Poll re. Thatcher dying - just out of interest.

Yes, Barnsley has still not recovered

Its a dying town
The stupid councilors at that time thought the pits would stay open for ever
They (Barnsley council) gained most of their income from the mining industry
When the lot shut we were left with no other major industry in the district
We didn't even have the infrastructure in place to attract other industries
Result
Towns similar to Barnsley but not relying on one industry have gone from strength to strength (e.g. Donny)
And Barnsley is slowly dying

 

RE: Sad to hear that Kestyke...........in fact

Nope, I enjoyed the challange of brain and brawn. You had to think on your feet (or belly). As far as the management problem, it was a game of cat and mouse for some of the lads. Most of us just got on with our jobs.

 

Of course we should have funded the miners at all costs.

 

Dying town my arse..tha dunt aif talk some ***** at times

Dying?</p>

Is that why industrial units are flying up all over the place?</p>

Is that why house prices are rapidly rising?</p>

Is that why there is developement all over the borough?</p>

Thought so.</p>

 

Dont ant to be rude.

But what made the miners such a special case? large redundancy packages.didnt happen in any other industy.

 

We didn't need funding mate.

Her willful destruction of the mining communities has cost the country more in the long run. Thought everybody knew that.

 

Well, yes they did and...........

.....you don't get much call elsewhere for rippers and shearer drivers if you catch me drift.

 

Agree Windy but.....

Many many people who have lost their jobs have retrained into new occupations....there is no such thing as a job for life,as we all know you need transferable skills.

 

RE: We didn't need funding mate.

Not often I agree with Windy, but I'm with him on this one. I didn't live in Barnsley at the time, but remember collecting for the miners. Unemployment was high everywhere, those wanting her back should remember the millions of people out of work on **** benefits. I think the major drug problems we have now can be traced back to that time as well.

 

Dying town my arse............yep my arse...........read and think

Is that why we have......

Highest rate of invalidity payments in the COUNTRY.......cant get dole anymore, so a large percentage are on invalidity

We have generations in families where none of them have worked. The real unemployment rate is not known because of people claiming, rightly or wrongly, invalidity payments

One of the highest rates of heart decease in the country (heart decease is linked to poverty)

One of the lowest attainment levels of school leavers in the country (again linked to poverty)

A population that is going down when nearly all other towns around are going up
This shows young people are leaving the town

When you can walk into the town centre and see the best positioned shops boarded up

OK, new business is coming into the town with the new factory units that are being built but most of these buildings employ kids out of school with little or no education (cos there's buckets full of um round here) and pay them minimum wage

 

RE: Dying town my arse..tha dunt aif talk some ***** at times

Why are loads of these new builds empty and cannt get let?

 

She destroyed this town...

...and towns like it. The only jobs you could get when I left school (early nineties) were useless YTSs sweeping floors or security-guard jobs at £1.50 an hour.

Someone mentioned work like Ventura been "quality" work - when I worked there I was encouraged to lie to and pressure pensioners into buying insurance policies of little real value and use. I worked in other call-centres up and down this county and the same moral values seemed to hold true. At least working down the pit was honest labour - not dishonest, wide-boy work where the only way to get on is to spout buzzwords and kiss a*ses. Most people I knew and know who worked in such places hated their jobs and stress, bullying, abuse from customers and unpaid overtime are the norm.

The pits may not have been a pleasant trade and they may or may not have had their time but had we kept the unions strong throughout the transition the things I've mentioned above wouldn't be the common place they are now...

Not only that - we're now pretty much at the mercy of foreign energy suppliers - just as we are with everything else. The price we all pay for that b*tch flogging off the family silver to any slick spiv in a business suit at bargain basement prices...

When she goes - good riddance...

 

I think

you should look around. The place is slowly improving. You can pick out selective &quot;facts&quot; as you like.</p>

I dont even know why I can be arsed to type some random counterclaims to your obvious downer but heres some thoughts..</p>

New schools going up everywhere. Most houses sold almost as they are built. If the population has fallen since its peak in 1971 of 226k to 218k its less than a 3.5% fall and, I suspect, largely as a result of the demise of the mining industry and lowly paid sewing machine operators!</p>

Schools have almost always performed below average just like any large industrial town - Nowts changed in that department. The schools are likely to be replaced in the next 5 years and as such will likely improve.</p>

Oh and I dont know any family of whom generations have never worked. I am sure they exist but not any more here than in any other similar town. Come to think of it I dont know anyone over the age of 25 that has never worked so  dont know the basis of your claims of such widespread inherant unemployment in the borough eminate.</p>

The health of the populous is also begining to improve. There are now less than 1 in 3 smokers in barnsley for the first time ever. Watch that improve the figures. There may be a lot of people on invalidity but this may also be as a result of industrial incapacity from mining - My dad is amongst them. My grandad had to retire at the age of 50 after 35 years down the pit. For the last 15 years of his life he struggled to walk the 300yds from his flat to the pub. He died before the age of 70 due to Pnuemonicosis (his lungs being full of coal dust.) I am sure there are lots of people in the borough with similar ilness.</p>

The town is not dying its much the same as most other places. </p>

Look how many shops are boarded up in other towns &amp; cities.Traditional town centre trade has moved out to the likes of Meadowhell, Parkgate, Cortonwood, Tesco, ASDA etc etc. Its not rocket science. Town centre shops are empty because rents are too high and its hard to compete against supermarkets.</p>

If tha wants to be the harbinger of doom thats up to thee. My glass is half full.</p>

 

RE: She destroyed this town...

how can you say that when you had 14 bovates

 

Who do you think drove me to those 14 bovates, eh?

 

RE: Who do you think drove me to those 14 bovates, eh?

(lol)

 

RE: I think

The towns dying.
Half the people moving in are commuters to sheff leeds etc the other half are asylum seekers.

 

RE: Agree Windy but.....

I heard a radio programme about some miners fom Manton colliery that had skilled transferred; hairy arsed back-rippers and the like. They were preparing sushi for some lardi-dah supermarket. I bet it looked and tasted a treat after they had their delicate mittens on it.