Two brand-new 'Heritage Boards' have
finally been installed in the village. One outside the swimming pool and the
other outside Barclay's Bank.
I first suggested this idea in 2006
after I had visited Frodsham Village to look at their scheme.
Frodsham has more
old buildings which is an advantage,
nonetheless, in my view a similar scheme would benefit Formby. It's taken a
long- time to get here, but I thoroughly approve.
I wrote about the idea on this blog in
2009.
The Parish Council has for some time
been considering installing heritage boards. I visited Frodsham in 2006 and
took a series of photographs to explain my suggestion. After a series of
conversations ........ the Parish Council embarked on the 'Village Project'' which has led
to several changes. Formby Civic Society have been approached about the idea of
a 'Heritage Scheme' and I hope they support the Frodsham model. In the slides
that follow I have included photographs that illustrate the potential of a
scheme.
- There is a nice planter donated by a
local society, thus sharing the costs.
- Even when an original building has gone
the local blue plaque scheme records the history of the people and the
building.
- Other plaques record brief histories of
buildings.
- In my view Formby deserves a clock and
the type illustrated is relatively cheap but very attractive and functional.
- The heritage board is next to one of
the public houses and this shown on the board. One of the slides shows this
building standing next the heritage board, look for it as the slides change.
What do you think? Do you agree with me
that this type of scheme would enhance Formby? Should there be similar schemes
for other parts of the town, Freshfield for instance?
The original slides are available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seanbrady/sets/72157602763835931/
The present installation falls far
short of my original ideas, for instance the 'Heritage Walk' has somehow migrated away from
the village. Originally the idea was to make the village a place to visit in its
own right. Formby is popular, but many visitors came and go without
ever setting foot in our village, which is the 'heart of our town'.
In common with Frodsham activists I
share the idea that Formby should be a 'Destination Town'. Despite the loss of
the 'Portas Town' funding, perhaps Sefton MBC’s mysterious Capital Grant mentioned
in my last posting will help to realise this dream.
What do you think? Do these ideas
listed above still have merit?
Further references to the Frodsham scheme on this blog:
http://www.formbyfirst.org.uk/2009/06/meetings-and-events.html
http://www.formbyfirst.org.uk/2008/12/shop-local-action-group.html
http://www.formbyfirst.org.uk/2008/12/formby-forward.html
