The last few months have witnessed an alarming increase in violent attacks throughout Bournemouth.
A vicious assault on a taxi driver, grandfather Thomas Newton, during an altercation with two men on Monday night, has further highlighted the perilous continuation of violence in the area.
Mr. Newton's aggressors had demanded money from the father-of-four at the culmination of a journey that was supposed to end peacefully in Boscombe. When the taxi had pulled up in Adeline Road, the attack began, which included the use of a knife, leaving the driver with a neck wound that required three stitches.
The 66-year-old victim has courageously vowed to return to work on Wednesday evening and told the Bournemouth Daily Echo, "It’s made me nervous and I keep looking over my shoulder...I want these men caught and also want to make other taxi drivers aware of the very real dangers they face.”
Violent crime numbers fell across the Bournemouth Division according to the latest statistics made available by Dorset Police. Between April 2007 and March 2008, cases of 'violence against the person' fell by nearly 10% although detections actually fell by close to 600 instances.
Details of Thomas Newton's harrowing ordeal were published as news of another story of violence emerged on Wednesday. These issues will currently appear far more pertinent than outdated police figures. After all, were it not for passing sanitation workers, Mr. Newton could have endured a far worse fate.
Three men are wanted for questioning following an incident on February 4 outside the Bournemouth International Centre where a 22-year-old man from Poole sustained bruising to the head.
In a week that has also seen the conclusion to one of the most high-profile murder cases in the town's history and the conviction of Alan Pickersgill, fears of violent crime have moved onto the agenda.
Pickersgill, 37, has been given a life sentence for the murder of Julie Bywater at his Southbourne flat in May 2010.
The Echo's Neal Butterworth, in his summation of the tragic event, somewhat reductively labelled Pickersgill 'a wrong 'un', which he undoubtedly was although such terminology obviously doesn't begin to describe the full extent of his complex psychosis.
The fact remains that whilst any large town has to grimly expect the inevitabilities of social disorder; Bournemouth's residents have had recent cause to closely examine the deteriorating situation around them.
Friday, 25 February 2011
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Wycombe Wanderers Plot Path to Promotion
Wycombe Wanderers thrashed Burton Albion 4-1 on Tuesday evening to avoid the ignominy of losing four League Two games in a row for the first time since 2007.
The win has seen the Blues clamber back into the automatic promotion positions and up to second place as they plot their path to promotion with fifteen games remaining.
Manager Gary Waddock brought in Lewis Montrose for maligned loanee Scott Donnelly and Jon Paul-Pittman in place of the slightly more unfortunate talisman, Stuart Beavon.
Although Montrose had only featured for the Blues twice since November, his inclusion was certainly no gamble by Waddock as he produced a swashbuckling display of commitment and poise. Montrose's fine evening was capped off by his deflected effort, Wycombe's second goal, that looped over Burton goalkeeper Adam Legzdins.
The midfielder's delight at scoring his first goal since September was clearly evident as he took the plaudits from the crowd and his team-mates before exhaling deeply as he skipped back to the half-way line, closed eyes and a vocal expression of cathartic jubilation visible to all.
In truth, Wycombe could easily have scored more, the aforementioned Pittman was unlucky not to score his second goal for the Blues since returning from his five-month injury lay-off, his electric pace troubling the visitor's defence all evening and the striker's two quick-fire efforts after Wycombe's first goal had to be parried away to safety by Legzdins.
Wycombe's recent poor run had seen them fall to fourth place in the npower League Two table however the Burton game represented a chance to reclaim the upper hand on their promotion rivals.
An all-round strong team performance began with midfielder Stuart Lewis shuffling through a static Burton defence, with referee Oliver Langford obstructing the advancing defender, to calmly fire the ball into the back of net with only 10 minutes gone before Montrose's effort increased the Wanderers' advantage on the half-hour mark.
Lewis, awarded a well-deserved man of match accolade, then proceeded to score the goal of the evening and possibly Wycombe's best goal of the season. In what is looking to be a gem of a signing from Dagenham and Redbridge, the midfielder added to his burgeoning reputation amongst Blues fans by unleashing an unstoppable low drive into the bottom right-hand corner of the Valley End net.
Following the game, Lewis declared to wwfc.com, that it was his 'best game ever' and one he understandably thoroughly enjoyed.
It was perhaps obvious that Burton manager Paul Peschisolido would chasten his team during the half-time interval and demand the addition of composure and zeal to their play. The Brewers had lost Calvin Zola to a hamstring injury during the first-half, a crushing blow as despite his wayward control and finishing, he had looked their most promising attacking outlet until he was replaced by Greg Pearson.
The aforementioned Pearson looked to exploit Alan Bennett's comparitive lack of pace as Burton appeared reinvigorated following the resumption of the game. The reward for their endeavour was Sam Winnall's close-range effort to reduce the deficit eleven minutes into the second-half and the away side were beginning to unsettle Wycombe who had failed to replicate the intensity they displayed prior to the break.
Any hopes the Brewers were harbouring of a dramatic comeback were extinguished when the veteran Moore tussled with the lively Pittman who was rewarded with a penalty kick. Stuart Lewis had an eye on claiming his first senior hat-trick although he had to settle for a brace as striker Scott Rendell stepped up to score his 12th goal of the season, in front of just 3,345 fans at Adams Park.
The Blues issued the perfect response to a week of disappointment that saw consecutive defeats to Bradford City, Southend United and Accrington Stanley.
As the 2010/2011 season prepares to usher in its spring denouement, Wanderers will travel to Macclesfield Town and league leaders Chesterfield in the next week, two sides who had beaten them by a 2-1 scoreline in the reverse fixtures.
