Sunday 22 January 2012

Tenbury Bridge Work 2 Down, 8 to Go

So two weeks in. The upstream pavement has now been excavated and more service pipes exposed. Whilst at the Northern end of the Bridge work has started on backfilling the pavement area with concrete. 


The arch nearest the Shropshire bank has also been cleared of vegetation which will greatly assist flow in the event of a spate.

Richard Attwood, Engineering Project Manager at Worcestershire County Council, confirmed this week that despite what appeared to be a slow start, the work was proceeding to schedule and that they were still working to a completion date of March 16th.

The problems with parking rubble on, but following the request for people parking cars all day to use the car park at Burford Village Hall, the situation has eased considerably.

The Tenbury Windfall scheme seems to be going from strength to strength and has captured the imagination of shoppers in Tenbury Wells, with apple stickers being handed out when shoppers make a purchase. The scheme has already proved so popular that 100,000 stickers have been distributed to Tenbury's shops, pubs and cafes in just one week!

There have been suggestions that a very few people have tried to abuse the scheme, but actions have been put in place to reduce this and the Police have indicated that they would be willing to investigate any fraudulent behaviour.

Despite the gloom of catastrophic trading results predicted by some shopkeepers, Ashley's bakers from Cleobury Mortimer have opened a new branch in Teme Street and when I visited on Saturday were doing a very brisk trade.  So they should, their buns are delicious, but I do now fear for my waistline which has previously been protected (to some extent) by the lack of availability in Tenbury. 

42 comments:

tractorfactor said...

Good that the windfall scheme seems to be working well. Nice to see a small shop opening (as opposed to closing-up like Gwythers) too in the town.

One could observe (in the context of potential cattle market developments) that it's a brave move on Ashley's part though.

If Tesco are successful then they'll be using all their corporate might to flog similar bread and pastries as cheap as they can. This is eventually likely to undercut local family bakers such as Ashleys and Swifts who are unlikely to be able to compete on range and price.

Mr. Longbeard said...

Had some bread rolls from Ashleys this weekend, they were most definitely omnomolicious :) I'll still buy my loaf from the big corporate stores such as Asda, co-op, spar or Tesco, but do love a nice bite of a weekend.

I'm guessing the odds of winning the windfall do dar are going to be quite long, 2 weeks in and we've got 5 complete tickets already

Welcome To Tesco said...

I hear at the end of the 10th week they are painted Welcome to Tesco as you come into Tenbury on the bridge

The Bread Man said...

Yes MR Longbeard 1 loaf a week is surely going to keep Ashleys in business. Why don't you use your LOAF and buy from local independant shops.

Mr. Longbeard said...

Because my standard loaf of prepacked, presliced bread is fine for toast, and isn't sourced or made locally.

It is often purchased from spar or bowketts if I'm not doing a big weekly shop.

Ian said...

Recently working in Shrewsbury, I decided to forego the dubious advantage of the lanes to Little Hereford and followed the kosher detour through Leysters and Kimbolton to the A49 and then north to Shrewsbury. Extra miles: eight each way. Extra time: 20 minutes each way. Extra stress: very little indeed.

Ian said...

Actually, the extra time must be rather exaggerrated becuase I failed to take account of the time it takes to drive to Woofferton via the (now closed) bridge (say 10 minutes each way) – so extra time only about 20 minutes total.

RichTat said...

My wife occasionally buys pre-sliced bread for toast from Swift's - but you can't guarantee that they will have any left although you can order it in advance.

Rip Off Britain said...

Nothing to do with Bridge but so much for Tescos national pricing policy..............

Tesco is to start customising its in-store products and promotions according to the income of local families, retail magazine The Grocer is reporting.

As part of the strategy, value-brand products will be promoted more heavily in poorer areas, while the supermarket's Finest range of goods will fill more shelves in richer neighbourhoods. Stores will also tailor their promotions and discounts according to what they believe will suit customers in each particular area/region.

