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Poll
Question: Which enhancements would you choose? Select up to three....  (Voting closes: December 28, 2007, 06:06:43 pm)
Tardis
Crazy Golf
Painted Bollards
Children's Poem Plaques
None of the above
Other idea (please explain)

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Author Topic: Idea for a town centre enhancement  (Read 1771 times)
Athelstan
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Idea for a town centre enhancement
« on: September 24, 2007, 09:35:02 pm »

Ok, here's an off the wall idea for our town centre.... Let's have a Dr Who style Police Phone box (TARDIS). Of course it has no practical function (except perhaps tourism) but it would be an unusual, imaginative landmark (perhaps located near the new library).

Certainly the kids would love it and could act as a springboard for other ideas and events in the town.

Athelstan� �
« Last Edit: September 29, 2007, 07:06:43 pm by Athelstan » Logged
thewhitorg
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2007, 10:18:27 pm »

Do you know where to obtain such a device and where exactly would it be located?

Phil
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Athelstan
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2007, 12:28:15 pm »

There are a number of places where a box could be obtained, Phil. It depends whether we try for an original (restored or otherwise) or a replica. If we aim for a replica then we have to consider the material (I believe the original boxes were constructed mainly from concrete, which gives them durability). If however, the box were to be kept on display indoors then ofcourse materials such as plywood could be considered. As an example, there is currently a full size replica on sale on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dw-Who-Tardis-full-size-model_W0QQitemZ150164392836QQihZ005QQcategoryZ112482QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

A number of websites are devoted to the collection, restoration and/or construction of Tardi (plural of Tardis?) and there is even a Tardis rebuilders club. It is also possible to obtain building plans that, with the help of a friendly local builder, could enable us to construct our own.

A brief search on the internet revealed these examples....

http://website.lineone.net/~civildefence/cont1.htm

http://www.redphonebox.info/myk6.htm

http://tardisboard.proboards43.com/index.cgi?board=build&action=display&thread=1147967160

With all these alternatives, perhaps a good starting point would be to ask our local police as they may be able to point us in the right direction for obtaining an original. I recall that the police have a museum located, I believe, in Glasgow, where a number of these boxes have been restored and relocated around the city as tourist attractions. It seems these boxes attract a lot of visitors.

As far as location, several places spring to mind. As I mentioned, it could be located near the new library or perhaps in the playing fields near the kids swings or even in front of our Police Station (though that's a bit out of the way). I think the local council would be more competent than I in finding a suitable site.

I believe plans are afoot to prepare a heritage trail around the town, it would certainly be an unusual feature to have a Tardis as part of it!�

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Doctorb
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2007, 07:32:13 pm »

I would rather have a mini/crazy golf course!  Grin

It would be great for tourism, nearest one I can think of is in Bath......
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Athelstan
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2007, 01:06:04 am »

Crazy/Mini Golf - now that's a really interesting idea! And you are right, come to think of it, they are few and far between. I don't know if that's a reflection of their popularity or the cost of running them (I assume they need staff).

The last one I saw was 2 years ago in a Shopping Mall in Colorado Springs. Being indoors meant it could be played during winter evenings or, in the case of our recent Summer, out of the rain!

I suppose the nearest equivalent would be the Pitch & Putt in Basingstoke. I wonder what sort of running costs it has and if it is able to cover them from the entry fees.
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thewhitorg
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2007, 04:11:49 pm »

Athelstan,

I'll invite the new Town Centre Improvements Manager to look into the matter. There is money in the SEEDA grant to the Town for improvements which will benefit the Town's Visitor Economy and includes "an innovative community centred public art initiative that will create added media interest and further raise the Town�s profile".

Phil
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kot
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2007, 05:45:33 pm »

Crazy/Mini Golf - now that's a really interesting idea!

Here's an idea that is bubbling under.
http://www.velotree.co.uk/aloadabollards.html

Perhaps it could be linked with the crazy golf idea, with each bollard being the Tee-ing off point to each hole  Cheesy

kot
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Doctorb
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2007, 06:43:58 pm »

Crazy/Mini Golf - now that's a really interesting idea! And you are right, come to think of it, they are few and far between. I don't know if that's a reflection of their popularity or the cost of running them (I assume they need staff).

The last one I saw was 2 years ago in a Shopping Mall in Colorado Springs. Being indoors meant it could be played during winter evenings or, in the case of our recent Summer, out of the rain!

I suppose the nearest equivalent would be the Pitch & Putt in Basingstoke. I wonder what sort of running costs it has and if it is able to cover them from the entry fees.

I presume the start up costs can be expensive, land, course design and type of surface. You have your basic grass putting green, felt or concrete base. Concrete if designed and built well is low maintenance (grass wears, felt rips) and easily cleaned. Good drainage and it could be played on a rainy day.

I suppose you only need one minimum wage person to hand out clubs and the general cleaning like sweeping etc. I'm sure general maintenance and repairs could be done on a voluntary basis.