Following the victory over Burton, Wycombe have now won 8 of their 16 games against teams in the bottom-half of League Two this season. Macclesfield, however, enjoy a seven point cushion over Stockport County in the last remaining relegation place and will be buoyed by their 2-0 home triumph against Morecambe yesterday.
The journey to Derbyshire to meet league pacesetters Chesterfield next Tuesday evening represents a stern test for Waddock's charges although they will take confidence from previous away wins against members of the current top seven, including a 4-3 victory over Rotherham United and a 2-0 win at Priestfield, the home of Gillingham.
The last and only time I attempted to predict the outcome of all 46 games in a regular Football League season was prior to the 2002/2003 campaign. I ambitiously plumped for the Blues team in question to reach the play-offs. As it turned out, the season was a campaign of listless disenchantment and Wycombe Wanderers finished 18th in Division Two, playing some of the worst football in the club's recent history.
The 'Sanchez Way' to promotion following the FA Cup honeymoon season that was 2001/2002 was to be a return to outmoded drudgery and aimless percentage football, a strategy of methodical zonal domination with long-balls into pre-determined danger areas, a philosophy arguably still favoured by Wycombe's erstwhile manager.
This 'revolutionary' approach ultimately imploded with feverish expectations of possible promotion to what was then Division One going unfulfilled with Sanchez becoming increasing fraught at any perceived criticism aimed towards him and the team. The protracted decline that led to relegation in 2004 had already cost the former Wimbledon FA Cup hero his job and I have not been comfortable commenting on any upcoming Wanderers game since.
Alas, this meandering digression may illustrate the futile hopelessness of my powers of prediction altough it also leads into further analysis of the challenges that lie ahead.
The Wanderers still have to travel to Shrewsbury Town, Bury and local rivals Oxford United besides having the pleasure of the visits of Northampton Town and a potentially charged affair with Aldershot to negotiate.
Whilst I am not prepared to risk damaging the team's promotion chances with further outlandish conjecture, there can surely be little chance of collapse if Wycombe continue in the same vein as yesterday evening.
If the Blues can continue to be exponents of this type of high-tempo, pressure football that is often accompanied by the clinical precision as demonstrated against Burton, then re-establishing themselves in the top three will represent an achievable goal.
As Gary Waddock enthused to skysports.com after the match, "we knew they would respond because they are an excellent group of players and they put it right."
Let's hope that for the majority of Wycombe's remaining fifteen games, the Blues continue to find the winning formula as they bid for promotion back to League One.
The win has seen the Blues clamber back into the automatic promotion positions and up to second place as they plot their path to promotion with fifteen games remaining.
Manager Gary Waddock brought in Lewis Montrose for maligned loanee Scott Donnelly and Jon Paul-Pittman in place of the slightly more unfortunate talisman, Stuart Beavon.
Although Montrose had only featured for the Blues twice since November, his inclusion was certainly no gamble by Waddock as he produced a swashbuckling display of commitment and poise. Montrose's fine evening was capped off by his deflected effort, Wycombe's second goal, that looped over Burton goalkeeper Adam Legzdins.
The midfielder's delight at scoring his first goal since September was clearly evident as he took the plaudits from the crowd and his team-mates before exhaling deeply as he skipped back to the half-way line, closed eyes and a vocal expression of cathartic jubilation visible to all.
In truth, Wycombe could easily have scored more, the aforementioned Pittman was unlucky not to score his second goal for the Blues since returning from his five-month injury lay-off, his electric pace troubling the visitor's defence all evening and the striker's two quick-fire efforts after Wycombe's first goal had to be parried away to safety by Legzdins.
Wycombe's recent poor run had seen them fall to fourth place in the npower League Two table however the Burton game represented a chance to reclaim the upper hand on their promotion rivals.
An all-round strong team performance began with midfielder Stuart Lewis shuffling through a static Burton defence, with referee Oliver Langford obstructing the advancing defender, to calmly fire the ball into the back of net with only 10 minutes gone before Montrose's effort increased the Wanderers' advantage on the half-hour mark.
Lewis, awarded a well-deserved man of match accolade, then proceeded to score the goal of the evening and possibly Wycombe's best goal of the season. In what is looking to be a gem of a signing from Dagenham and Redbridge, the midfielder added to his burgeoning reputation amongst Blues fans by unleashing an unstoppable low drive into the bottom right-hand corner of the Valley End net.
Following the game, Lewis declared to wwfc.com, that it was his 'best game ever' and one he understandably thoroughly enjoyed.
It was perhaps obvious that Burton manager Paul Peschisolido would chasten his team during the half-time interval and demand the addition of composure and zeal to their play. The Brewers had lost Calvin Zola to a hamstring injury during the first-half, a crushing blow as despite his wayward control and finishing, he had looked their most promising attacking outlet until he was replaced by Greg Pearson.
The aforementioned Pearson looked to exploit Alan Bennett's comparitive lack of pace as Burton appeared reinvigorated following the resumption of the game. The reward for their endeavour was Sam Winnall's close-range effort to reduce the deficit eleven minutes into the second-half and the away side were beginning to unsettle Wycombe who had failed to replicate the intensity they displayed prior to the break.
Any hopes the Brewers were harbouring of a dramatic comeback were extinguished when the veteran Moore tussled with the lively Pittman who was rewarded with a penalty kick. Stuart Lewis had an eye on claiming his first senior hat-trick although he had to settle for a brace as striker Scott Rendell stepped up to score his 12th goal of the season, in front of just 3,345 fans at Adams Park.
