Forum Topic

PHS :no effort from LBW or Putney BID

I have had to buy bunting and give to small independent shops myself, nothing from  Positively Putney/Putney BID.. , still, not one union jack inside the Exchange either, a sad reflection of why here is such a dump!! No wonder we have  so many empty sites... Abandoned plastic barriers just dumped on pavements and alleyways.. God Save the Queen, God save Putney, from maladministration and banruptcy!!

Penelope Becker ● 1428d40 Comments

Yes it’s totally unfair to blame Nicola for the state of the high street. She has clearly done a good job against the odds. To accuse her of being in ‘a sedentary position’ is shameful . Where she lives is nobody’s business but hers.However the state of the high street continues to be a problem. Are there any constructive plans to improve things? I do think that the departure of M and S hastened the deterioration. No chance of a Simply Food?

Jane Carter ● 1419d

Oh my word !! Would love to see how people would improve on what Nicola has done over the years. The fact is the businesses that are paying into the BID . 99 percent support her and the other 1 percent I don’t know about.When I ask some of the independent operators they were originally reluctant but then have been really happy about it .

Nick Gulliford ● 1419d

I haven't read all the posts, but just wanted to add that I know people have tried to get some of the empty shops used for other things, but the owners of the sites refuse to let them be used as pop ups, or for anything else. I don't know what the reasons are, not being a shop owner myself. A shame, because some could be used for community things, but I don't necessarily think it's just the Council to blame. We should get a shop owner on here to give their side of the story. Just a thought

Victoria Diamond ● 1419d

There is a man in a doorway near MacDonald, there are cans and food everywhere. Loads more shops shut in the Exchange. A New Ice Cream shop that I haven't seen anybody in, the prices seem  really stupid. My other half even said the pavement was filthy in Felsham Road. Who is the centre manager, they must be permanently on holiday.

Barbara Stevens ● 1420d

Thanks Nicola there is a difference between bunting and clutter, and slagging is not a nice word coming from a professional person ;yes if the Board of Directors of Putney BID who live in Putney, or LBW even, I think they have to be accountable to residents, and also produce the last 3 years accounts  say, so we can see where the annual million quid is spent, also how much comes from the European Development Fund. Please finish the street cleaning you started outside Lidl and stopped at TK Maxx

Penelope Becker ● 1420d

Thanks, there is a difference between bunting and clutter, slagging is not a nice word to come from a professional person, yes if any of the Board of directors live in Putney, or in LBW even, I think they have explaining to do to residents and produce accounts, say for the last 3 years, as to how and where the annual million quid is spent, and it's source, perhaps you could also clarify how much comes from the European Development Fund, notice you have their flags up. Also, the street cleaning didn't last long.. Forgot to finish?

Penelope Becker ● 1420d

Well judging by the number of empty sites on PHS,the BID is a failure.. Maybe Nicola should take her children for a day out shopping here, rather than comment from a sedentary position in Worcester Park!! If you don't live here, must be hard to appreciate PHS in its filthy sad glory!!! And watch out for the scooters and cyclists on the pavements, hazard to young children!!

Penelope Becker ● 1421d

Thank you Nicola.

Caroline Whitehead ● 1426d

Penelope - to add businesses don’t pay £600 a year, but varies dependant on business rates. They clearly don’t think ‘we are a joke’ as 80% voted for us to continue with over 50% turnout and in October.

Nicola Grant ● 1426d

Penelope - apologies Positively Putney waited until June to  put up the Jubilee plaques, bunting and artwork. One day you moan about clutter and the next you moan about no bunting. Make your mind up what you want. Perhaps meet up with the Positively Putney BID board of directors and they can explain the priorities to you rather than just slagging the BID off all the time.

