What’s your view?

Richard Wyatt

I am not going to get into an argument about whether or not Bath’s Christmas Market is a good idea but – can l just point out – lessons over bad sitings in Milsom Street appear not to have been learned.

The picture above was taken last year – by the way.

Half of Jolly’s – one of Britain’s oldest department stores and currently still under commercial threat following the House of Fraser takeover – is again masked by market stalls.

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Jolly’s under siege? Picture taken this week.

This was done last year and created dead pavement space outside the store.

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Picture taken last year. Most people walk up and down through the middle of the road.

The same thing is happening on the other side of the road. This is the view – out into Milsom Street – if you are standing in the entrance to Paperworks.

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The view from the doorway at Paperchase. Picture taken this week.

Why aren’t they back to back in the middle of the road? There would still be space for the emergency services to get through and people could see established stores on one side of the pathway and the temporary market stalls on the other.

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Picture taken last year.

 

Published by Richard Wyatt

Freelance Journalist, broadcaster, columnist and local historian. Director of Bath Newseum. Married and lives in Bath. Interested in local history, architecture and visual display in museums and urban spaces.

8 Comments

  2. Dear Richard Wyatt

    I’m very glad of these edicts, thank you, but I’m not on Facebook, or Twitter or Instagram or any of the others, so am at a loss as to how to make a comment.

    Kind regards Celia Hutton

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  3. Notwithstanding that I will not be visiting the centre until they have gone – I really detest them – I consider the effect that the layout has on the retailers that pay high rents & business rates to show an absolute disdain by the council for these businesses. Are they not driving them away fast enough already?

  4. Richard, I totally agree with you, and also with DK that residents of Bath don’t want this silly German style marked at all. It does very little-nothing for us.

  6. I quite agree with all your comments. Your idea of the stalls being back to back in the middle of the road would be the answer – it would solve everything! Whatever was that not thought of?!

    Sent from my iPhone

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  7. I totally agree with your comments. In London they are popping up everywhere. How did we manage before itinerant traders were allowed to peddle merry junk everywhere without any consideration for local traders.

  8. Did anyone read Duncan Campbells article in the Bath Magazine last month? re The Sheds.

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