Location? well any where near the Silk Mill would be good to bounce of each other. Speaking hypothetically, it could work if situated next to an existing business like the Silk Mill or a pub. The Harvest Home would be ideal with the land behind the back garden, already staffed and would bring in revenue for the Pub. You could have a little bridge going over to the first hole.....you could even have a Tardis as the maintenance/club/ball hut!
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Daniel
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2007, 06:46:34 pm »

Perhaps something could be done with the Old Library? I see that it is up for sale on the HCC estates website, so, perhaps rather than half a dozen flats, someone could buy it for something more unusual?
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Doctorb
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2007, 06:48:14 pm »

Perhaps something could be done with the Old Library? I see that it is up for sale on the HCC estates website, so, perhaps rather than half a dozen flats, someone could buy it for something more unusual?

An Italian restaurant would be nice!
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Daniel
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2007, 06:57:13 am »

Perhaps something could be done with the Old Library? I see that it is up for sale on the HCC estates website, so, perhaps rather than half a dozen flats, someone could buy it for something more unusual?

An Italian restaurant would be nice!

Would the smell not upset the local shopkeepers? I hear they are somewhat disagreeable to the smell of food such as Pizza?
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Athelstan
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2007, 06:43:38 pm »

Athelstan,

I'll invite the new Town Centre Improvements Manager to look into the matter. There is money in the SEEDA grant to the Town for improvements which will benefit the Town's Visitor Economy and includes "an innovative community centred public art initiative that will create added media interest and further raise the Town�s profile".

Phil

Thanks Phil, thats much appreciated. According to the 'mission statement' you quoted, a Tardis appears to tick all the boxes (pun intended). In any event it would be quite an icon for the town with the added benefit of being low cost and low maintenence.

You may also suggest to the TCIM that, should the project go ahead, she could at some point contact the Dr. Who producers at the BBC. Many years ago I organised a large 'It's a knockout' event for my company. As part of the preparations I contacted the BBC and was very surprised by the amount of help and support they gave. It may be that similar help would be forthcoming should we 'launch' a Tardis in Whitchurch.�
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Athelstan
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2007, 06:47:32 pm »

Crazy/Mini Golf - now that's a really interesting idea! And you are right, come to think of it, they are few and far between. I don't know if that's a reflection of their popularity or the cost of running them (I assume they need staff).

The last one I saw was 2 years ago in a Shopping Mall in Colorado Springs. Being indoors meant it could be played during winter evenings or, in the case of our recent Summer, out of the rain!

I suppose the nearest equivalent would be the Pitch & Putt in Basingstoke. I wonder what sort of running costs it has and if it is able to cover them from the entry fees.

I presume the start up costs can be expensive, land, course design and type of surface. You have your basic grass putting green, felt or concrete base. Concrete if designed and built well is low maintenance (grass wears, felt rips) and easily cleaned. Good drainage and it could be played on a rainy day.

I suppose you only need one minimum wage person to hand out clubs and the general cleaning like sweeping etc. I'm sure general maintenance and repairs could be done on a voluntary basis.

Location? well any where near the Silk Mill would be good to bounce of each other. Speaking hypothetically, it could work if situated next to an existing business like the Silk Mill or a pub. The Harvest Home would be ideal with the land behind the back garden, already staffed and would bring in revenue for the Pub. You could have a little bridge going over to the first hole.....you could even have a Tardis as the maintenance/club/ball hut!

Do you think the space beside the current Skateboarding/BMX track beside the junior school could be utilised? I don't know who owns that land but there is some parking available around there. Ofcourse I don't know what the residents would think about it.� �
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Athelstan
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2007, 06:56:00 pm »

Crazy/Mini Golf - now that's a really interesting idea!

Here's an idea that is bubbling under.
http://www.velotree.co.uk/aloadabollards.html

Perhaps it could be linked with the crazy golf idea, with each bollard being the Tee-ing off point to each hole� Cheesy

kot

I must admit, I haven't noticed this in Winchester. Is it a current project?

I do like the idea from Andover where childrens poems have been inscribed on plaques and located on walls around the town. That's something I would like to see here in Whitchurch. Perhaps an annual competition within each school with the winning poems being put onto metal plaques and placed around the town.

It would certainly promote civic pride and be a highly cost effective project that also gets involvement from local businesses. For example, each business could pay for the cost of the plaque that's located on their building.� �
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Graham Burgess
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Re: Idea for a town centre enhancement
« Reply #14 on: September 30, 2007, 11:27:15 am »

Ideas are Ok but there is a need to empower all to fully understand what peoples ideas are.At the recent Landscape Day we tried to get across some of the aspects of inerent value so as to form a basis for conservation and possible new initiatives.A small team has expressed interest in another stage focussing on the proposed Town Developements. I have been fortunate enough to have been invited to meetings with HCC and BDBC officers and they are open to our putting across ideas, so they can best serve us.It will start with a walk round town identifying locations and good and bad factors .Then ideas of improvement and the whole thing to be part of a focussed public display.Remember The Town Design Statement excellently lead by Steve Hoffman. Everyone should read that, Phil Cooper has had it up on the website for a while now.

I think we ought to have a homogenous resin set gravel surface on all the finger pathways of the Whitchurch Town Centre Hand.This would cover up a lot of the poor workmaship and multi variable paving types.

Arty indiactors to key locations could be put in the pavement surface as we did at the entrance to Testbourne where three giant fish in school colours point to key venues.If you are keen and want to add a measured input contact me anytime 892837
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