Nicola Grant ● 1426d

If there are 2 people sleeping in shop doorways, wouldn't it be a greater priority for Labour LBW Council to do something to combat homelessness rather than fiddling around with pop up shops? There are too many shops as it is - much of the customer base has preferred to buy out of town and then online. If it weren't for banks/building societies, estate agents, phone shops and fast food using much of the retail space,  half the High St would be boarded up. If shops can't afford to pay their taxes, I don't really see why I should subsidise them through my Council Tax. That would be a complete waste of money - just like investing in bunting for an event which will be over in less than a week.

Michael Winstanley ● 1427d

Just hoping the new Labour LBW Council gets some policies for reducing  business rates and getting some pop up shops on PHS, there are 2 new homeless guys in doorways this morning, Halifax and Old Oliver Bonas, having been called a racist Brexiteer by people on this forum, will leave it up to them to investigate and report to Streetlink and the like... !!!!

Penelope Becker ● 1427d

Feeling left out nobody has mentioned your leotard attire. We see enough sweaty backsides.

Barbara Stevens ● 1427d

Look up 5 richest beggars in the world. It was on FBook.

Barbara Stevens ● 1427d

Congratulations on shoehorning into this discussion a totally irrelevant reference to XR. But why stop there? where's your perennial bleat about $#%^& cyclists?

Richard Carter ● 1427d

Penelope, yes I agree, so many closed shops. But about the homeless person in M & S old building, I was on FB the other day and was really shocked they had a video of the homeless man who used to sit with his dog outside the station. It turned out there was so much on this man having a place in Fulham a Police Office followed him to the address he lived, it turned out they had a photo inside his flat not just a flat, but pure luxury, you would not believe. He was arrested, but then started begging in London and was arrested a few times. It was about beggars who turned out to be millionaires.

Barbara Stevens ● 1427d

I'm not bothered who is a royalist and who isn't, just wish The Putney BID who represent shops and businesses and charge £600 annual levy from them would spend something to enhance PHS for the platinum jubilee  and attract shoppers and new businesses. Just go look at Wimbledon, Richmond, Surbiton, St Margaret's, Twickenham, Kings Road.. Lots of empty shops, but enhanced with flags, vinyls and flower garlands.. Its a missed opportunity for the high Street by Putney BID, they are a complete joke in my view

Penelope Becker ● 1427d

Congratulations for shoehorning a completely irrelevant reference to XR into this. I'm only surprised you didn't manage to add a bleat about @#£%& cyclists...

Richard Carter ● 1427d

Very true Simon, under a certain age are not interested. I am the same age as Princess Ann and Prince Charles 2 yrs older. So I was brought up seeing them grow up. Also I was at a party in 1953 in our road in Barnes. We used to follow Margaret and her marriage and her antics in Mystique and John Bindon. Look how many people laid flowers for Diana, millions. Who would really want to be the Queen, getting up early staff around her all the time, having to look decent all the time, hair clothes, etc. Somebody to look up to, instead of mucky XR scruffy sitting on their arse all day.

Barbara Stevens ● 1427d

A head of state wouldn't need to be drawn from the ranks of politicians. I agree the current array are an abhorrent bunch. In places like Australia and New Zealand people who have distinguished themselves in civil life - surgeons, scientists, soldiers, retired judges  etc - have held the post of Governor General. It can work very well. So why not President of the UK? If he were younger, Sir David Attenborough would be the kind of candidate I have in mind.

Alexander MacLeod ● 1427d

Newsflash: the queen and idea of monarchy is really irrelevant to people under 40-50, unless you are a tourist.

Simon Sharp ● 1427d

Let's not limit ourselves to what an UK republic would look like.Ireland has a fine example of president and their president does have some limited but important powers:"The president acts as a representative of the Irish state and guardian of the constitution"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_IrelandBut this is all getting away from Penelope's post.Well done Penelope for stepping up for something you believe in and yes one would expect a local business and government response. Until it changes the Queen is the head of state and also the head of the church of England.My personal view is that a national bank holiday should be every year. It may take a few years to get it right but other countries seem to manage. Why not the UK?I also think that the republic/royal discussion perhaps should be on hold during this period. That said there is already a bit of over egging in the above posts.We can respect old people be it the Queen or grandparents or a stranger on the bus without claiming that their past was squeaky clean.We only found out decades later that the royals were exempt from certain equality laws until - well actually we are not sure - some suggest 1990's but who knows??No one seems to know the extent of their powers. There is simply not the transparency to back up the claims made in the above posts.Rather than get caught up in this fractional debate I would rather we agree that the royals do play a large part in many people's lives. If it is important to them then we should respect that without necessarily agreeing in the same way as many religions - which of course it is also.

