The Queen Hotel

The Queen Hotel, boarded up and derelict

The Queen Hotel, a Victorian pub in Aldershot opposite the eyesore Westgate development, is sitting derelict and boarded up. Earlier in the week it was open.

18 pubs a week are being destroyed, not because of failings by pub landlords or because beer is too expensive, they are closing because greedy zombie pubcos are screwing the pub landlords, driving them out off business, then selling the pub off for redevelopment.

• How zombie pubco Punch is destroying pubs
• McDonald’s criticised by MPs for targeting pubs in the search for new sites
• Greedy pubcos are destroying our pubs
• Residents fear Gwernymynydd pub could be demolished for housing

It would be a tragedy if The Queen Hotel is demolished or even if it was gutted for housing.

It should be listed by the local council as a building of local historic importance, as it meets the criteria. But is it? If it is, it affords a degree of protection as it cannot be demolished, but then why are two pubs in nearby Farnborough, The Ship Inn and The Tumbledown Dick not listed.

• Buildings of Local Historical Importance in Aldershot and Farnborough

The local council lacks a pub protection policy, even though required to have one by national planning policy. A pub protection policy would require the pub to be put on the market as a pub. Though I note there was a For Sale board on the pub which has recently been removed. But for sale as what, a pub or a site with redevelopment potential?

• Last orders? How councils can protect local pubs from closure

The All Party Parliamentary pub group has written to the local council to ask what is their pub protection policy. It will be interesting to see what is their response, in the light they lack one and the council were told they are not required to have one.

• Save the Pub group writes to councils urging greater protection for community pubs under planning rules

The good news: Wetherspoon may have pulled out of trashing The Arcade. Wetherspoon may be the buyer of The Queen Hotel. But this needs to be confirmed.

Toby Carvery Aldershot

I walked in and the first thing that hit was the noise, the loud music, I nearly turned on my heals and walked out. I regret I did not.

People want to relax when having a meal, not have to shout above loud music.

I was escorted to a table by a window. Normally that would be be my preference, but it was cold. Those who arrived a little later and were sat further in, closer to the food, complained it was cold and were moved elsewhere. Another couple, sat down, who I assumed to be the head chef, came across and spoke to them. They got up and walked out.

The portions were meagre if not mean, poor quality meat. The person serving surly. The vegetables looked tired, as though sitting there for hours. I also noticed, but only later when I saw someone had peas on their plate, that only half the vegetables that should have been there were there. I also noticed from the menu that if you paid extra, you got larger portions. This is like the cowboy charter airlines. Reduce your luggage allowance from the standard 20 kg, then charge for extra luggage allowance, or worse no luggage allowance at all.

Toby carvery in Aldershot has been open at most three months, and yet it is already looking shabby, paint peeling off the walls, toilet door jams. As I walked in to the Toby Carvery, there was a sign warning the door was broken.

Outside it said breakfast served. No mention what. No mention on the menu either.

It was fairly empty. The staff out numbered those eating. Each time I have passed by and looked in, it has looked empty. I asked was it always like this, and was told yes, the novelty on opening had already passed.

Apart from one charming young waitress, the vibes given off by the staff was one of glum resignation, rather be some place else.

Totally lacking in atmosphere.

Not a place I would recommend if you want a decent carvery. I wonder how long it will be before it closes?

There is a Toby Carvery on the way out of Frimley. It is far better, or was, maybe it too has dropped its standards. Or is this because it is Aldershot, standards low, nowehere decent to eat?

For an excellent carvery try The Foresters on the way to Fleet.

The Toby Carvery is part of a group of tacky chain eateries in Westgate, or Waste Gate as local retailers are calling it.

Westgate is an ugly retail development on the edge of Aldershot town centre, that is killing the town centre. If all the eateries are as bad as the Toby Carvery, then they have nothing to worry about, or at least would not if there were any decent restaurants in Aldershot, which there are not.