The Blues issued the perfect response to a week of disappointment that saw consecutive defeats to Bradford City, Southend United and Accrington Stanley.
As the 2010/2011 season prepares to usher in its spring denouement, Wanderers will travel to Macclesfield Town and league leaders Chesterfield in the next week, two sides who had beaten them by a 2-1 scoreline in the reverse fixtures.
Following the victory over Burton, Wycombe have now won 8 of their 16 games against teams in the bottom-half of League Two this season. Macclesfield, however, enjoy a seven point cushion over Stockport County in the last remaining relegation place and will be buoyed by their 2-0 home triumph against Morecambe yesterday.
The journey to Derbyshire to meet league pacesetters Chesterfield next Tuesday evening represents a stern test for Waddock's charges although they will take confidence from previous away wins against members of the current top seven, including a 4-3 victory over Rotherham United and a 2-0 win at Priestfield, the home of Gillingham.
The last and only time I attempted to predict the outcome of all 46 games in a regular Football League season was prior to the 2002/2003 campaign. I ambitiously plumped for the Blues team in question to reach the play-offs. As it turned out, the season was a campaign of listless disenchantment and Wycombe Wanderers finished 18th in Division Two, playing some of the worst football in the club's recent history.
The 'Sanchez Way' to promotion following the FA Cup honeymoon season that was 2001/2002 was to be a return to outmoded drudgery and aimless percentage football, a strategy of methodical zonal domination with long-balls into pre-determined danger areas, a philosophy arguably still favoured by Wycombe's erstwhile manager.
This 'revolutionary' approach ultimately imploded with feverish expectations of possible promotion to what was then Division One going unfulfilled with Sanchez becoming increasing fraught at any perceived criticism aimed towards him and the team. The protracted decline that led to relegation in 2004 had already cost the former Wimbledon FA Cup hero his job and I have not been comfortable commenting on any upcoming Wanderers game since.
Alas, this meandering digression may illustrate the futile hopelessness of my powers of prediction altough it also leads into further analysis of the challenges that lie ahead.
The Wanderers still have to travel to Shrewsbury Town, Bury and local rivals Oxford United besides having the pleasure of the visits of Northampton Town and a potentially charged affair with Aldershot to negotiate.
Whilst I am not prepared to risk damaging the team's promotion chances with further outlandish conjecture, there can surely be little chance of collapse if Wycombe continue in the same vein as yesterday evening.
If the Blues can continue to be exponents of this type of high-tempo, pressure football that is often accompanied by the clinical precision as demonstrated against Burton, then re-establishing themselves in the top three will represent an achievable goal.
As Gary Waddock enthused to skysports.com after the match, "we knew they would respond because they are an excellent group of players and they put it right."
Let's hope that for the majority of Wycombe's remaining fifteen games, the Blues continue to find the winning formula as they bid for promotion back to League One.
Saturday, 5 February 2011
Welcome to Vice City
Fatal stabbings, sex games gone wrong, citizens involved with armed robbery and pot-smoking students. These are the stories hitting the local headlines in Bournemouth. They may even be similar to the archetypal reports across the rest of the nation. That is, except for one important exception. These are all close to home.
This isn't post-modern revelling in Bournemouth's murky underworld nor a puritanical critique. This is just life and the current state of affairs in a town beset by scandal, intrigue and circulating rumours.
After an initial ban on releasing details of the deceased in the ongoing Moordown stabbing case, the Daily Echo appealed to the courts and more information has been released.
Mahmud Ibrahim Bakir, a 28-year-old man from Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, near the scene of the crime, has been charged with the murder of 20-year-old Kewen Khorsheed in the early hours of the fateful morning of Thursday 27 January.
Along with three other men, Bakir will appear at Winchester Crown Court on Monday 7 February.
Bournmouth man Anthony Bado was involved in a criminal gang responsible for the theft of watches and jewellery worth more than £3.5 million. The spate of robberies, mainly across southern England, led to Bado of St. Clements, Boscombe, being jailed for 12 years.
Meanwhile, another murder case filling column inches has been that of Julie Bywater, 32, last May. She was allegedly strangled by ex-boyfriend Alan Pickersgill, 37, a trainee masseur who had become obsessed with Ms Bywater after their brief relationship fizzled out.
Pickersgill, of Southbourne, Bournemouth, had invited Bywater to his flat where the incident took place. He claims the murder was a result of a 'sex game gone wrong', a strangulation intended to generate erotic pleasure at the point of asphyixiation rather than a cold, brutal murder by an obsessive, as portrayed by Anthony Donne QC, prosecuting.
As that case continues, Bournemouth residents have also been regailed with accounts of the explusion of 'a number of students' from the Bishop of Winchester school in Mallard Road, Bournemouth.
The familiar cause of their exclusion-hash, blow, pot, weed, cannabis, green, the herb. Although the school was not prepared to expand on the exact reasons for their actions or the number of pupils permanently excluded, Principal Paul McKeown said: “The academy is determined to demonstrate zero tolerance towards behaviour that threatens children’s safety.
“As a consequence, it is with regret that a small number of students involved in this isolated incident will be permanently excluded,” he told the Echo.
These are the narratives of modern-day Bournemouth. From the bunga-bunga parties of sleepy Winton back streets to the drink and drug induced haze of Charminster Road, the local media has had much to ponder in the trickle of newsworthiness to emerge recently. This is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. This is Vice City. Keep looking.
