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Fjord · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:17 am Post subject:

I'd rather have Paisley over EK any day so much history and all that. Where's HH to sign the surrender treaty?

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sputnik · Single Fish Joined: 04 Oct 2008 Posts: 195

HH is an exiled bankie.

james73 · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:31 pm Post subject:

ITS famous patterned cloth gave it transatlantic links and world renown. But Paisley,
a town steeped in history, is now a shadow of its former self.

A series of poor planning decisions, rival shopping centres and a full-blown
recession have left the former weaving town bruised and battered. Now, the
town centre is a mix of betting shops, pound shops and pubs - peppered with
To Let signs.

Established in 1577, Paisley developed an international reputation throughout
the 19th and early 20th century thanks to the weaving industry. The town, which
was rejected for city status in 1999 and 2001, has a rich history and important
Victorian heritage.

Paisley Abbey, it is widely accepted, was where William Wallace was schooled.
Paisley's architectural heritage boasts over 250 listed buildings while St Mirren
FC's history features Archie Gemmill and the rise to prominence of Sir Alex
Ferguson. And the local theatre group helped fine-tune the talents of Hollywood
star James McAvoy, singer Paolo Nutini and Fame Academy winner David Sneddon
for stardom.

But for some, Paisley has had its chips. Just last month one of the town's most
popular sons, Paolo Nutini, slammed his former home, saying the council has
let the area down. He said: "It used to have a cinema, a bowling alley and an
ice rink. Now these things are gone. There is nothing to do there now.

"It's bad for drink and drugs and gambling and it's got the most bookies for the
size of it in the whole of Europe. The council should be ashamed of itself."

Strathand Security in the town's Moss Street has been run by the Torrance
family for more than 20 years. Shirley Torrance says she's witnessed the sad
decline of the town centre - and claims the council just aren't doing enough
to help. The 40-year-old blames the planners and believes the problems began
with the pedestrianisation of the town centre. Officials decided on the move 10
years ago - and it has been fiercely contested ever since.

She said: "When the town centre was closed to cars footfall fell dramatically.
We're also heavily policed by traffic wardens so people leave their cars for a
few minutes to pop into a shop and then they get a ticket. Those people aren't
ever going to come back. We close now on a Saturday because there just aren't
enough people coming in to the shop.

"We also have a serious problem with rubbish and rats in the older tenement
buildings. The town is in squalor now and it's something we must deal with."

In the halycon days, Paisley could boast a high-end high street with House
of Fraser, Arnotts, Marks & Spencer, Littlewoods, Woolworths and the Co-op.
Now, M&S is the only one left and even that has turned into an outlet store.

Local specialist shops have also suffered. The greengrocers is gone, as is the
butcher and florist; the kind of shops that make each town's high street special.
The closing of town centre streets to cars also pushed shoppers away from Paisley.
And retailers say they have seen a 50% slump in trade over the last decade.

The once-bustling town centre has suffered serious decline even in the past year.
The number of empty units in the high street have risen from one in eight to one
in four - totalling 50 empty shop units. Critics say giant malls Braehead and
Silverburn damaged the small, local stores before the credit crunch struck the
final blows.

Paisley is just one of many towns facing an identity crisis in the face of new
shopping malls and edge-of-town supermarkets.

James H
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Doog Doog · Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:38 pm Post subject:

Paisley's decline startedbefore Braehead opened a door.The pedestrianisation of the High st and Gilmour st and subsequent parking restrictions are to blame.
The scheme was the brainchild of Richard Manser,the then roads chief with the council.The fact that he never held a driving licence says it all.
What doesn't help is that the town has lost a lot of its big employers,people with no money to spend apart from the essentials.
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james73 · Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:13 pm Post subject:

Paisley may be down... but it’s not out (Evening Times)

FOR centuries Paisley Abbey has looked out over the historic town. From the
schoolhouse of William Wallace to the place of worship for generations of weavers,
the Abbey has formed the heart of Paisley.

