On 30 Aug 2014 at 7:28pm Impressed wrote:
I really enjoyed the Phoenix Festival - fascinating to see what goes on there. Great atmosphere - and food and drink! Not my usual choice of music but very pleasant. What are other peoples views?
On 30 Aug 2014 at 10:34pm Xplorer wrote:
Me too. A great afternoon that showcased all the amazing hings tat go on on the site. It would be a terrible loss to Lewes if the Santon scheme goes ahead.
On 31 Aug 2014 at 12:26pm Mark wrote:
Me too. I think it would be tragic if the Phoenix area changed and became ordinary. As it is now it's very boho and downright cool. It's a thing that makes it nice to be in Lewes. It's the sort of thing that differentiates Lewes from... erm... let's say... Wokingham. No offense intended to any Wokinghamites.
On 31 Aug 2014 at 12:49pm Woko boho wrote:
Like , real cool.
On 31 Aug 2014 at 12:54pm convenient wrote:
Why are there only three posts saying how good it was ? Oh yeah because most of the people there already live on the estate already and so enjoyed their own party . I expect Santon are quaking in their corporate boots at the sight of all those jolly colours and velvet hats . Keep it as workshops , safe properly managed and charged for but stop people squatting there.
They are only left alone because as yet you can't evict squatters from commercial premises . The site does not have residential permission , why do the council allow it ?
On 31 Aug 2014 at 1:18pm Thomas Jerome Newton wrote:
Such cynicism. What a surprise. Poisoning thread with baseless accusation
I live in malling and was one of PLENTY of people having a great day at the festival yesterday. Upstairs at the cafe des artistes art exhibition or watching the puppet show, the kids loved it as well
As for the redevelopment, I can see both sides. Not sure current setup is sustainable, and adding some good commerce to the riverside would be great for the town
But to see such a vibrant area has given me pause for thought
On 31 Aug 2014 at 3:11pm convenient wrote:
TJN., excellent post well said . Provocative posts hopefully do stir some emotion and also some balance, I think you have touched on the solution in your post, development is necessary as the site is a mess and misused. There needs to be a range of housing which by law will have to have a proportion of affordable accommodation plus there should be some purpose built studio and workshop space to allow the diverse and useful talents that are based there currently. Lewes people must encourage the owners to include such things rather than oppose everything they currently propose.
On 31 Aug 2014 at 3:27pm Mavis wrote:
Yes, judging by the barefooted, multicoloured clothed hippies wandering around Lewes won't be the same again. Not saying that's a good thing though. Barbers and Shoe Shops beware.
On 31 Aug 2014 at 4:10pm The Twister wrote:
It always seems to me that certain people in the community seem to think that because they decide to opt out of the system- (not work, not pay taxes, live an "alternative" lifestyle etc)- the rest of us owe them something and should be encouraging them (usually through indirect funding) to foster their personal "creative" and "artistic" sides. If we dare to criticise them we are usually accused of being narrow-minded, cynical and creatively bereft. So come on . Bring it on.....
On 31 Aug 2014 at 5:26pm Local wrote:
Rarely have a read such a blatant piece of self-interested justification posing as a genuine arts publication as the 'Phoenix Arts Quarterly'. The only interesting thing in it was the grudging thank you from Skatehouse to Santon for sponsoring them - you could almost hear the knashing of teeth by the people who produced it, having to water down their demonising of the legitimate owners of the land.
Why didn't anyone else buy the land off NAMA before Santon did, so that it could be kept as the current scruffy dump? Surely that was the way to ignore economic realities like paying viable commercial rents for a prime riverfront town centre location in a sought-after prosperous part of the country?
On 31 Aug 2014 at 5:54pm bastian wrote:
It was a fantastic day, so many people came down to have FUN, it was brilliant and I think many people from the town had their eyes opened to what is actually possible if you turn the money gears off and allow yourself to enjoy life-what more do you need for a party, good food, a beer, music and friends. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to work for free to bring us so much colour and enjoyment, it was a real treat.
I'm sorry some of you have such boring lives, it is sad.
