[theboltonfury]

manchester50, on 26 April 2012 - 08:10 AM, said:

For me, it's not about what the shops are - I just find it an ugly town centre. Mind you most of the neighbouring town centres south of Manc are pretty bland and ugly too

It's going the way of Alti. There is a cash for gold store on the high street and a 'gentleman's club'

It's pretty awful.

[manchester50]

SeeYouNextTuesday, on 26 April 2012 - 11:36 AM, said:

Lymm? Maybe Stockton Heath?

Lymm centre's attractive. I don't know Stockton Heath.

[R K]

manchester50, on 26 April 2012 - 10:36 AM, said:

For me, the only 'centres' that are at all visually attractive around the area are Hale (altho I'm not a huge fan of the place beyond that), Marple Bridge, Ramsbottom, Prestbury and Knutsford. Going further afield in Cheshire then Nantwich (bar Crew's closeness) Tarporley and Chester, Although looking at that list it probably just means I'm getting older...

What do people want/need apart from somewhere to get your haircut, a few pubs/eateries and perhaps a local co-op?

If you excluded over-priced independent women's clothes retailers from those more affluent towns, there's really not much left.

My question would be what's the 'point' of most town centres?

I'd disagree with the point made earlier about 60's planning blight. It is still ongoing to this day. Altrincham bears witness to that. Complete planning f*ck up from start to finish. Every addition just makes it worse, seemingly by intention. The 'old' pot holed car park (before the flats) on Goose Green was preferable to the dystopia that obtains today.

[manchester50]

Ideally within walking distance, we'd look for: doctor, corner shop, primary school, couple of decent pubs. Wouldn't say no to butcher/baker/fishmonger/cafe.

I don't see the point in clothes shops etc - surely you just want to be able to get into Chester or Manchester by train/road every now and then.

[SeeYouNextTuesday]

manchester50, on 26 April 2012 - 04:26 PM, said:

Lymm centre's attractive. I don't know Stockton Heath.

Stockton Heath is ok, more pubs/bars orientated liek a Didsbury (east or west)

[SeeYouNextTuesday]

manchester50, on 27 April 2012 - 01:50 PM, said:

Ideally within walking distance, we'd look for: doctor, corner shop, primary school, couple of decent pubs. Wouldn't say no to butcher/baker/fishmonger/cafe.

I don't see the point in clothes shops etc - surely you just want to be able to get into Chester or Manchester by train/road every now and then.

Pretty much and nowadays a cafe is more important that a pub/restaurant

[R K]

manchester50, on 27 April 2012 - 01:50 PM, said:

Ideally within walking distance, we'd look for: doctor, corner shop, primary school, couple of decent pubs. Wouldn't say no to butcher/baker/fishmonger/cafe.

I don't see the point in clothes shops etc - surely you just want to be able to get into Chester or Manchester by train/road every now and then.

Sure, yep. In which case you get most if not all those things in most if not all the places you listed above (from memory!).

I'd add good rail access within walking distance too. Again, available in Hale, Altrincham, Knutsford, Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme and so on, but notably NOT in Tarporley. Nearest is prob. Cuddington for Chester-M/cr line else Crewe for mainline. Hence I wouldn't ever buy in Tarporley if you want to 'hedge' possible outcome of the oil/electric car scenario. Plus it's more or less 1/2 hour to decent supermarket/large shops/cinema etc. Believe me it's a royal pain in the ****

[manchester50]

Red Knight, on 27 April 2012 - 03:07 PM, said:

Sure, yep. In which case you get most if not all those things in most if not all the places you listed above (from memory!).

I'd add good rail access within walking distance too. Again, available in Hale, Altrincham, Knutsford, Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme and so on, but notably NOT in Tarporley. Nearest is prob. Cuddington for Chester-M/cr line else Crewe for mainline. Hence I wouldn't ever buy in Tarporley if you want to 'hedge' possible outcome of the oil/electric car scenario. Plus it's more or less 1/2 hour to decent supermarket/large shops/cinema etc. Believe me it's a royal pain in the ****

Yes, the places you list all have the facilities, but most have had five decades of planners with white sticks. Once you get SW of the Manchester > Wilsmlow > Holmes Chapel rail line the trains become either so slow as to be virtually pointless (e.g. Knutsford; rail out to Chester) or non-existent (e.g. round Tarporley).

The drive to large shops/cinemas/supermarkets doesn't particularly bother me - we have to drive to everything where we are now, you just adapt. Don't get me wrong - a walk to a decent trainline is a huge plus for me, but not everything.

Am in the same place as SYNT in that I use cafes a hell of a lot more than restaurants and cinemas. I'd assumed Stockton Heath would be a similar style place to Didsbury - not really our scene although was a fan 10 years ago

[Venger]

Red Knight, on 27 April 2012 - 01:39 PM, said:

What do people want/need apart from somewhere to get your haircut, a few pubs/eateries and perhaps a local co-op?

If you excluded over-priced independent women's clothes retailers from those more affluent towns, there's really not much left.

My question would be what's the 'point' of most town centres?

It's a good point.

Last year I bumped into a friend of a friend who was very distraught at just getting the news she'd been made redundant at Hoopers. Argos has recently closed down in Wilmslow. There are lots of units in Wilmslow.

There's no point investing money to make a town centre more charming if the money isn't going to bring in the spending, and when it really comes down to it, people don't care that much. Not when so many of the shopping clones make their way to the Trafford Centre to shop. Then there are the ones who can't see anything they want to spend money on to buy, especially those who don't own houses to spend doing up and making nice.

Last time I was in The Swan pub in Wilmslow they had quite a few framed photos of old Wimslow on the walls. Horse and cart coming down Water Lane with one early motorcars, and a few other parts of it.

[manchester50]

Venger, on 27 April 2012 - 09:47 PM, said:

Then there are the ones who can't see anything they want to spend money on to buy, especially those who don't own houses to spend doing up and making nice.

Whilst renting we've spent a hell of a lot less than 'house tat' than when we last owned. Also, despite petrol costs, we spend miles less living somewhere more rural with no shops around - you don't just end up going into shops out of boredom/because it's a Saturday.

[bonse]

cambridge ave went for 242 on friday. which would indicate that the bodge up was a bit more work than my cursory glane first indicated. maybe a good deal for someone

[Nomadd]

bonse, on 14 May 2012 - 07:45 PM, said:

cambridge ave went for 242 on friday. which would indicate that the bodge up was a bit more work than my cursory glane first indicated. maybe a good deal for someone

Was this the one you said this about earlier: "sold a couple of years ago for 310 or thereabouts"?

[bonse]

Nomadd, on 14 May 2012 - 08:04 PM, said:

Was this the one you said this about earlier: "sold a couple of years ago for 310 or thereabouts"?

yes. cant remember details but think it sold for 310 about 6 years ago.

[Venger]

Putting this here, simply because it's a thread titled Wilmslow.

http://menmedia.co.u...ent-in-wilmslow

This post has been edited by Venger: 17 June 2012 - 01:45 PM

[Venger]

Quote

The M.E.N. managed to contact Mr Singh, who said that his ex-wife, Helen Bunch, former managing director of Spencer Knight used to be responsible for 'all the lettings and management'.

If this is his ex-wife, then she's spent the last few months working at another EA and lettings business, with any record of Spencer Knight scrubbed out on her linkedin public profile.

http://uk.linkedin.c...unch/40/72b/548
http://www.bensonbunch.co.uk/

Edit to add quote field.

This post has been edited by Venger: 17 June 2012 - 02:02 PM