Paul Jones

The Matabeau is another victim of The Cattle Market development. When the City Fathers chose to accept a miserly £1m for Hereford's most valuable piece of real estate, they gave their blessing to a shift in the centre of gravity of Hereford's retail trade. The argument for this seismic shift was that the new development would generate extra trade and this would cascade down to the rest of the city. It was never going to happen. As a consequence, businesses now on the fringe of the central area struggle.

What a load of rubbish! Hereford is busier then ever since the new development opened. 

Loving these photo's keep them coming 

This isn't really anything to do with Hereford University … the clue is in the title.

 Thought that lol 

I don't think the problem was lack of trade.

 

I've used the  Matabeau over the years and more so since I have been retired. I have met a friend there every Wednesday for the last seven years and was always busy in the mornings for breakfasts and often at lunch times we were lucky to find a vacant table . May have been undercharging two delicious crispy cheese and onion rolls and two very large mugs of tea only £5.90.

 

A sad loss to the community.

 

As commentated in earlier posts the name originates from two solicitors and councillors that originally owned it together with most of the area now occupied by Maylord Orchards.

I have seen busy businesses close due to the poor running of a business, so it is not always because they were quite or local competition, sometimes it is down to bad practice behind the scenes.

Petition is worded all wrong in my view.

Prevent Donald Trump from making a State Visit to the United Kingdom.

 

Donald Trump should be allowed to enter the UK in his capacity as head of the US Government, but he should not be invited to make an official State Visit because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen.

 

More details

Donald Trump's well documented misogyny and vulgarity disqualifies him from being received by Her Majesty the Queen or the Prince of Wales. Therefore during the term of his presidency Donald Trump should not be invited to the United Kingdom for an official State Visit.

He has already been officially invited...

I totally agree with him with regards to protecting the US and I blame Angela Merkel for causing all the troubles in Europe, he has already mentioned the mess of Europe with migrants and this was obviously partly what has led him to ban muslims in imo, whether we like it or not. As Teresa May stated, what they do with their borders is their business and what we do with our borders is ours 

Excellent news   

I never said they did not pay for their own trip. but no doubt some money will come out of our tax to pay for something to do with it. 

 

As i said, very few people cares about twinning, ask joe public on the street what towns Hereford are twinned with and most will have no idea.

Well there has been a massive and POSITIVE response on FB, so maybe it is just you. You are never happy with anything but you hate Hereford anyway so I don't know why you even bother to comment because I am yet to see a positive response to any topic from you.

Personally, I think the guys that went on the trip have done a fantastic job in representing Hereford, it is brilliant to see some people really making an effort and I hope that this come to fruition. We have a large Polish community in Hereford with some history from the war, embracing this is a good idea and will strengthen our ties.

While this have nothing to do with Brexit, I do agree that it is not required, we are twinned with some place in France and somewhere in Germany, I do not know, what they are and I bet if you ask the majority of people in Hereford they would not have clue.

 

Twinning is just an excuse for people to jet off to these places. They do nothing for the majority of people in the city.

I didn't expect a sensible answer from you and I see you have not let me down. These people paid for their own trip.

Excuse me for not going into town and sitting in a cafe. If I go into town which is becoming less these i normally do what i have to do and go straight back home, the only time I have a coffee in town these days is when I meet a mate and that is only normally the coffee cart.

 

To be honest, I see no real reason to eat or drink in town unless you are meeting some one. 

So why do you think it is sad for it to close if you see no real reason to eat or drink in town?

May as well close all cafes, restaurants and bars down then.

They should of built more blocks and a few stories higher too in my opinion, they do it all over Europe but not in Hereford, it is no wonder there is a shortage on homes! 

Black & White House, just voted in your poll

Good work here people well done to all   

Paul, a happy New Year to you and yours. To'ther day I read a piece in one of the broadsheets. It was an offering by an Islamic scholar who made an attempt to explain why so many bad things have happened to Germany and other Schengen nations following the migration of the refugees from the Middle East and Africa.

In a nutshell, he says this. The young men are brought up in a very repressive way which forbids sex before marriage. These men, long before they arrive in the West, see western women as figures of decadence and our society is promiscuous. Many cannot reconcile the huge gulf that exists between our culture and theirs, though the vast majority do not do harm.

He says, that these vast majority of men, albeit they've been raised within the same repressive culture, all fully comprehend the difference that exists between the two cultures and are perfectly able to realise that they must change, they must work to understand these differences and they must not behave badly to a woman or do harm to another.

