I also think that design and maufacturing are creative processes, but unfortunately with the growth of www. there are other areas around the globe which can manufacture goods much cheaper. The Western world also has no monopoly of knowledge, inventiveness and creativity. In short we all are competing in a global market place. Frome has gone through a deindustiralisation period and does have some light industry left. However, it is highly unlikely that manufacturing enterprise are going to choose Frome as their location because of poor infrastructure, hence employment opportunities are likely to be in growth sectors, one of which is the creative arts. Yes, there are opportunities for self employment or portfolio working, but also f/t and p/t jobs. An Art Centre does not necessaryly need to have one function only. It could double up as a community centre, business suport centre, etc. As I am fairly new to Frome, I have no prior knowledge of previous community tensions, upsets, power struggles etc. I also have no axe to grind, as I am a social scienist and simply share with you some of the insights and findings of research. There is an emerging concensus amongst those concerned with meeting the challenges of a globalised economy, that solutions have to be 'glocal', ie addressing global issues at a local level. this means identifying the strength which Frome got and building on those, unless of course one is happy to live in a dormatory, commuter town. If you type arts led regeneration into google search engine, you should find plenty of evidence to show that investment in the arts has stimulated local economies not only in terms tourism and day trippers, who spend money but also act as a magnet for businesses. I also have more than twnety years of experience in community lead development and initiatives do not need to be either/or, but need to be thought through holistically, i.e no hobby horses which do not benefit the long terms sustainability of Frome. I am also puzzeled that you, nellyblue, seem to define arts purely as visual arts, what about music, dance, drama, embroidery, electronic art, writing etc. And I don't mean just high brow either. Popular culture is expanding...

As ever, Gerlinde has insight - it is matched to a degree in Frome, but never enough. Thinking caps on!

JAH

QT - gerlinde wrote:
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Frome desperately needs an affordable clothes shop for men and women - something like Peacocks or BHS. It is the one thing that would encourage people into town instead of going to Trowbridge. This would help the other independent shops stay viable. Select has recently closed and there is nothing left except boutiques. Ordinary people, the majority of Frome residents, do not shop in these or even at M&S, so the choice is out of town at either ASDA or Sainsbury - or Trowbridge, Bath or Bristol.

Hello Gerlinde

Am usually fairly free mid-week but not free 21, 27-30 May. Best thing is for you to let me have, please, a couple of dates , times and place. I will be around if at all possible.

Best wishes

John

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It's sometimes hard to envisage what is achievable in terms of reducing energy consumption, so here's a heartening story about a town in the USA the same size as Frome reduced energy use by 30% in one month! Turning things off, turning things down and hanging the washing out to dry. Let's hope they keep it up . . .

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/am...r-lines-829931.html

Hi John

I can do 22nd of May anytime.

Regards

Gerlinde
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Suggest meeting at Settle Cafe in Cheap Street at 10.30 on 22 May.
John

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yes that is fine. good to have met you today.

Gerlinde
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Gerlinde

Regret I cannot make our meeting at the Settle on Thursday. Many apologies. Please send me another couple of dates.

Best wishes

John

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thanks for letting me know. Can we arrange something after 6th June?
Gerlinde
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Hi - can we keep the forum for discussions and debate about Frome please rather than for personal messages. If you need to contact an individual about specific matters, it would be better to ask for an invididual's email and contact them off-board.

Many thanks,
V4F

If anyone cares to use the Sustainable Frome forum for posting information or for using the private messaging system (or the email system), please join up at http://www.sustainablefrome.org.uk. You will find information on the forum that is very relevant to V4F, particularly some very local projects focussing on energy reduction and preparation for the impact of oil price increases, local food production, shop local campaigning, etc.

A Frome Town broadband from a central wireless hub would create a more cohesive area and populatio and be more economical.

John Hyde

I don't think it is right that another group tries to send people to its site for copying what is being done here. This forum is great for people coming up with ideas and debate to do with the town and I have been reading with interest. Not everyone likes having the green message rammed down their throats. I am local to Frome and feel that the likes of sustainable Frome and as someone else suggetsed, the arts scene in Frome are not for local people.
ML

Martin - Forgive me if you think my comments were 'ramming' I had no intention to do that, partly a reminder to Gerlinde that she can use the forum as she's already signed up there. The SF meetings and activities are full of local people and everyone is welcome.

I've spent the last ten years helping to make Frome fit for the future and feel passionately about our town as it is already a very special place. However we are all affected by rising prices of fuel and food and it is my belief that we will need to travel less and buy more local food in the future, particularly bearing in mind the gradual depletion in oil reserves. I hope therefore that the V4F process will give us a blueprint for 2028 which incorporates ideas for reducing our dependency on petrol & imported goods and explores many ideas of how we might grow crops and make many more goods locally.

As someone in Glastonbury recently said "if I look at what we need to do to create the communities that we're happy for our grandchildren and their grandchildren to grow up in, then that work certainly won’t finish in our lifetimes…"