For every meal eaten in one of these chain eateries that is a meal not eaten in a local restaurant. For every pound spent, it is a pound drained out of the local economy, compared with a pound recycled in the local economy.

When I have eaten in the Toby outside Frimley, I have felt too full to move. I left the Aldershot Toby Carvery feeling hungry.

I wandered through the town. There were few people about even though it was market day (and Easter school holidays). I noticed big gaps where there would have been stalls. As predicted, Westgate is causing the collapse of the street market. The quality fruit and vegetable stall near The Arcade, which has always been busy, had not a single customer. And yet the council claim Westgate is good for Aldershot, though this is not the view of either retailers, shoppers or residents, who see Westgate as an unmitigated disaster for Aldershot.

The only place I saw was busy as I walked past was McDonald’s. Says it all really, this is Aldershot.

Aldershot town centre retailers meeting

Westgate ugly eyesore on edge of Victorian town centre

hands off The Arcade

A meeting was called by the council of retailers in Aldershot.

They were told, the ugly Westgate development on the edge of Aldershot town centre was good for Aldershot.

This statement was met with incredulity by the retailers present.

What is the footfall, one asked. 200,000 was the reply.

200,000 an hour, a day, a week, a month, a year, a lifetime? It was not said.

The chain fast food eateries in Westgate are either not very busy or all but empty. But, every meal eaten in one of these eateries, is a meal not eaten in the town centre, not that Aldershot has anywhere worth eating. Every pound spent in these eateries is a pound drained out of the local economy, a pound not recycled within the local economy.

Westgate, or Waste Gate as many retailers are now calling it, has been an unmitigated disaster for Aldershot, it is laying waste to the town. It is as welcome as a hole in the head.

The week it opened, the Thursday street market saw their worst ever trading day.

Retailers are seeing takings down. One retailer saw one day when they only took a few pounds.

Jerome have been in businesses for 90 years. They keep detailed records. They have seen their worse ever two weeks in nearly a century.

A French restaurant, now closed, has been one of the first casualties.

Plans to trash The Arcade are making a dire situation worse. The first act of a new developer was to kick out the small retailers.

This is what is called consultation, the council tells the retailers what is best for the town and ignores the retailers and the local community. Not satisfied with having destroyed Farnborough, the council is determined to destroy Aldershot. Decades of bad town planing by a dysfunctional if not corrupt council has laid waste to Aldershot, a council that gets into bed with developers and Big Businesses, to the detriment of the town.

Survey after survey shows people do not want High Street chain stores, they want individual quirky shops, they want real choice, they want character.

North Laine in Brighton is always busy.

Sincil Street in Lincoln is always busy, and yet the City Council wants to see most of it destroyed for a soulless shopping centre.

Market Rasen, a small Lincolnshire market town, has managed to turn itself around by focussing on small shops, local traders, local community.

And yet in Farnborough, Firgrove Parade, about all that remains of small retailers in the town centre, is earmarked for destruction, The Tumbledown Dick, a c 1720s coaching inn is earmarked for destruction for an unwanted Drive-Thru McDonald’s. The council has refused to meet with the local community on these issues, and yet is happy to meet with developers and McDonald’s

The question everyone is asking: Why is the local council in the pocket of Big Businesses and developers and not acting for the local community and local businesses?

Farnborough Road

Farnborough is an urban wasteland. Laid waste by decades of bad planning decisions, a planning department in the pocket of developers.

Folk avoid Farnborough, even folk who live there avoid Farnborough.

Pass down the Farnborough Road and you would not even notice Farnborough exists. You pass straight through.

About the only thing Farnborough can claim in its favour is that it is not as bad as Aldershot. Though a moot point, Aldershot a once proud Victorian town destroyed by decades of bad planning. The same planners, the same council, that has destroyed Farnborough.

