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View Full Version : Another shop in wick closing



katarina
17-Mar-05, 01:08
I see George McKay's butchers is closing down. Does that mean we won't be getting any of his excellent freshly killed haggis any more? Do we have to make do with the frozen variety? Can we cope with any more boarded up shops? Why does the council not do something about the old Pavilion Cinema which at present is an absolute eyesore? Is Wick becoming a ghost town? What can we do to prevent it? Can any one answer the above questions? Help!

champagnebaby
17-Mar-05, 02:43
Is Wick becoming a ghost town? What can we do to prevent it? Can any one answer the above questions? Help!

There've been topics similar to this before, personally i don't see the point in going over old ground :eyes What can we do to prevent it - nowt unless you've loadsa money to plough in to the businesses to keep them going :eyes

Moira
17-Mar-05, 03:04
Katarina

Don't panic - George Mackay is as entitled to his retirement as anyone else. I am sure that George Harper in Macarthur Street, the Harrold Brothers in High Street & Mr Polson in Dempster Street will continue to supply freshly killed haggis in copious quantities, along with all your other locally "killed" butcher requirements & fresh fruit & veg, for as long as you require them.

katarina
17-Mar-05, 10:44
Mr Polson is retiring too!!!!

DrSzin
17-Mar-05, 10:57
Katarina, have you ever thought of opening a butcher's shop in Wick?

The demand is clearly there, and I hear that a couple of suitable premises may be vacant soon.

wicker
17-Mar-05, 11:21
the best butcher is one up in pultney across from smiths chemist

brandy
17-Mar-05, 12:01
here here to that wicker! i agreee tis the best butchers in town!

Zael
17-Mar-05, 12:41
are they open at lunchtimes or after 5pm?

wicker
17-Mar-05, 13:40
Dont know bout after 5 i think its 5.30 but not sure but yeah he is open the rest of the day, its really good value stuff out of there highly recommended anyways from me

squidge
17-Mar-05, 13:42
I often popped in there on my way home from work and i was working til 5pm so they must be open later

katarina
17-Mar-05, 22:15
Katarina, have you ever thought of opening a butcher's shop in Wick?

The demand is clearly there, and I hear that a couple of suitable premises may be vacant soon.


Problem is, they can't compete with the supermarkets.

Playgirl
17-Mar-05, 22:51
I agree George Harper is the best butchers in town and he always throws in an extra sausage or too sometimes. Nice man

Bobinovich
17-Mar-05, 23:03
Katarina, have you ever thought of opening a butcher's shop in Wick?

The demand is clearly there, and I hear that a couple of suitable premises may be vacant soon.


Problem is, they can't compete with the supermarkets.

I don't think so. Supermarkets may have the upperhand when it comes to price but where local butchers score is the quality of their products and the fact that they're well established. Local people will remain loyal as long as they're not being fleeced, so our local butchers and many other types of businesses shouldn't fare too badly so long as they are providing their goods/services at a reasonable price.

The merits and pitfalls of buying locally are discussed in the topic 'Shop locally, we are told... I'm TRYING to GRRRRR!!!'

DrSzin
17-Mar-05, 23:44
Katarina, have you ever thought of opening a butcher's shop in Wick?

The demand is clearly there, and I hear that a couple of suitable premises may be vacant soon.
Problem is, they can't compete with the supermarkets.
The supermarkets that everyone (with the honourable exception of your good self perhaps :D) is always complaining about? The ones that rip you off and don't offer much choice?

Ok, so you don't want to be a butcher. Why don't you open a cinema then? If Dr B can run one in Thurso, surely you can do likewise in Wick?

Why does the Council get the blame for not doing everything? The days of Council power are long gone. Are you still living in the 70s, the 60s, or perhaps even the 50s? Remember Margaret Thatcher? She killed off council power a long time ago.

Seriously, I am surprised how often I see the Council being blamed for all of Wick's ills. In my experience, this just doesn't happen in the same way elsewhere. I find it odd, a kind of throwback to the 70s and before.

If people don't like the Council, why don't they stand for office themselves? I hear folk moaning about influential committees (council and otherwise) being populated by the same tired old faces. As I pointed out on here (http://www.caithness.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=19275) a couple of years ago, only half of the council wards in Caithness were contested at the last election. Little wonder local democracy is sometimes perceived to be failing. Of course, this doesn't mean that it is failing, but perception is sometimes more important than fact, irrespective of whether or not the former has tenable roots in reality.

