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Letter: Guildford Is More Than Just Shops
Published on: 13 Aug, 2018
Updated on: 13 Aug, 2018
Guildford Boat House – no boats for hire
From Paul Bishop
In response to: Opinion: High Street Trouble Gives Guildford An Opportunity
Maybe we should start to back the real jewel in the crown on Guildford – the beautiful countryside, river and open space.
For such a fantastic feature of the town, it is utterly underused and under-promoted. People like experiences these days, much more so than a day out shopping.
Why can’t I hire a boat in Guildford to take along the river? Why is there only one pub with proper river views? Rather than a shopping destination we should be focussing on experience events and making Guildford a destination for more than just shops!
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Responses to Letter: Guildford Is More Than Just Shops
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"Found any?" - "Nope, it all looks green to me!" (See Opinion: The Future is Congested, the Future is Grey)
Eddie Ward
August 13, 2018 at 1:50 pm
The reason that there are no boats to hire in Guildford, is down to flooding.
The last time that the Wey flooded, at least two of the hire narrowboats finished up on the opposite bank, with many of the rowboats smashed. The company that ran the hiring of rowboats and long boats, moved lock, stock and barrel to the Grand Union canal in North London.
They stated at the time, that damage of some sort always happens when there are floods. It is expensive to get the narrowboats back into the water.
Paul Bishop
August 14, 2018 at 8:34 am
Yes, of course, I appreciate the practical issues. But at a time where we have just spend £1 million+ on some shipping containers and tarmac for “The Village” you have to wonder who is really looking at what Guildford naturally has to offer.
Why not turn The Village site into a car park and convert the river bank half of the Millbrook car park into a riverside village? We don’t need narrow boats, some dinghies or canoes would be a good start. Proper storage (ie not just leaving them laying on the river bank) would make flooding risks far more manageable.
Jules Cranwell
August 13, 2018 at 3:56 pm
Maybe if the GBC executive appreciated our outstanding countryside, they would not be so hell-bent on destroying it with their ruinous Local Plan.
J Banfield
August 13, 2018 at 4:13 pm
Oh how I agree! The riverside is such an under valued asset. Forget more shops which simply replicate merchandise already on sale and think about expanding the opportunities that Guildford’s lovely riverside offers.
Valerie Thompson
August 14, 2018 at 10:50 am
It was a disaster when Plummers (now Debenhams) was allowed to construct their monstrosity right on the river bank.
Why is there an open-air car park beside the old town bridge? This could be redeveloped with a cafe some shrubs and pretty trees and a seating area with some lovely low-level flats behind with a river view.
Instead of the wasteful “Village”, Guildford could have hired some attractive wooden cabins (like those used elsewhere for Christmas markets) for crafts-people to rent and put them where people actually walk by – not hidden behind a fence opposite the ghastly decaying bus-station.
As for the boat-house, I remember hiring punts there and rowing boats. These are not so expensive to buy and can be quickly lifted out of the water in the event of flooding.
A lot of Guildford could do with a re-think.
Jim Allen
August 14, 2018 at 3:14 pm
Please, please listen to the common sense of fellow Dragon readers.