On 31 Aug 2014 at 7:08pm convenient wrote:
Local, I too read the phoenix art quarterly and was amused at some of the business that are based there, my favourite is the belly dancer ! I'm sure Lewes will struggle without services like that on offer . I agree it was a very poorly produced booklet . It tried very hard to make the estate look like it was full of worthy and viable businesses . It was also evident that a great deal of tidying up and covering up happened before the day which belies the normal state of the place.
On 31 Aug 2014 at 7:46pm stranger wrote:
Convienient, I find your poat very worrying-do you have an agenda? would you like to see all the businesses fail because they are not what you percieve as "normal"? and would you like to see a few more people on the dole because they don't fit your narrow ideal of employment?
It seems to me that you don't class entertainment as a business! so life would be fine with no films to see, or books to read, or fun to be had. God life in your ideal is far from ideal.
Good luck to the Phoenix and all who want a life of creative colour-how dull it would be with out them.
At least they are trying to do something, not just sitting around complaining on here.
On 31 Aug 2014 at 8:44pm Onda Shore wrote:
God life can only be gotten ...........................via the Latihan
On 31 Aug 2014 at 8:47pm Acker Bilk wrote:
It aint all about ackers , it`s about FUN
On 31 Aug 2014 at 9:07pm convenient wrote:
I don't remember saying I wanted these businesses fail ? . I would merely like to see the phoenix estate used in a more acceptable form. Houses to live in studios and workshops to create and work in and all in a more acceptably attractive and accessible manner , perhaps if it didn't look like a scruff bomb site these businesses might do even better than they do already. Yes I have an agenda, to put on this forum another opinion as to the future of a huge piece of land in a prominent part of Lewes . A great number of people favour the Santon development plans. You are welcome to your opinions but not everyone has to agree with any of us . Thank you over and out
On 1 Sep 2014 at 4:18pm Colonel Blimp wrote:
@ Convenient : WTF is "acceptable"? Ah right, acceptable to YOU.
On 1 Sep 2014 at 4:40pm stranger wrote:
It isn't what your opinions are, it is how you verbalise them that is the problem. It is pssible to debate at great length about any subject without being rude or dismissive.
On 2 Sep 2014 at 8:10am bastian wrote:
I would like to dispell some myths about eh current use of the industrial estate.
It is not full of people living in buildings.
Everyone pays rent to Santon except the skaye house who are a CIC.
Every business, even the arts venues pay their own business rates based on the floor space to the council.
The festival was part sponsored and undertaken with the permission of the council.
Santon pulled out heir funding from the event at the last minute leaving the organisors in debt.
Many of the businesses on the estate are normal jobs and they have not all been offered places elsewhere to operate from.
And the arts facillities and the general businesses get on really well, helping each other out and communicating on a regular daily basis.
This was a free festival, enjoyed by many towns folk who remember when the estate was alive as a traditional work place before maufacturing became a diurty word in Britain.
On 2 Sep 2014 at 9:56pm jeannette wrote:
had wonderful time at phoenix festiful.......wish everyone there happiness and good luck...they are talented people...who made me and everyone welcome with their warm and colourful ways...loved the poetry by po..........jeannette
On 3 Sep 2014 at 2:17pm convenient wrote:
Bastian if you mistakenly think there aren't people living there then I suggest you have a little wander around sometime or are pretending we don't know ? . If someone can convince me that there is residential remission I will stop banging on about it .
On 3 Sep 2014 at 3:24pm bastian wrote:
Convienient-no one lives in the buildings, especially since the fire at the theatre, they may work late ( an attribute you shoudl understand) in the buildings, or live in vans etc near the buildings, but not IN the buildings.
On 3 Sep 2014 at 4:05pm convenient wrote:
Bastian I won't name names on this forum but I 100% know that what you say isn't true , maybe you're misinformed but there are people living in the buildings . You and I will never agree on this forum , I appreciate your support for the phoenix and that you have strong opinions which you put eloquently here. I too have my opinions and doubt we ll ever agree but that's the beauty of any forum .