Firstly, I apologise if this isn’t Loony enough for some:
Stafford and the surrounding area has been my home for most of my life. I was born and grew up in Lapley, the other side of Penkrige and I was a dentist in the town for over 32 years. I have seen Stafford go through changes throughout my life; it is a lovely town that has been going through tough times. The town centre needs our help to bring it back to life and make it the attractive place it has been for so long, that where we all will want to spend time. This is a job for all of us. Businesses need encouraging and nurturing right now to survive and regretfully some recent decisions have not appeared to do this. The life of the high street, Greengate Street, seems to have been drawn towards the new County Building at the expense of the far end. Seeing the empty sites really makes me angry, as we all deserve better than this. Get this right and the effect will spread outwards. Being able to easily come into town, easily park for as long as we would like and have a reason to stay for a while would make the town a better and more vibrant place. Speaking of town access, it would help if the major roadworks were spread out more throughout the year. At the moment, I do not find night-time in the town centre to be much fun unless you are young and inebriated.
We never used to see the levels of homelessness and begging on the streets. These people need looking after properly and to be given a future, not just to be removed from view.
A proper main Post Office would be a good thing. A town hub, if you like. We are the county town and deserve better than to be served as a department of a large stationers. It shouldn’t just be about money, but serving the community and having a place where we can interact. People like meeting people, and doing more and more online is not good for humans at the most basic level. Please don’t get me started on automated checkouts!
We need a fully functioning hospital with 24hrs A&E; speaking as a victim, I can vouch that serious accidents do NOT only happen during office hours and having a convenient and essential life-saving unit close to hand makes a massive distance. Stafford Hospital served me very well indeed and has had enough of a bashing. Stoke on Trent is a great place, but it isn’t right on our doorstep.
There are pressing issues outside the town as well. I feel worried that the lifestyle we are building for ourselves is encouraging a loss of our humanity and in the end we reap what we sow.
This isn’t so much what can I do for you, it is about what we can do for one another and ourselves, with visible encouragement from the chosen representative, not just lip-service.
Is this Loony?
Comments