Farnborough had Victorian origins, the same Victorian origins as Aldershot, the British Army. Until it was decided to relocate Farnborough and create an artificial town centre. A street of 1960s era ugly buildings, not dissimilar to a parade of shops on an inner city slum estate. To which was then added two of the ugliest shopping centres in the country.

In the late 1990s, St Modwen front-company Kuwaiti-financed KPI, bought a large chunk lock, stock and barrel. Half of the town centre demolished for a large supermarket in an area saturated with large supermarkets, a small estate of social housing demolished to make way for a car park, many small retailers destroyed. Erected buildings even uglier than the 1960s buildings demolished.

Pass down the Farnborough Road and you will see a boarded-up pub, The Tumbledown Dick, a c 1720s coaching inn. A coaching inn that used to stand on a desolate heath by a track that passed over the heath.

Boarded-up and left to rot, The Tumbledown Dick is earmarked for demolition for an unwanted Drive-Thru McDonald’s.

The Tumbledown Dick should be on a local list of buildings of local historical buildings, it meets the criteria for inclusion, and yet it is missing. The suspicion is that deliberate exclusion is to facilitate demolition. If suspicions prove to be well founded, then misconduct in public office, if not corruption. Both being serious criminal offences that attract a prison sentence.

The local council is required by national planning policy to have a pub protection policy. It lacks one.

A sustainable local economy should be part of local planning policy. It is not. It is part of the local planning policy in Cambridge.

Local planning policy should protect local small retailers. There is no provision.

National planning policy requires protection of small retailers, they are seen, as in Islington, the base line. The planning department lies and says protection of small retailers not a planning matter.

The council views the retention of small and independent shops as a baseline and places great weight on the need to retain any shops which currently or potentially could be utilised by small and independent retailers.

National heath policy requires the local planning authority to regulate fast food outlets. There has been a total failure to do so, leaving the locality performing badly on health indices.

Islington recognises the need to address obesity and it is written into their planning policies.

The Government White Paper Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our strategy for public health in England (2010) identifies that more than 1 in 5 children in England are overweight or obese by age 3, with higher rates among some Black and Minority Ethnic communities and in more deprived areas. The paper highlights the role of councils in taking action to improve public health, including regulating the development of new fast food restaurants in their role as local planning authority.

The Farnborough Society claims to speak on behalf of the local community. They do not. They claim to be custodians of the local heritage. They are not. They have a cosy, if not incestuous relationship with the local council. They have regular monthly meetings with senior planning officials to discuss planning applications, that borders on pre-determination. According to the Farnborough Society, The Tumbledown Dick can be demolished, a sign stuck up with the name, and local heritage has been safeguarded.

The local council has commissioned a shoddy report on The Tumbledown Dick, that surprise, surprise, says The Tumbledown Dick has no historical value. It reads as a report written for McDonald’s to facilitate demolition. The consultancy boasts of delivering planning solutions for industry, welcomes the relaxation of planning controls, sees heritage as an obstacle to development.

The local council has sought legal advice on pushing through the application on behalf of McDonald’s. As it has been given by the Borough Solicitor, it is probably worthless.

Local people have decided they have had enough. They have had enough of seeing their town trashed, a local council in the pocket of developers, They have produced a detailed, well researched report on The Tumbledown Dick. They have filed Freedom of Information requests. They have made it very clear, The Tumbledown Dick is not going to be destroyed. As a first step, The Tumbledown Dick has been registered as an Asset of Community Value.

In Islington, a strong local campaign to save a pub will be noted and be taken into account when determining a planning application.

Down the road, Aldershot, a once proud Victorian town, has been all but destroyed by decades of bad planning decisions. Plans are afoot to trash The Arcade, destroying many small businesses that have already been kicked out of The Arcade. Shops in Wellington Street are thereatened with demolition, more small businesses destroyed. The ugly Westgate development, (large superstore, tacky fast food chains) on the edge of the town centre designed to deliver the final death blow to the town.

Islington has a planning policy that sees small retailers as the baseline.