This isn't post-modern revelling in Bournemouth's murky underworld nor a puritanical critique. This is just life and the current state of affairs in a town beset by scandal, intrigue and circulating rumours.
After an initial ban on releasing details of the deceased in the ongoing Moordown stabbing case, the Daily Echo appealed to the courts and more information has been released.
Mahmud Ibrahim Bakir, a 28-year-old man from Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, near the scene of the crime, has been charged with the murder of 20-year-old Kewen Khorsheed in the early hours of the fateful morning of Thursday 27 January.
Along with three other men, Bakir will appear at Winchester Crown Court on Monday 7 February.
Bournmouth man Anthony Bado was involved in a criminal gang responsible for the theft of watches and jewellery worth more than £3.5 million. The spate of robberies, mainly across southern England, led to Bado of St. Clements, Boscombe, being jailed for 12 years.
Meanwhile, another murder case filling column inches has been that of Julie Bywater, 32, last May. She was allegedly strangled by ex-boyfriend Alan Pickersgill, 37, a trainee masseur who had become obsessed with Ms Bywater after their brief relationship fizzled out.
Pickersgill, of Southbourne, Bournemouth, had invited Bywater to his flat where the incident took place. He claims the murder was a result of a 'sex game gone wrong', a strangulation intended to generate erotic pleasure at the point of asphyixiation rather than a cold, brutal murder by an obsessive, as portrayed by Anthony Donne QC, prosecuting.
As that case continues, Bournemouth residents have also been regailed with accounts of the explusion of 'a number of students' from the Bishop of Winchester school in Mallard Road, Bournemouth.
The familiar cause of their exclusion-hash, blow, pot, weed, cannabis, green, the herb. Although the school was not prepared to expand on the exact reasons for their actions or the number of pupils permanently excluded, Principal Paul McKeown said: “The academy is determined to demonstrate zero tolerance towards behaviour that threatens children’s safety.
“As a consequence, it is with regret that a small number of students involved in this isolated incident will be permanently excluded,” he told the Echo.
These are the narratives of modern-day Bournemouth. From the bunga-bunga parties of sleepy Winton back streets to the drink and drug induced haze of Charminster Road, the local media has had much to ponder in the trickle of newsworthiness to emerge recently. This is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. This is Vice City. Keep looking.
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Build It And They Will Come? Another Tesco Prepares to Open in Bournemouth
Although the title header, "build it and they will come" is probably a tenet unlikely to hold much sway in the business world, it is one pertinent in relation to the forthcoming opening of a new Tesco Metro store in Bournemouth.
The line is a poignant paraphrase from the 1989 film Field of Dreams, a sports fantasy based on the tale of a man who builds a baseball field for ghosts. After a year has passed by, the spectres eventally begin to make use of the facility.
One suspects that it will not take as long for the residents of Bournemouth to visit the new Tesco store, located in the prominent unit off the Square that was previously occupied by the now defunct UK arm of the Borders bookstore chain.
When a Tesco store opens, people soon follow with £3.2bn pre-tax profits from the past financial year testament to the supermarket's ongoing success despite the effects of a recession.
Their newest addition to Bournemouth, a medium-sized Metro version, will open on Monday 17 January at 8am following reports that 791 people had applied for the 85 jobs available.
Naturally, president of Bournemouth Chanber of Trade and Commerce, Nigel Hedges, is happy that unit is now occupied with the fresh employment opportunities that the opening will bring to the town.
He told Bournemouth's Daily Echo, "It’s a big store to fill and it needed to be filled. It’s creating employment and getting the lights on in a prime unit."
Arm Chairs & Deck Chairs has been garnering online opinion from residents about the opening. Comments on the Echo website have highlighted how divided the local populous are on the issue.
Those in favour of the opening include 'Tamrin' who announced their recent successful application to join the supermarket giant.
The poster in question said, "I am one of the lucky people who got a job at Tesco ,only part time (17hrs) mind you but i can't wait until the overtime kicks in and i can say goodbye to the job centre and its arrogant staff." (sic)
This particular user is obviously delighted at finding employment following a period without a job and went further in praising the opportunity that the new role could bring by adding, "its all about getting your foot in the door and playing your cards right once your in!"
There are others who share 'Tamrin's' sentiments, welcoming the economic benefits to the town centre. Undoubtledly, the creation of 85 new jobs is a fillip besides the occupation of the redundant former Borders unit.
Meanwhile, various other posters have criticised the supposed lack of neccessity for another Tesco in the town, especially given the close proximity of one of the chain's Express stores, less than a mile away in the Triangle.
'Markmag' commented, "They won't close the Triangle - Tesco don't close stores. What it does mean is you'll have the choice to buy at the triangle at Express prices or at the Square at Metro prices."
With regards to Tesco's policy on opening new stores, no matter how close they are to others, this particular poster alluded to an issue where Tesco have publicly rebuffed criticism.
Addressing points made to the chain by the Competition Commission, in one instance by the Scottish Grocers' Federation, Tesco denied having a policy to deliberately build stores near to existing stores.
The response reads: "In some cases we do operate stores in close proximity, in densely populated areas where a single store would suffer from over-crowding and congestion that customers do not like. We only open stores where we can identify customer demand and we work with the grain of the planning regime to meet local needs."
'CrashTest1976' makes the point that "The store creates 85 much needed jobs for the people of Bournemouth. Quit your whining about prices and recognise that 85 Bournemouth families will now have an income they didn't have before!" however perhaps this poster, whilst recognising the social and financial benefits of employment, fails to recognise the worrying continuing trend of low-paid service based work in the town.
