I think it's time that we re-think the use (and abuse) of the Priory Gardens and try to get Town Councillors off their complacent NIMBY arses to do something about it.
During the summer the Gardens are either covered in litter by irresponsible visitors during the daytime or covered in beer cans, vodka bottles and heaven knows what else during the night. This used to be a May to October problem however, these days its all year round. Groups of children (some younger than 13) smoking and drinking are regularly heard screaming up and down Figgin's Lane and the Priory Gardens until 10pm at night all week long. It's the same 'gang' that hang around outside One-Stop covering the entire pavement with wrappers, spit and other detritus. This seems to be the early shift as older teenagers, bottles in-hand, take over until 11.30pm. The Garden fences have been wrecked. The river is regularly polluted with rubbish and trolleys (Waitrose have a lot to answer for), not to mention the petty vandalism and broken glass that surrounds the entire area.
Call me old fashioned (although I'm young), but what the hell is going on here? Are we going to allow this sort of behaviour to get worse? Why hasn't the Priory been made more secure (for the residents especially). Why are the gates left open all night? Why aren't haven't security lights been fitted (to be honest a giant Rotweiller would do the trick). Why isn't there a Park Warden for the summer days? What happened to the Police making regular checks on the Gardens at night? Why aren't parents wondering what their 12-year old kids have been up to when they come home stinking of fags and booze at 10 o'clock?
1. The Garden gates should be code-controlled and locked at 5.30pm (even in the summer)
2. The walls should be planted on the inside with something very prickly.
3. Motion-control security lights should be fitted.
4. A Warden should be employed.
5. And finaly, Marlborough Town Councillors should actually think about the youth of this Town and what their complacency and lack of interest in the next generation is doing to our 'public' spaces. Start thinking about the future! Youth Clubs, Youth Groups, Sports Facililities, Hang-Out areas, Late-night cafes - it's not difficult once you've engaged your brain from reverse gear.
I agree with your point 5 the Town Council has done nothing of value for the youth of the town, but then they are quite irrelevant to modern society. All they are interested in is point scoring among themselves and how the High Street looks. Well forgive me but the majority of people do not live in the High Street.
As for Kennet Council well they are worse because they have more power and have abused it.
The main example is the Chopping Knife Lane school site and the change in the value of starter homes in Marlborough to be built on this site. Hows that for looking after the young people of the town. But then big business is involved and an headmaster with a loud voice.
Headmaster "Burt" Taylor must be turning in his grave to see the noise this one is making.
you really are old fashioned ( well you did ask us to) are you sure you are young? whats all this nonsence about putting up prickly hedges and lighting etc around the priory, why not go the whole hog and put up watch towers and razor wire I know! we could give you an ss uniform and you could patrol the place properly. your comments fill me with a sence of deja vous we used to hear this kind of bilge from tory ministers during their reign of terror.you know this is not a new thing happening here your generation did'nt invent sex drugs and rock'n'roll nor did mine,the same things were going on when we were skint with no aim in life the only difference was it was the clash and the sex pistols instead of fifty cent and emminem and merrydown cider instead of smirnoff ice. and we can leave the town councillors out of this we all know they are about as much use as an ashtray on a motor bike, and anyway they have far more important things to discuss such as whether to put coloured or black and white photos of themselves up in there inner sanctum.
Hey Rocker, well I guess it depends what you call 'young' and I admit, some of my ideas seem a bit fascist - sorry. I'm really not that old I promise and to be honest I actually want something better for our Town's youngsters. I was the same as any other Marlborough kid - drinking in the pub at 14, drinking in the Priory in the summer, loud, cocky, but I managed to escape and make something with my life (before coming back again!). I just wonder how many teenagers end up in situations they will always regret and how many of them will never have anything else other than drink and petty crime. It just seems that as a Town and a Nation, we are happy for this to happen.
Hey you guys - what is going on in here??? I haven't visited for quite a while and I've come back to see torrents of abuse being hurled in all directions. Everyone seems to hate everyone and no one seems to have anything constructive to say. Can I make a very quiet and small suggestion? For every negative comment - could we maybe have two positive comments on either something that is OK or a way forward? If we all keep slagging each other off, throwing bricks at the Town Council ( shhhhh........ you might wake some of them up into the real world) and generally dispensing negativity, we are not going to get anywhere! Come on, we can all do better than this.
So what should Priory Gardens be used for? How can we keep it safe, pleasant and clean? Who would be willing to help - either as a presence in the Gardens or even with looking after the place? Who would be prepared to part with money to make it more secure? Who would like to communicate with the elderly residents of The Priory to see what their views are? There's lots we could do. I suggest we set up an informal group of "Garden Guardians" and actually set out to make a difference. What do YOU think of that suggestion? I'll come back and look at the replies in a couple of weeks.
just a quick reply to angel what we are doing is engaging in some light hearted banter not hurling "torrents of abuse " about maybe you have lived a sheltered life you should go to a west ham v millwall match to see real abuse.(thats football by the way) and as for hating each other thats a bit strong isn't it, I quite warmed to jon boy after his reply, your'e not some kind of control freak are you?. The town council??! they really are not worth discussing , honestly.
oh yea! back to the priory leave it just the way it is and has allways been
