Category: Local (To Me !!!)

Rejuvenation ?


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-4-1895/content.html

The following image, published by The News, shows just one small part of the Waterlooville shopping centre. “Shopping Centre” is a loose term as there aren’t many shops. This particular area contains a couple of coffee and fast food eateries, tattoo parlour and hairdressers. Not really somewhere to go and browse. At the far end is Wilkos, which is scheduled for closure within the next week or so. This due to the collapse of the brand.

This area equates to approximately 20% of the available shop frontage in the town centre. The remaining 80% is in dire need of refurbishment and occupation. The picture below shows the total area that Havant Borough Council (HBC) are hoping to rejuvenate.

As I have said before, I applaud HBCs recent efforts. And the offer of grants to attract businesses into Waterlooville is most welcome. But, I fear it is too little too late.

Any business moving into this town centre is going to have to bring something special to the table. Something that will increase the footfall in the pedestrian area, both to benfit their own business but also to aid any other businesses that also take up HBCs offer.

If I analyse my own reasons for going into the centre of Waterlooville then it nets out to two, maybe three stores. Boots, Celebrations and the grocers. Boots is now a shadow of its former self and I wonder how much longer it will survive.

I used to be a regular shopper in Waitrose, Wilkos, and the butchers with occsional forays into clothes shops if my wife was with me. There also used to be quite a few charity shops but even they have thinned out.

So, there really isn’t much there anymore. Any new businesses need to be providing something really attractive to peek my interest.

I really do hope this new initiative by HBC bears fruit, but I won’t hold my breath.

Portsmouth Car Meet Driver Sentenced


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2023/09/19/teenage-driver-who-ploughed-into-pack-of-people-causing-serious-injury-to-two-females-at-portsmouth-car-meet-is-sentenced/content.html

Another positive result for our local police but sadly at the expense of onlookers who were injured by his acts.

The 17 year old driver hit four people, two suffering serious injuries requiring them to be taken to hospital. The other two suffered minor injuries.

At his court hearing, the defendant was banned from driving for two years and will have to undertake an extended test to regain his licence. He was also handed a referral order and was referred to Hampshire Youth Offender Panel for a six-month contract.

Only 17 so he wasn’t “legally” driving for very long and has already lost his license. He will have to retake his test to get it back.

This youth could so easily have been facing a manslaughter charge and be spending time in prison.

Let’s hope he has learnt something from this.

Police Crackdown on Shoplifting


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2023/09/20/one-jailed-and-three-charged-as-police-crackdown-on-prolific-shoplifters-to-support-portsmouth-businesses/content.html

This is good news but I feel it is just the tip of the iceberg. Staff in supermarkets have to deal with shoplifters on a daily basis and in some cases, several times a day.

A police statement said: “Targeting shoplifters is a priority for the district, and we will be relentlessly pursuing those that are violent to staff or are repeat offenders………”

My granddaughter used to work in a local Tesco store where shoplifters were brazen, would frequently front staff, telling them what they were taking and that they, the staff, could do nothing about it. Staff are told not to confront shoplifters due to the danger of assault.

Shoplifters are scum, the lowest of the low. They are a blight on modern society.

Regardless of the UK economy, lack of a job or home, there is no excuse for subjecting shop staff to abuse, threats of, and actual physical violence.

New Police Stations


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-5-1895/content.html

Brilliant !!! We need greater visibility of, and access to, our local police.

On the face of it, opening new, or reopening existing police stations is a good idea.

But, if our local area cop shops are anything to go by, access is likely to be limited.

For my home area you can only call in to Waterlooville Police Station on a Thursday or a Friday between 08:00 and 16:00 but not lunchtimes. Accessible for just two days out of seven.

For Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday you have to toddle over to Havant Police Station but again, avoid lunchtimes. A bit better, they are open three days out of seven.

