The Planning Committee of Erewash Borough Council last week gave the go ahead for a Morrison's supermarket to be built in Ilkeston. Whilst I welcome the prospect of a Morrison's in the town, I can't help but feel that the logic of the decision is somewhat warped. The idea that building a new college on the former Magistrate's Court site and attracting 800 students plus 200 staff there will revitalise the town centre is something of a forlorn hope as the new supermarket to be built where the existing college stands will only succeed in drawing shoppers out of the middle of the town. With Tesco's and Aldi at the bottom of Bath Street and Marks and Spencer's, Argos and others on the Waterside Retail Park off Station Road also already taking people away from the traditional shopping areas, the construction of the Morrison's store will only exacerbate the situation.
The Annual Charter Fair last week shows exactly what is needed to revitalise the town - an attraction in the town centre. Some people do not welcome the annual event but it doesn't take a genius to see the number of people that are drawn into the town when it is being held each October. The answer is surely obvious. To revitalise the town centre there needs to be something there to bring the people in. Development on the edge will not do this - but I am pleased that in the future we won't have to travel out of town any more to shop at Morrison's.
I must start with a thank you to all those who participated in the vote for the next monthly series on the Ilkeston Cam (www.ilkcam.com) site. To be perfectly truthful the vote was somewhat flawed in that it pitted one city walk against two town walks, a number of individual village trails and numerous country walks. On face value the country walks topped the poll with the city walk a close second but if all the votes cast for the town and village trails are added together, then the the vote share was roughly equally spread with about a third for each category.
From a practical point of view the city walk is the easiest to plan for and better suited to a monthly series than the country walks so my plans for 2010 mean that I have opted for the Derby Heritage Walk which will feature on the site during the third or fourth week of each month. I will continue to cover the usual annual events like the Walk of Witness at Easter, Carnivals and Fairs etcetera but will pull in as many country walks as possible on an ad hoc basis. I may also add a town walk with Long Eaton being the most likely or perhaps a village trail around Little Eaton which attracted most votes from the villages listed. I also hope to continue with the First Impressions series which has presently stalled at the end of Millership Way.
All in all it looks as though I have a busy year ahead, planning routes, researching information and taking the photos but I'd like to think you'll join me each week as we explore more of the East Midlands in and around Ilkeston. So with that in mind let me wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. - Steve Jobs (1955 - )
The object of this exercise was to decide on a new monthly series to begin in the New Year but one benefit I didn't expect was that it forced me into rationalising all the leaflets I have accumulated and put them into relevant categories.
I've already discussed the options of cities, towns and villages so all that remains can best be described as "Country Walks". The vast majority of the leaflets I have collected at various times fall into this category with at least twenty walks described in the Erewash area, another eighteen in Amber Valley to the north plus getting on for another dozen in Broxtowe to the east. Some of the walks cover only short distances and could easily be accomplished in one week's images but other longer walks would need a longer period to do them justice.
I will of course be going just where the fancy takes me most of the time and showing the results on the site but I am planning for a regular series (or two) to be featured the same week each month so now it's over to you. Please make your preference known to me by casting your vote on the home page of Ilkeston Cam. Note that although your vote is recorded it may not appear straight away as the results are only updated every hour.
Life is like getting dropped off in the middle of the woods, and then year by year, gradually walking home. - April Foiles
Last week I started to outline some of the choices and options for a new monthly series and suggested a look at Derby's heritage as the first possibility. The second option is a photographic tour of a local town similar to the Ilkeston Town Walk I conducted a few years ago.
In this category there are two contenders - Long Eaton and Belper. Among all those leaflets I mentioned last week, I have one first published in 1995 detailing a route and identifying places of interest for Long Eaton, the second in a series of which the first was the "Ilkeston Town Walk". Although this is nearly fifteen years old and there are bound to be some changes, much of the information contained in the leaflet is still current and would easily form the basis of a series.
For Belper I have two "Heritage Walk" routes published in 2006 as part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and these could easily be combined to form a circuit around the town.
So that's Derby, Long Eaton or Belper and next week I'll outline some of the villages that also come into the equation.
Everything you do in life, every choice you make, has a consequence. When you do things without thinkin', then you ain't makin' the choice. The choice is makin' you. - Mark Steven Johnson
This week sees the conclusion of the "Lock To Lock" series on the Latest Images page at Ilkeston Cam. Apart from the "Trees of Victoria Park" which is also nearing completion, the only other outstanding series is titled "First Impressions" and this is really a stop gap or fill in strategy for when there is nothing else of interest taking place. I am therefore looking for a new subject for a monthly series to add to the site.
Over the years I have accumulated a number of leaflets and brochures which have in the past provided me with the basis for the "Special Features" section of this site. These have included Village Trails, Town Walks and many other miscellaneous items. I now have several options so I decided to make a list before devising a plan of action, I was surprised by the amount of choice open to me. I will summarise some of the options here as time goes by. Any feedback or suggestions would be welcome either by email, in the guestbook or by comment here on the Blog.
Among those leaflets and brochures there is a fistful from the county town of Derby (above) detailing its heritage buildings, several city centre walks and a mini-guide. I would hope to combine all of these into a route to encompass most of the places of interest similar to the already completed "Historic Nottingham" series.
Next week, I'll list some of the possible Town Walks for your consideration and follow that with some Village Trails but if you have any ideas in the meantime, don't hesitate to contact me.
Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood...Make big plans, aim high in hope and work. - Daniel H. Burnham (1846 - 1912)
Ilkeston Fair was still in full swing when I captured this image outside a local fruit and vegetable shop where preparations were already in hand for the forthcoming event of Halloween with pumpkins being prominently displayed outside.
I'm not sure quite why or how the witching hour on October 31st and all the associated activities of Trick or Treating, dressing in spooky costumes and pumpkin carving has become so popular in recent years but suspect the commercial opportunities it presents have a lot to do with it. Never mind, the shops are already filing up with Christmas produce and I expect Cream Eggs for Easter to be on sale any day now.
Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster. Your life will never be the same again. - Og Mandino (1923 - 1996)
