Helping Marple Community - Give us your ideas!

[Mike in Marple]

Mark,

It's still going ahead - just jumping through loops!

Please bear with us - my promises it will happen.

[admin]

Sorry to mither Mike but I've been asked about this a few times recently. What's the latest situation please?

Mark,

The noticeboard is still going ahead - we've just hit a few snags regarding design.

I'm hoping to have it built and installed by the summer.

Apologises for the delay but i don't want to make an eyesore out of it!

[pjarvis98]

I like the idea of noticeboards and signage for walks, why not make them childfriendly with things to find on-route turning it into more of a treasure hunt?

[CTCREP]

The reason I first started campaigning for notice boards was when I walked through Brabyns Park some years ago during the Annual Dog Show.  There were probably 500 people in the Park, not all of them interested in the show itself. We met up with a chap walking a dog who had come to the show because his wife showed dogs, but he wanted somewhere to go for a walk and there was nothing to tell him that Etherow Country Park was across the road and up the embankment there was the canal, which at that time had its Canal Festival going on. Stockport MBC is obviously not interested in advertising Stockport Borough, they only advertise Stockport MBC and we have to pay for it.

[Lisa Oldham]

i like notice boards i use them all the time and much prefer the lovely info points provided by the community groups than the ugly monster stockport ones Id like to see more

however if you want more people to come to Marple from out of area then we need an internet presence advertising that.. this site is a FANTASTIC resource Mark and i use it all the time and point people to it all the time but I think its generally for us and those who already know Marple its not a "come to Marple cos its a great place to visit (even when its raining)" website..
for instance.. chatting to someone who was intending a day trip to Etherow from otherside of Manchester! They didn't know about brabyns.. the iron bridge... the canals!!! they do now

might be going off topic there but someone mentioned tourism so...

[Barbara]

If the heritage centre at Marple Wharf gets off the ground, maybe other 'tourist' information could be incorporated there too.  Marple certainly has enough to interest lots of people - even some quite historic buildings (but don't tell Miss Marple, she will only get upset)

[CTCREP]

Twinkletoes says - I'm sorry but that sounds really boring...... A notice board? Sign Posts? Oh my goodness live a little guys be adventurus!

As one who has been campaigning several years for worthwhile notice boards in Marple - not the horrendously expensive useless corporate notice boards Stockport MBC like to provide - I do not consider notice boards boring.   PJ Jarvis says - How about an assault course/trim trail around the grass area starting at the older children park and going down towards the canal?  Great but how do visitors find their way to them if, for example, they start from Marple Station or Brabyns Park..

Several years ago the Council was shamed into providing an adventure cycle course in Brabyns Park - it's near the Iron Bridge - but practically no-one knows it is there, furthermore visitors to Marple Memorial Park probably do not even know that Brabyns Park itself is there. Although after pressure an additional notice board was put up by Stockport MBC in the Memorial Park there is nothing there to encourage people to visit other places in the area. For example Chadkirk is on the map but nothing to say why you should go there.

Notice boards aren't boring, they are essential if we are to help Marple Community by encouraging visitors to the area with the benefits to local cafes, pubs etc, and even Stockport MBC's own attractions such as Etherow Country Park and Chadkirk Chapel. Just don't let Stockport MBC be responsible for the design of the notice boards.

[Neil Smith]

Picnic area? There are very few actual picnic benches, its bring a picnic rug in Marple.

I second that, thats a really good idea.

[pjarvis98]

How about an assault course/trim trail around the grass area starting at the older children park and going down towards the canal?

Picnic area? There are very few actual picnic benches, its bring a picnic rug in Marple.

Its a pity we don't have refreshments like Bruntwood Park.

Just a few more ideas.

[twinkletoes]

I'm sorry but that sounds really boring...... A notice board? Sign Posts? Oh my goodness live a little guys be adventurus!

[Mike in Marple]

Mark,

The noticeboard is still going ahead - we've just hit a few snags regarding design.

I'm hoping to have it built and installed by the summer.

Apologises for the delay but i don't want to make an eyesore out of it!

[admin]

I was asked about this in the pub last night - Mike in Marple - can you advise if your plans for the noticeboard are still to go ahead please? As the Friends of the Park, we are looking forward to a new focal point for community notices.

[twinkletoes]

We should have a statue big style of Oldknow and Arkright, maybe have it in the park we don't have anything
that shows what Marple was all about. For instance Marple Hall was pulled down and brbins more a less fell down.
I think it would look really good. The only down part would be youths graffiti on it.

Or we could get rid of Hanburys, anyone know what is going to happen with that? Why not make that into a
infomation center about marple so information on Marples past could be seen. I think it gets hidden away at
the Library. 

[Mike in Marple]

I think it is time to bring the discussion process to a close and pursue one of the projects.

Thank you all for your suggestions, you certainly gave us a lot of options to explore.

I know previously I said I was planning to put all the options to a poll - but after reviewing and doing some preliminary research into the proposals I do not think that is necessary.

We have decided to pursue the idea of a Public Notice Board, with a town map on the back and ideally incorporating some artwork to celebrate the history of Marple.

We feel this idea had a clear public benefit, will be around for a long time, can be used by a wide selection of the community, was requested and supported by a number organisations and currently has no funding in place to make it happen.

The other main ideas we recieved were:
French Boules Garden - after speaking to Mark it became apparent that some funding had all ready been found for this project and it looks likely that it will go ahead anyway.

Sign Posts - As there are plans to redevlop the waste disposal facility at the end of the Middlewood Way it would make sense to wait on this project until after it is known exactly what will be done.  Otherwise whatever we did could be wasted when the redvelopment happened.

[alan@marple]

How about a bandstand in the Memorial park?, it would be great in the spring and summer months