Just had a meeting on Churchgate. Sad to see the Bolton News offices empty. And in a week or two the Travel Counsellors building opposite will be empty. Another 200+ people spending approx £20 per week on parking and lunches in the town... plus whatever other services they spend their hard-earned on - all being lost. Very sad state of affairs.

 

When will it get better? Should these empty offices be turned into apartments?

15 minutes ago, Sweep said:

and pulling their kecks down* in front of their class?

 

 

*I don't know where Crawley has got that from, but it did make me laugh 

😂😂 zoom class during lockdown. I whipped his shorts in PE most people did laugh including the teachers. NIC didn’t see the funny side  🙄

Edited August 11, 20223 yr by royal white

3 hours ago, Ghana White said:

Stockton on tees knocked down the shopping centre and is building a park, moving shops into existing retail units. Council basically said the retail battle is lost but we can make it a destination in other ways. Had an empty shopping arcade, charged 50 quid a week for a unit it's now full of micro pubs and bars. Did up the old theatre which has been massive success (huge chance missed by bolton Council and the old odeon cinema) puts on loads of well attended events. It's a rough town with probably poorer prospects then Bolton and a huge out of town retail park. Council have been prepared to try new stuff though and so far it's helping. Even middlesbrough has purchased a terraced street and filled it full of bars and restaurants that do very .. the market hall vaults was a fair idea aimed at a market that didn't exist though. Bolton isn't on its own but other councils are light years ahead. Like Zico mentioned with Stockport, built a foodhall there, few bars and a foodie Friday has changed the town centre. When I worked there no one went to town for a drink now my Facebook is full of ex colleagues out in Stockport. It's a shame with Bolton but it could be turned around.

Aye, the food hall and foodie Friday shizzle are all good 

I think part of stockports success is it's accessibility to Manchester 

I know a fair few from bolton and further afield who all worked and rented in south manc 

Then when it comes to buying it's easier and a bit cheaper to live in a nicer part of Stockport  than it is in South manc, and just as easy to commute from there to Manc, nobody moves to Bolton because of the shite transport network 

So you've got plenty of folk happy to give the town centre a try who aren't from Stockport 

I'm not sure Bolton has a similar demographic and anyone with any sense or taste moves to or goes out in horwich

2 hours ago, royal white said:

😂😂 zoom class during lockdown. I whipped his shorts in PE most people did laugh including the teachers. NIC didn’t see the funny side  🙄

He's such a wag, Sweep.

34 minutes ago, Zico said:

Aye, the food hall and foodie Friday shizzle are all good 

I think part of stockports success is it's accessibility to Manchester 

I know a fair few from bolton and further afield who all worked and rented in south manc 

Then when it comes to buying it's easier and a bit cheaper to live in a nicer part of Stockport  than it is in South manc, and just as easy to commute from there to Manc, nobody moves to Bolton because of the shite transport network 

So you've got plenty of folk happy to give the town centre a try who aren't from Stockport 

I'm not sure Bolton has a similar demographic and anyone with any sense or taste moves to or goes out in horwich

With Bolton going down hill some of the smaller towns like Horwich, westhoughton seem to be thriving. 

The Octagon is one of the better provincial theatres out there. Nothing more, nothing less. 

It's a great asset for the local community but hard to compete when there are Big 12 theatres right on its doorstep.

Edited August 11, 20223 yr by jmjhb

48 minutes ago, royal white said:

With Bolton going down hill some of the smaller towns like Horwich, westhoughton seem to be thriving. 

Doing well westhoughton, good night out now, Bolton Council are selling off the town hall and community meeting spaces, seem to have waited to announce it till its too late to do much.. I heard that plenty in the public meeting about it wanted westhoughton out of bolton to escape the council and stop them damaging westhoughton.

53 minutes ago, royal white said:

With Bolton going down hill some of the smaller towns like Horwich, westhoughton seem to be thriving. 