Obviously for emergencies you dial 999 on any phone and, if you are lucky, the police will come. For non emergency situations there is 101 but my own personal experience of using that number is that you end up in a queue. Almost as bad as trying to get a doctors appointment.

If you get mugged in Waterlooville and have your phone nicked, better hope its on a Thursday or a Friday and not lunchtime. Otherwise you need to find a public phone box that hasn’t been vandalised.

If you can’t walk in to your local police station to report a crime or obtain advice then what is the point.

What On Earth !!!


This was posted by our local police. This cache of weapons was discovered at a single address.

My immediate thoughts go to the mental state of the individual , and why he felt the need to hold this stock of weaponry.

Other thoughts then go to the idiots that commented on this post. Seemingly seeing nothing wrong with anyone holding such an armoury.

These same folks question the implied illegality, suggesting that it is OK to hold any of these items in the protection of their homes. While it might be acceptable for a hunter to hold a knife/machete, a bow and/or crossbow. I see no good reason to hold samurai swords and throwing knives. While the guns may well be air rifles, they can still cause harm.

In my mind, the man who was arrested should be subjected to rigid psychological testing, be jailed or at least suffer a hefty fine, and have the weapons confiscated and destroyed.

There is no place for these weapons in a civilised society.

Noise – Just For The Sake Of It


Just yesterday afternoon, I was sitting with my wife, watching the TV, enjoying the Italian F1 Grand Prix.

Unfortunately, that enjoyment was somewhat marred by “eejits” tear-arsing along the roads at the back of our house.

The volume of their engine/exhaust systems sufficient to drown out the race commentary.

Sure, I could close my doors and windows, but why should I? These hoons are impinging their antisocial activities on my home from several hundred feet away. I should be able to enjoy a warm summer Sunday afternoon in the comfort of my own home without these eejits spoiling it.

So, I was somewhat surprised to read this in today’s “The News”. The focus of the article is aimed at the posh prats in their Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maclaren supercars who terrorise Nightsbridge in London.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-14-1834/content.html

“The News” is our local paper, and I would expect the articles to prioritise local issues. However, anything that highlights this current blight on society as a whole has to be viewed as a positive thing.

Pat does however point out that the police do have the power to to take action against the hoons.

I understand that the police are desperately understaffed. But perhaps they could alternate from setting up speed traps to setting up sound traps. As I stated in a previous post, the police know where the hoons gather, where they run. As to funding, just how much does a sound gone cost as opposed to a radar gun ?

Late News ?


Our local rag, seem, on the face of it, to be dragging their heels with today’s article on our summer weather.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-19-1815/content.html

The News is not renowned for proofreading prior to publication, but come on, a headline!!!

Portsmouth: One-off Drone Dive, Spinnaker Tower


Follow the link and take a unique look at Portsmouths iconic Spinnaker Tower.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-66671537

Filming took place while painters were working on the outside of the tower.

Jon I Empathise


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-12-1863/content.html

Jon Cole, I empathise with you and your experience. I, too, live in an area plagued by these motoring miscreants.

And also, wish the police and local authorities would focus more time on these “law breakers.” For law breakers, they are, with their modified engines and exhaust systems which are exceeding the noise limits of the original manufacturers specifications.

As to their manner of driving, be it excess acceleration or drifting local roundabouts and motorway slip roads to the point their tyres are screeching, they must be breaking numerous laws. Just by ear, I can tell that they are probably speeding and driving in an unsafe manner.

The police know the popular routes and would only need to make their presence known regularly to make an impression.

So come on, let’s see some action.

Welborne Preparations Get Underway


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-11-1865/content.html

Preparatory works are getting underway to provide the necessary road junctions to support Welborne Garden Village.

And so begin the many months of road chaos that these works are guaranteed bring. The reference article details dates and times of road closures and diversions.

We have only just seen the end of the M27 “Smart Motorway” conversion work, which in itself created months of holdups, especially at peak times.

I am so glad that being retired means I no longer have the daily commute, which would have been impacted by this new round of works.