Aldershot and Farnborough would form excellent case studies for any planning schools of bad planning, how not to destroy town centres.

Buildings of Local Historical Importance in Aldershot and Farnborough

former Imperial Hotel once earmarked for demolition for Urban Renewal

Wellington Street earmarked for demolition

The Tumbledown Dick hand-tinted photo c 1911

The Ship Inn site of the world’s first heavyweight boxing match

A building or structure will only be added to the Local List if it meets the criteria. If a building or structure meets the criteria there will be no valid reason for omitting it. – Buildings of Local Importance, Draft Supplementary Planning Document, Rushmoor November 2011

The Council will seek to protect and retain Buildings of Local Importance whenever possible. Demolition should only be agreed where the replacement is of such a high quality that the loss of the locally important building/structure will be adequately mitigated by a development that enhances the character of the local area. – Buildings of Local Importance, Draft Supplementary Planning Document, Rushmoor November 2011

Aldershot was a small village, it then grew at a rapid pace with the arrival of the British Army during the reign of Queen Victoria. It has the unique distinction of being a Victorian town. Most of that Victorian heritage has been destroyed, a once proud Victorian town gutted by a local council with no vision, with planners who give every appearance of being in the pocket of developers, pushing through any scheme they want, spineless councillors who do what the planners tell them.

Farnborough was a few isolated houses in the middle of a desolate heath, coaching inns on the track that ran across the heath. It is vital that what little is left of what the Anglo-Saxons called Ferneberga (Fern Hill) is protected.

Heritage provides a sense of place, tells us who we are where we have come from, enhances the quality of life, gives a place its unique character, provides premises for small businesses in the centre of town.

Somewhat late in the day, an official policy on affording some protection to what little is left of the cultural and historical heritage of Aldershot and Farnborough has been adopted.

There are buildings and monument and sites identified by English Heritage that have national protection. By having a local policy, it affords protection to sites of local importance but not necessarily of national importance. Or at least that is the theory.

There are presently just under 100 statutory listed buildings in the Rushmoor Borough area. These range from St. Michael’s Abbey and individual dwellings, to commemorative monuments and wind tunnels. There are three Scheduled Ancient Monuments (barrows and a hillfort) and eight designated conservation areas.

However, there are many other buildings and structures throughout the Borough which do not meet the criteria for national statutory listing but are of considerable local historical and/or architectural merit. These buildings/structures reinforce local distinctiveness and a sense of place but do not enjoy any statutory protection.

The overall aim of this Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is to identify these buildings and structures of special local architectural and historical interest, and provide them with a level of closer scrutiny and protection against undesirable alterations and/or irreplaceable loss.

By establishing a Local List of Buildings and Structures of Local Importance, this will encourage the owners and occupiers to take pride in the care of their property and have the satisfaction of being involved in the conservation of a building for the benefit of present and future generations.

Through adopting a policy, we can identify these buildings, raise awareness of their importance, ensure they are protected from unwanted and inappropriate development driven by greed and ignorance.

When considering applications for alteration, extension or demolition of a building or structure on the Local List, the significance of the building, and its particular features of importance will be taken into consideration. If a building is included on the Local List, this will be a material consideration when determining any planning applications that affect it.

The policy sets out a criteria for addition to the list of ‘protected’ buildings. This is by no means the complete list (more as an illustration):

• Buildings or structures dating before 1840, which have survived in anything like their original condition
• Buildings dated between 1840 and 1914 that have a definite quality and character. The use of local styles are particularly relevant when we determine the value of such a building
• Buildings dated between 1914 and 1939, which have a particular quality, character or are of local significance
• Buildings dated after 1939, which are outstanding and represent an important architectural style
• Buildings that have been documented in recognised publications, for example, ‘Hampshire Treasures’ and ‘Pevsner’, or have received an architectural or planning award

To be eligible for inclusion, only one of the criteria has to be met.

