Clarkester

I was one Ragwert! For ten years I lived just along the road from the Moorfields, I'm sure since it shut the rest of Moorfield Street's residents have loved not having running battles up and down the road, or drunk people tipping bins over, or hanging baskets being either pinched or destroyed...

I spent a fair portion of my youth freezing my feet on the cold, cold concrete of the Meadow End and I can honestly say hearing the older chaps berating the officials, opposition players, opposition fans and on occasion our own players, with rather fruity language didn't upset me one bit. In fact, quite the opposite, myself and my mates used to howl with laughter at some of the better calls. And I turned out alright-ish. I stand with Bobby on this one, people can be a little over-sensitive these days. I would agree though, in school and youth football it should not be tolerated at all.

I don't see this as a negative subject. It's a discussion as to the state of the city centre. If there are x number of shops empty, then there are x number of shops empty. It can make for a very depressing wander around the centre of town, but it still does not mean that we should avoid discussing it. As for the shops that Ragwert lists as under offer or let, how many of these will actually come to fruition? There have been plenty of offers put in for shops in the past that not come to anything... Add to that those that do open up and close down after the initial lease period has expired. That said, if the number of empty units is decreasing, and continues to do so, then that has to be good news, long may it continue. For my part, I wish there were more sports shops around, like there were in the 1980's. The whole jumble sale feel of Sports Direct leaves me a bit cold, and Club Sport is a tad pricey for my wallet. <Dream sequence...> I remember fondly the days of Ellis's, Sports Gear and Wear, Jennings, Jessons, Joe Wade and Feet First.... <aaahhh... Happy days...>

Is it just me, or does anybody else find it a bit distasteful to read so many comments from people saying "I told you so..." In all fairness, everybody knew that there would be more terror attacks all over Europe and the world, we really don't need to read bout how right you all are. Sorry, you're all very clever, but I'd rather put my thoughts towards the dead, wounded and their loved ones.

I know that Victor, I was just being pedantic!

But that is a list of when they are open...

The price isn't really the point, Ragwert, the fact that they are selling clothes which "boast" real fur trim bothers me far more.

I know that I am not alone when I say that I will not be rushing to shop in this store. What with the extraordinarily high prices, and their product line consisting of coats trimmed with fox, raccoon and coyote fur...

I feel I must disagree Mr TVicar... Two mini-roundabouts in question, Grandstand / Yazor Road and Top of Aylestone Hill... If you are travelling along Grandstand Road in either direction and you carry on along Grandstand Road at the roundabout with Yazor Road, surely, you are going straight ahead?And , if you are travelling along Aylestone hill (A465), when you get to the roundabout withVenns Lane and you continue along on the A465, you are going straight ahead...

Yeah...... But, that boxing match between Ricky Gervais and Grant Bovey back in the early 2000's was worth a watch though... Celebrity reality televisual gold, that was... One overweight man hitting a not overweight man while confused onlookers shouted advice/abuse... Cultural highpoint right there, we have, as a race of people been on a downward slope ever since! I blame Lew Grade... Probably.

It's good to see it looking like a Swift again, rather than the sorry state it had slowly drifted into. I always felt a bit sorry for it when visiting Sheppards. On a related note, does anybody know what happened to the De Havilland Vampire that used to be in front of the ATC building on Eign Road?

Nah, We pretty much gave all the steel to the Chinese in the late '90's. Followed quickly by all t he machinery to make more at a (for them) bargain price... So, does anybody know where we can get any steel from now? Back to the roads point, after spending time in Thailand, they also have a refreshing "Get the job done" attitude to road repair... None of this coning off lanes for half a mile either side, oh no... Just plonk a Daihastsu pickup with tape around it (don't worry about the tape if you haven't got any) and get two blokes to fix whatever the problem was. Done in two hours... Saw a brilliant overhead cable repair done in that fashion with scaffolding on the back of the pickup, no cones, no closed road, people just using common sense (sort of) In answer to the question though: How long does it take to get our roads repaired? Judging by the experiment in reverse road building on Barrs Court Road... Forever... Or longer.

