Lewes Forum thread

Go on, tell 'em what you think

Lewes Forum New message

happy barfday

On 10 Jan 2009 at 10:14pm walter plinge wrote:

what is it about cliffe precinct?
getting some cash out the hole in the wall last night at 8.30 I was passed by a bloke in a yellow fluorescent jacket positively honking his guts up, taking a few steps then going for it again. he left an unpleasant trail of spew in his wobbly wake. it was vaguely amusing for a moment until you think that some poor chap has got to clear it up, or I suppose a seagull might have a go.
anyway, I'm not sure I can imagine this scene happening anywhere else in lewes. I blame it on the horrible shops and also the cheap paving setts. I think it's an environment thing. the area's an eyesore and if I'm not mistaken all the christmas tree light bulbs were smashed there last week.
so I reckon we could do with a bit of improvement and I wonder what the pedestrianised area will be paved when it's done... dodgy red tiles or some nice looking old setts?

On 11 Jan 2009 at 1:37am SHS wrote:

This is like an exam question for A level English Lit. What is the narrator saying? That the street paving influences shops and these make people sick? That the street paving is responsible for a town degenerating into a lawless slum? Or simply that the street paving makes people sick? Too difficult for me but thank you Walter for raising what is evidently a very important point.

On 11 Jan 2009 at 10:27am walter plinge wrote:

Well I was vaguely tired and emotional when I wrote this SHS but I still think the basic point stands - I reckon the paving in Cliffe precinct looks crap and hope they don't lay the same setts in the High St when it's finished.
Crappy street paving and crappy shop frontage DO contribute to a public space feeling generally, er, crap. If you don't believe me then pay a visit to Newhaven. Or hundreds, thousands of other High Streets in Britain. I wonder why the nasty red tiles that go over the bridge were chosen - seems to be a lazy, ill-informed choice to me. The street furniture and shop frontage are not in keeping with the general surroundings. The whole area has been badly designed. Take a look at h ttp://www.lewes.gov.uk/Files/plan_CAA_Lewespages29to38.pdf which discusses the same issue, more eloquently than me.
PS - Obviously street paving doesn't make people sick. Booze does. I was just raising the point that the barfing bloke looked more at home emptying his guts out in Cliffe Precinct than anywhere else in Lewes.
PPS - Shame you don't think it's an important point.