Last updated at 10:10, Friday, 05 March 2010

 Friday, Feb 5, 10am

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone - Mark Vollers, owner of the Lakeland Coastal Aquarium, Maryport Town Council and Maryport Development Ltd for finding a solution to save Shiver Me Timbers.

I think everyone went into discussions on Thursday night knowing what an emotive issue this playground is. There is overwhelming support for this playground. In fact, when it was first revealed that it was at risk of closing, about two years ago, I went up to Ewanrigg Junior School and spoke to parents there. They don't have a playground and, without exception, said they would sacrifice one in their own area for the one at the harbour.

That is putting your money where your mouth is1

Allerdale has shown that it would be keen to see something new built on the Wave, in connunction with Carlisle Leisure. I hope that politics is not going to get in the way of any future discussion about Shiver Me Timbers and that everyone will learn from last night's meeting and work together to keep what is such a wonderful facilitty for the people of Maryport and those who visit.

Thursday, Feb 25. 2.35pm

It's Thursday afternoon and, from my window, I can't see anyone on the street.

I've done numerous stories on how quiet Maryport is and how traders are suffering but perhaps it is time to stop.

If we talk Maryport down nobody is going to want to come here.

Parking HAS gone up and is a lot more expensive that it used to be. but there is still parking on Mill St car park and it's no more expensive than anywhere in Workington.

Before I ever came to work in Maryport the big Senhouse St pedestrianisation scheme was being discussed. Everytime I picked up the Times & Star leading businessmen in the town were telling me that there was no parking, the town was dead etc. I lived in Flimby and never bothered to come into Maryport because of that publicity.

It wasn't the reporter's fault! He was reporting the news as it was.

Maybe if we started flagging up what WAS available in the town it would bring people in.

And what will be available in the town from Monday on is the Golden Lion Hotel. It is so worth seeing.Come and have a look - and while you are here check out the other businesses in the town centre!

FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH!

I don't know if it is bad luck or just bad management but I'm tired this morning!

But I am not writing about me or the unlucky 13th - I am writing about something much more serious. Christmas is almost here.

We've got the lights switch on and Christmas festival on the 21st and this year local retailers have all been invited to have stalls own at the Wave to give us a chance to shop local for Christmas. If you can't buy on the day at least have a good look around at what Maryport has to offer because it may be a bit more than you think.

The opening of the Factory Shop on December 1 might tempt you to take a look around your own town before you go and shop elsewhere.

We want Maryport to reach its full potential and the only way we can do that is to support it ourselves.

FRIDAY, October 30

There's a really good feeling about Maryport at the moment.

The Golden Lion is looking terrific, the fishmongers has branched out and is selling cakes and pies from the Cottage Pie in Dearham, Jollies is being done up and The factory Shop will open on December 1.

I know life is still a bit of a struggle for some of those businesses hit by a recession but maybe there is a flicker of light at the end of the tunnel.

Let's shop locally as much as we can this Christmas the the light will shine even brighter!

YOU can't get a park up our end of town these days but who's complaining!

There are so many work vans around and so many people doing so much work that it would be hard to tell there's a recession here.

Buildings are being spruced up or completely renovated, the handrail is about to be installed on the newly-finished Shipping Brow, work on the Golden Lion is progressing and the Carlton will open tomorrow (Saturday). Go and see it. It is beautiful!

On Wednesday a meeting is being held at Her Citi at 6.30pm for all the retailers and businesses of the town. I'm sure many of you will be thinking you've heard it all before and you probably have. But  Maryport is going to be going forward and the businesses and shops want to go forward with them.

Give it one more try. Go to this meeting and, if you don't like it, you don't have to go to another!

MONDAY, APRIL 27

The new options for the Maryport Harbour masterplan have just been revealed.

If it goes ahead, this plan is going to change the face of Maryport forever and already some people are wondering if that will be for the worse of the better.

Everyone I have spoken to has agreed that impounding the water in the harbour is a must for any further tourist development  and I have yet to meet anyone who disagrees with the idea.

What happens on the harbour sides is a different story. There is real concern that Maryport will be "selling out" to big business.

The developers have already made it clear that there will have to be private enterprise if the masterplan is to succeed.

But private enterprise does NOT mean a big new hotel that would compete with local businesses or housing developments that nobody local would ever be able to afford.

And, as with every plan for Maryport, we cannot neglect the shopping centre. Without decent shops nobody is going to spend more than five minutes here.

There's a lot to think about. But don't just think. You have from 10am to 7pm tomorrow (Tuesday) to have your say. Go to the Wave and give an informed opinion. Our future depends on it.

TUESDAY, APRIL 14

Was there anywhere better to be over Easter weekend than Maryport?

I went to Shiver Me Timbers playground with two young children on Monday. The bouncy castles and slides were there and I paid £1.50 each for a 10 minute go which must have lasted half an hour. The people running the bouncy equipment were fantastic. The older children there were courteous and careful of the younger ones and the whole thing was a very pleasant experience.

We moved from there to the playground itself and I thought again what a crime it would be if we lost tis wonderful and unique facility.

People wer sitting on the harbour wall enjoying the sunshine and Maryport, despite the roadworks, had a real seaside feel about it.

We HAVE to impound the water in the harbour because the only thing that spoils the town is the mud flats that are exposed when the tide goes out.

TUESDAY, MARCH 31

Go and see Spend, Spend, Spend!

I attended the opening night of Maryport Amateur Operatic and dramatic Society's production at The Wave and it was embarrassing to see how few people were there. It's a real shame. We are lucky to have a flourishing and talented amateur dramatic society in the town and we should be supporting it.

