paces north of the entrance to the Moorfields Surgery at the top of Edgar Street; and the optimum viewing time is 4.30pm - especially if its sunny. Ranged in front of you is a vast curving windowless wall, already seriously stained with what building surveors call 'efflorescence' (salts being leached out of the bricks through the warmth of the sun) - first spotted by the ever-vigilant King Bobby last Decermber. It will get worse before it gets better. Towering above this inhuman Alcatraz-like 'cliff', Stanhope's talented designers have chosen to place a row of five irregularly-profiled metal-clad rooftops. Why five? Why metal? Why lop-sided? Who knows. Just architectural whimsey, I suppose. After I'd got my breath back from witnessing this architectural monstrosity (a passer-by offered me a tot of brandy from a hip flask), I came up with the following solution. Before all the big cranes are taken off the site, McAlpines should fix five projecting gibbets from the five roof 'peaks'. On each would be suspended a life-size fibreglass effigy of the five 'culprits' responsible for this Nightmare on Edgar Street. My nominations would be: Jonathan Bretherton, Roger Phillips, John Jarvis, Stanhope's Managing Director and the senior partner of designers Allies & Morrison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby47 Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 It is a truly horrid building. Why couldn't they have done better for us? I never used to think a great deal about architecture but since I've read the thoughts of Grid Knocker, Megilleland and TwoWheels I've got a better grasp on why its so important and, more importantly, what it says about us, the ones who live in this once fair City. This new construction seems soulless. Just a series of boxes intended for one simple thing. A quick and efficient way of carrying out a financial transaction. With the kindest and most blinkered eye in the world, you wouldn't describe this place as a beautifully designed building. When I look at it, other than ranting about the salt on the walls, I see it as place that doesn't warrant a second glance. It has no warmth, no character, nothing that allows light in and seems like one of those drab places that'll make you feel depressed and want to get home as quickly as you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Beynon Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Before all the big cranes are taken off the site, McAlpines should fix five projecting gibbets from the five roof 'peaks'. On each would be suspended a life-size fibreglass effigy of the five 'culprits' responsible for this Nightmare on Edgar Street. My nominations would be: Jonathan Bretherton, Roger Phillips, John Jarvis, Stanhope's Managing Director and the senior partner of designers Allies & Morrison. Let's not forget Blackadder himself - Councillor Adrian Blackshaw, one-time Cabinet Member for Economic Development! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Don't worry - it'll all come together when Debenhams have put up their 14 MASSIVE internally illuminated signs all over the damned thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megilleland Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Don't worry - it'll all come together when Debenhams have put up their 14 MASSIVE internally illuminated signs all over the damned thing. What back-lit portraits of the local worthies in the chinese style. Looking down on us as we circumnavigate the Edgar Street roundabout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 It's just plain ugly. Grid Knocker, I do believe there should be some sort of commemorative plaque, listing the names of the great and the good, who have foisted this brick faced monster upon us - so that we never, ever forget who is responsible, for what will surely go down in Hereford City's history, as one of the biggest mistakes ever made. We shall not forget them......! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicroundabout Posted March 5, 2014 Report Share Posted March 5, 2014 Grid Knocker you must have been on the wrong side. You should view the mall from Blackfriar's Street. Looks lovely, very welcoming and spacious, a real treat! That way it looks self-contained as it's meant and built to be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 The little "streets! bit looks alright, but certainly the roundabout end looks awful. I'm still waiting to know whether those big grey slats will be coming off to unveil windows. I'd guess silly roof is a homage to the old livestock buildings. It's known as a "saw tooth" roof and dates back to the 70's ir 30's iirc (I did post about it once before)...... 1830 (yes 18 30)http://www.herefordvoice.co.uk/topic/1056-further-proof-that-hereford-is-stuck-in-the-1800s/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SON OF GRIDKNOCKER Posted March 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Bio: A long, long time ago (probably before you were born) these 'saw tooth' roof profiles were called North Lights (no, not Northern Lights, they're much prettier). And their soul task in industrial buildings - not 21st century shopping centres - was to let north light into work spaces without creating excessive internal temperatures. Sorry to go on, but that's the context. Now here's the interesting bit: out at Rotherwas there's a former munitions factory (sometimes referred to as the Empty Shell Shed) which has an amazing array of 13 North Lights still intact. But the hapless Skylon Park Enterprise Zone don't know what to do with it and for the last two years have been promising to apply for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant. Form-filling takes a long time up Rotherwas way! A local group called 'Women in War' want it converted into a museum and information centre dedicated to women who worked on the war effort or lost their lives in world conflicts. Skylon want to turn it into an SAS Museum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SON OF GRIDKNOCKER Posted March 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 ...and if you want to 'visit' the ESS without going all the way down to Rotherwas, go to Google Earth and in the top left search box, type in: 'Hereford HR2 6JT, UK' and it will take you there on a magic carpet. The ESS is north-north-east of the centre of the image that comes up, surrounded by trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicroundabout Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 I viewed the new skyline yesterday from a bedroom atop Aylestone Hill by Venn's Lane, The view is panoramic and usually breathtaking with mountains and the Cathedral. The North Lights in the grim grid look pretty ugly and shone