Re: Dewsbury move question? : Fri Jul 21, 2017 8:57 am  

Well said Jinjer. Visit Canterbury regularly, and even there one comes across drunks etc. Wakefield nowhere near as bad as many towns and cities. I am 66 and agree restaurant and bar scene has improved enormously.

Re: Dewsbury move question? : Fri Jul 21, 2017 9:16 am  

JINJER wrote:

Sorry PB got to take you to task there, unfortunately a lot of people seem to get pleasure in talking Wakefield down but I'm not one of them, take away the Newmarket debacle and this is how I see it.
Yes the precinct up to the cathedral is a pig to look at, but.
We have the east Wakefield relief road.
We have the award winning Hepworth.
The Ings road out of town shops have had a great facelift.
Kirkgate station is a hundred times better than it was five years since.
The eyesores on the Kirkgate roundabout are being demolished.
The roundabout itself is getting filled in and the road layout changed hopefully for the better.
There are plans in the near future for phase three I believe it's called for the area from the roundabout on Kirkgate up to close to the Weatherspoons to be flattened and redeveloped.
The Ridings is getting a facelift on the bottom and top floors.
The Bull ring area like it or not looks miles better with the buildings getting spruced up and the fountains.
The awful carbuncle that is the market is going to be replaced by a cinema and food outlets.
We have the Trinity shopping centre which always seems full..
The bars/ restaurants in the town centre just go from strength to strength, there are now four or five bars that do a fair quality cocktail.
If you stand in he middle of the Unity car park you don't have to walk more than 30m to get to 8 quality bars.
Eating out is getting much better in the city centre, long gone are the days of kebabs/curries as the main dish.
My daughter used to live in Leeds, she's been back in Normy for three or four years and loves Wakey as a good cheap alternative to Leeds, not instead of but as well as. A few weeks since a dozen or so of her mixed group Leeds friends came into Wakey with my daughter, just for a change, they loved every minute of it, no trouble, not full of 16yr olds getting smashed and wanting to scrap, just a damn good night. One of the group mentioned to my daughter that they couldn't believe Wakey had such a nice vibe and far more upmarket bars than they expected.
Wakey isn't a third world country, OK it's not perfect but which city, large town is. It just needs people to see that the Wakey glass is half full and not half empty.
End of rant!

Im with you on this one Jinjer - Kirkgate and that bottom end of the precinct is an armpit but the rest of Wakey is on the rise.

I never used to go out in Wakefield because it was pretty much one enormous dive - no food that wasnt a pizza or kebab, pubs and clubs that you wiped your feet on the way out of, drunken louts carrying on in the streets etc.

Now though the area round the theatre is full of great drinking places, we have a quality live music venue and some of the best (and cheapest) restaurants I've been to anywhere. Even the Strafford has had a facelift!

Very pleased with the direction of travel in that regard.

Re: Dewsbury move question? : Fri Jul 21, 2017 9:17 am  

Having read some of the posts on here, I do agree on some of the points raised by Prince Buster, but also agree on some of the points raised by Jinger, regarding re generation of the city centre.

There is a lot of empty and to let signs around that do nothing for the profile, but at the same time, some of the places to eat and drink are going more upmarket.

If we could clean some of those areas up that are mentioned, plus look at litter, could look a much better place.

Someone else also mentioned moving to sunnier and warmer climates. We lived in Malta for just short of 4 years, and it was a great lifestyle, and anyone wishing to do that, I would highly recommend it. Sitting in the local square on Christmas Eve, in shorts and tshirt, having a beer, or walking out of your office overlooking the Med or Valetta skyline was a great feeling.

Bins emptied every day and no council tax fees. When needed the healthcare was also first class.

Parents thought we were totally mad in coming back, but we did. Only really missed family and the North Stand

Re: Dewsbury move question? : Fri Jul 21, 2017 9:30 am  

I respect what jinjer says, we go back a far way and probably have different views. I also agree with jinjers points but for every good point there is a bad point (Old ABC Cinema etc).

However I also remember the place when it was a a terrific vibrant City with Tiffs and pubs like the mitre. I suppose those days are long gone and will never return. However I still think Wakey is a shadow of its former self.

Re: Dewsbury move question? : Fri Jul 21, 2017 9:42 am  

I grew up in South East London, Wakefield town centre might not be Knightsbridge but it isn't Peckham Rye or Catford either. It is certainly no worse than comparable sized city centres. Some good new shops popped up and making a go of things - Wah Wah records enough to get me in to town most weeks. Don't drink anymore but seems to be a great pub scene and plenty of live music on. People don't like change, no keen on it myself but what has changed isn't coming back.

As for Trinity - not going anywhere and not changing name. Worse case scenario play at Dewsbury or Fev as a Championship team for the next few years. Refuse to believe the new ground is dead, think the council's hand will now be forced. Oi Box - just underwrite a loan and lets get the thing built.