This is an issue not limited to Bournemouth. Even by the Council's admission in a recent study of the local labour market, Bournemouth's economy centres on a "significant number of service based jobs (particularly) in the leisure and tourism industry, which tend, to be lower paid," with 91.4% of jobs in the service sector.
Closely following the opening of another retail giant in the town centre, namely the feted introduction of a Primark store in November, Tesco's new Bourne Avenue site is another example of the service sector offering its wares in the age of austerity.
It would be foolish to write-off the new store given the success of the chain's aggressive expansion policy thus far. After all, rightly or wrongly, Tesco may be the only viable option in depressed economic conditons where independent stores had already previously struggled to compete.
The line is a poignant paraphrase from the 1989 film Field of Dreams, a sports fantasy based on the tale of a man who builds a baseball field for ghosts. After a year has passed by, the spectres eventally begin to make use of the facility.
One suspects that it will not take as long for the residents of Bournemouth to visit the new Tesco store, located in the prominent unit off the Square that was previously occupied by the now defunct UK arm of the Borders bookstore chain.
When a Tesco store opens, people soon follow with £3.2bn pre-tax profits from the past financial year testament to the supermarket's ongoing success despite the effects of a recession.
Their newest addition to Bournemouth, a medium-sized Metro version, will open on Monday 17 January at 8am following reports that 791 people had applied for the 85 jobs available.
Naturally, president of Bournemouth Chanber of Trade and Commerce, Nigel Hedges, is happy that unit is now occupied with the fresh employment opportunities that the opening will bring to the town.
He told Bournemouth's Daily Echo, "It’s a big store to fill and it needed to be filled. It’s creating employment and getting the lights on in a prime unit."
Arm Chairs & Deck Chairs has been garnering online opinion from residents about the opening. Comments on the Echo website have highlighted how divided the local populous are on the issue.
Those in favour of the opening include 'Tamrin' who announced their recent successful application to join the supermarket giant.
The poster in question said, "I am one of the lucky people who got a job at Tesco ,only part time (17hrs) mind you but i can't wait until the overtime kicks in and i can say goodbye to the job centre and its arrogant staff." (sic)
This particular user is obviously delighted at finding employment following a period without a job and went further in praising the opportunity that the new role could bring by adding, "its all about getting your foot in the door and playing your cards right once your in!"
There are others who share 'Tamrin's' sentiments, welcoming the economic benefits to the town centre. Undoubtledly, the creation of 85 new jobs is a fillip besides the occupation of the redundant former Borders unit.
Meanwhile, various other posters have criticised the supposed lack of neccessity for another Tesco in the town, especially given the close proximity of one of the chain's Express stores, less than a mile away in the Triangle.
'Markmag' commented, "They won't close the Triangle - Tesco don't close stores. What it does mean is you'll have the choice to buy at the triangle at Express prices or at the Square at Metro prices."
With regards to Tesco's policy on opening new stores, no matter how close they are to others, this particular poster alluded to an issue where Tesco have publicly rebuffed criticism.
Addressing points made to the chain by the Competition Commission, in one instance by the Scottish Grocers' Federation, Tesco denied having a policy to deliberately build stores near to existing stores.
The response reads: "In some cases we do operate stores in close proximity, in densely populated areas where a single store would suffer from over-crowding and congestion that customers do not like. We only open stores where we can identify customer demand and we work with the grain of the planning regime to meet local needs."
'CrashTest1976' makes the point that "The store creates 85 much needed jobs for the people of Bournemouth. Quit your whining about prices and recognise that 85 Bournemouth families will now have an income they didn't have before!" however perhaps this poster, whilst recognising the social and financial benefits of employment, fails to recognise the worrying continuing trend of low-paid service based work in the town.
This is an issue not limited to Bournemouth. Even by the Council's admission in a recent study of the local labour market, Bournemouth's economy centres on a "significant number of service based jobs (particularly) in the leisure and tourism industry, which tend, to be lower paid," with 91.4% of jobs in the service sector.
Closely following the opening of another retail giant in the town centre, namely the feted introduction of a Primark store in November, Tesco's new Bourne Avenue site is another example of the service sector offering its wares in the age of austerity.
It would be foolish to write-off the new store given the success of the chain's aggressive expansion policy thus far. After all, rightly or wrongly, Tesco may be the only viable option in depressed economic conditons where independent stores had already previously struggled to compete.
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Wycombe Wanderers Poised for Memorable 2011
Wycombe Wanderers ushered in 2011 with a New Year's Day victory against Cheltenham Town. The Blues recorded a 2-1 win courtesy of two stunning goals from Stuart Beavon and Gareth Ainsworth. The result has propelled the Blues to third position in the npower League Two table.
In the past, much has been made of the significance of the number '1' in relation to the previous successes of Tottenham Hotspur, notably their last League title win in 1961 and FA Cup triumph in 1991.
A 2001 FA Cup semi-final defeat to arch-rivals Arsenal poured scorn on this erroneous piece of football nostalgia, even if there was some solace in the Gunner's defeat to Liverpool at the crucial juncture of the competition.
If Wycombe were to apply the same superstition, they can justly use their own statistics to make a case for a successful 2011 as they pursue promotion to League One.
After all, the Blues like Spurs were a 2001 FA Cup semi-finalist whilst only a Division Two side. Ten years prior to that historic occasion, Wycombe enjoyed FA Trophy success defeating Kidderminster Harriers in the 1991 final.
Delving further still into the annals of Wanderers history, there was an FA Amateur Cup triumph in 1931. In addition, a poignant reminder of the significance of the digit in relation to past success and the current stadium debate ruckus, is that former Wanderer and Loakes Park benefactor Frank Adams joined the club as a player in 1911.