A building or structure will only be added to the Local List if it meets the criteria. If a building or structure meets the criteria there will be no valid reason for omitting it.

There is though one criteria has to be seen as a sick joke

• Buildings which are good examples of local town planning

as both Aldershot and Farnborough would serve as excellent case studies for planning schools as examples of towns destroyed by bad planning and inappropriate development.

The bottom line

The Council will seek to protect and retain Buildings of Local Importance whenever possible. Demolition should only be agreed where the replacement is of such a high quality that the loss of the locally important building/structure will be adequately mitigated by a development that enhances the character of the local area.

List of Buildings of Local Importance, annexe to the policy document, has many dubious entries, but putting that to on side, what is noticeable is the significant omissions. Buildings that everyone recognises as buildings of historical and cultural value. These omissions beg the question how comprehensive the list?

There is no way of pulling up more information on the buildings listed.

The list gives the impression of a job half done.

There may be other obvious omission. If aware, please add in comments, giving the criteria met and why. With pointers to where more information may be found.

Former Imperial Hotel, corner Barrack Road and Grosvenor, Aldershot

It is not clear whether or not this remarkable building is listed. It stands in marked contrast to the ugly eyesore Westgate development that has been thrown up.

This raises a further protection that is required and necessary, the environs surrounding a historic building.

The former Imperial Hotel was at one time threatened with demolition to create an artificial town square in what is jokingly called Urban Renewal, in reality create an opportunity for greedy developers to make fast buck.

This unusual triangle building pre-dates the Flatiron building in New York.

Wellington Street, Aldershot

Most of the buildings on the opposite side of the street to The Arcade. Or what is left.  A few have their Victorian street fronts.

These building are at least Victorian, possibly much older, possibly c 250 years old. Original fireplaces are in some if not all of these buildings.

Pubs of Aldershot has information on those that were pubs giving an insight on their historical and cultural value.

The row opposite the entrance to The Arcade, currently Paul’s Copy Shop and Aladdin’s Cave, are threatened with demolition as part of redevelopment of the adjacent ugly shopping centre. This would not meet the criterion for loss, and thus demolition should not go ahead.

There is another reason for keeping these buildings which does not form part of the historical criteria for inclusion. Heritage provides premises for local businesses. Most of the businesses on this side of the street are local businesses. Local businesses recycle money within the local economy. National chains, apart from destroying our town centres and turning into Clone Towns, drain money out of a local economy. National Chains are now collapsing, filing for bankruptcy, leaving behind boarded-up shops, as we are already seeing in Aldershot. The town centre is in its final death throes, Aldershot is a deprived area. It is vital we stop money draining out of the local economy. The only chance Aldershot has is with its small retailers who unlike national chains, have a vested interest in seeing the town survive. But we have a council that repeatedly kicks these retailers in the teeth and does everything in its power to drive them out of business.

Could the omission be to facilitate a greedy developer, with planners in their pocket? It would appear so, thus serious maladministration and possible corruption.

Plans to demolish should be quashed. Demolition should not go ahead as it fails to meet the criteria, and will not be replaced by anything to be proud of, or that could in anyway justify that which is to be lost.

Tumbledown Dick, Farnborough Road, Farnborough

The Tumbledown Dick is old coaching inn c 1722, possible older, one of a few isolated building on a desolate heath with a track across the heath running past. Of recent years an important cultural venue in an area that is a cultural desert.

The first known documentary evidence of The Tumbledown Dick appears in a letter dated 30 July 1722, from Thomas Matthew of Cove. The earliest known tenant was William Prior in 1817, and it was also owned by the Lord of the Manor of Farnborough in the 1820s.

It beggars belief that not only is The Tumbledown Dick not listed, but in the town centre prospectus or plan for the town centre it is zoned as a site for development. Again it begs questions of the planning department, maladministration or corruption?

The Tumbledown Dick meets not one but several of the criteria for inclusion.

