Lorraine Harrison

May 2007

Tue 1st May

I cannot tell you how thrilled and excited I am to be able to tell you that, at a recent meeting of the Executive, it was decided that we should throw ourselves behind Newquay in Bloom’s bid for a Gold Award this year.

I’m sure you will be aware of the sterling work Newquay in Bloom does every year to bring colour and beauty to the town and, last year, were only a few points off a Gold Award, having achieved a Silver Gilt. For this reason, we felt that this would be a fantastic thing to do for and on behalf of the business community.

Our main object is to enhance the look of the town as people arrive and as they walk around the shopping areas. We have, therefore, specified that we will sponsor the roundabout at the top of the Gannel Link Road and, via a recruitment drive for new members, hanging baskets in the town. To this end, a few members of the Executive will be out and about in the town on Tuesday the 08 May, visiting retail outlets and talking to them with a view to getting them to join the Trade Association.

We are intending to charge the same £100.00 per annum for any retail outlet that is prepared to join the association, with £25.00 of that money going towards a hanging basket outside their premises showing their support of the NCCT. Each basket costs £50.00, so the remainder will be paid for out of what is left of the sponsorship money until it is used up.

This initiative is something that I feel is extremely worthwhile and goes a long way to show our commitment to the town and its business community, not to mention the business community’s commitment to tourism and the holiday experience of our visitors.

There has been a great deal said about the rise in car park charges and I have to say that I, for one, feel that they are too high. This is something that the Executive will be looking into, yet again, and will be taking up with Restormel as soon as we get some feedback from the retail sector as to how this hike in prices has affected their trade.

In the meantime, it should be said that the bus service has increased in frequency and I would hope that this would go some way to enable those that wish to come into Newquay to do so without delays or huge costs.

I’m just wondering when Restormel will realise that, if they were to reduce car parking charges to a reasonable level, the likelihood is that more people would avail themselves of the service. In turn, this would mean less and less cars parked in silly places on the roads and in the town and more and more use being made of the car parks. More revenue for Restormel, less payable by the individual – everybody happy.

I’m a simple soul – perhaps I’ve missed something.

I see that the Old Bus Station is up for grabs again. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a cartel were to purchase it for the benefit of the people of Newquay and turn it into a town square with, perhaps, a clock tower like the Old Stein in Brighton (for those of you that know it). Benches, planters, perhaps even a lawn or a pond, or even another kind of water feature!!! What a PR coup that would be. Oh that I were rich and famous – I’d do it yesterday.

Talking of Clock Towers, I’m extremely sad to say that the management of Quicksilver, despite several requests, are refusing to wind the antique clock in their premises. You may remember that Harrisons Mortgage Solutions Ltd (which just happens to be my Company), paid for the clock to be cleaned and for the necessary maintenance works to be done so that it would be there for posterity and for the convenience of the people of Newquay and visitors alike. At the time, Newquay Town Council felt that it was not the kind of thing that public money should be used for so HMS Ltd was happy, and I should say honoured, to be in a position to do so.

I find it desperately sad that this huge Company cannot spare a few seconds, once a week, to wind this beautiful old town clock. I reiterate, not once a DAY, but once a WEEK. Not too much to ask I wouldn’t have thought, bearing in mind how much revenue they take on our high street every year.

I wonder if there is somebody out there, perhaps a retired person, that could go in there once a week and wind the clock. Obviously, it would have to be with the agreement of the management of Quicksilver and, of course, within the realms of health and safety!!! Hmmmm – food for thought!

I hope that the details that went out to you in our last Newsletter have stood you in good stead, especially if you are one of the many accommodation providers that have been excluded from the official Newquay Guide. Please don’t forget that you have just a few days left to take advantage of the newquayguide.co.uk offer of free set up and a reduced advertising rate for NCCT members.

If you have vacancies for this year, this is your opportunity to fill them. Log on to www.newquayguide.co.uk . It should be said that many members have already signed up and are reaping the benefits. Bear in mind that this extremely successful site, which has 160 advertisers and is exclusively for accommodation in Newquay has been running for ten years now and was previously responsible for 40% of all the Restormel Newquay Guide requests.

In the meantime, if you haven’t yet renewed your membership, just a gentle reminder that you should do so at your earliest possible convenience.

If you have any comments to make about this or any other editorial written by myself or any other Executive member, log on to www.ncct.uk.com and “Have Your Say!”.

Lorraine Harrison
Chairman
Newquay Chamber of Commerce & Tourism