Ed Robinson ● 1427d

I must admit I'm also ambivalent. Any hereditary position in a 21st century democracy seems anachronistic. However, when one looks at the quality of our elected representatives, a president doesn't seem a very attractive idea (president Blair, Brown, Major, May - or Johnson anyone …), and the Queen's position is primarily a symbolic head of state so probably far less of a threat to our democracy than Johnson - plus, unlike him, she does seem to try and adopt the ideas of service, integrity and responsibility. What concerns me is all the hangers on, particularly Prince Andrew (at least Harry realises he's a bit of a spare part). Perhaps we should look at the continental royal families where those not actually performing the constitutional royal get proper jobs? Those that want to celebrate the Jubilee can but, while I'd wish anyone of the Queen's age well and wouldn't begrudge her a good party, I don't think everyone should be obliged to celebrate an anachronism and, going back to the original point, if there's anything wrong with this country or Putney, perhaps it's mismanagement by the government or council rather than anything to do with those who don't wish to celebrate the Jubilee or aren't keen on paying for it? If the local kids want to have an excuse for a party I've no objection and might even donate to it if asked.

Michael Ixer ● 1427d

Apologies if I misunderstood but I didn't think Penelope to be complaining about the Queen and the Jubilee more about lack of enthusiasm by bureaucrats. I still maintain you remoaners are a really miserable sad  load of old,mentally, men  How awful you don't wish to have fun  Have you all forgotton what it is?

Barbara Shillabeer ● 1427d

"It is very noticeable that all the complainents on here are male"I do believe Barbara just called you a man Penelope?

Matt Palmer ● 1427d

It is very noticeable that all the complainents on here are male  What a miserable lot  Moaners all of them .

Barbara Shillabeer ● 1427d

Well, it just goes to show how unhappy we are. Instead of giving BoJo the wrath he deserves, we are taking it out on her.Obviously there are republicans, there always have been.  Cromwell comes to mind.But why spoil an achievement that deserves congratulating.  Unless, of course, you can tell me all the woes of this country are her own doing.

Ivonne Holliday ● 1427d

The Times is reporting (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jubilee-pageant-will-not-over-glorify-the-queen-to-avoid-upsetting-republicans - but beware paywall) that Buckingham Palace has instructed the organisers of the Platinum Jubilee pageant to avoid “over-glorifying or over-egging” the Queen, out of consideration for British republicans, the event’s director has said.Bit late for that, I should have thought...

Richard Carter ● 1427d

Yes, she is definitely a figurehead that is not supposed to intervene in politics directly.  She is in fact a figurehead that follows the instructions of the governing Prime Minister though she advises them too.As for the jubilee, I remember the one in 2012 which was great fun. There again, I think we were all much happier then and many people were really looking forward to the Olympics. The mood was great!

Ivonne Holliday ● 1428d

Staff obviously don't get out on site very much, was hoping for changes and enthusiasm with new council but I guess the staff remain the same

Penelope Becker ● 1428d

I'm sure the queen has done her best for the last 70 years: she seems, as far as you can tell, a nice enough person (though evidently a terrible mother), and good luck to her, but the whole country (apart from Positively Putney /Putney  BID, apparently) seems to have gone completely, disproportionately mad over this.  It's claimed that she works hard reading her boxes, but what is the net result of her reading?  My guess is pretty much zero. She's a figurehead, that's all, and I wish people could keep a sense of proportion over all this jubilee stuff.