Re: Dewsbury move question? : Fri Jul 21, 2017 10:02 am  

JINJER wrote:

Sorry PB got to take you to task there, unfortunately a lot of people seem to get pleasure in talking Wakefield down but I'm not one of them, take away the Newmarket debacle and this is how I see it.
Yes the precinct up to the cathedral is a pig to look at, but.
We have the east Wakefield relief road.
We have the award winning Hepworth.
The Ings road out of town shops have had a great facelift.
Kirkgate station is a hundred times better than it was five years since.
The eyesores on the Kirkgate roundabout are being demolished.
The roundabout itself is getting filled in and the road layout changed hopefully for the better.
There are plans in the near future for phase three I believe it's called for the area from the roundabout on Kirkgate up to close to the Weatherspoons to be flattened and redeveloped.
The Ridings is getting a facelift on the bottom and top floors.
The Bull ring area like it or not looks miles better with the buildings getting spruced up and the fountains.
The awful carbuncle that is the market is going to be replaced by a cinema and food outlets.
We have the Trinity shopping centre which always seems full..
The bars/ restaurants in the town centre just go from strength to strength, there are now four or five bars that do a fair quality cocktail.
If you stand in he middle of the Unity car park you don't have to walk more than 30m to get to 8 quality bars.
Eating out is getting much better in the city centre, long gone are the days of kebabs/curries as the main dish.
My daughter used to live in Leeds, she's been back in Normy for three or four years and loves Wakey as a good cheap alternative to Leeds, not instead of but as well as. A few weeks since a dozen or so of her mixed group Leeds friends came into Wakey with my daughter, just for a change, they loved every minute of it, no trouble, not full of 16yr olds getting smashed and wanting to scrap, just a damn good night. One of the group mentioned to my daughter that they couldn't believe Wakey had such a nice vibe and far more upmarket bars than they expected.
Wakey isn't a third world country, OK it's not perfect but which city, large town is. It just needs people to see that the Wakey glass is half full and not half empty.
End of rant!

You can chuck in the Wakefield One development with the new library and museum, the imporvements to the civic quarter, new rail and bus stations in recent times along with the hospital and college upgrades and the current extension to the theatre royal. The introduction of the Wakefield BID to improve the look of the place will be a major benefit to the appearance of the place as well, they have just appointed their first CEO and things will start to be notice shortly. Once Kirkgate is done the old place will be looking ok, sadly empty shops is just a sign of modern times and the online shopping as has been mentioned.

Re: Dewsbury move question? : Fri Jul 21, 2017 10:36 am  

Sacred Cow wrote:

You can chuck in the Wakefield One development with the new library and museum, the imporvements to the civic quarter, new rail and bus stations in recent times along with the hospital and college upgrades and the current extension to the theatre royal. The introduction of the Wakefield BID to improve the look of the place will be a major benefit to the appearance of the place as well, they have just appointed their first CEO and things will start to be notice shortly. Once Kirkgate is done the old place will be looking ok, sadly empty shops is just a sign of modern times and the online shopping as has been mentioned.

Couldn't remember the name of Wakefield one till you mentioned it, and couldn't be arsed finishing my rant to find it!
Plus to add to my rant we also have for the less able a FREE bus that does off the top of my head.
Kirkgate station> The Hepworth>all the stops on Ings road>round Cineworld>west gate>Westgate station>through town to the bus station.

Re: Dewsbury move question? : Fri Jul 21, 2017 10:36 am  

financialtimes wrote:

Surely by definitions, English is European? Or has the British isle managed to migrate off the European tectonic plate on to another continent?

Who knows what goes on in snowie's world

Re: Dewsbury move question? : Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:00 am  

Prince Buster wrote:

and pubs like the mitre. .

Re: Dewsbury move question? : Fri Jul 21, 2017 11:02 am  

Prince Buster wrote:

I respect what jinjer says, we go back a far way and probably have different views. I also agree with jinjers points but for every good point there is a bad point (Old ABC Cinema etc).

However I also remember the place when it was a a terrific vibrant City with Tiffs and pubs like the mitre. I suppose those days are long gone and will never return. However I still think Wakey is a shadow of its former self.

I think PB that the old ABC comes under phase three.

Regarding the "good old days" I had them, did the Tiffs, Mitre etc but as you say those days are gone, and that's the same for all towns and cities. Cities need to reinvent themselves as Manchester and more so Leeds have done, two incredibly vibrant cities. OK, we're probably ten years behind Leeds but at least the change has begun.
Everything (thankfully) is being stripped back in cities, no more is it compulsory to sit in bland stainless steel decorated bars, it's brick, mortar, wooden benches and a drinking pub style character. Plenty of options with Craft beer/Real ale/Homebrew which ever you want to call it.
We go into town regularly, we did good Friday this year, pubs nicely full, not full of knobs, stayed round Unity area till probably midnight, it felt safe as houses walking to the taxi rank.
A serious question Dave and not being arsey but when was the last time you went round the Unity part of Wakefield?
It was about five years since I was persuaded to give it ago and was relatively surprised, up to then I hadn't been in town for a night out for probably ten years.
If we need another SWAG meeting we ought to do that part of town.