Ghost Town

foxcoverteddy

Do you realise that what was the norm twenty or thirty years ago, no longer applies, we all tend to live in the past, yes if you like stick our headfs in the sand.
Shops, on-line shopping has decimated many small businesses, how many years before the king of shops, the supermarket goes the same way?
We did not need to go out the whole winter, Tesco delivered, on time and with a happy smile.
Parking, yes a problem in most towns, despite the things said about Kilkenny, it is a dump to park in, Market Cross three ways in and one out, planning stupidity, Market Yard, a car bodywork repairer's dream, McDonough, you need a map and plenty of money, the car park in Vicar St, about as well planned as a public toilet. There again who designed City Square?
Having said all that parking off Oxford St in london, or Bond St, one needs a bank loan, you would not mind what it cost's in Waterford.
Another problem Waterford really has very little to offer the true shopper, would anyone really bother parking near the city centre, not when you have such a selection outside the city limits.
You have to remember that Waterford, and the like were built and planned so long ago, they are not sustainable as relic's of days gone by.
Look to the future, it is too late to regtenerate the city as you knew it, and it is not wingeing, it is facing the situation as it is and will be for the forseeable future.

funk junky

Look let's not forget that the town has shrunk and expanded before. This is a cyclical event and it won't be the last time it happens. My dad had to leave Waterford to go to London years ago. My grandad did the same thing before him. Guess where I am! But for different reasons. Look at the upside. At least houses are cheap to buy and cheap to rent.

I live in a small ****ty house in zone 3 of London. Many many many business's closing down. Massive drug problem , huge unemployment rates, baffling crime rate, just like the deise the way it's described on here but the fact is that's its much much worse and the rent is astronomical.

For the money I pay here I could be buying a huge house on the river back home. Now consider I'm only earning a fraction above dole money (Irish dole) and I'm sure you will start to see how much we have going for us at home. A beautiful city a sense of community ,history and surrounded by beautiful beaches and countryside , we have a very very high standard of living and we forget that so quickly.

And please don't think I'm out of touch as I only moved over here this day last year. And I'm literally counting the days till I can get back (July)

Max Powers

funk junky wrote: »

Look let's not forget that the town has shrunk and expanded before. This is a cyclical event and it won't be the last time it happens. My dad had to leave Waterford to go to London years ago. My grandad did the same thing before him. Guess where I am! But for different reasons. Look at the upside. At least houses are cheap to buy and cheap to rent.

I live in a small ****ty house in zone 3 of London. Many many many business's closing down. Massive drug problem , huge unemployment rates, baffling crime rate, just like the deise the way it's described on here but the fact is that's its much much worse and the rent is astronomical.

For the money I pay here I could be buying a huge house on the river back home. Now consider I'm only earning a fraction above dole money (Irish dole) and I'm sure you will start to see how much we have going for us at home. A beautiful city a sense of community ,history and surrounded by beautiful beaches and countryside , we have a very very high standard of living and we forget that so quickly.

And please don't think I'm out of touch as I only moved over here this day last year. And I'm literally counting the days till I can get back (July)

Fair play Funkjunky, Im forever saying i would love to get back to London for a visit (maybe not the are you describe) i think part of the problem with some on here is their willingness to complain and do F-all about it. Willingness to complain with no concept of the problems being faced and comparing them with some weekend holiday they had recently. Im the first to recognise challenges are around, no denying the challenges. However, mindless complaining of the joe duffy style by some on boards is not going to help us out, in fact they add to the challenge. I heard some lads in their 20s complaining about the harvest festival thing on sunday, this is the mentality of some Irish people. Anyone that was there knows it was excellent, some arent happy unless they are being handed free pints on theit favourite stool. Anyway, a bit of persepctive offered by yourself there is most welcome.

foxcoverteddy

Funkyjunky, brill post by any standard.
I lived in south west london for many years, then came to Ireland in 1993 for a holiday, no connections, relations, came with friends, almost the moment we got off the boat, we all said wow this some place.
We all now live here, none of us go back, we love the place, the people and all that goes with it.
Yes Irish people complain when really they have so much, perhaps living in london or some other large UK city would let them see what Ireland is about.
I can't think of anything to bring to Ireland from the UK, well maybe Sainsbury's.
Waterford, Clonmel any all the other towns will come back, if we can stop the greedy politicians ripping us off, no onbe minds paying for services etc but those in the Dail have really gone too far, and the present crew have not the guts to put an immediate end to it, they allow local councils to get in the trough as well.
We should say this is our Ireland if you are running it, do it properly or get out.
You will not find another beach like clonea or Stradbally, come home.

fiesty lady

yeah parking in waterford is expensieve, and run over by a few minuets and you could end up with a 4o euro fine. You still have to put a parking ticket on the car on friday evenings until 8pm and there are very few shops open.!!
New street car park is doing a special offer on tuesdays and thursdays of 140 per hour.:)

mike65

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

I can't think of anything to bring to Ireland from the UK, well maybe Sainsbury's.

Ambitious Pleb! Waitrose would be nice!

alphasounds

Max Powers wrote: »

Pathetic, why didnt you park in car park, put a measly 30c into meter and do your errant. You thought parking illegally was better. I always love the language....i just popped in, jumped in, just a minute....thats why the 15 min thing is rubbish and near impossible to manage. BTW, on KK council web page it says first 15 min for 50c and one hour is €1.50. Its €1 in Waterford.

http://www.kilkennycity.ie/eng/Services/Traffic/Parking_in_Kilkenny/

My advise would be to park on outskirts of Waterford city for free or else open the vault and put a few cents in the meter and the local economy while you are at it.

Sorry my reply comes so late.

Pathetic is spending money on the local economy
with the parking meter.
I guess a free ticket print for the next 15 min is very easy to program.
And your strange advice does nothing to promote Waterford as far as i can see.
The result does speak not exactly for your point of view.

Last time i was in kk 15min were free, might changed now.
My idea is some little freedom somehow to promote Waterford inner city as public space.