I hear mutterings that too much money (over £9 million) has been spent on the splendid new landmark bridge over the railway at Freckleton Street near the Darwen Street junction.
If so, I plead guilty as charged, along with those accused in the council, and the Department of Transport.
I am sure that we could have got a really cheap and nasty bridge instead, perhaps designed by those responsible for that jewel-in-the crown of 1960s design - the (just demolished) Lord Square in Blackburn town centre. But it just wouldn't have been good enough.
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And after all, we don't condemn the city fathers who built Blackburn Town Hall and the King George's Halls for wasting money and time on buildings that a century and more later are still pleasing to the eye and which function well.
So, on second thoughts, I'm not going to plead guilty to the charge. It was a scrimping, penny-wise pound-foolish approach of town planners, councils and commercial developers alike which, from the 50s through to the 80s insisted on throwing up utilitarian buildings which had no imagination to them, and have typically had now to be pulled down.
I am also unapologetic that a few years ago, at the behest of the council, I argued with the Department that Blackburn's traffic problems were insoluble, and the development of its inner core blighted, unless we could replace the old one-way iron bridge over the railway with something bigger and better.
Happily we got the money, and the council secured a fine, iconic design which will work, and which in years to come will be part of the visual definition of the town.
The Victorians were famously tight with their money; and none more careful than the magnates of Lancashire. But they weren't daft. And they saw the value in having public buildings which lifted the spirit, and imparted a sense of confidence to the people who used them. Their schools, hospitals, public libraries were typically of a much higher standard than most people's homes. That was deliberate.
There's an important duty on everyone who spends other people's money - the taxpayers - not to waste it. But we also have to take care, too. We do so with our own homes, to make them look good.
But most of us spend large parts of our lives outside our homes, and we rightly expect what we see outside to look good as well.
If it doesn't, then we instinctively will feel that those responsible are not taking care, don't care.
And in the quite short run, such a failure to take care costs money too, as we have seen with all the dreadful 1960s buildings which now have to have a fortune spent on them in repairs, which look depressing because they are depressing, or have had to be pulled down.
So three cheers for the person who designed the new bridge. It's going to look great.
Posted by: sick_of_it, ex-Bburn on 2:21pm Thu 21 Feb 08
There was nothing wrong with the old iron bridge. Does anyone remember that when you drove over it, it used to make the car undulate in a mildly sinusoidal fashion as though you were riding little waves? Every time I drove over it with my wife, I used to say, 'You know, first time I drove over here, I could have sworn there was something wrong with the car.' I had a permanently bruised upper left arm.
Anyway, Mr. Straw, now that the beautification of Blackburn is well and truly underway, how about really making a go of it and knocking down all the eyesores across town, like the unused pub buildings and other dumps that blight the town?
There was nothing wrong with the old iron bridge. Does anyone remember that when you drove over it, it used to make the car undulate in a mildly sinusoidal fashion as though you were riding little waves? Every time I drove over it with my wife, I used to say, 'You know, first time I drove over here, I could have sworn there was something wrong with the car.' I had a permanently bruised upper left arm.
Anyway, Mr. Straw, now that the beautification of Blackburn is well and truly underway, how about really making a go of it and knocking down all the eyesores across town, like the unused pub buildings and other dumps that blight the town?
i remember the "bumps".i usd to think my engine was bouncing.lol
i have done many things on that bridge,sounds daft but i have.ill miss it yes but the new one looks fantastic.are we going to light it up?
does any one know what the best view of it will be?shame its where it is as it cant be seen that well unless your right next to it.lets knock some more buildings down.bolton roads had it coming for donkeys.esp those crappy embarrassing shops..what a welcome to blackburn!!knock those down and you can fit your tram set in as well!also,i would like to christen it right now as "boomtown"cos i like that word.worth a try.do you know why?
:)
i remember the "bumps".i usd to think my engine was bouncing.lol
i have done many things on that bridge,sounds daft but i have.ill miss it yes but the new one looks fantastic.are we going to light it up?
does any one know what the best view of it will be?shame its where it is as it cant be seen that well unless your right next to it.lets knock some more buildings down.bolton roads had it coming for donkeys.esp those crappy embarrassing shops..what a welcome to blackburn!!knock those down and you can fit your tram set in as well!also,i would like to christen it right now as "boomtown"cos i like that word.worth a try.do you know why?
:)
Posted by: Nostradamous, blackburn on 8:49pm Fri 22 Feb 08
I dont know where on earth you guys are looking but at the moment i reckon its an eyesore and it looks like it has been built miles to high,i would easily prefer to look at the ages old Darwen st bridge that the new monstrasity,lets hope it fits in a little better when all its surroundings are finished,but i seriously doubt it will but this is progress,so they tell us.good god why dont these planners take a look around Wigan or even Bolton to see how to rebuild a lancashire town with all its traditions.
I dont know where on earth you guys are looking but at the moment i reckon its an eyesore and it looks like it has been built miles to high,i would easily prefer to look at the ages old Darwen st bridge that the new monstrasity,lets hope it fits in a little better when all its surroundings are finished,but i seriously doubt it will but this is progress,so they tell us.good god why dont these planners take a look around Wigan or even Bolton to see how to rebuild a lancashire town with all its traditions.
[quote][bold]yes[/bold] wrote:
i remember the "bumps".i usd to think my engine was bouncing.lol i have done many things on that bridge,sounds daft but i have.ill miss it yes but the new one looks fantastic.are we going to light it up? does any one know what the best view of it will be?shame its where it is as it cant be seen that well unless your right next to it.lets knock some more buildings down.bolton roads had it coming for donkeys.esp those crappy embarrassing shops..what a welcome to blackburn!!knock those down and you can fit your tram set in as well!also,i would like to christen it right now as "boomtown"cos i like that word.worth a try.do you know why? :)[/quote] calm down its only a bridge.by the way i'll have half a pint of what your on.only jokeing
yes wrote:
i remember the "bumps".i usd to think my engine was bouncing.lol i have done many things on that bridge,sounds daft but i have.ill miss it yes but the new one looks fantastic.are we going to light it up? does any one know what the best view of it will be?shame its where it is as it cant be seen that well unless your right next to it.lets knock some more buildings down.bolton roads had it coming for donkeys.esp those crappy embarrassing shops..what a welcome to blackburn!!knock those down and you can fit your tram set in as well!also,i would like to christen it right now as "boomtown"cos i like that word.worth a try.do you know why? :)
calm down its only a bridge.by the way i'll have half a pint of what your on.only jokeing
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