Should the people of Southampton really have a say in what happens in Newbury? I think not!
After a few meaningful exchanges of glances with my husband, I spoke out.
There is a Newbury Pond Yacht club, and we were not consulted. We use the boating pond all year round. We tried to have it listed by English Heritage. We love the traditional and the circular pond. We contacted the 20th Century society to have them look into saving the pond.
If they google Newbury Pond Yacht Club they will come across this blog, (and a website that I have yet to design, despite owning the domain name!) If they care to see how much we care, then go to the right hand side and scroll down to "earlier posts" and start at the beginning....
I discussed this long and passionately with my husband and decided to unveil myself, to come out of the anonymity closet. Yes there is a Newbury Pond Yacht Club.
Yes I am a Councillors wife. But my views and Opinions are mine and mine alone, I do not speak for my husband and I do not influence him in his decisions..... (If only?) I speak and write for myself. I am not expressing views of any political party in Newbury, and am entitled to speak out and write out as an individual in my own right.
The blog is now 90% about "loving life in Newbury as a Mummy with Baby" it is 5% "trials, tribulations and successes in the domestic arena", and 5% "Pond Yacht club". It began as a Save The Boating Pond Blog and after my failure to List the pond, I meandered off course, but folks still read and enjoy- and I love to blog.
Finally Mummies who are fellow Yachtie Totties, please add your comments below, anonymously, regarding your views on the Boating Pond the new BP and Pavilion, I do not mind if you agree or disagree with me, just please have your say, so that WBC can see that the people of Newbury and Thatcham who actually do use the Boating Pond, the motor boat & pond yacht owners and those wonderful "handmade, home made" floating vessel owners, those who sail yellow rubber bath ducks, have an opinion and wish to have it made known.
I am sending the link to the blog to the department concerned, and our views, all our views, will be seen.
In the meantime, do not forget, you can still sail on the pond in Autumn and Winter, just wrap up warm! We plan to be there Wednesdays if it isn't raining....
P.S. oh and one last thing, the idea of the "double pond plan" is apparently because the pedaloes and yachts collide etc etc- my Sweetpea frequently "goes her own way" (just like her owner) and either grinds to a halt or is too far out for me to fetch her, the kids on pedaloes, well they help me out by setting her back on course! They don't disturb me and I don't disturb them!
I think that the park should be left as a park, and the pond left as it is.
ReplyDeleteWe have enjoyed boating on the pond when we have young families come to visit us. And we have seen loads of little ones (and their dads) having fun driving their remote controlled boats across the pond. We love to watch! I think the pond is a nice destination and something a bit different for Newbury. The pavilion is nice, but I don't think it's as valuable as quality open space and a fun water feature for the children of Newbury to enjoy.
I just read your post again and see that they have actually designed in a new boating pond. So I've taken a quick look at the plans. I think it's great that they have put in a boating pond. But I still feel that we are better off with lots of open space for the children to play in rather than a new arts venue.
ReplyDeleteYes, but if you add up the footprint of the new pond and the new play park and put that with the new pavilion( which takes up on its own as much space as 40 semi detached houses!)- that is a lot of play space we are sacrificing?
ReplyDeleteAlso it isn't an arts venue, it is a performance place, a second theatre if you prefer? It is for rehearsing and the likes for the corn exchange too, and also cafe and loos. There will be art hung on the walls like at the corn exchange. The people who normally perform at Greenham will perform here.
ReplyDeleteI thought the idea of Greenham was to use it for peacetime activity, so why move it?
The artist studios,nd artists are staying at Greenham.
I live in Newbury and sail model yachts on the pond all year round. I belong to the boat club at Beale Park (Mid Thames) but use the pond as it is rather quicker to get to. I find that there is never any conflict with the canoes etc as when the weather is nice for the canoes it is no good for sailing boats. quick sail
ReplyDelete