A Quick Wander Around Bridgend Town

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

As regular readers will be aware the urban tragedy due to the arrogant incompetence of the Labour council that is Bridgend Town is a feature of this blog, though less frequent now I no longer live in the area (though I still work there).

I do plan to do a more measured post on the state of the town sometime in June. However unexpectedly I had to go in there yesterday so this is a snapshot of what I saw.I should stress that I only had (including grabbing lunch) about forty five minutes to play with.

And because of the relative rush I missed snapping a few things. A new nail bar is there. As is a gym (though with another one just a few blocks away I really wonder how both can survive).

I also forgot to snap the situation regarding the "McDonald's" area. The McDonald's, closed down in 2000 and left to rot for seventeen years before finally demolished in December last year. Well as I left the situation nothing had been done in March. And as we approach June nothing has changed. What it has become is an eyesore gap.

If you approached the eyesore gap from the car park on a wall nearby someone wrote "Apathy". Which was interesting as perhaps that person was trying to convey what the town has become. And whoever wrote that is educated, after all he/she didn't scrawl "can't be bothered".

I mention this because that person didn't just graffiti it there. I noticed this.

The Bridgend V For Vendetta Slogan?

Now having been fair and mentioning the places that had just opened since my last visit that I'd noticed I need now to mention the places that have closed down. Starting with this:

No Longer Cooperative

This was the Cooperative Travel agents. Now gone. Here's an interesting fact. Whilst there are Cooperative food stores in the Bridgend area, with the closure of the bank branch last year and now this, it's only presence in the town is the funeralcare. Symbolic or what?

And opposite there's this:

A Chainstore Outlet

This used to be Ethel Austin and then it became this. Now even a chainstore outlet can't sustain business in the town.

Now since I moved I have four regular features I look at regarding the town. I've dealt with the McDonald's Eyesore gap and the places that have opened and closed down. So let's have a look at Bridgend Indoor Market. Well I'm afraid nothing has changed. Many stalls are empty including apparently this one now.

All Very Sad

But if a picture can illustrate the contempt the council apparently shows for the stall holders it's this one.

Look Up

For what you see are Christmas decorations.....and it's nearly June!!!

And, (and I forgot to photo this as well) with regard to the Nolton Street Shopping Arcade it's still the case that aside from the two shops that go onto the aforementioned street every single shop in that place empty.

So then Bridgend Town. Nothing has really changed since the last time I was here. All very,very sad really.

Until the next time.

Until the next time.