When I first heard about the tram idea, using Great Western Way, I have to be honest, I thought the same as Adrian. That it would not get the use as it was too restrictive a route. But... Having seen the plans for an extended route, my mind was changed, and I am now hopeful that one day it will come to fruition. Hopeful... I cannot see "The powers that be" ever going for it though. Too much change, not enough new housing, no new roads... They'll never go for it. Back to bus prices though, So fed up are the Clarkester's with the new prices, plus having to get up so early just to do a 3 mile trip to school, that I am putting my scooter back on the road, changing my working times and planning to take Clarkester the younger to school myself. So, great work by the council and Yoemans, another public transport customer lost, and another vehicle on the roads at rush hour. Good work.

My son catches the bus to school, from Yazor Road to the colleges to go to Aylestone School. Until the week before half-term he could purchase a ticket that lasted a week for £10. This morning when catching the bus he was informed that it had risen to £12... That is a nice big increase to dump on unsuspecting passengers, there had been no notices on the busses that we have seen. And goes to explain why there are usually only 2 or 3 other people on the bus each morning when he catches it.

Other colour Tac's are available...

I think that once finished, it will look pretty good, a modern design amidst its older neighbours. Old houses are all very well, but it is 2016 now, and better to have a nice, new house rather than just a big empty, overgrown space. Artists impressions rarely look like the finished building. Look at the flats where Greyfriars Restaurant was. The drawings looked awful, but now it's built, it looks pretty spectacular, and its neighbours? Old houses...

And you can thank the highly paid (pay the best to get the best) executives at Wye Valley NHS Trust for their brilliant negotiating when the PFI contract was first set up. Not one penny of parking revenue goes back into the hospital or the NHS Trust. Mercia Healthcare and Car Parking Plus, on the other hand, are making a not-so-small fortune. Which is, frankly, disgusting. Any guesses how much they have taken from staff, visitors and patients? It won't be a trifling amount, that I would bet on.

Sorry IPusseyCat, it's me, not you! You are right of course, there will be chaos. Add to that, the inevitable accident somewhere along any number of routes and there will be traffic chaos of epic proportions. I think somebody should monitor the traffic news and be prepared with a hot food stand... Hot dogs, or something like that... Or, maybe turkey rolls and (non-alcoholic) mulled wine. Ooh, festive!

Without wishing to stray off the point of the topic, surely Center is the American-English way of spelling Centre? Apologies if I'm wrong. Let's get back to the chaos discussion.

I know i'm being pedantic and irritating, but is there any way somebody could change the thread title to "Centre" rather than "Center." I know, i know, I should get a life, but it's spelt wrongly... Sorry.

Because AV... Because. You know it will. Everything does.

Also recently, whilst out on a bike ride, I was coming back into Hereford up Aylestone Hill, just past Aylestone Park on the way into town a cycle lane has been created. Parked half on the cycle lane and half on the pavement was... A driving instructor... I didn't catch the name, but it was a gunmetal grey car, I think a Nissan Micra... So... Standards are being kept nice and high for our learner drivers!

I notice in the news and press that the fine and penalty points for using a mobile phone whilst driving, is due to increase next year. I'm sure most people will agree that this is a good thing, even though there seems to be little enforcement of the law by our boys and girls in blue. The point to this post? Ah yes, that... I was waiting to cross Yazor Road in Hereford today (Thursday 29th September 2016) at approximately 12:50, one of the cars passing me was a rather distinctively decorated driving instructors car, complete with personalised registration (nice touch.) As she, oops sorry, as the car passed me by, I noticed the driver, with one hand on the wheel, the other down by their side was doing a marvellous "nodding dog" impression, something down on her, or his (her) lap was taking up quite a good percentage of attention away from the road, that's for sure. What chance do we have to expect people to resist the urge to use their mobiles whilst driving when a driving instructor is quite prepared to openly do just that?! Still, it was probably important, wasn't it?

Plus... The population of the UK is roughly 20 million higher than that of Spain. and the UK is less than half the size. So, there are likely to be more people that are genuinely disabled in the UK compared to Spain.

That is a challenge that I cannot see any politician wanting to take on. A complete overhaul of disability benefits? That, right there, is a lost election! However needed it may be.