Richard Carter ● 1428d

"a woman with the worlds most expensive hat sitting on the worlds most expensive chair"I'm pretty ambivalent too but I certainly wouldn't swap my little life/job for hers (Still working at 96 FGS!!?) or any of the top royals for that matter. Envy doesn't come into it. I pity them, living in a gilded prison, albeit with free meals and big gardens but little in the way of freedom. A nice walk down the towpath to Barnes for a beer? I don't think so. And they hardly live the life of the French elite, swanning around the med on yachts and all that. Erm well, I suppose apart from Diana and Fergie.

Freddie Francis ● 1428d

Ha ha ha!!!  Not necessarily but perhaps a few times - could be.

Ivonne Holliday ● 1428d

Do you ever wonder if you take comments on here a little too seriously Ivonne? ;)

Matt Palmer ● 1428d

I will not deny that I do not agree with you.I do not think anybody, except volunteers, would like to work for free.  Putin does not do it either.I cannot see why you blame the Queen for homelessness.  I put the blame and responsibility fairly and squarely in the governments that we choose.Of course the monarchy costs us.  The last I heard with figures from 2019 I think, it was some £85m or, translated into £1.29 per head per year.  It is also true to say that, through tourism, the Royal Family brought it over £2.5b.  So, financially, they are an asset to the country.  But they fat outstrip our current government in honesty, integrity and dedication to duty.As someone brought up in a republic where poverty and homelessness far outstripped the one in the UK, no social care or proper health care system, well, I would say that the UK is very lucky to have a Head of State who is separate from politics and who is respected worldwide.  I do not think that the latter is true for BoJo, do you?

Ivonne Holliday ● 1428d

Well i'm very glad you can't think of anyone who isn't impressed by the queen. Personally i'm ambivilent - she's certainly worked hard but it's not like she does it for free lol.I read somewhere that the royal estates in France bring in more money than the ones in the UK, primarily because visitors could pay to roam around inside after they decapitated their royal family. Whereas here the poor serfs are reduced to gawping through some gates or occasionally being granted access to some 'rooms'.Obviously I wouldnt advocate violence so I say let the Queen finish her 'term' and then do away with the lot of them. Open up all those palaces and any profits can be given to Shelter.Perhaps we could even get a new bank holiday - 'republic day'

Matt Palmer ● 1428d

Well, Matt, your comment is rather unkind!I cannot think of anyone, royalist or not, that is not impressed by the Queen.  She was crowned when she was 25 years old and, today, 70 years later she is a steady character, after all the good and not so good times.  I agree that, particularly since Phillip's death, she is less mobile.  However, she has been and continues to be the face for the UK.  I am delighted that that is not the case for BoJo!!!  But, returning to Penelope's post, I remember in 2012 that Putney was full of bunting and flowers.  Streets had parties and the residents put bunting up. It was a very happy occasion!It feels totally different today, sadly. But is it her or the political and economic difficulties we are experiencing?Also, Putney has been looking rather sad of late and not at all cared for.  The widened pavements along PHS looked great initially but there is no maintenance.... I wonder if they chose the incorrect type of slabs for the pavements. Putney Exchange is also looking rather sad, but I would attribute this to the economic circumstances in Putney and the country.  This is not the Queen's fault.

Ivonne Holliday ● 1428d

We had a meeting with the Council along our road not long ago.  We maintained that the volume of traffic and its speed was unacceptable. We are on a 20mph road. One of the Council's staff, while standing on the Heath, asked us exactly that question:  "Why don't you move?"  I asked him, where do you suggest? He did not answer, instead he said:  "My goodness, you do have about 1000 vehicles going along this road, and some way above 40 mph.  I thought there were only 14 cars a day using this road."

Ivonne Holliday ● 1428d

Perhaps some people just don't care about a woman with the worlds most expensive hat sitting on the worlds most expensive chair for a very long time?

Matt Palmer ● 1428d

If it's such a dump - genuine question why don't you move?

Simon Sharp ● 1428d