The "how On Earth Are They Still Here" Thread

[Andy Brown]

After having a wander up and down our commercially starved front street, has anyone else noticed the number of businesses in Bedlington who seem to be surviving and have been for some number of years, but can not name anyone who has used their services ??

I am talking mainly about the shops such as :-

Penny Farthing - next to the Wharton

The Jewellers

The "takeaway" next to the booze shop

Tallantyres

The opticians

The shoe repairers

Johnsons shoe shop

The double glazing company next to Ian Bells

(some more I just thought of)

The carpet shop (next to Moby Dicks)

The Light Studio

Of course to really survive in Bedlington you need to be either a hairdresser, estate agent, fast food joint or a solicitor, can anyone else think of other businesses who have survived but never seem to attract customers ?

[threegee]

This is so true!

It's impossible to say why. But it is possible to say that it's all despite WDC, and it's despite the Uniform Business Rate too. I suppose the UBR is recognition - from the top (of either party) - that if it was up to WDC to set the rate there'd be even less commerce; so it's probably a small mercy.

Nevertheless it's unfair that a shop on Front Street should be assessed on the same scale as some twee SE town that has umpteen times the disposable income per head.

I'm involved in an English language support website for a modest town in a "poor" part of southern Europe. The population is about on par with Bedlington, and it's about the same distance as Bedlington is from both a major population center and its regional airport. It also has almost exactly the same competing forces as Bedlington does from rival towns, and about equally central between them. It has also been bypassed North/South on the East side, a'la spine road.

Now to the differences: the average local income per head is perhaps less than half what it is in Bedders. The locals think that every single Brit is incredibly wealthy. In fact they know this because they have no reservations about asking them what they earn. On the other hand not just the center of this town, but the outskirts too are far more commercially active. There must be at least 200-300 shops and small family business around the town, and that's only what you see at first hand. The shops aren't just poky holes either, but well stocked with quality goods, and there are people in them - often very late into the evening!

How do you square this? I'm still not entirely sure, but there are several factors at work, and not a lot of it is tourism because the town is even more alive in winter. What is certain is that the people on the local council are often the same families that are running many of the businesses. They are directly accountable, and have control of the local administration and town police. People tend to vote for people they know, and not blindly for some dumb ideology that their parents always voted for. Yup, there's nepotism, and you need to know the right people or someone who knows the right people, or you can wait a long time to get things done. But no one gets too excited about this because the system mostly works for the general good, and the whole place looks like it is going somewhere. It has even managed to pull enough strings to get "city" status.

Then, I traverse the main street in Bedlington; the only main street in Bedlington! Do I need to say more?

[Malcolm Robinson]

I think the Front Street is too long in a commercial sense, it should have been shrunk years ago amassing most of the outlying retailers into a single unit, preferably the Gap Site area. The Law Courts, as retail outlets, could easily have been joined into such a unit and if needed the development carried right along up to the Netto's unit. This could have focused shopping into much smaller area and used the "free parking" available, thereby addressing what is now second nature to the shopping public. Without that what we will no doubt see now is more and more empty retail units once Tesco gets under way.

The sleepy hamlet of Bedders where retailers have for too long been content to just survive is about to feel the impact of a large hungry commercial marketing giant! Things could have been so different but we have never seen anything thing like a loyalty scheme to repay customers for their patronage, the town marketed to bring punters in, or even just a hint that it is a market town in the county! In other words an integrated and cohesive strategy involving traders and council working alongside each other to benefit the commercial aspects of the Town. There is even a portal on this site which says "Special offers and discounts from qualified Bedlington traders." How many have taken that opportunity?

These days it is no longer possible to amble along, a proactive stance is needed to make the town desirable to visitors from Morpeth, Ashington, Blyth and Cramlington, where by and large they each have pretty good shopping facilities and as often as not a professional to oversee it's commercial development!

Most of the blame has to be laid at the feet of WDC who took the decision long ago that Ashington had to be the commercial heart of Wansbeck thereby relegating Belington to fighting for scraps!

As for UBR!!! what a crock that was. As GGG said it meant retailers paying the same per square foot as any other shopping unit in the country and initially at least took no account of facilities! It was supposed to replace commercial rates and give everyone a flat platform to work from but in essence it was just another stealth tax and one which rises almost bi-annually! Instead of almost allowing WDC to set their own business rate top ups they should have been asked to explain what they were doing to enhance local businesses paying what they were paying never mind putting charges on top! It is the only overhead businesses have no control over and having to pay rise after rise no wonder there are so many charity shops! WDC always said business rates had nothing to do with them they only collected it for central government and literally they were right, but the money coming back from government to them is made up from the pots of business rates and income tax, both pots paid into by local businesses, so when you hear councilors saying they wish there were no businesses in the town as they get nothing from them you can only wonder what planet they are on!

[Merlin]

After having a wander up and down our commercially starved front street, has anyone else noticed the number of businesses in Bedlington who seem to be surviving and have been for some number of years, but can not name anyone who has used their services ??