The supermarket has stressed that there will be no variance in the price of non-discount goods across its branches.

However, given the vast amount of deals on offer in Tesco stores, it's clear that a shopper in a more affluent area might end up paying significantly more for their basket of goods than someone in a less well-off part of town.

@WR15 said...

Isn't that normal retail?

You find more higher price / designer stores in say Knightsbridge than you would in Hastings.

Fortnum & Mason might do well in Ludlow but not so well in Church Stretton.

As the Tesco range spans from Value to Finest, it makes sense that they cater for the clientèle at any given store.

Bumblebee said...

I try to make a trip into town each weekend to buy local bread, veg and meats. It's also a good excuse to drag the kids away from the telly or Nintendo. Thankfully the bridge's closure hasn't affected these trips as they're normally on foot or bike[s].

Myself and others did make comments to the tune of the local badminton club losing out though on the last post here. This still seems to be the case unfortunately as we go into this next week. The worst case scenario would be us closing one of the nights we normally run at the highschool to try to cut our losses as we've pre-paid block bookings. We'd then renegociate the block bookings accordingly.

I can understand the hesitation of some players and parents - our chairwoman was ran off the road on the lanes the other night.

Anonymous said...

They should have created dozens of proper passing places on the lanes before they shut the bridge.

The Realistic Man said...

To create proper passing laybys they would have to buy land from the farmers. More money out of our pockets is it then? I'd prefer to back up the 100 yards than moan about passing laybys there are plenty if people weren't too scared to move over. They just don't because they might get their little precious car dirty

Anonymous said...

No need to buy land, use the field gateways, lots of farmers would be delighted to see their field gateway hardened.

tractorfactor said...

Or paintwork scratched on hedges/walls/trees. Or punctured tyres from the rough verges...

Or maybe the majority (who let's face it have been forced into these narrow, dark detours by WCC) just don't want to put in jeopardy the next most sizeable outlay they'll have made to buying a house?

Not unreasonable really.

tesco worker said...

bunblebee we all know you shop at tesco be honest about it

Not a Tesco Worker said...

It not a matter if Bumble shops at Tesco or not. It's a matter of we don't need a Tesco or other big supermarket in Tenbury

Anonymous said...

Says you & a dozen others, most people think we do, & a fed up with the high prices from the existing so called supermarket.

Not a Tesco Worker said...

If it's high priced then there is no problem for you to go to Ludlow or Leominster or Kidderminster. Don't bring it to Tenbury to ruin our town

Anonymous said...

That's the problem. Many do, and do all their other shopping whilst there.

Not a Tesco Worker said...

No many don't They are at the moment with the bridge closed but many don't.

Because it is CHEAPER in town if you shop around but people are too lazy to shop around they just want to go to a one stop place like Tesco.

Tesco will kill Tenbury

Anonymous said...

That T**** word again.......

Bumblebee said...

In response to Tesco Worker.. I normally use a [Germanic] supermarket in Ludlow as it's just 15 or so mins away. Alternatively, I'll order online occasionally - again as it's so quick and easy to do [and as I know many do locally].

I then try to make sure that I shop locally at a weekend. My personal view is that there's simply no comparison quality-wise with the meats and bread in Tenbury's shops. The veg tends to be better on balance as well. Appreciate that not all and everyone want or are able to do that combo though - just my reply.

Again - my personal view is that smaller, more proportional retail should play a part in the Cattle Market redevelopment. The Tesco plan is just way too big [76x MHDC's estimates in their local plan for new retail in the town].

I hear there are other developers starting to take an interest in the site now though. These are looking at a more proportional approach [smaller retail component] as well as reusing the town's old infirmary building - which is still in good order..

Anonymous said...

A sensible-size Aldi would be more sensible

Bumblebee said...

To be clear though - I'm not pushing Aldi though..

What I think's important though is a sensibly-sized, sensitively done and [where possible] sustainable retail devts on the CM site.

The existing huge Tesco plan doesn't seem fit any of those criteria as I can see.

