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November 23, 2006
What a load of rubbish!
It's the twilight zone and parts of Uxbridge town centre glisten and glitter as the festive season approaches - but have you noticed that the hub of the town still resembles a building site.
Shoppers are greeted by rubble, dirt, dust, noise and unsightly barricades as they start the month long Christmas present hunt.
The improvements to the town centre are all well and good but the timing is quite frankly awful.
It seems to me a massive own goal has been scored in that the work around the centre of the town is still not finished at this vital time of the year for traders. The current unsightly mess hardly encourages shoppers or puts them in a festive mood as they trudge around the High Street looking for Auntie Mabel and Uncle Tom's presents.
The sparkling town centre Christmas tree looks a forlorn sight clouded by a haze of dust and surrounded by piles of bricks - which shoppers have to navigate as they go about their daily present hunting.
I am sure it will all look wonderful WHEN it's completed but surely the summer was the time to get this work done and dusted and not during cold, wet blustery days in the run up to Christmas.
PS: It's only day one but already my fears for England in the Ashes battle are starting to ring true. As I look at my computer Australia are 317 for 3 and Pietersen is bowling! - not the start we were hoping for. I will continue to remain optimistic for the time being but I am not sure there will be a great deal of Ashes fever in Gazette House this morning. Bring back Monty!.
Posted by aseal at November 23, 2006 7:33 AM
Comments...
Adrian,
I hope you remember me, and the great times at The Bracknell News. I'm now working in Bangkok, Thailand as Executive Manager for a publishing company - a far cry from the first job in the media you gave me as trainee photographer. You're the one to blame!
Anyway, if anyone wants a break from Christmas you should consider coming to Thailand. I've only heard one Christmas song so far and just one of the main shopping centres has any kind of decorations. That's because 97 per cent of Thai people are buddhists - even Christmas Day here isn't a public holiday.
Anyway, good to see you're still around. Keep in touch.
Andrew.
Comment posted by: Andrew Batt at November 23, 2006 10:43 AM
It's always good to hear from old colleagues, especially those who are doing well for themselves. Thailand sounds a more attractive proposition for Christmas than Uxbridge!.
Comment posted by: Adrian Seal at November 23, 2006 11:05 AM