Yes, winter and cold, dark mornings can be depressing.
But this week as we approach Christmas you might think most people would be full of optimism and eager anticipation even if they were feeling hassled and stressed by last-minute shopping, planning and rushing around.
Apparently not in Blackburn.
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The majority reaction of our website and newspaper readers to news that the town centre is to get two hotels, a three-star and a four-star, as part of a £70million revamp was a torrent of cynical and negative comments.
As a resident of the borough that's a hugely disappointing response.
It's true that the shopping centre has had mixed fortunes over the past fifteen years, particularly with past owners who wouldn't invest for a brighter future.
As the place was allowed to get shabbier it was inevitable that the morale of traders and shoppers would go down too and so we were on the road to a self-fulfilling prophesy.
This week's announcement that one of Blackburn market's two remaining fresh fish stalls is to close is another gloomy piece of news.
Although there are bold plans for the future the council has watched things go downhill for too long.
Elected members and officials alike are guilty of standing by and allowing a place that was once a big visitor attraction to dwindle and become a mere shadow of its former self.
And before we are told about competition from supermarkets etc just look at what has happened at Bury market during the same period!
There are justifiable reasons for feeling depressed about the present state of the town centre, not least the noise, dirt and inconvenience caused by all the construction work taking place.
But the point is that all the annoying work heralds big and positive changes that are just around the corner.
The hotels will be the icing on the cake of a package of development that promises to make Blackburn a town with a centre that we can be really proud of.
And we need to have pride in the place to take full advantage of the opportunities such investment offers.
I'm not advocating the kind of staged shows and parades of artificial, state-coerced enthusiasm that used to be forced on people in eastern Europe during the Soviet era and which still exist in North Korea.
And I'm quite aware that we aren't awash with the money or the architectural history that you'll find in the Cotswolds or cathedral cities like Bath, York and Canterbury.
But for goodness sake let's cheer up and call a halt to constantly talking down our town.
If we stop willing it, perhaps the worst won't actually happen!
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