The problem is, he explains, is that some men, brought up within this repressive society, though understanding that they must change and adapt and shouldn't do harm, are so badly desensitised by war, violence, conflict and horror, they've become psychopathic, resulting in the unrestrained mindless acts of violence which they've acted out whilst in the West.

In short, he suggests that a tiny number of men, all brought up within a repressive society, all believing that the West is a decadent society, all affected by violence, arrive in the West, form gangs, which is common when your in a foreign place, the psychopathic damaged men lead, others follow and you've got chaos which I believe is somewhere near to what's actually happened.

Despite the terrible events, I believe it's only a very small number who've acted savagely and that the vast majority who've settled in the West have done no harm.

Paul, I'm not forwarding this for your reading with any intention of causing a fall out and I offer you my warmest regards but, like Ragwert, I believe that these people are the subject of a demonisation that fits neatly into and within our own Western personal fears of Islam and it's Muslim citizens.

I can't say that I agree with this excuse that has been offered, regardless of where you are from everybody knows the difference between right and wrong, I cannot imagine for one second why a gang of youths would want to set fire to a homeless man. This anger from this repressive society would of been best used fighting for their homeland in my view. I also think there is a lot more of this kind of behaviour to come, a lot of these people simply find it difficult to live in a western society and in my view many will never mix. I hope in time things change for the better and people can live together but I think that is all dreamland stuff. Once the Syrian conflict in over then I would like to think that the majority of these people would go back to their country and help rebuild it but I suspect most will stay. 

We all have different views, so with that in mind, I would like to wish you and your family a happy new year.   I have no doubt that this subject will rear its ugly head again in the future Bobby

Story

A truck has crashed into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, according to German police.

Oh yes please!!! 24 hours access is available in many cities nowadays and would be just perfect for me and my work colleagues who work shifts. I hope this opens, no contracts either! 

Me too 

What if the householder was sunbathing naked in a garden?

 

Invasion of privacy?...........................Just asking.

No different to your flying over in a microlight or small plane.

I just signed this petition https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/166968

There was a chap with a blanket sat outside the charity shop in commercial rd about 3 weeks ago on a Thursday night. I nipped into the town centre just to grab fish and chips, while there I thought about this guy and decided to buy him the same. I came out and handed the bag containing fish and chips to him and said thee you go mate enjoy and I was amazed to hear him say cheers but I would of preferred the cash because i have eaten! There is a first and last time for everything.

Slim, unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it. Anyone can hire a Cessna and take as many photos of your neighbours as you like! If you make profit from them that's another issue!

There is an old thread on here about the ins and outs of drone law. Everyone loves a cracking photo tho.

Yes I am in agreement with DILLIGAF and these photographs are excellent nice to see another view of the city

it's not an empty plot! It's presently a double garage serving the house to the left. I've no issue with contemporary design, but this is just too dominant and overpowers the house and garden to the right. The bricks should be red rather than drab grey and the top floor needs to be much lighter in appearance.

Okay there is a garage there but no house is what I meant. Red bricks! Behave, can people not come up with something more modern and more appealing than vile boring red bricks? A rendered home looks much more attractive than red bricks, do you not have any imagination?

This is an empty plot so they are hardly going to build a victorian type house, I too like the modern 21st century feel about this design, we should see more of this imo, good luck to the owners with their planning permission.

i am confused, the top picture of the old Market seat thing is dated March and yet I thought they only just a few weeks back put that seat in. i have heard that it is not in the best place and that someone will fall over it as it is a bit low for some people to see.

 

I did see it quickly as i past the Old market on the bus and it does look out of place.  I tend not to go there if I can help it.

 

As for the pictures not sure if i like the instagram effects,, I suppose i just like pictures to be pictures, but for what they are they look arty, if that is a word.

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I love Instagram and all the filters, I think Colin has just updated the pictures to newer ones on the first topic.

The thing that strikes me as odd is the constant need for the bigger chain pubs to need complete refurbishment.

I know it's a difficult time for pubs in general, but, if you get it right first time...

Does anyone remember the last time places like The Barrels, The Victory, The Britannia last had a major refurb?

Just putting the question out there...

This place is generally very busy, particularly at the weekends, walls need repainting and sometimes repairing, furniture becomes tatty etc. I cannot remember the last time this place was revamped but it is tired looking and in need of a facelift. Good to see the company re-investing in their business.

Access to and from Grandstand Road,also access from onto Newtown Road.

​Lads Club never had any issues,it also has a drinks licence.

And why would someone want to build a pub right next to the lads club?

 

Well to be fair the original pub was there long before the lads club. I personally like the idea of a new pub for Hereford.