out, glinting in the sunshine, adding nothing to beautiful Hereford. The google view of the Rotherwas ESS shows a valuable heritage site which undoubtedly should be preserved and used. BUT honestly, it just does not compare with the ridiculous concrete and leachy red brick mess in Edgar Street with metallic pointy "north lights". The people concerned with the design should be very very ashamed, if there is any justice in our world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 So the person who downvoted my post. Would you care to let me know what it was you disagree with? Was it the that that type of roof design is known as Sawtooth? Is it that you don't agree with the historical facts I present? Do you not think that the roundabout end with the grey slatted blocks does not look unpleasant? Do you disagree that the thread I link wasn't started by myself? Or do you disagree and think that the little street bit (tesco side) looks awful? You know, for the sake of discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twowheelsgood Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Biomech - I think you may be waiting a while for intelligent discourse with the perpertator - I don't like these ridiculous buttons and don't use them. Thye're too easy to abuse. Colin - can you have a rule something like 50 posts before you can use the wretched things? That will at least start to limit the stooges on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted March 6, 2014 Report Share Posted March 6, 2014 Biomech, I shall use my button press to bring you back up! I shall also press up magic roundabout,because I think they were being ironic in their post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted March 7, 2014 Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 I don't mind a downvote - if there is an actual, discussible (I think I just made that up) reason behind it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicroundabout Posted March 7, 2014 Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 Thanks dippy! Was I ironic in my post? Dripping with sarcasm and dare I say it - hatred - for the perpetrators of that dreadful abomination plonked into the middle of Hereford!!! The mall (or The Cattle Market development, as "our" Scott Lahive prefers, on facebook), (Thanks for all the brilliant info megilleland), has it's own body language. It blocks and turns it's back on Hereford and Herefordians, revealing it does not have Hereford interests at heart, as many of us know already. Designed to pull you in to fleece you of hard earned money. ps - Biomech - not me voting you up or down - in case I was a prime suspect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted March 7, 2014 Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 There are folk who log in, yet never leave a comment, on absolutely any subject, as far as I can see. Perhaps in order to wield the red button, you should actually be taking part in the discussion.....!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SON OF GRIDKNOCKER Posted March 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 I agree with Dippy. I don't think Colin needs to run the same sort of despotic regime that exists over on Holmer Road (one imagines jack-booted uniformed women administrators patrolling the comments column all through the night removing subversive posts), but surely it should be possible, electronically, to stop people wandering onto The Voice and just hitting the downward-pointing red arrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby47 Posted March 7, 2014 Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 Buggar the bloody button! Ignore the thing. I've stuck a tiny piece of tape over mine so that I never get tempted to press it. Pull yourselves together! When you've been down in the bloody thirties, then come to me and moan about the button. Until then, until you know how it feels to hit minus thirty rotten nine just ignore the blasted thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted March 7, 2014 Report Share Posted March 7, 2014 ps - Biomech - not me voting you up or down - in case I was a prime suspect! That's ok I blame Pauline.... (just kidding Pauline!) Anyway, probably best not to turn this into another button thread lol So ... the OLM..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hinton Hitman Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 commenting on the red and green button saga, is it not time that only people who use their real names and photos should be allowed to log on, I do agree that voting should be kept secret to stop the odd punch up should you happen to bump in to a red button voter, can you imagine the next get together at Jims pub? a couple of pints and the boys in blue will be offering over night bed and breakfast followed by the friendly people from the licencing office paying a visit.. I of course am immediately recognisable by the glasses and am well known in certain dark areas of the city. As for the new development, you must understand that lots of very well meaning people who know better that the rest of us have worked tirelessly to ensure that we have the best of everything in Hereford, We have all the best supermarkets and charity shops in the area, if you could just forget the lack of cheep parking, state of the roads, the ex military living on the streets and in the woods, ( I think he may have just come out) the loss of facilities such as the free paddling pool, the schools swimming pool, high town, the state of the roads etc etc, then you will see that it has all been done with our best interests at heart. many of them cross the floor of the council chamber and have to drink for medicinal purposes just to cope with the pressure that they suffer just to ensure that we do as they want. Ps vote away, red or green, and if you'd like to leave your name, I am happy to return the compliment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 You get a green press from me this morning - excellent comment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 You must have received a red, because Dippys had been nullified before I added my own lolGreat post though - assuming the reader understands sarcasm :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 No, he didn't!! I forgot to press the button after I had added my comment.....Ooops!! Yet another senior moment! Button pressed now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hinton Hitman Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 Thanks for the votes guys, bit disappointed thought a few red ones would have surfaced by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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