'Banbury's boarded up shops suggest a town in decline' - letters to the Editor

The letter from Marie Smith of Deddington published on December 14 must have chimed with many experiences of Banbury town centre and its bus provision. Difficult to deny that her description – boarded up shops and early evening dearth of activity – combined with an Austerity heritage bus ‘station’ and faulty services suggest a town in decline.

Banbury is far from alone in the flight of major retailers to the car accessible edge, neither is it alone in gappy bus provision, little concern for the waiting passenger or absence of screen service updates. As with so many failures in market town provision it is a matter of inter-agency understanding and cooperation… and finance.

But when Banbury, and especially the Town Council, gets it right then there is much to cheer about as our local community steers its way through the traumatic changes to the High Street.

On Saturday at 6pm (well 6.20pm) the Tractor Run came to the Cross. The streets were full of families with children of all ages amazed by the sight and sounds of the tractor procession. Traffic and crowd management was light touch but effective, the parade a Christmas memory for all who saw it.

After, many spilled into Banbury’s Christmas lit streets and many found their way to the Market Place where two impressive projections added to the seasonal surprises.

As at so many Town Council supported events this year – Food Fairs, Canal Days etc. – this was free entertainment that reminded us that historic Banbury is becoming a setting for surprising community events.

Perhaps some surviving retailers might recognise the boost in footfall that these events bring, perhaps more organisations can build on these foundations, but the locals are already there to spot the winners.

It was a joyous evening, but perhaps I’m biased as my 500 got me home on time!

Brian Goodey, Middleton Cheney.

The privilege of a seance room

I have a CD recording of my father talking to me after his so-called death.

This is how I cope with grief. Everyone is different.

Ron Dilkes, Wroxton Heath

Hotel Chocolat

I was sorry to read in the Banbury Guardian (December 14) ‘Hotel Chocolat’ ignored the vacant units in our Castle Quay shopping centre, and opened its new shop last week a mile away on the edge of town.

For a company that prides itself on its ethical values and ‘taking care of the environment’, to give priority to ‘good accessibility and parking so people can visit with care’ – but not on foot – is a disgrace.

Promoting a site founded upon the motor-car is quite incompatible with a company ‘working tirelessly to minimise our environmental impact’. In view of the calorie-laden products Hotel Chocolat purveys, it should give priority to journeys on foot or by bicycle.

Henceforth, I will be shopping at Montezuma’s. They are in Oxford’s town centre and not owned by a global multi-national corporation.

Neil Iden. Banbury

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