Ian said...

I can't see the place for a cheap and cheerful Aldi - right next door to a cheap and cheerful Spa! That would be a kind of cloning. At least a Tesco would introduce a slightly different retain dimension .

Anonymous said...

Ian spar and aldi are diffrent tho. Spar open all hours bt aldi much more limited. Spar sells mainly branded goods bt aldi mainly own brand goods. Spar does some regional goods, aldi just mainstream stuff.

Anonymous said...

Ian hit it on the head:
Tesco would introduce a slightly different retail dimension
Absolutely true! Tesco's dimensions are too big! A smaller store, with lower prices, such as Aldi, would be better.
Local people would welcome Aldi's lower prices more than they would welcome Tesco's traffic jams.

Anonymous said...

Cheap spar!!!!!! You're having a giggle

Ian said...

"Local people would welcome Aldi's lower prices more than they would welcome Tesco's traffic jams." Oh, I didn't know you'd asked them. When was that then?

Ian said...

"Cheap spar!!!!!! " I don't believe I've ever shopped there. I just assumed they were cheap, because that's the popular image. If they're not, then we definitely need some competition ('cos Bowketts aren't either).

Too expensive and not good enough! said...

Spar can be cheaper than Tesco!

Mash Direct mashed potato £1 (Tesco £1.29)
Hardys Semillon Chardonnay £5.49 (Tesco £7.99, Sainsbury's £7.79, Asda £6.98)
Covent Garden Mushroom Soup £1 (Tesco £2.10, Sainsbury's £2.10, Asda £1.97)
Mr Kipling Bramley Apple Pies £1 (Tesco £1.30, Asda £1.30, Sainsbury's £1.35)
4 x Pepsi 2 litre £4 (Tesco £5.79, Asda £5.49)
Strongbow 12 x 440ml £7.99 (Tesco £9, Asda £10)
Smoked Back Bacon 2 x 250g = 500g £2.89 (Tesco 500g = £3.58).

You gotta be RICH to shop at Tesco!

Anonymous said...

If you are buying branded goods in Tesco, then you have rather missed the point!

Ian said...

Sounds like a pretty shocking diet as well!

Bumblebee said...

Update on casualties of the dark lanes..

Our badminton chairwoman was run off the road the other night and it now seems that another of our number has been too. This time a lady player from the Nash area. She's told us that she's [her words] "not going to bother again until this mess is sorted out".

We have another pair from the same area who normally attended like clockwork give up the ghost too.

Ian said...

As Cllr Pollock says, "it's safer at night"!

Am i in the wrong place.... said...

How dare anyone break the myth that Tesco are the cheapest and greatest thing ever - in the world.

Are they cheaper or have they just got a larger advertising budget than anyone else, which tells us they are?....

Is the CM debate really about "cheap beans"?

O sorry i seem to be on the wrong thread - this is a bridge one....

What a debacle....

Expensive Tesco said...

Last year the Daily Mail compared the cost of UNBRANDED products and Tesco still wasn't cheap. The Mail said:
"...in a snapshot survey of 11 staple items by the Daily Mail, the Tesco shopping basket came in at a total of £19.03.....Lidl basket was £17.60, while Aldi was the cheapest at £14.30.
If you want cheap you want Aldi, not Tesco. People who want Tesco in Tenbury are saying NO to Aldi, because we obviously won't get both! If you want cheap shopping, say NO to Tesco, and form a "We want Aldi" lobby group! Anyone up for it?
Bridge debate = Tesco debate - aren't they fixing the bridge so Tesco can use it?

Anonymous said...

THIS IS NOT A TESCO THREAD!!!!!!!

This is about the TEME BRIDGE.

PLEASE keep Tesco talk in the right threads.

Anonymous said...

So this Tesco then, what's happening to it? Will they buy us a new bridge do you think?

Rugby fan 72 said...

Will Tesco buy a new bridge? Urgh, no. Why would they?

Anonymous said...

Tesco - yawn