'derby born, derby bred, strong in arm, thick in head', football today, rams v portsmouth, late kick off to suit sky television, bus in to town, couple of pints in the 'leaper, this was going to a 'normal' saturday, lad's at the match post, got off the bus in derby and then suddenly i realised what they were doing to my home town, i've lived here for fifty one years and i've certainly seen some changes , look at the new bus station, dwarfing the river gardens and old council house, the quad, art centre on the market place and the massive tv screen, seen a few homeless people watching it but when the world cup was on derby city council stopped matches being screened because of public order offences, the horrible 'jury's inn' hotel dominating the skyline between the cathedral and the silk mill, massive westfield zombie shopping centre, the swing bridge over the river derwent, waste of money, they swing the bridge out of the way to allow boats through and one hundred feet further on the low bridge height and weir prevents further travel, fucking genius that one, my town is being slowly eroded.
I can’t agree with your post travel deconstructions of our home city you don’t notice the beauty of nature reclaiming the old council house. The irony of the swing bridge is not function but form, reflecting the history of the city. Put on your gloves and seek out those places with hidden beauty.
ReplyDeletesorry barse but where's the beauty in the new bus station?, the jury's hotel, the quad?, derby is a city in name only, it still has that old 'town' feel to it, the developers are trying to turn derby into an 'identikit' modern city, bulldozing many fine buildings and obscuring the one's that they leave with pig fucking ugly blockwork and tin roof's, the siting of the jury's inn in particular get's my goat, you look up the narrow sweep of friargate, past the magnificent cathedral and you are greeted with a faceless monolith sticking out like a pimple on a pig's arse, the swing bridge goes nowhere, great from the cathedral square end but cross the bridge and you end up outside a block of flat's, [surely a bridge over the weir outside the council house to replace the long gone longbridge linking chaddesden and the meadows area with the town, [not fucking city!], centre would have been more beneficial?, the riverlights project is doomed, loads more classic buildings like the old magistrates court going to be smashed to dust and more shops and bar's built?, how many proper pub's close every week?,get your head out your ass! where would you rather be, the vic watching a punk band, the old bell watching gallows or sitting in a waterfront corporate witherspoon's with shit piped lift music and drinking overpriced alcopop's? over to you mate, peace, out!
ReplyDeletethe only piece in your text is a piece of self loathing projected to my fine city your dislike for changes upsets me this is our city so what if we get more wireless cafes for wired ipad freaks who live in a virtual world of social networking let them huddle and bump into each without shaking hands what do you what to do kill the underground scene you remember the times of true choppers none of this bobber shit it was all about being different and standing out no combats no compromise look inside yourself somewhere in all that shit you may just find the light of hope peace it together my friend
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