But around the famous landmark, the town has suffered a staggering decline
with neighbouring buildings run down and ragged. A double whammy of rival
shopping malls and the credit crunch have hit the town hard.

And traders say the decision to pedestrianise the town centre 10 years ago
has driven shoppers away. Now, a new generation of Buddies is wondering what
next for the town.

Bob Darracott, director of planning and transport for Renfrewshire, has high
hopes but he admits turning Paisley back into a thriving, successful hub will take
a lot of work - and cash. A grant from the lottery backed Townscape Heritage
Initiative has brought in £1.5million to revamp the historic area of the town.

The money is earmarked for restoring the derelict fire station in Gordon Street.
It is also to be used to restore the tenements and shopfronts in the Cross/Oakshaw
conservation area. Paisley is also set to benefit from part of a £92m boost to
upgrade schools and leisure facilities across Renfrewshire, and is to be given
£7.1m by Renfrewshire Council to develop the Lagoon Leisure Centre into a
state-of-the-art community sports hub with gym, swimming pool, spa and steam
room.

Bosses also plan to offer climbing walls, skateboard parks and mountain bike
equipment. Extra investment is set to come from Reid Kerr College, which is
turning the YMCA building into a drama studio and negotiations are under way
with housing developers to build on several town centre sites.

Westpoint Homes has plans to create 40 high-quality flats in the heart of the town,
on a 2.8-acre site - around Cotton Street, Gauze Street and Mill Street - that
housed the former council headquarters.

The former Arnott site is one of the largest derelict areas in Paisley and a symbol
of the failing town centre, but there are now plans to build a mixed-use
development including flats, a care home for the elderly and extra parking.

Mr Darracott said: "Paisley has a lot to be proud of and we really need to market
it in a way that lets people know the positives. It has been hit hard by out of
town developments and the economic situation but it is a historic place with
many fantastic old buildings. It's going to take a lot to restore Paisley but we're
working extremely hard to do so."

Council bosses are also working to make the town centre safer and more accessible.

James H
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Doog Doog · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 9:26 pm Post subject:

I heard today that the sandstone tenements is Sutherland St. are to be demolished,no date as yet.
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james73 · Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 10:53 pm Post subject:

Bus bedlam in Paisley (Evening Times)

PAISLEY town centre is still in the grip of bus chaos two years after the authorities
vowed to sort it out.

Bus passengers and drivers say not enough is being done to free up streets
in and around the town centre which are clogged with dozens of buses - even
outwith rush hours. The chaos which unites the travelling public and it came to
light when the Evening Times took to local streets to find out just how the situation
had improved.

Some residents want to see a new bus terminal while others pointed the finger
of blame at a pedestrianisation scheme which restricts traffic movements. The
Evening Times went back to Paisley two years after bus inspectors were brought
in to bring to an end the town's so-called bus wars when rivals gridlocked streets
and blocked bus bays in a deliberate attempt to pinch passengers by preventing
other operators from picking up.

The authorities have cracked down hard but the paying public reckons more can
be done. The main problems are in Gauze Street, St Mirren Brae and New Street as
the buses which include single and double deckers, bendy buses and small
independent operator buses vie for space at the bus stops - often blocked the
road for other users.

The existing bus terminus under the Piaza Shopping Centre was last week named
one of the worst polluted places in Scotland and continues to be a bug bear to
the travelling public.

James H
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The blinding obvious is what you showed to me.....

Doog Doog · Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:49 pm Post subject:

I'd ban the bendy buses. They're ok for the streets of post-war German cities,but are a pain in the arse on the 19th century designed streets of Scotland.
The trouble with building a bus station is that there is no land close enough to be any use.
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cybers · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:37 am Post subject:

Creeping about at Stupid O'Clock

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wee minx · Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:26 am Post subject:

Aww..lovely crisp, clear shots there Cybers, that's it...I need to get out in the dark