LIFE IN MY NORTHERN TOWN
DRAKE Street. I can already sense certain councillors trying to hide under their desks in shame at the very mention of the D word. And quite right too.
I remember when I was a boy, Drake Street was a busy part of the town and I have fond memories of many visits to a book shop which was about half-way up.
I have always been an avid reader - although my English teacher would tell you different, (well, he would if he was not 6ft under), and I spent many a Saturday afternoon trawling through the hundreds of books on display. Never bought one mind and I would be kicked out after about half an hour, but that wasn’t the point.
There were shops there that were worth the walk – and there are shops still there that are still worth the effort. The problem is, the key word in that sentence is effort.
The lower half of Drake Street has been killed off by the tram, which is shameful as when the idea was first proposed, the traders in that area were reassured that the new-fangled transport system would bring new trade to that part of town. How they were wrong. And how they were duped.
The first thing the trams did was kill off the car. Many people would stop and nip in for various things on the street, but that has been put to an end.
It is arguable that a good percentage of trade on Drake Street was generated by people getting off various buses on the way down. Now that has gone too. Now for many people it is too much of an effort to make the journey from town including poor Mrs Giddins, who has to drag her shopping basket up the hill.
Of course, the situation could be helped if there was a bus stop reinstated somewhere further up, but apparently it is going to cost more than the GDP of Africa, which is a lot for a hole, a scaffolding pole and a bit of tin on top with the words ‘Bus Stop’ written on it.
It saddens me to see Drake Street and its traders struggling when so much money is spent on the area around The Walk and creating two enormous litter bins in the centre of town.
Like I said, hang your heads in shame.