The upcoming year could be memorable for a variety of reasons, good and bad. Wycombe District Council are expected to announce the outcome of their consultation with residents regarding proposals to build Wycombe Wanderers and tenants London Wasps rugby club a new stadium in the Booker area of High Wycombe. The results of the consultation are expected to be delivered in January.
Thus far, no concrete details have been released by the football club with regards to how the stadium plan would specifically benefit the Wanderers.
A potential promotion could propel the club a step closer to the promised land of the npower Championship. Those more cynical than myself may argue that achieving this feat would have questionable benefits, especially after the false dawn following Wycombe's last promotion and quick-fire relegation in 2010.
Some may take a dim view of having the chance to be the next Scunthorpe United or being able to replicate the feats of clubs like Bury, Stockport County and Grimsby Town. The latter three grimly clung onto their second tier status during the late nineties and early noughties before succumbing to their inevitable slide down the leagues.
Was the last game against Cheltenham a vintage performance to kick-off a year of achievement? It was certainly a win to savour over a bogey team, Wycombe's first in nine Football League encounters with the Robins.
By all accounts, the team awoke from their initial slumber to break with purpose and although there were elements of fortune, the Blues had chances themselves to secure the three points by a greater margin.
The rivalry of sorts with Cheltenham is a peculiar one, online animosity stoked by tedious banter and fanned by the tangible bitterness of Wycombe's 2006 play-off semi-final defeat. The Blues had battered Cheltenham in the return leg before bowing out on aggregate (2-1) after a very one-sided 0-0 draw in Gloucestershire where Wycombe did everything but score.
There are certainly valid reasons for Wycombe fans to be cheerful heading into the new year:
1. We are sexy. At least in a footballing sense. We have a midfield capable of industry and creativity and strikers scoring goals after a slow start to the season for the forward line. That we possess a defence that can sometimes resemble an articulated lorry trying desperately to turn quickly enough to avoid a South Ruislip bridge strike only adds more excitement for Blues fans and neutrals alike.
2. We are managed by an ambitious man of principle and integrity. Wycombe manager Gary Waddock wants the club to progress and to do so playing football the right way. This involves a ball predominantly zipping across the turf rather than the turgid hoofball of c.2002-2003 and other fitful periods of the last decade.
Despite the additional pressure from the men in suits to achieve promotion at all costs, our Gaz has largely managed to keep his focus on the team rather than Brand WWFC with exciting additions such as midfielder Scott Donnelly on a loan deal from Swansea City.
3. Wycombe fans of the world, unite!
You are more likely to see Wycombe fans delivering cutting online insults to one another or cursory glances across the Vere Suite as opposed to a mass conga snaking its way through the Frank Adams stand.
That said, a vociferous number are in agreement in their opposition to sketchy plans to move the club to a new stadium in Booker. Although the proximate cause is unpleasant, the unifying effect of the opposition, epitomised by the 'Black and White' movement, is refreshing.
There have been moments where results and performances have triggered murmurs of dissatisfaction. Defeat to Macclesfield Town at home was cause for concern, swiftly erased by a six match unbeaten run that included a welcome win against rivals Colchester United.
Torquay United's classy 3-1 victory at Adams Park had some questioning how good or otherwise this Wycombe team is compared to some of its promotion rivals.
Defeating Rotherham United, who now top the table, besides victories against fellow promotion hopefuls Bury and Cheltenham in recent weeks, are enough to dispel any accusations that the Blues are incapable of beating the top sides in the division.
Depending on your standpoint, this year is going to be memorable, for good or for ill. Not everyone is opposed to the construction of a new stadium. It is a lingering shiny promise representative of investment in the club and the wider community and has been proposed through worthy enough soundbites.
Their content though fails to answer pertinent qustions as to where exactly there is a need for a larger stadium to suit Wycombe Wanderers Football Club. How will it financially benefit WWFC and what plan, if any, exists to reverse the effects of years of debt accumulation?
As When Saturday Comes writer Paul Lewis noted in 2005, "How a club previously known to be financially stable had amassed debts of more than £2 million by 2003 was never made clear, especially given that players’ wages were always kept as less than 40 per cent of total turnover and that rugby tenants London Wasps have paid £300,000 a year since moving to Wycombe in 2002."
Six years later and these debts have increased to circa £6 million with no transparent plans to stem annual losses of around £1 million.
Let the mocking words of those in power not unduly disparage the genuine concerns of those who remain the lifeblood of an institution supported and maintained by their loyal devotion. Here is to a year to remember, for all the right reasons.
In the past, much has been made of the significance of the number '1' in relation to the previous successes of Tottenham Hotspur, notably their last League title win in 1961 and FA Cup triumph in 1991.
A 2001 FA Cup semi-final defeat to arch-rivals Arsenal poured scorn on this erroneous piece of football nostalgia, even if there was some solace in the Gunner's defeat to Liverpool at the crucial juncture of the competition.
If Wycombe were to apply the same superstition, they can justly use their own statistics to make a case for a successful 2011 as they pursue promotion to League One.
After all, the Blues like Spurs were a 2001 FA Cup semi-finalist whilst only a Division Two side. Ten years prior to that historic occasion, Wycombe enjoyed FA Trophy success defeating Kidderminster Harriers in the 1991 final.
Delving further still into the annals of Wanderers history, there was an FA Amateur Cup triumph in 1931. In addition, a poignant reminder of the significance of the digit in relation to past success and the current stadium debate ruckus, is that former Wanderer and Loakes Park benefactor Frank Adams joined the club as a player in 1911.
