Hi John, Mandie,
This sounds to me like an idea to put into Vision for Frome as a project.&#C2;&#A0; I'll add it on. Cheers, Maggy

--- On Sat, 5/7/08, John Hyde <john.hyde@hydenet.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
From: John Hyde <john.hyde@hydenet.myzen.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Vision for Frome Forum
To: "QT topic 41-HxqJfmJ6Aw6Y" <qtopic-41-HxqJfmJ6Aw6Y@quicktopic.com> Date: Saturday, 5 July, 2008, 10:01 AM

Mandie

Ages ago you wrote a very interesting piece about the skate park, the car park etc. I have been thinking about
the same things.

Clearly it's necessary to have somewhere for youngsters to let of steam without disturbing others too much.
To my mind the present skate park is not quite in the right place. It could, for example, be expanded and made more sophisticated
if it were put to the right of the Cheese&Grain, up the slope. The younsters may prefer some privacy although I recognise
that has its question marks. But at least any 'supervisers' would know where to look. Another possible location is the North Parade
car park.

The Cattle Market near the Frome Canoe Club could then be used for Civic gatherings, an expanded marketet etc.

What do people think?

John Hyde


QT - Mandie Stone wrote:
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>�A;�A;�A; __________________________________________________________�A;Not happy with your email address?.�A;Get the one you really want - millions of new email addresses available now at Yahoo! http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/ymail/new.html
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I think Frome needs a new and larger shopping centre. Westway Shopping Centre is Too Small and there is not many shops. Most shops are not recognisable ones. A new shiopping centre would benifit the Town as most of the frome population goes to either Bath or Trowbridge where there are good shops and lots of shops.

I have just been reading up on this V4F stuff-this discussion board and your report, I have been aware of its existence but as a working mother and ACTIVE community member have had to prioritise............now however, I feel compelled to have my say. On the whole the report is great, I very much want to be a part of this forum and would now choose to put it near the top of those priorities I talked about. BUT I am appalled and quiet frankly offended at this bit of it........"Those who grew up in its past age are still living here, but they tend to
go unnoticed. The newer people are often more vocal and are perceived as
its 'movers and shakers'."


I have lived here all my life. I have been active in the community since I was old enough to do so independently.
"Fromies" are massively miss represented. I am NOT a small minded hick! Frome has had an amazing community spirit for many many years.........before it became one of the top 5 places to visit for the weekend........before Frome Festival and before Fromies who keep this town going (we work in your schools, collect your bins, work in the pubs and supermarkets etc etc)were priced out of the housing market by people who want to move here and "put Frome on the map".

People who have lived here all their lives are intimidated by "vocal, movers and shakers" and niffed off with the attitude that Frome was nothing special before you came along. It was, is and always will be-not because of fancy art installations or festivals that are on the whole too expensive for us lifers, but because of things like the Memorial Hall, The Lions Club, the schools, the fetes and the many other things that have preceded all you incomers and us indeed us Fromies!

Whens the next meeting? Count me very much in!!!!!

Re: On the whole the report is great...BUT I am appalled and quiet frankly offended at....."Those who grew up in its past age are still living here, but they tend to go unnoticed. The newer people are often more vocal and are perceived as its 'movers and shakers'."

I found this bit on p33 of the Interim Report in the chapter 'Society & Well-being'. I am a Fromie too but I don't read this bit in a negative way. It doesn't suggest that 'incomers' think they know more and do more than Fromies. Rather it says that people from families long-resident tend to be stoic and put up with things. That's accurate, in my view. Those who collected the evidence and drafted V4F's interim report are either Fromies by conviction or by birth. Having found Frome, 'incomers, tend to want to strengthen the town not change it in negative, 'anti-Fromie ways. I do not see a 'Them and Us' within Frome. On the whole it's just 'Us'. My view is that many of the questions and problems that the Interim Report tries to answer come from outside Frome; absent administrators, for example.
Yours, through rose coloured specs.

John


QT - Em wrote:
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Maybe its a question of interpretation then? I just feel that existing "movers and shakers" who have quietly been serving this fantastic community for many years go unnoticed. They don't tend to be involved in the high profile, high brow stuff that has become so trendy in the town at the moment. If an us and them culture is to be avoided then more needs to be done to bridge the gaps...........if we're going to have art installations that "interrupt" our town they need to be up on the Mount or in Asda as well as the arty type places. The festival needs to be more accessible, maybe a season ticket to help people on lower incomes join in?

The Cheese Show needs to come back to Frome. If you have been here long enough to remember when it was on the show field and we all used to get the day off school on the Wednesday. And the carnival and the fair were in town on the Saturday? It was great-its a crime that its not like that anymore........that's the type of old school community I'm talking about and its gone!

Don't get me wrong-I'm not stunted I promise! I have done all I can to embrace the new and exciting things that happen in our town. I have been in productions at the Merlin and the Grand. FromeFM rocks and it is an honour to be involved with it. I perform in the festival however, I could only attend one event because my 10 year old daughter wanted to see something at the Cheese and Grain with us and I had to pay full price for her-by the time child care for the other was sorted and a drink was had our going out budget was blown for a fortnight!