Went out round Horwich after the Wycombe game, every pub was busy and we had to wait till 10 to get a table at spice valley 

Back in the 90s the only thing Bolton had over Horwich was places open after 11am, till 2am 

But no one seems arsed about night clubs anymore

13 minutes ago, Zico said:

Went out round Horwich after the Wycombe game, every pub was busy and we had to wait till 10 to get a table at spice valley 

Back in the 90s the only thing Bolton had over Horwich was places open after 11am, till 2am 

But no one seems arsed about night clubs anymore

i saw you and 3 mates in Tap & Cork 

Just now, little whitt said:

i saw you and 3 mates in Tap & Cork 

I didn't see you 

You should've said hello 

Sort of offended you didn't

9 minutes ago, Zico said:

I didn't see you 

You should've said hello 

Sort of offended you didn't

i did Shout ZICO 

you where heading upstairs pal 

14 hours ago, jmjhb said:

The Octagon is one of the better provincial theatres out there. Nothing more, nothing less. 

It's a great asset for the local community but hard to compete when there are Big 12 theatres right on its doorstep.

The Octogon is a producing house.

What it does is totally different from the ATG theatre's in Manchester which are touring venues and don't produce their own work.

The theatre that you see at the Octogon is created in Bolton by the team at the theatre, bringing in some of the best directors, writers and actors from across the world. From this, shows that have originated there have touring around the UK in recieving houses.

It gets funding because it is not like the pure commercial model of the Palace or even the Lowry.

People would be proud that a town like Bolton has one of the first ever Repeatory Theatres, where local playwrights took shows onto international fame, where today they work to give a voice to the town and bring in millions for it. Itv was the first theatre to be built after WW1 in the North and it was built for the people of Bolton - and like other famous producing houses like Chichester it was built by local people raising the money. It was built by us.

It's always blown my mind that people just dismiss it as in some way second rate when its got an illustrious history and a very positive future.

Believe me, I've worked in this sector for over 20 years and the Octogon is something to be very proud of, standing head and shoulders above many venues, and occupies a unique place in the North West.

10 minutes ago, Not in Crawley said:

The Octogon is a producing house.

What it does is totally different from the ATG theatre's in Manchester which are touring venues and don't produce their own work.

The theatre that you see at the Octogon is created in Bolton by the team at the theatre, bringing in some of the best directors, writers and actors from across the world. From this, shows that have originated there have touring around the UK in recieving houses.

It gets funding because it is not like the pure commercial model of the Palace or even the Lowry.

People would be proud that a town like Bolton has one of the first ever Repeatory Theatres, where local playwrights took shows onto international fame, where today they work to give a voice to the town and bring in millions for it. Itv was the first theatre to be built after WW1 in the North and it was built for the people of Bolton - and like other famous producing houses like Chichester it was built by local people raising the money. It was built by us.

It's always blown my mind that people just dismiss it as in some way second rate when its got an illustrious history and a very positive future.

Believe me, I've worked in this sector for over 20 years and the Octogon is something to be very proud of, standing head and shoulders above many venues, and occupies a unique place in the North West.

13 minutes ago, Not in Crawley said:

The Octogon is a producing house.

What it does is totally different from the ATG theatre's in Manchester which are touring venues and don't produce their own work.

The theatre that you see at the Octogon is created in Bolton by the team at the theatre, bringing in some of the best directors, writers and actors from across the world. From this, shows that have originated there have touring around the UK in recieving houses.

It gets funding because it is not like the pure commercial model of the Palace or even the Lowry.

People would be proud that a town like Bolton has one of the first ever Repeatory Theatres, where local playwrights took shows onto international fame, where today they work to give a voice to the town and bring in millions for it. Itv was the first theatre to be built after WW1 in the North and it was built for the people of Bolton - and like other famous producing houses like Chichester it was built by local people raising the money. It was built by us.

It's always blown my mind that people just dismiss it as in some way second rate when its got an illustrious history and a very positive future.

Believe me, I've worked in this sector for over 20 years and the Octogon is something to be very proud of, standing head and shoulders above many venues, and occupies a unique place in the North West.

The reconstruction and the landscaping around the theatre look impressive too. Just one of the many improvements that are in the pipeline. It’ll take time and money but I’m confident we’ll see a much improved town centre in a few years.

8 minutes ago, BobyBrno said:

The reconstruction and the landscaping around the theatre look impressive too. Just one of the many improvements that are in the pipeline. It’ll take time and money but I’m confident we’ll see a much improved town centre in a few years.

I hope so, because from what I hear (and its just from the cultural point of view) there is much improvement. Like all producing houses they ebb and flow - hit a peak, and sometimes dip a little. 

I'm looking forward to coming back and seeing some of the more positive changes in a couple of weeks, and I'll certainly be bringing my family in town as well.