• Friends Of The Tumbledown Dick release their own Heritage Assessment report
• Heritage Tumble Down Dick Farnborough Hampshire

The Tumbledown Dick is now under threat of demolition for a tacky two-story drive-in McDonald’s. This again would not meet the criteria that could justify demolition, a building of historical, architectural and cultural merit being lost to what amounts to little more than a temporary building (in terms of how long it would last) that in no way can justify the loss.

The council commissioned a report from a consultancy that brags about delivering planning solutions for their private clients, a consultancy that welcomes the relaxation of planning controls which it sees as an obstacle to developers, a consultancy that counts McDonald’s as their clients! The report was so shoddy and superficial, it would not pass muster as a school kids project, not that is if they wanted a pass mark.

• Turley Associates, McDonalds & Rushmoor Borough Council

Ship Inn, junction Ship Lane and Farnborough Road, Farnborough 

One of the oldest buildings, let alone pubs, in Farnborough. 

Cultural significance the beams from old ships, which are much older than the pub.

The world’s very first World Heavyweight Boxing Match John Heenan (USA) v Tom Sayers (UK) took place here just over a century ago. So important was this match that it was covered by all the London papers, special trips down from London.

The Centenary took place a couple of years ago. It was not marked, no celebrations. The plaque, assuming still there, was obtained and erected by the then landlord, not the council.

The Ship meets the criteria for inclusion.

Totnes seen as a model community

Totnes got national if not international recognition as the town that said no to Costa.

Not the local planning authority, they stuck two fingers up to the people and local businesses of Totnes. It was the people of Totnes, the local businesses, the town council, the mayor, the local member of Parliament who said no to Costa. The local district council, they didn’t give a toss for the people of Totnes.

Heritage is important. It gives character, sense of well being, quality of life, civic pride to a locality.

Heritage houses local businesses, it gives them somewhere to operate out of. They in turn give an area its character, its idiosyncrasies.

We see this in Totnes, we see it in North Laine in Brighton, we see it in Steep Hill in Lincoln.

People do not visit these places to drink coffee in Costa. It was a sick joke when Costa tried to claim they would enhance the vitality and vibrancy of the town, that they would attract tourists into the town. People visit to drink coffee in indie coffee shops.

You do not go to Protaras in Cyprus to eat at McDonald’s or drink coffee in Costa, you go to Nicolas Tavern for kleftiko a traditional Greek-Cypriot meal cooked slowly, slowly in a wood fire clay oven or sip freddo cappuccino sat outside patisserie amelie.

Independent record shops do still exist. It is not Amazon that treats music as a commodity, it is a platform that sells stuff and dodges tax, it is the major record labels that treats music as a commodity.

Ben’s Records in Tunsgate in Guildford, not only has a passion for music, but knows what the regulars like. It will be playing no sooner have you walked in the door.

Resident in North Laine in Brighton, has an amazing diversity of music.

Independent record shops and a thriving music scene seem to go hand in hand.

If you wish to use the net, there is bandcamp, which offers a far better deal to both artist and music lovers than Amazon, iTunes or Spotify.

The shop earmarked for Costa was a wholefood shop. It stood empty, it was claimed there was no interest, Costa were doing everyone a favour, occupying an empty shop. That lie has been exposed, no soonest has Costa pulled out, than it has found a use as an art collective and exhibition space and a leather workshop.

Independent businesses trade with each other, support each other, they recycle money within the local economy, they pay their taxes. Totnes even has its own local currency.

If Totnes is one end of the spectrum, then Aldershot is the other, a Victorian town raped by greed and planners in the pocket of developers and big business. If Totnes serves as a model for others to follow, then Aldershot serves as a model of what not to do.

Aldershot is a Victorian town, or was. It is unusual in that it sprang up almost overnight from an isolated village in the midst of heathland. Over a period of ten years when the Army arrived it became a Wild West boom town, brothels, pubs, victuallers, whatever was needed to service the needs of soldiers away from home.

