Talking points from The Visitor

The hot topics that have caught your interest this week are: Morecambe Town Hall, streets full of weeds, Bury Market, car parking, nucelar power and Brits abroad
Orbit jazz band from More Music in MorecambeOrbit jazz band from More Music in Morecambe
Orbit jazz band from More Music in Morecambe

More Music to spread art and culture to all

It was great to read about David Morris’s support for More Music.

It is also wonderful that the More Music charity is recognised and valued by Arts Council England which has made a significant investment in More Music as one of its National Portfolio holders for the next three years.

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This much-needed financial support will enable us to deliver the aims, objectives and services of our 2015-2018 Business Plan and also the Arts Council England’s strategic ambitions, which is to provide “great art and culture for everyone”.

The funding, some of which will have a profound impact in Morecambe and Lancaster, has also been awarded for the development of significant strategic work and direct delivery across the whole of Lancashire.

The focus of More Music’s local plans for the next three years is Morecambe and, in particular, the West End area.

There will be long-term residencies in three local schools, a year-round programme of adult and community activities, increased levels of work with young people in challenging circumstances, the continuation of our year round programme of high quality gigs and performances at the Hot House, more engagement with other local agencies and networks, national training weekends, trainee schemes for emerging musicians, Arts Award schemes and much more.

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The funding from Arts Council England also supports the infrastructure of the West End based-More Music charity, the building and the professional and dedicated workforce.

We are very grateful for this ongoing investment at a time when there are such significant cuts elsewhere.

This enables More Music to maintain its contribution to Morecambe as a great place to live, work, be creative and to visit.

“More Music is Your Music” and we look forward to continuing our creative journey with our local communities who we are privileged to serve and be part of.

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Steve Varden, Chair of the More Music Charity Board of Trustees, West End, Morecambe

Morecambe Town Hall needs our help

The Visitor’s Voices of Morecambe is always worth reading. David Brayshaw recently wrote that Lancaster City Council’s plan to sell Morecambe Town Hall has not gone away.

Now the town has its own council, this building should be returned to the people of Morecambe, who paid for it in the first place.

It could be home to an art gallery, museum, heritage and interpretation centre and an interpretation centre for Morecambe Bay.

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Apart from the new Heritage Centre near the Winter Gardens, Morecambe, has none of these. With its spectacular location and interesting buildings, it is supposed to be the jewel of the bay.

Morecambe Bay has a new brand image, there is a new Sustrans Bay Cycle Route, there will be the M6 link road to the bay, so what is happening to exploit these new developments?

Morecambe is doing vintage. The town hall is classic vintage. It needs to be a tourist attraction, not the site turned into apartments. What it needs are some friends. Are there any?

Judith Thompson, Witherslack Close, Morecambe

Street cleaning: Weeds are taking over

I recently read about weeds growing on the rock sea defences near central beach Morecambe.

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Perhaps your investigative reporter might have a look around town and see the problem we have with weeds there. Green Street is like a meadow with the amount of weeds growing in the gutter, and on the landward side of Marine Road with every crack with a weed. There are weeds, including ragwort, a poisonous weed.

If you walk down Church Walk, Poulton, you’ll see giant hogwart which has recently been in the national news. The Arndale pathed pedestrian area has so much grass growing between the cracks it looks like a playing field in places, and finally the children’s play area opposite Morecambe Town Hall is rife with weeds including ragwort. nettle and brambles. Not what I’d call a safe place for children to play.

Name and address supplied

Festival Market: Buck up your ideas

My wife and I and some friends had an organised trip to Bury market.

What I would like to say is that Bury puts Morecambe to shame. There are all the top shops there and the market itself. You could spend a whole day in the market without going into town.

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I would just like to say it is time Morecambe councillors got their act together and went to see how these towns have developed.

Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester get everything.

I think these councillors are living in the past.

When I came to live in Morecambe in 1957 it was a great place. Different shows and there was was always something going on.

Come on Morecambe, buck your ideas up.

Michael White, Morecambe (Full address supplied)

Car parking: Smart way to charge

I am heartily sick of having to pay £1.30 just to go to the bank in Euston Road.

I was recently on holiday in Tynemouth and they have a brilliant solution. The parking meter is charged out at 1p per minute, so if you want to stay for 10 minutes it’s 10p, one hour 60p, five hours £3.

What a sensible way to do it.

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There could be one car park in Morecambe and Lancaster, near the shops, that have this to make life easier for the residents.

The other car parks could carry on as before, charging astronomic sums.

I used to live near Salisbury and there you could park for 50p, in an area where people have so much to visit. Can’t we do the same?

The main Arndale car park is quite often empty and no wonder.

Come on council, give us a break.

Mrs S Welberry, Tranmere Crescent, Heysham.

Power stations: close them for good

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So – it seems the Heysham nuclear reactor is shut down again. We all know it’s well past its sell-by date and now it’s sitting idle like the giant eyesore it is.

Meanwhile, the waves continue waving, the sun shines – occasionally – and when it doesn’t the wind is probably blowing. As an island, we are the best place in Europe to benefit from renewable energy.

Yet EDF, the French company that owns Heysham, keeps on patching up a dodgy nuclear reactor and David Morris MP even pushes for a new one.

This is madness as there is still no safe way of dealing with all the radioactive waste we have already accumulated in the UK without producing more of it.

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Germany has renounced nuclear and is now reducing coal. It’s probably the strongest economy in Europe and their lights are staying on with abundant renewable energy.

With our local skills and expertise Lancaster district could attract investment and jobs in renewable energies and become a leader in these technologies.

Instead we suffer the Heysham site which is a seaside Fukushima waiting to happen. Sea levels are rising. Time to close Heysham for good.

Sam Moisha, Address supplied

Editor’s note: Heysham 2 went back on line on after three days of a boiler issue.

Brits abroad; Be brave, condemn it

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I am saddened Lee Watson seems to endorse the, frankly, disgusting and often obscene and violent behaviour that frequently characterises Brits abroad.

I completely agree people need a break but surely it’s possible to have a really good time without being almost insensible with drink?

We have seen the spectacle many times in TV documentaries. I very much doubt a drop in the numbers of drunken British holidaymakers in popular resorts would close businesses down.

There are many thousands of sensible people from the UK, and other countries, with money to spend who deliberately avoid the places where such behaviour is the norm. Local people are very keen to be rid of the image marring their resorts.

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Lee confuses the picture by saying the issue needs to be continually highlighted, but is disappointingly reluctant to condemn the awful behaviour. His opinion that more police officers are needed only confirms the situation is wildly out of control.

Magaluf puts plenty of Spanish officers on the streets - presumably our police are operating in another jurisdiction by invitation.

It is appalling to think that, at a time when Spain is being hit hard by the economic downturn and our own police force is facing deep cuts, Lee suggests both forces should deploy more police to solve the problem.

There is so much wrong with his stance it takes my breath away! Just as the behaviour of our young people is shameful on every level.

To appear on national television and sit so firmly on the fence is not brave. By not condemning, Lee Watson is effectively condoning.

C.M Ostermeyer, Address supplied