I find it truly sad that Wick is going through hard times. Well, it appears to be going through hard times. I haven't been there in years but people whose opinions I trust tell me it's not doing too well at present. But, as we all probably know, the solution most likely lies within the people of Wick themselves.

katarina
18-Mar-05, 10:26
I would love to buy the old pavilion and turn it back into a cinema. Three things stop me. I believe the present owners wanted to do just that -with a bowling ally upstairs, but the council refused planning permision because it didn't have a car park. If this is the case, it can never be used for its origonal purpose. Never mind that there is a car park behind it in Louisburgh street, and one just down the lane at the riverside. And you say the council is not to blame!
Number two. This may just be hearsay, There is difficulty in anyone else buying it as there is somekind of legal wrangle involing the present owners (more than one)
Again, why can't the council put a compulsory purchase order on it? I'm sure some enterprising young person would see the protential.

Number three, and this is definate fact - I don't have the money!

gleeber
18-Mar-05, 10:39
Ye dinna really need the money Katerina choost the idea. :)
I think your probably right Doc. I am often in Week and have always found it a cheerfull place. The fowk dinna give the impression of being doon in the mooth but maybe i hevna bumped intil Katerina and Co yit. :(
There are shops beginning to close in Thurso now. Jesse Allans for those of you who know it are closing soon. and their are rumours of other long established business's closing their doors.
Nothing stays the same forever.
Your also right about where the answer to Weeks problems lie. In the folk themselves. Security is something we all like to feel whether its a mothers love or an employers faith.
I am a builder and sometimes in the past when work got a bit scarce it was an uncomfortable feeling fantasising about packs of wolves howling at the door to get in.
The truth is they never got in, nor will they, but I canna keep them from the door.
I sometimes think that the folks of Caithness dont deserve any of the trimmings taken for granted by people who live in the city. :mad:
Theres a fantastic state of the art cinema (2 screens) in Thurso almost unused by the majority of the people in Caithness. I saw the Aviator there last week. Its a fantastic movie and was nominated for a number of academy awards. There were 6 in the cinema that night.

catherine nicol
18-Mar-05, 13:45
I have to agree I often visit the cinema and there have never been more than 12 people there at any one of my visits, on two occasions my niece and myself were the only ones there to view the current films.

So sad to see a place under used, especially when we moaned for so long about not having one.

And you are also right, they do bring up newly released films that we previously had to scoot down to Inverness for.

Whilst on the subject of Inverness, I canna wait til the new business park in Wick is built.

I am not a fan of travelling up and down the road to Inverness. I have better things to do with my free time than spend it sitting in the car.

I am so pleased we are going to be receiving suitable outlets here on our doorstep and please please, don't winge local shopkeepers I don't see that these will hurt your businesses more like benefit them, coz I for one would be browsing down the main street and popping into a local cafe/pub/restaurant for lunch when I am down shopping which is something that I wouldn't normally be doing every weekend. I am sure others from Thurso and up the west coast will be doing the same. We will be new customers to you all and I for one am looking forward to more visits back to my home town and seeing old familiar faces that I only see on birthdays, xmas etc.

Thurso might only be 21 miles away but with working 5 days a week I never find the time at the weekends to visit Wick, I could just as easily be living in London ! My weekends are spent shopping - so hopefully my shopping will soon be in Wick. Looking forward to it already.

Many of my Thurso colleagues at Dounreay feel the same and can't wait til Tesco and the others come to Wick. They too will be doing there big grocery shopping in Wick and lunching out so take heid.

It isn't all doom and gloom.

DrSzin
18-Mar-05, 16:23
I would love to buy the old pavilion and turn it back into a cinema. Three things stop me. I believe the present owners wanted to do just that -with a bowling ally upstairs, but the council refused planning permision because it didn't have a car park. If this is the case, it can never be used for its origonal purpose. Never mind that there is a car park behind it in Louisburgh street, and one just down the lane at the riverside. And you say the council is not to blame!

Hmm, the car park issue does sound crazy. Can anyone confirm it? Several of the cinemas around here don't have car parks anywhere near them.

It's sad to hear that Thurso's cinema isn't packed to the gunwales every night. Presumably it's busier at weekends?


Number three, and this is definate fact - I don't have the money!
You could always ask Capital One for a loan. :lol:

From what I read on here, asking CASE would be a non-starter because you aren't a gobby incomer with a mega-project. :confused

You know what to do about the Council -- stand for office and change things!

katarina
18-Mar-05, 18:03
[/quote]
Hmm, the car park issue does sound crazy. Can anyone confirm it? Several of the cinemas around here don't have car parks anywhere near them.[quote]

If it had never ceased to be a cinema, they would not have been able to do anything about it. It's only NEW businesses they can give the thumbs down to., and I believe it was in the local papers at the time.

[quote]From what I read on here, asking CASE would be a non-starter because you aren't a gobby incomer with a mega-project. :confused[quote]

Glad you said that before I did! Even if they did give you money, you have to be able to match the amount.

~~Tides~~
18-Mar-05, 18:16
I canna wait til the new business park in Wick is built.

