Mind the Gap. London vs the rest.

[Anna B 1,401]

Just watched this programme (BBC2 Monday 3rd March 9.0pm ) 'Mind the Gap, London vs the rest' and can honestly say there's just no hope for any of us north of Watford Gap.

 

London is a fantastic, exciting, thriving metropolis which we should all be proud of, but the rest of us are f***ed.

 

All the investment is being poured into the area and it is enjoying a boom like no other. Money is pouring into the economy, (but not from manufacturing) which is largely being poured back into London. Very few of the big companies want to set up anywhere else.

 

The government rarely seems to set foot outside its front door in spite of promising to hold cabinet meetings all over the country. They hardly seem to know what's going on and care even less.

 

It really does look like the rest of the country is being left to fend for itself.

 

Ohhh,...What's to become of us?...

[gluedtopc 10]

I saw that as well . Bit of an eye-opener , especially the Malaysian who bought Battersea Power Station and a bit of surroundings for 400 million.

[Snook 10]

I love Sheffield dearly, I miss it a lot, but I'm so glad I got the chance to move to London. It's miles ahead of other cities in so many ways, and as someone who works in the arts I feel I have very little choice but to work in the capital as the rest of the country is culturally starved.

[altus 533]

I love Sheffield dearly, I miss it a lot, but I'm so glad I got the chance to move to London. It's miles ahead of other cities in so many ways, and as someone who works in the arts I feel I have very little choice but to work in the capital as the rest of the country is culturally starved.

 

A significant part of that is because the arts in the rest of the country are financially starved. Imagine what other cities could do if they had five times as much money as they currently do for funding arts.

[999tigger 10]

I think you are correct. The power of the SE is overwhelming. People will follow the money.

 

Uts a shame becayse other areas of the country have a lot to offer.

[taxman 12]

Mustn't let anything stand in the way of the workings of The City

[tinfoilhat 11]

Dead right. A large chunk of our work is in the south east with people spending serious money - the good people of Sheffield on the whole won't spend a fraction of it. Talking to my peers/competitors, they say the same. It's why I'm a Luke warm supporter of hs2, if you can't beat em join em.

[Anna B 1,401]

Dead right. A large chunk of our work is in the south east with people spending serious money - the good people of Sheffield on the whole won't spend a fraction of it. Talking to my peers/competitors, they say the same. It's why I'm a Luke warm supporter of hs2, if you can't beat em join em.

 

Sheffield people can't spend it if they haven't got it.

 

Serious money stimulates the local economy; restaurants, entertainment, retail, service industries etc, it trickles down through the lot.

Unfortunately here in Sheffield most people are struggling with the basics and there's not much left over for luxuries.

[perplexed 10]

Sheffield people can't spend it if they haven't got it.

 

Serious money stimulates the local economy; restaurants, entertainment, retail, service industries etc, it trickles down through the lot.

Unfortunately here in Sheffield most people are struggling with the basics and there's not much left over for luxuries.

 

 

Out of interest, where's that info from? I think there are the have and the have nots, but Sheffield, from my experience, is certainly as a city no better or worse than other northern cities.

 

Painting it as a poverty stricken backwards hole, which it is far from being, will not draw in investment...

 

I agree that I'd like to see more arts/museums (not of the children's play centre variety), but positive selling will be more likely attract these, not negative stereotypes of 'grim up north-ness'.

[Anna B 1,401]

Out of interest, where's that info from? I think there are the have and the have nots, but Sheffield, from my experience, is certainly as a city no better or worse than other northern cities.

Painting it as a poverty stricken backwards hole, which it is far from being, will not draw in investment...

 

I agree that I'd like to see more arts/museums (not of the children's play centre variety), but positive selling will be more likely attract these, not negative stereotypes of 'grim up north-ness'.

 

It certainly isn't. But it is a backwater when compared with London, as are most Northern cities, nice though they are.

 

We need investment, lots of it, yet we have a council which seems to turn it away (Next? IKEA?) and put endless red tape in the way. They don't seem to have grasped the basic truth that we need all the help we can get, have to move with the times and welcome businesses even though they might have to sacrifice some of their precious principles.