The upcoming year could be memorable for a variety of reasons, good and bad. Wycombe District Council are expected to announce the outcome of their consultation with residents regarding proposals to build Wycombe Wanderers and tenants London Wasps rugby club a new stadium in the Booker area of High Wycombe. The results of the consultation are expected to be delivered in January.
Thus far, no concrete details have been released by the football club with regards to how the stadium plan would specifically benefit the Wanderers.
A potential promotion could propel the club a step closer to the promised land of the npower Championship. Those more cynical than myself may argue that achieving this feat would have questionable benefits, especially after the false dawn following Wycombe's last promotion and quick-fire relegation in 2010.
Some may take a dim view of having the chance to be the next Scunthorpe United or being able to replicate the feats of clubs like Bury, Stockport County and Grimsby Town. The latter three grimly clung onto their second tier status during the late nineties and early noughties before succumbing to their inevitable slide down the leagues.
Was the last game against Cheltenham a vintage performance to kick-off a year of achievement? It was certainly a win to savour over a bogey team, Wycombe's first in nine Football League encounters with the Robins.
By all accounts, the team awoke from their initial slumber to break with purpose and although there were elements of fortune, the Blues had chances themselves to secure the three points by a greater margin.
The rivalry of sorts with Cheltenham is a peculiar one, online animosity stoked by tedious banter and fanned by the tangible bitterness of Wycombe's 2006 play-off semi-final defeat. The Blues had battered Cheltenham in the return leg before bowing out on aggregate (2-1) after a very one-sided 0-0 draw in Gloucestershire where Wycombe did everything but score.
There are certainly valid reasons for Wycombe fans to be cheerful heading into the new year:
1. We are sexy. At least in a footballing sense. We have a midfield capable of industry and creativity and strikers scoring goals after a slow start to the season for the forward line. That we possess a defence that can sometimes resemble an articulated lorry trying desperately to turn quickly enough to avoid a South Ruislip bridge strike only adds more excitement for Blues fans and neutrals alike.
2. We are managed by an ambitious man of principle and integrity. Wycombe manager Gary Waddock wants the club to progress and to do so playing football the right way. This involves a ball predominantly zipping across the turf rather than the turgid hoofball of c.2002-2003 and other fitful periods of the last decade.
Despite the additional pressure from the men in suits to achieve promotion at all costs, our Gaz has largely managed to keep his focus on the team rather than Brand WWFC with exciting additions such as midfielder Scott Donnelly on a loan deal from Swansea City.
3. Wycombe fans of the world, unite!
You are more likely to see Wycombe fans delivering cutting online insults to one another or cursory glances across the Vere Suite as opposed to a mass conga snaking its way through the Frank Adams stand.
That said, a vociferous number are in agreement in their opposition to sketchy plans to move the club to a new stadium in Booker. Although the proximate cause is unpleasant, the unifying effect of the opposition, epitomised by the 'Black and White' movement, is refreshing.
There have been moments where results and performances have triggered murmurs of dissatisfaction. Defeat to Macclesfield Town at home was cause for concern, swiftly erased by a six match unbeaten run that included a welcome win against rivals Colchester United.
Torquay United's classy 3-1 victory at Adams Park had some questioning how good or otherwise this Wycombe team is compared to some of its promotion rivals.
Defeating Rotherham United, who now top the table, besides victories against fellow promotion hopefuls Bury and Cheltenham in recent weeks, are enough to dispel any accusations that the Blues are incapable of beating the top sides in the division.
Depending on your standpoint, this year is going to be memorable, for good or for ill. Not everyone is opposed to the construction of a new stadium. It is a lingering shiny promise representative of investment in the club and the wider community and has been proposed through worthy enough soundbites.
Their content though fails to answer pertinent qustions as to where exactly there is a need for a larger stadium to suit Wycombe Wanderers Football Club. How will it financially benefit WWFC and what plan, if any, exists to reverse the effects of years of debt accumulation?
As When Saturday Comes writer Paul Lewis noted in 2005, "How a club previously known to be financially stable had amassed debts of more than £2 million by 2003 was never made clear, especially given that players’ wages were always kept as less than 40 per cent of total turnover and that rugby tenants London Wasps have paid £300,000 a year since moving to Wycombe in 2002."
Six years later and these debts have increased to circa £6 million with no transparent plans to stem annual losses of around £1 million.
Let the mocking words of those in power not unduly disparage the genuine concerns of those who remain the lifeblood of an institution supported and maintained by their loyal devotion. Here is to a year to remember, for all the right reasons.
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Residents Sick of Surf Reef Squabbles
As a key component of Bournemouth Borough Council's strategy to revitalise Boscombe, the controversial surf reef has thus far largely proved to be divisive.
The construction of Europe's largest artificial surf reef aimed to attract a more bohemian class of visitor to an area synonymous with deprivation. Instead, it has quickly become a symbol of resentment for many residents.
Those who have always been opposed to the reef are now allied with an increasing number angry at its failure to deliver on its promise. In addition, dissenters are annoyed at the significant amount of public money used to fund a project where costs have already doubled to £3 million.
Yet again the reef is making headlines with a very public spat between Councillor David Charon and Liberal Democrat Councillor Roger West dominating the front pages of the Daily Echo.
The Conservative Leader of the Council, Councillor Charon, has attacked Councillor West for his intervention in a deal between council bosses and the firm charged with creating the reef, New Zealand based ASR.