There is so much more that can be done to make this town a far more inclusive place for both those new to the area and the old timers-who are vocal and involved, and those who do not feel comfortable to speak up where ever they come from or how long they've lived here.

I still maintain that sentence was a sweeping and untrue statement!

Re: .........existing "movers and shakers" who have quietly been serving this fantastic community for many years go unnoticed. They don't tend to be involved in the high profile, high brow stuff that has become so trendy in the town at the moment......

John writes:

Well, you are dead right. It is accurate that not enough "indigenous fromites" [of which I am one] ever really get involved and so risk going unnoticed. I well remember all the town activities you mention from my youth - they should be kept and strengthened. But it in our own hands; we get what we deserve. We reap what we, as citizens, sow...... More "indigenous fromites" could and should get involved but, on the whole, they don't become councillors, or take a public roll [but they always criticise]. I profoundly disagree that the matters are high profile or highbrow. No, they usually concern the application of commonsense - which is not lacking in Frome. We obviously disagree about a choice of words, but that's not worth falling out about.

QT - Em wrote:
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Its absolutely not!;)

So I guess its heads together for innovative, inclusive ways of bringing it all together then? Regardless of how long, where from etc etc.

I honestly think it would be half the battle if this could be effectively addressed!

about the skate park thing.
you got it all wrong.
the cheese and grain park is not used by skaters because there isn't enough room for skaters and bikes, its because the park is awful, the ramps are poorly put together and designed, and the the park layout is a complete mess, just extending it would not make it better at all. you need input from skaters, not from people who just walk alongside it and chat to a few people riding bikes. frome needs a good new skate park, victoria skate park is rubbish as well. if your going to do anything skate park wise, get skater input, it needs to be designed by skaters, not the council, and as for putting an extension on the slope, HAAHAHAHA. you cant put a skate park on a bloody hill, it just doesn't work, gravity. the bikes are fine with victoria park and the cheese and grain one, but when they are swarmed with bikes and small children it makes it even harder to skate an already rubbish park.

Hi Spam - you sound keen. If you and your friends are serious about getting something happening, there is funding available that only young people can apply for. It can be used for things like skate parks or related to other things for young people to do. Nothing is guaranteed of course, but if you want more details I can certainly help you with the funding details and make sure you talk to the right people etc. Please email me at katy.graham@mendip.gov.uk or call me on 01749 341323.

Regards,
Katy

i ride the parks in frome nearly everday and to be very honest spam you are very selfish there should be in put from bikers and skater because after a week the park will be taken over by bikes and chavs if its made as you now you wont be able to skate it eny way so it should be desinged by a skatepark company

Actually Spam is completely right!! Cheese and Grain skate park is overrun with drug addictts teenagers smokers and Bikes!! It is not somewhere where you want to go and skate. Victoria park skate ramps are not only pawly constructed but overrun by small children and skooters!

Edited by author 22-09-2008 15:27
hi i come from frome i sk8 and bmx i use the parks everday unless its raining i find the only problems are overcrowding and and a stereo type of people called "emos they make the place seem down and miserable , u shuld make the park for bmx and skateboards only, no scooters or little children 7 or under alowed. it may sound unfair that no small children shouldnt be in there but i dont want to explain to to the parent why there child has a stunt peg in there head. if you would like to contavt me heres my email harry_l69@hotmail.com

I thought I'd put the record straight on the C&G skatepark - it was designed by skaters for skaters - with TR & Toby from High Rider and a group of others. In fact the big steps in the corner was a piece designed specifically by them and not something that the manufacturers had ever done before. Unfortunately we were limited by space and couldn't afford to resurface before the ramps were installed so it was never perfect. However it has performed well (and lasted a lot longer than the much more expensive Glastonbury park) and I've seen some amazing skateboarding there in the past. These things do need constant maintenance though and it does seem to work better for the bikers than the skaters. Mendip should be able to repair it if there are specific problems.

Edited by author 03-10-2008 12:55
In preparation for the upcoming V4F consultation on "The economy" in Selwood School 7th October 2008 at 7pm, I thought you might find it useful to review something about the future local economy we must develop over the next 20-25 years taking into account Peak oil and Climate Change, the major influences likley to impact us all over this period. This can be found at:

http://z6.invisionfree.com/Sustainable_Fro...x.php?showtopic=825

All the best,
Alex Malcolm
Tel: +44 (0) 1373 462158 or +44 (0) 207 100 7283
Mobile: +44 (0)7798 572665
Blog website: http://www.alexmalcolm.co.uk/

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Forcing up the price of parking was a bit dumb in the first place so the 1st hour free is a gret idea as is bringing a bigger market back to the town centre.

The two bus providers competing for customers at the same time is a joke.

The train service is a total joke.

Extending the cycle path into Frome proper would be a good thing.

Protecting Frome's independent high street/pubs alongside encouraging new shops is a good thing

Sad fact is I suspect most of these issues will not have progressed in 20 years time but good luck!