I am talking mainly about the shops such as :-

Penny Farthing - next to the Wharton

The Jewellers

The "takeaway" next to the booze shop

Tallantyres

The opticians

The shoe repairers

Johnsons shoe shop

The double glazing company next to Ian Bells

Of course to really survive in Bedlington you need to be either a hairdresser, estate agent, fast food joint or a solicitor, can anyone else think of other businesses who have survived but never seem to attract customers ?

Kichen shop.

And I bet no one can tell me where the Bedlington Tile Centre is?

[Andy Millne]

Bet lost! It is at Tom Hennesy's Interiors. Will reply to this thread in more detail tomorrow as I have a few points to raise but I'm too tired at the moment.

[Merlin]

Honoured your Majesty

[Andy Millne]

From what I can see the last couple of years has seen the Front Street improving but only very slightly. I have seen it a lot worse during my relatively short existence. A lot of previously empty properties have been re-ccoupied and in some cases re-modelled despite the barriers placed by WDC hindering commerce in the town in general.

[Monsta®]

From what I can see the last couple of years has seen the Front Street improving but only very slightly. I have seen it a lot worse during my relatively short existence. A lot of previously empty properties have been re-ccoupied and in some cases re-modelled despite the barriers placed by WDC hindering commerce in the town in general.

and your point being? is this good or bad?

the wdc has spent a lot on the street decoration pity it has not spent the same on the actuall commerce! still it could be a lot worse! i.e. it could be blyth!

[ex Bedlingtonian]

the wdc has spent a lot on the street decoration

do you mean in general, or for Christmas?

[Blank]

do you mean in general, or for Christmas?

Morpeth looks nice this time of year.

[Malcolm Robinson]

the wdc has spent a lot on the street decoration pity it has not spent the same on the actuall commerce! still it could be a lot worse! i.e. it could be blyth!

Hang on a darn toot'n minute Monsta.......

Most of the street decorations are down to Bedlington Forum group, and one or two individuals in particular(!), with some input off the COT. Next year might be a whole lot different as the costs which are met through public inscription are getting so high it is becoming impossible to keep paying for them. WDC will not include these displays on their public liability insurence and the cost of that is astronomical for any "private" body! Each display has to be bought out of donations and each one checked before it goes up. Then someone has to actually put them up so there is a lot of work involved, so if anyone gets a "thank you" for the lighting displays it shoud be Mr Oliver, Bedlington Forum, not WDC!!!!!!!!

[ex Bedlingtonian]

the wdc has spent a lot on the street decoration pity it has not spent the same on the actuall commerce! still it could be a lot worse! i.e. it could be blyth!

Hang on a darn toot'n minute Monsta.......

Most of the street decorations are down to Bedlington Forum group, and one or two individuals in particular(!), with some input off the COT. Next year might be a whole lot different as the costs which are met through public inscription are getting so high it is becoming impossible to keep paying for them. WDC will not include these displays on their public liability insurence and the cost of that is astronomical for any "private" body! Each display has to be bought out of donations and each one checked before it goes up. Then someone has to actually put them up so there is a lot of work involved, so if anyone gets a "thank you" for the lighting displays it shoud be Mr Oliver, Bedlington Forum, not WDC!!!!!!!!

Exactly what I was trying to get at Malcolm. Well put.

[Malcolm Robinson]

And if we are not talking about the Xmas lighting displays the same goes as the recent upgrades in street furniture etc which have been due to external funding "found" by community groups, inc the Forum, in "partnership" with WDC. With a million squid on the cards to come the town's way we should see some real worthwhile upgrades soon, as long as it isn't lost in this local gov reorganisation of course!

It is all about local people getting off their backsides to make the changes they want to see. Bedlington has never been able to rely on WDC to do very much for it now the message seems to be getting through and we see local people empowering themselves to get things moving. This web site is a prime example and probably led the way!!!!!!

(Ex B, thanks for the card arrived today!)

[ex Bedlingtonian]

(Ex B, thanks for the card arrived today!)

That was quick, only posted Monday.

[Monsta®]

Hang on a darn toot'n minute Monsta.......

Most of the street decorations are down to Bedlington Forum group, and one or two individuals in particular(!), with some input off the COT. Next year might be a whole lot different as the costs which are met through public inscription are getting so high it is becoming impossible to keep paying for them. WDC will not include these displays on their public liability insurence and the cost of that is astronomical for any "private" body! Each display has to be bought out of donations and each one checked before it goes up. Then someone has to actually put them up so there is a lot of work involved, so if anyone gets a "thank you" for the lighting displays it shoud be Mr Oliver, Bedlington Forum, not WDC!!!!!!!!

what are ye talking aboot? am on aboot the block paving etc! not the crap christmas lights!

[Malcolm Robinson]

what are ye talking aboot? am on aboot the block paving etc! not the crap christmas lights!

OK second reply then!

Hope to see you next time there is some fundraising to do..............

[Denzel]

and your point being? is this good or bad?

the wdc has spent a lot on the street decoration pity it has not spent the same on the actuall commerce! still it could be a lot worse! i.e. it could be blyth!

It could be Blyth and have shops and other such amenities?