Cllr West and a colleague have challenged a decision made by the cabinet to meet with ASR to discuss a "£55,000 up- front payment, with another £95,000 if they could sort it out", relating to teething problems with the reef.
These were highlighted during the summer by a damning report given by Plymouth University which described the reef as "sub-standard" and "only met four of its 11 objectives."
Ultimately, Cllr West's move was predicated by his dissatisfaction that there was no mention of a safety aspect in the cabinet report relating to construction flaws. The Councillor is also concerned that the initial refinement plan will not address these issues.
Are the Con/Lib differences symbiotic of the schisms that have recently been revealed within the ruling coalition Government?
What is certain is that the residents of Bournemouth, much to their chagrin in a supposed 'age of austerity', have to further subsidise an over-budget project in serious danger of becoming a proverbial white elephant.
Cllr West is right to intervene if genuine concerns about safety remain and if, as he says, he is acting “in the interest of Bournemouth’s economy and tourism" and not merely in the spirit of political opportunism as his accuser has suggested.
Decisive action is called for with all stakeholders expecting positive answers and action from ASR. Public in-fighting is counterproductive with the successful completion and implementation of the reef a priority, not tiresome politicking to an already apathetic public.
The construction of Europe's largest artificial surf reef aimed to attract a more bohemian class of visitor to an area synonymous with deprivation. Instead, it has quickly become a symbol of resentment for many residents.
Those who have always been opposed to the reef are now allied with an increasing number angry at its failure to deliver on its promise. In addition, dissenters are annoyed at the significant amount of public money used to fund a project where costs have already doubled to £3 million.
Yet again the reef is making headlines with a very public spat between Councillor David Charon and Liberal Democrat Councillor Roger West dominating the front pages of the Daily Echo.
The Conservative Leader of the Council, Councillor Charon, has attacked Councillor West for his intervention in a deal between council bosses and the firm charged with creating the reef, New Zealand based ASR.
Cllr West and a colleague have challenged a decision made by the cabinet to meet with ASR to discuss a "£55,000 up- front payment, with another £95,000 if they could sort it out", relating to teething problems with the reef.
These were highlighted during the summer by a damning report given by Plymouth University which described the reef as "sub-standard" and "only met four of its 11 objectives."
Ultimately, Cllr West's move was predicated by his dissatisfaction that there was no mention of a safety aspect in the cabinet report relating to construction flaws. The Councillor is also concerned that the initial refinement plan will not address these issues.
Are the Con/Lib differences symbiotic of the schisms that have recently been revealed within the ruling coalition Government?
What is certain is that the residents of Bournemouth, much to their chagrin in a supposed 'age of austerity', have to further subsidise an over-budget project in serious danger of becoming a proverbial white elephant.
Cllr West is right to intervene if genuine concerns about safety remain and if, as he says, he is acting “in the interest of Bournemouth’s economy and tourism" and not merely in the spirit of political opportunism as his accuser has suggested.
Decisive action is called for with all stakeholders expecting positive answers and action from ASR. Public in-fighting is counterproductive with the successful completion and implementation of the reef a priority, not tiresome politicking to an already apathetic public.
Saturday, 25 December 2010
Merry Christmas from Arm Chairs & Deck Chairs!
Another year has flown by and we are now preparing to usher in 2011! Merry Christmas and a happy New Year from Arm Chairs & Deck Chairs, the blog that covers news and opinion relating to the towns of High Wycombe and Bournemouth.
At the beginning of this year, I was busy with The Collected Thoughts of Nobody Special before the transition to the blog in its current form. By focussing on localised and specialist content, including issues relating to Wycombe Wanderers F.C and Bournemouth news, I have been able to concentrate on matters close to my heart. It has also enabled me to participate in active discussions, including those surrounding the tense developments in Wycombe Wanderers' proposals to build a new stadium in Booker.
I am delighted to have been able to contribute to the club fanzine, The Wanderer, and express my views on all things WWFC.
Throughout 2011, the remit of this blog will continue to be to provide news and opinion from the same locales with a strong emphasis on the travails of Wycombe Wanderers too.
If you have an opinion on any matter relating to High Wycombe or Bournemouth, whether it be the stadium plan, the High Speed Rail Link (HS2) through Buckinghamshire or Bournemouth's ever changing news landscape, then I'd love to publish your contributions to the debate. Please feel free to tweet me @williwycombe, email me at willgeldart@hotmail.co.uk or phone the newsdesk through Skype by searching for williwycombe.
Have a great Christmas and an even better New Year.
williwycombe
At the beginning of this year, I was busy with The Collected Thoughts of Nobody Special before the transition to the blog in its current form. By focussing on localised and specialist content, including issues relating to Wycombe Wanderers F.C and Bournemouth news, I have been able to concentrate on matters close to my heart. It has also enabled me to participate in active discussions, including those surrounding the tense developments in Wycombe Wanderers' proposals to build a new stadium in Booker.
I am delighted to have been able to contribute to the club fanzine, The Wanderer, and express my views on all things WWFC.
Throughout 2011, the remit of this blog will continue to be to provide news and opinion from the same locales with a strong emphasis on the travails of Wycombe Wanderers too.
If you have an opinion on any matter relating to High Wycombe or Bournemouth, whether it be the stadium plan, the High Speed Rail Link (HS2) through Buckinghamshire or Bournemouth's ever changing news landscape, then I'd love to publish your contributions to the debate. Please feel free to tweet me @williwycombe, email me at willgeldart@hotmail.co.uk or phone the newsdesk through Skype by searching for williwycombe.
Have a great Christmas and an even better New Year.
williwycombe
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