Having said that, I don't think we should go to Spend, Spend, Spend out of charity. Go because it is a really excellent show with some fantastic performances, good music and a mixture of comedy and tragedy. It tells the story of Viv Nicholson, the woman who won a fortune on the pools in 1961 and then spent it all.

Tickets ae available at the Wave Centre. Do yourself a favour and buy one now!

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1.15PM

The carnival is over - for this year at least.

What a sign of the times it is. The carnival has been cancelled because of a lack of support.

Welcome to the 21st century. Groups and organisations are struggling all over the place because there are not enough people to help out. Everyone is too busy in the modern world.

I think that is rubbish. We have computers for instanst communication, we have instand food and instant everything. We must surely have more leisure time than we ever have before. So the truth is not that we don't have time but that we live in a worl where everyone leaves everything to someone else. And so the few who are willing to help get the jobs to do and eventually it becomes too much for them.

I'm as much to blame as anyone. I belonged to so many organisations when I lived in New Zealand but I have "retired" now, telling myself I've done my bit. - and maybe I have.

But maybe me - and you - can't sit back and watch Maryport decline just because we can't be bothered.

Thursday, March 12, 4pm

Tomorrow’s Times & Star will contain news of further delays to the drainage works on Ellenborough Road and the affect this is likely to have on Easter visitors to the town.
It’s not good news despite the fact that the road closures up there are vital if people are to have safe sanitation that does not overflow every time it rains.
I’ve spoken to tourist operators who say they are concerned that visitors may be put off coming and people who say that it is not the road closures but bad road signs that are stopping visitors.
Signs on the A66 would almost indicate that Maryport is closed for business.
I’ve asked the questions and written the stories and reflected the misery some people are feeling.
But let’s be careful - you and I - about what we say.
Before I came to work in Maryport I never came here, despite the fact that I live only a couple of miles away. I didn’t come because every time I picked up the T&S I would read about retailers complaining about Senhouse Street and the proposed pedestrianisation.
From everything I read, I assumed that negotiating Maryport was a nightmare and finding a park an impossibility.
The truth, as I discovered when I took up residence in the Senhouse Street office of the Times & Star was very different.
Parking is not abundant but the Mill Street car park is probably the cheapest in the district at 45p an hour or £1.50 for 24 hours. Compare that to Workington. There are also - if you get here at the right time - parks behind Senhouse Street with two hours of free time available.
Senhouse Street itself does not lend itself to boy racers, which is a good thing, but is quite easily negotiated as long as idiots are not parked on the opposite side of the road to parking bays.
Maybe it is time we started talking Maryport up. Maybe we can look at Shipping Brow and see that the work being done there is actually going to beautify that part of town. The Carlton is due to re-open as a new business venture at Easter and the Golden Lion is being done up. Many of our shop frontages are looking good thanks to the Allerdale town heritage initiative.
Business isn’t the best but then where is it good in this economic recession.
Let’s start talking about Maryport like it is the best place to be and then maybe people will want to negotiate the road works and come here anyway!

Monday March 9, 10.5am

My heart goes out to Jade Goody.

I can say, hand on heart, that I have never watched a television show in which she featured or bought a magazine because she was on the cover. All I know about her is what I have heard on the news.

The poor girl is dying of cancer and leaving two children behind her. How impossibly, unbearably hard can that be.

But on top of it all, she has to deal with some nutter with a hammer threatening her.

I've heard people scorn her for making her illness, for making her dying, so public. People have bitterly objected that their loved ones had died with "dignity" and not used terminal illness as a chance to make money.

You know what, I would do exactly the same! If I was leaving two small children behind I would be doing my best to make sure that I could

do everything in my power to meet any material need they might have. I would be wanting to leave them enough for an education and for a roof over their heads as long as they needed it. If anyone was prepared to give me money for my story and I would sell it with no hesitation.

Of course, Jade cannot leave her children the one thing they will need after she's gone. She cannot really leave her love or her emotional support. But she can leave them memories and no matter how turbulent her public life was, she seems to have loved her kids - and that's all they need to know.

Thursday, March 5, 11.40am

GOOD news from Allerdale council - they are freezing parking charges for a year.

The council's executive came up with a plan to raise some cash by bringing charges into line with other places which could have resulted in an increase of somewhere around 200 per cent! Thank goodness common sense has prevailed!

Now all we have to do is wait for the council to POSITIVELY encourage trade by allowing at least 30 minutes free parking in Maryport's car parks, anyway. That would help bring people back into town I am sure!

Monday, March 2, 9.05am

Maybe Maryport could become the destination for Scottish booze  cruises.

I saw on the news today that the Scottish Government is to look at raising the price of alcohol and ban store promotions in an effort to cut down on the country's drink problem.

I don't see the point, especially for those living on the borders who could just as easily shop in Carlisle as in Scotland.

But maybe we could get involved. Offer weekend breaks to Maryport - visit our tourist attractions, cut price accommodation and a visit to the booze barn which could be set up in Woolworths' old building.

I am joking but then I think this whole thing is a joke.

I don't care if the supermarkets get their hands smacked for practically giving away alcohol but what about the small shops already struggling? And how will it work? It seems to me only part of the country - the far north - will be penalised unless we introduce border guards to stop forays into England to buy still available cheap booze.

Britain (all of Britain) is the only country in the world where the Government is blamed for everything including people's eating and drinking habits.  It is also probably the most nannied country I have ever lived in.!

If Governments want to do something helpful, throw money into education and teach role models like our footballers to lead by example!

First published at 11:46, Friday, 20 February 2009
Published by http://www.maryportlocal.co.uk