Most towns would be proud of this heritage, not Aldershot. Systematically it has been destroyed. Many of the fine Victorian buildings were destroyed, or defaced by inappropriate developments, the heart of the town was gutted for a ghastly shopping centre, which houses the same clone shops as found in every other Clone Town.

Aldershot used to have a Victorian Arcade. It was levelled to the ground, to be replaced by a plastic replica. Last year it was acquired by a developer for redevelopment, the first act was to kick out all the small retailers who were in the way. The head of planning fell over backwards to try and push it through, blatantly lied to committee saying it was putting to good use empty shops (no mention why they were empty). For once councillors said no, and refused planning consent. It now goes to appeal.

Opposite The Arcade is a small row of shops. Possibly what is left of a much larger row of shops, another small row further down the street. These shops are 250 years old, pre-dating Victorian Aldershot by a century. The greedy developer who owns the ghastly shopping centre wants them demolished.

It could not be stronger, the contrast in this tale of two towns. Totnes is thriving, a strong sense of community, Aldershot is a centre of deprivation in an otherwise affluent southeast, a strong sense of alienation.

NeverSeconds found in a bookshop!

Martha reading NeverSeconds

Martha with her book NeverSeconds

Wonders will never cease, after a long search, NeverSeconds found in a bookshop. Yes, hard to believe, NeverSeconds found in a bookshop!

Last Saturday, Waterstone’s and WHSmith in Farnham. Not a clue, did not have, Waterstone’s one on order, WHSmith unable to find on system.

On Monday, WHSmith in Aldershot. Not a clue, unable to find on system.

WHSmith Godalming: No NeverSeconds, cannot find on their system. Tried on another system, found 500 in a warehouse, but that works out at less than one copy per shop.

It is worth holding off purchase of NeverSeconds or any book until 2 December. Currently WHSmith have vouchers which give 20% off any book, even books on special offer, from 2 December. This would make NeverSeconds cheaper than buying off Amazon. And remember Amazon are tax dodgers.

Waterstone’s Godalming: Is NeverSeconds by Paulo Coelho? None in stock, did have one, we sold it. One on order. I suggested they may care to order more, put on display. Helpful guy checked system, lots in Scotland, one in Guildford.

Waterstone’s Guildford: Yes, we have NeverSeconds, it is in Biography. I spotted it before the girl did. But only one.

Miracles will never cease, Waterstone’s Guildford has one copy in stock of NeverSeconds!

As I had time to spare, I sat down to flip through and read little snippets. A interesting format. Extracts from Martha’s food blog NeverSeconds coupled with Dave giving the background.

As only one, I did not buy, left for someone else to buy, but what I did do was put on the shelf on display with the cover showing.

I suggested they got more in and put on display.

On display Aleph. Only one year after publication, but I guess better late than never.

NeverSeconds, the story of Martha Payne and her food blog NeverSeconds, as told by Martha and her father David Payne, is currenty selling 300 copies a day, published two weeks ago, is already on its second print run.

Every copy of NeverSeconds which is sold provides 25 school dinners for children in Malawi through a donation to Mary’s Meals.

Westgate revisited one month on

One month since the ghastly Westgate development opened, the final death blow to Aldershot town centre.

Morrisons cafe: Big breakfast, no egg, toast instead, find a clean table, food on the floor, felt sick afterwards.

Useless security guard who last week stood idly by and let watch a fight take place, has not been fired. Talking to one of the check out staff she said he stood idly by did nothing had not a clue what to do.

Store almost empty. Not busy as the first week, the only week it has been busy.

Still no signs directing from Westgate into the town centre.

At the top end of Union street, blocked off, no street lights, steps to the side hidden in the dark. I nearly fell down them, and I knew they were there, having almost fallen down them last Thursday. Someone is going to take a nasty tumble. If they do, I hope they sue the Council.

Looking down Union Street dead, I could count on one hand the number of people, OK two hands, but no more than that.

