Friday, November 2, 2012

All the T's: Tonbridge Town Team, Town Day, Town Shop....

I see on page 14 of today's Courier the Tonbridge Town Team (or is it now called Business Alliance?) are looking for ways to blow er, I mean spend wisely the £10,000 they have been awarded by the council. I'm quite amazed that they don't already seem to have much of an idea of where or what to spend it on and are looking for suggestions from businesses and residents. Well here's a few of  mine: Give me and several other newish businesses half the money that those money grabbers at the council take as business rates! That way traditional businesses like mine will be given a lift and be more inclined to stay on for longer. I know that this suggestion wouldn't be entertained so here's another: Have a competition for a new start up retailer to be given a grant to help them get going. £10,000 would go a very long way for one deserving business owner I can tell you. Maybe it would be a family butcher, farm shop or whatever. Better still: the town team should get their heads together with the Tonbridge Civic Society and others to see whether a Town Shop could be set up selling local produce on a non-profit making basis from a town centre location. The Civic Society has a small army of willing people who, I feel  sure, would be prepared to roll up their sleeves and muck in as volunteers if it was for the good of the town. Use an empty shop of the right size and that would do much more for Tonbridge than a Town Day that has been suggested which frankly would just flush the 10k away. When it happens and thrives, just remember where you heard the idea first....

8 comments:

Outraged said...

I think the ten grand has come from central government, rather than from TMBC? Guaranteed though, as soon as the word "partners" pops up, it means squandered! Outrageous! Lets just have a massive firework display!

Paul Bailey said...

It will be spent on focus groups, marketing surveys etc. - all the usual ways in which consultants waste money. At the end of the day there will be nothing concrete to show for their efforts, apart from perhaps a few glossy brochures and a poster or two.

I could think of much better, and enjoyable ways of spending ten grand! A firework display though might be a good idea; either way the money's going to vanish in a puff of smoke!

Matt Harvey said...

Great ideas Mr B, I hope someone is listening.

Paul Bailey said...

What happened to the three posts a week??

Outraged said...

I left a few blog suggestions for consideration in the comments box under "Three Times a Week. Thank you for the Blog TB.

Paul Bailey said...

I think TB has lost interest in his blog. Time to put it out of its misery?

Outraged said...

Aww I hope not! There is loads to blog about in Tonbridge, this is a great site don't let it snuff it!

Outraged said...

Things I am simply outraged about this week! TMBC, (that goes without saying)'. The state of the Rose and Crown, it's an insult to hospitality and a blot on the landscape, why on earth does anyone go there, saddo's no doubt! Road sweeping, well the lack of it! I amaze at the £50k sweeping lorries, they wizz down the road, brushes whirling, missing all the trash in the gutter due to parked cars, and I have a solution! Oh yes I do! The police, incompetent and too reckless to be on the road! Give em all bikes! The environment Agency! Cause of most flooding and loss of wildlife! Traffic wardens, Gestapo! Gosh there is more too! Go for it TB!