Bridge Gate cobbles
Posted by Rev Tony Buglass
Monday, May 29, 2006
I just walked over the cobbles last night - first chance I've had to take a good look. What's the fuss about? They looked OK to me, and of course they'll weather over a few months.
I don't see anything to complain about. At least someone has tried to exercise a bit of aesthetic imagination, instead of putting down yet more drab Pennine grey.
Posted by Andy Macintosh
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Seconded Tony. They might be slightly twee but its refreshing to see a change from the faux Victoriana 'heritage' blight that all town developments seem cursed with. And lets face it, they're considerably less bright than the new Fox and Goose!
Posted by Rev Tony Buglass
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
True, Andy. Do you think Hebden Bridge needs a colour consultant? Someone to co-ordinate the subtle change in colour schemes as we move from the cobbles to the pub? Or does that just happen as the state of consciousness is modified in successive watering holes? "Oh, look, issa green pub...?"
Posted by Miv
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Sorry Reverand / Andy, But I find it ironic that the same people who only weeks ago were complaining that ladbrookes (with its garish frontage and signage) would ruin the traditional look of the town and were clamering for planning permission to be refused; are now saying that a "twee" yellow and blue brick road is OK and is better than "More Pennine grey or "Victorian heritage blight"
Posted by Andy Macintosh
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Too much beer Tony and all the cobbles will look like the F n G!
Posted by Damian Lazenby
Thursday, June 1, 2006
Considering the heritage status of the area I'm amazed that the council didn't specify Yorkshire stone sets such as you find in Heptonstall. I do hope the Rev is right about them weathering, although I find his comments about drab pennine grey rather offensive. Perhaps he would like them painted yellow and then we can advertise ourselves as a wizazrd of oz theme village. I'm also struck by the confined nature of the discussion.
Posted by Jim
Thursday, June 1, 2006
Spot on Damian. Unfortunately I dont think they will weather very well, granite is one of the best stones for retaining its natural colour. They are totally out of place in this area. In fact the stone itself won't even be from this country. It's another example of Calderdale Council not understanding its own heritage.
Posted by Rev Tony Buglass
Monday, May 29, 2006
Sorry, Miv, but you're not comparing like with like. There is a world of difference between Ladbrokes' in-your-face red signs (and my objections weren't just to do with the signs) and the rather subtle colours of the new setts. If you stand a few yards up the road, the colours are indistinguishable, and the overall effect a lightening of the general scene. And they will weather. They won't lose their colour, but they will gradually blend in.
Damian - what do you mean by the "confined nature of the conversation"? Not with you, really.
Posted by Jim
Friday, June 2, 2006
Rev. If you agree they will not lose their colour, how are you imagining they will gradually blend in. I dont think this is a major deal. There are more important things to be worrying about. It is however frustrating that the council cant get such a simple thing as a the choice of the cobbles on the street correct.
Posted by Andy Macintosh
Monday, June 5, 2006
Must admit I'm getting heartily sick of heritage and the slavishness with which it is pursued. Of course new developments have to be appropriate but that doesn't mean they all have to look like something from a Hollywood Dickens film. I find myself wishing for some interesting architecture - glass, wood, concrete, steel. The new setts may be a bit different but do they all need to be gritstone? That was then. Its 2006 now.
Posted by Rev Tony Buglass
Monday, June 5, 2006
Jim, I reckon the cobbles will weather and tone down over the months. They will have busses driving over them, pedestrians walking over them, and every kind of weather in all seasons landing on them.
As to "the right kind of cobbles" - is this just a matter of taste and opinion? Or are there specific regulations about what may or may not be used? Are you saying that the regulations weren't followed? Or is this just a creative touch by the designer which you don't like?
The cobbles do the job. They lighten the view with a restrained touch of colour. And they are by far the least important feature of the overall scheme. The most important thing will be to see how the whole thing looks when it's finished. If it works, providing an attractive pedestrian area in the town centre, it will have done what the designers intended. If the overall scheme is wrong, well, you can say "Told you so."
Posted by Joseph
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
I'm with you Reverend, the cobbles look great. Next.
And, on that theme, just have a look at the discussion threads in this forum and mentally sort them into moans and grumbles or celebrations and joy. Considering we live in a lovely, intelligent, and cultured community, we don't half look like a bunch of whingers!
Posted by Helen
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
I visited Hebden today and was checking out the new pedestrianisation of Bridge Gate, so far so good, and then I spotted the workmen digging up the old original cobbles in order that they could lay new shiny ones! crazyness! What would be wrong with laying a new surface alongside an old, existing one? Especially when the old cobbles seem to be doing such a good job.
Posted by Oscar
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Crazyness? Not compared to the three metre high metal monolith to be erected in the newly cobbled St Georges Square. Also, the timely conversion of the square will take place during August, great for tourism and local business!
Posted by Andy Macintosh
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Oh for goodness sake stop complaining!
Roll on the improvements - they have to be done sometime. If this town had been in France or Germany say - somewhere with a bit of civic pride and imagination - these type of works would have been done decades ago.
