Our principal town is beyond a joke...
IT WOULD seem residents of our wonderful city are sending out mixed messages when compared to our elected representatives.
Regarding the closure of USC in the Potteries Centre (The Sentinel, April 16) Melanie Rickard wants Hanley ‘knocking down and rebuilding’, Rachel Smith alludes to ‘Hanley soon becoming a ghost town’ while Mark Campbell states: “Nobody wants to navigate past all the dust-heads, alcoholics and general lowlifes.”
A bit harsh but very true. On one of the rare occasions I ventured into Hanley with the grandchildren, I was walking down Piccadilly to a gaming shop and looked to my right only to notice a few men in white overalls attending to what transpired to be a stabbing.
Averting the boys to this spectacle, I thought perhaps the Cultural Quarter was not so cultured after all.
Now I am happy to accept that I am in a majority of one, but I do not personally know of a single person who enjoys or looks forward to a visit to our principal town.
This logic is clearly flawed because Wetherspoons would be out of business – but, fair play, they do at least have toilets that are in use.
It has also been stated that the city has the 10th highest number of asylum seekers in the country, which demonstrates it’s not all bad news. Kindness is a virtue.
Also, Hanley needs people to fill the void left by the disillusioned. While strolling
through the garden town of Meir I chanced upon a flyer from the Conservative city council candidate Mr Khawar Ali who alludes to the fact our city council has a secret fund of £3.9 million to be spent exclusively in Hanley.
How can a potentially bankrupt council have such a fund and why the secret I wonder? Is it true?
Is it beyond the bounds of reason that an explanation could be provided?
Then I suddenly realised how naive I was.
The money is clearly earmarked for our first comedy festival at Hanley Museum on May 10/11, and it’s a secret to boost the morale in our city.
Fair play, credit where credit is due, although I think for most people Hanley is beyond a joke in 2024.
BARRIE ROBERTS MEIR PARK