My little one has dreams of moving to Bolton when she's older, as 'Its the best place in the country!' See, shits on London or Canterbury. She honestly does love the place.

 

 

I think its time we start to big up the good things and places we have, and stop being negative about the place.

Plenty of good folk trying some good stuff around the town.

2 minutes ago, Pablo said:

I think its time we start to big up the good things and places we have, and stop being negative about the place.

Plenty of good folk trying some good stuff around the town.

I know I don't live there, and haven't for a long time so I can understand if people sneer but, I do think seeing it with an outsiders and an insiders viewpoint is helpful to see what is good in the town and what does need work.

Of course it's not perfect, but is seems there is a bit of 'it weren't as good as it was in my day.' which in some places might be true but that's not to say the whole place has gone to wrack and ruin or there isn't amazing things to be proud of and to build on in the town centre.

And the key one of those is it's people, and their creativity, humour, warmth.

Just another example that's coming out on the 15th August on the BBC, Red Rose https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/29d40ec7-fbeb-4f10-9b89-7e374201e8ce 'The Ring, but based in Bolton' A comedy horror written by two people from the town. Following their work on Wheel of Time to quote them; “We’ve had the amazing opportunity to work in LA, but Bolton is our childhood home. We wanted to showcase the town that made us and explore the key issues facing young people today,” 

And if this doesn't make your chest swell with Boltonian pride, not sure what will - “There is a voice in Bolton,” says Michael. “One of the people we were speaking to about this was Ian McKellen – who’s from Burnley, but predominantly cut his teeth in Bolton and would identify as Boltonian. He said: ‘There is something in the waters in Bolton. Danny Boyle has used it, I have used it, and now you two are using it.’ And we were like: ‘We’ll take that, Ian.’

So yeah, nothing is perfect, but moaning because we don't have The Rock and another fucking Smiggle shop, really isn't what folk should be concentrating on.

 

What is "wild camping"? Never heard of it until this year. We used to just call it camping. What's wild about it?

2 minutes ago, Carlos said:

What is "wild camping"? Never heard of it until this year. We used to just call it camping. What's wild about it?

Not on a campsite.

Well that's wild.

Should call it Crazy Camping.

100% Crazy.

Echo Crawleys bigging up of The Octagon. Lived in a few places now much bigger than Bolton and none of them has anything like it. 

I'm really not knocking it but we need more than that to attract people to Bolton

Not to mention ticket sales are down 20-30% across the whole industry. At this point you have to produce things that put arses on seats

Edited August 12, 20223 yr by jmjhb

Cheaper parking and better busses for a start.

Its too spread out, does need a concentration of places.

The market is ace, its proper proper bolton, I love it...if that was closer to central town, it would get much more foot traffic.

17 minutes ago, jmjhb said:

I'm really not knocking it but we need more than that to attract people to Bolton

Not to mention ticket sales are down 20-30% across the whole industry. At this point you have to produce things that put arses on seats

Not one to play I've been there and done it, but this is how I earn my daily bread.

Ticket sales aren't down by 20-30% across the board, there is some issues with some parts of touring theatre, but we'll know where we are in autumn - this is our slow time. Currently in our house we are looking after west end, small touring companies, big exhibitions (watch this space Manchester...) Edinburgh kids shows and a whole range of other stuff. Some will hit, some will be a struggle, was always thus.

And producing houses know that there is a delicate balance between putting on created work and the box office. We are adept at it and have done it for a very long time. That's why the Octogon's next season is;

- The Book Thief  - a new musical but based on a best selling book which was turned into a film

- Brief Encounter - I'm sure I don't have to tell you about this title, but also done by Emma Rice (a big name with Wise Children) so a new take on a big name, classic story

- A Christmas Carol - Again, I'm pretty sure you know that one, which I'm sure will doing really well at Christmas for that market that don't want pantomimes.

- Finally, Spring and Port Wine - A local classic, directed by the Octogon's artistic Director (who was also associate director on Matilda in the west end which put a few bums on seats....)

Its not an easy task, and no one can say what will be a hit or not - no one. But what they've done here is look at popular classics and look at new ways on investing them.

Then there is the mix of some commercial touring products as mix mthodology is the way producing houses balance the budget after the death of the Rep system.

If the Octogon was shite, trust me, I'd call it for what it is. But it's not and its not only an income generator for the town but a should be a source of collective pride that we have it and the shows it produces.