We hev a business park. There nout in it.

Have to agree about the cinema. Hardly ever used. Ive seen quite a few films now when we were the only party. Then they'l moan when its gone...

katarina
18-Mar-05, 18:17
If I won the lottery, and I could buy the old Pavilion, and I could not use it for it's origonal purpose, either through no planning permission or poor business venture, I would use it as an art gallery for local artist, with a small cafe on the side.

Zael
18-Mar-05, 18:38
AFAIK planning permission has been granted for the pavillion every time they ask for it.

Although, I have heard that this is simply a ploy and there are no real plans to do anything with the building. Planning permission prevents the council from compulsory purchase and as long as they keep appling for it (i think every 3 years?) and keep getting their permission, they will do nothing with it. It must be coming up again soon, lets see if the papers are gullible enough to print another story about the "plans". (or will it be third time lucky)

What is needed is for the council to come up with a proper reason to deny planning permission and then it might force them to sell it or allow the council to bulldoze the site.

katarina
18-Mar-05, 22:09
What is needed is for the council to come up with a proper reason to deny planning permission and then it might force them to sell it or allow the council to bulldoze the site.[/quote]

Oh no, please don't bulldoze it! I heard it was a listed building and would have to be rebuilt the same as it was - well I'm all for that. It has tooo many memories of satuday afternoon in the 'dooks' PLEASE let me win the lottery!!!!

catherine nicol
20-Mar-05, 11:32
"catherine nicol wrote:
I canna wait til the new business park in Wick is built."

Oops I meant new retail park, excuse me !

I am well aware that the business park was a white elephant but maybe with all the cash the government are going to pump into Dentistry they might just extend their plans for the Dental School.

Mr Barry............dearest john............can you shine any light into this ?

Great to see ya last night.

Smee2
21-Mar-05, 11:17
The old Pavilion in Wick (or burnt out shell as we know it now), was at its time one of the great examples of Art-Deco design and if they do re-build it, they would have to comply with the regulations that apply on listed buildings.

But can anybody really see the owners of that building doing that?????

katarina
21-Mar-05, 18:28
The old Pavilion in Wick (or burnt out shell as we know it now), was at its time one of the great examples of Art-Deco design and if they do re-build it, they would have to comply with the regulations that apply on listed buildings.

But can anybody really see the owners of that building doing that?????

I thought they would have to - or nothing - and it seems it's going to be nothing. There must be something the council can do? what if we got a petition? would that make any difference? Mr Fernie - help here please.

champagnebaby
21-Mar-05, 18:52
Just need to look at the case of that old building in Thurso on the corner Of Sir Johns Square(i think that's the street name) as a prime example of what the council can do. They been having problems getting the owner of that to make it stable and it's a danger to the public(i think??)

katarina
21-Mar-05, 19:04
there is a ruin that's lain empty for as long as i remember (and i'm not going to tell you how long that is) attached to our property. Slates have fallen off the roof and damaged our car - I shudder to think what would have happened if a person was passing at the time. Kids climb on it - if one fell off or through the roof - who would be responsible? We are willing to renovate it if we could buy it but no one seems to know where the owner is. We approached the council to see if they could do anything about it, they sent someone up to look at it, then said - no, it's not a danger to the public! Apart from being an eyesore, and in MY opinion, and a danger - does some one have to be seriously hurt before action is taken? If they are - who do they sue? The water is running into the place and seeping through to our property and we can do nothing!
So, okay. it might not be the council's fault - it might be the law of the land - a law that needs changing in my opinion. I was told by an american - correct me if i'm wrong, Brandy, that in America, if property tax is not paid on a derilect property, when the tax amassed amounts to the value of the property, then the property can be sold to recover that tax, and if the owner turns up after that - tough cookies! To me that seems a lot more sensible option than the present system in Britain where eyesores are allowed to sit virtually for ever when there are people perfectly willing to do something about them!

dragonfly
21-Mar-05, 20:15
Just need to look at the case of that old building in Thurso on the corner Of Sir Johns Square(i think that's the street name) as a prime example of what the council can do. They been having problems getting the owner of that to make it stable and it's a danger to the public(i think??)

Aren't they both owned by the same family????

champagnebaby
21-Mar-05, 22:01
Yeah i'm almost sure they are :eyes

smee
22-Mar-05, 15:48
Which family is that?

champagnebaby
22-Mar-05, 16:42
Don't like to name names on here for fear of getting a ban :eyes

katarina
22-Mar-05, 16:44
all we can say is that they've had a lot of properties which have burnt down. Don't know about thurso, but I could name four in Wick.

champagnebaby
22-Mar-05, 19:17
all we can say is that they've had a lot of properties which have burnt down. Don't know about thurso, but I could name four in Wick.

LOL You're bound to know who they are just by that simple fact