WHSmith: No NeverSeconds</em>, not a clue what it was, not even showing on their system!

A cold wet miserable day.

Westgate three weeks on

Westgate is an ugly retail development on the edge of Aldershot town centre that is killing the town centre.

Three weeks on, how is it fairing?

The first week, Aldershot dead, the windy plaza more people than in the town centre, Morrison’s packed, more people than you would see in Aldershot in a year.

Since then, Morrison’s not busy, the windy plaza turned into a building site as the paving slabs dug up and relaid, last week awash with water.

Today, the windy plaza neither awash with water nor a building site. The work on the fast food restaurant chains which line the plaza due to open next month appears to have all but stopped.

Morrison’s all but empty. The staff seem no better than Asda, begs the question where do they dredge them up from, but then it is Aldershot.

Morrison’s cafe. No scampi, choose something else, then when something else chosen, told there is scampi.

It was disgusting. They must work really hard to make food this bad. At least there were a few clean tables, which makes a pleasant change.

A woman agitated, aggressive and turning violent. The cafe staff told to call security. They look at each other, anyone know where Steve is? No one does anything. I then spot a gormless looking security guard standing about ten feet away, doing nothing. I tell the cafe staff. They tell me if I am that bothered go and deal with it myself.

This goes on for abut 20-30 minutes whilst I am eating my disgusting scampi and chips (of which I leave half as so disgusting). It appears to be a woman with mental problems and a carer, at one point hands around the throat of carer.

Security guard gets bored watching, wanders off, comes back, then wanders off again. Eventually comes back. Seems more interested in chatting up checkout girl.

People are being endangered, objects thrown around. Finally security guard goes over.

I walk around the store, pick up a few things. I chat to the check out woman. She said she and customers were at risk.

I ask for the manager and tell him what was happening. If the security man could not cope he should have called for help, Police or maybe people who deal with people with mental problems. I said I would fire security guard.

Manager said he would investigate and thanks me. I said if security guard lies, check CCTV and you will see incident and security guard idly standing by.

Something had been thrown, maybe a pot of sauce or mayonnaise. As I left, and this was at least half an hour after the incident, this was still spilt on the floor for anyone to slip on, no attempt had been made to clean up the mess.

Three weeks on, and still no signs from Westgate for the town centre. No sign of leakage, people walking from Westgate into the town centre. The town centre as usual dead.

As I passed through Aldershot on Saturday on my way to Farnham I noticed a few stalls in the street but no idea what for as no publicity. I learnt it had something to do with Christmas lights being turned on.

The developer for The Arcade has lodged an appeal against refusal of planning consent.

Westgate two weeks on

Passing through Aldershot last Saturday, the streets were all but deserted, whereas in Farnham, could barely move, such was the numbers of people on the street.

Monday, the windy plaza was awash with water. The building work stopped for the moment.

Scampi and chips in Morrison’s was pretty awful. The scampi very dark brown, either cooked too long or the oil was not being changed. Fish had the same dark brown colour. The peas were hard and uncooked, must have been frozen peas that had a glimpse of boiling water, they quickly turned cold. The chips were old, kept warm.

Find a clean table, then find a clean chair, food scraps covering the floor.

The impression given, no one cares, no one gives a damn.

Two weeks ago the Thursday street market was dead. Last week it picked up a little but had not back to where it was. This week, dead, the fruit and vegetable stall empty, though not as bad as two weeks ago.

Building work back in the windy plaza.

Staffing levels in Morrison’s falling, service poor. Following the initial interest in Morrison’s, people seem to have voted with their feet and gone elsewhere.

Beef at the cold cooked meat counter, 9p for a packet. What is it? Do not know. At the checkout scans as luncheon meat. On the hot cooked meat counter, refusal to sell an item singularly, even though individually priced.

Morrison’s are using temporary staff brought in from outside. One of the problems they have in Aldershot is finding staff who can speak, read and write English.