Posted by Oscar
Sunday, June 25, 2006
I will complain! I will continue to complain! The dictatorial approach, the need for open consultation, the lack of formal project management techniques is shocking. However, I note from your email address you are a government employee and probably used to this.
Your 'improvements' are very subjective. Your 'improvements' may run businesses into the ground, cause increased anti-social behaviour and reduce valuable community resources. A high price to pay for pretty cobbles? 'They have to be done sometime' ? so how about Winter when trade and tourism isn't so much of an issue.
May I suggest that if you want to live in surroundings of steel, glass and concrete then relocate to Manchester or Leeds and leave this town to those of us who care about preserving and developing its special character.
Posted by Joseph
Monday, June 26, 2006
I think that Oscar might be pulling our leg.
The cobbles are and will be great. I agree that this is something we could have done in January not June, but hey ho. Its part of the (for the most part)continuing development of the town into a vibrant, proposerous place to live.
Posted by Adam B
Monday, June 26, 2006
Businesses are not going to be run into the ground, anti-social behviour is not going to increase and valuable community resources are not going to be lost because of a few colourful cobbles.
Whether the colour of the cobbles is a good thing or not is another issue and one which is entirely subjective.
Some businesses may suffer from having the work done at this time of year but they will hardly "be run into the ground".
As for the timing of the work, I have noticed in the 2 years since my family first arrived that there is a habit for big obstructive work being done in the middle of the summer tourist season. It seems odd but maybe there is a good reason for it; in at least one case it was because residents objected to the work occuring at any other time!
Posted by Andy Macintosh
Monday, June 26, 2006
I am indeed a government employee; my work being to ensure that value for money is achieved when giving environmental grants.
If local businesses cannot take advantage of an improved shopping environment then they don't deserve to and will be superceded by those that can. As for other building materials; its perfectly possible to integrate them in a progressive way and avoid the hackneyed stagnation of a town a like very much too.
Posted by Andrew Hall
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
I think the slightly apologetic notice on some of the perfectly adequate lamp posts says it all!
Presumably we're going to get lovely pseudo-Victorian cast iron columns with ornate twiddly bits and roses / dolphins or some other design to show people what a classy town we are. Oh how proud we will be!
Let's all live the lie that Hebden Bridge is rapidly becoming!
Posted by Adam B
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Maybe we will get ugly lampposts.
Maybe they will be stylish and add something to the development.
Maybe they will be of a particular style which some people will love and others will hate.
Maybe they will attract the tourists and upset those who live here or maybe it will be the other way around.
Maybe. We don't know.
For pity's sake could we at least wait until we get them before we start complaining!?
Posted by Joseph
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Good grief.
a. This is the most posted upon subject on the forum. It makes us look small minded and petty. Having an active forum to debate stuff is great and is a good way of developing our sense of community. However, nobody is going to bother/listen to/ contribute to this level of discussion.
b. Lets wait until the lamposts are up before we criticise them. Maybe we'll even like them. The "yellow" cobbles are not "yellow" at all now after a few weeks weathering.
c. Thats it. Can we talk about something else now?
Posted by Robert Collins
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
I couldn't give a fig about the colour of the cobbles, but I thought the above comment from Andy Macintosh,
"If local businesses cannot take advantage of an improved shopping environment then they don't deserve to and will be superceded by those that can."
summed up the root cause of many peoples' dislike of all the changes in the town centre.
In other words, "Some of your long-established local businesses don't fit in with the designer shopping experience we have planned for you. In time these scruffy oiks will be ousted to make way for more wine bars and coffee shops."
Posted by Andrew Hall
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Oh dear! Raw nerves everywhere!
Adam, nobody is more keen to wait and see than I am. I just made an observation about a sign on some of the temporary lamp posts. Is it such a crime to speculate on what those lamp posts might look like? Isn't one of the traits of being human to anticipate, to speculate, to dream, to look ahead?
What really amuses me is that somebody thought there was a need to put the signs up in the first place. Was it to pre-empt the indignant howls from those who thought the current lamp posts were not in keeping with our twee little town? Was it to re-assure them that something better is planned for the street?
If speculation about the design of the proposed lamp posts is a crime then I admit to being guilty. If expressing concerns about how they may look is a crime, then yes - guilty!
If you don't care, then don't post on this topic - start a new thread or post elsewhere. You've no need to read anything if you don't want. It's far preferable to have an active discussion board than weeks of nothing!
And I always thought Hebden Bridge was a tolerant place. It certainly used to be. Yet another indication of the changing nature of the town.
Posted by Andy Macintosh
Monday, June 26, 2006
In reply to Robert:
Not at all! I have no desire to see 'real', but I use the word guardedly, disappear, and I see no reason why they should. However, they too can adapt somewhat to take advantage of the new design. Cash in on the shop local/local produce angle - day-trippers need food too - it's vey tiring carrying lots of fair-trade knick-knacks around.
Posted by Larry Kin
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
I don't know if this is true or not but I have heard a rumour that the new lamp posts will be made in such a style that they can double up as gallows in order to deal with all the extra anti-social behaviour that will be generated by the brightly coloured cobbles.
Discussion continues about Shops, cobbles and pedestrianisation
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