So this is my last blog of the year! Where has this year gone? 2018 has been the fastest year ever; I’m sure I say this ever year. It’s certainly been the hottest and the coldest and as we’re forecast snow for tomorrow, will it be setting the president for another really annoying and cold winter? I don’t mind hibernation for a little bit, but many of you will know. I’m not very good at keeping still for too long. Let’s hope it’s a one off; it’s allowed can snow on Christmas Day.
I have been involved in so much again this year, The Main Deal is always a great platform to make things happen, getting businesses and people connected, has never been so important. As we ‘May’ see a difficult future with businesses next year, we need, now more than ever to put all our efforts into making the businesses we love and know, supported, we really need to keep up the footfall and not just on, Main Street as we are seeing more new businesses starting up at home, and on the corners of the street we live. I personally think we will see a revival in new industries, perhaps big businesses starting up in the UK and supporting each other more; this can’t be a bad thing. So if you make any new year’s resolutions for 2019, try to make sure you look at supporting local, first!
GREAT NEWS – It’s been a great week for The Main Deal
It’s happened again, I’m so very grateful and overwhelmed, the third year running, to be nominated for Business Woman of the Year and Independent Business of the Year 2019. WOW And it’s not just me, You can also vote for our two fabulous local inspirational individuals and Fundraisers of the year. Andy Daw and Helen Smith, as you are only allowed one vote per category, you can certainly give them a vote each
Vote your Garforth Winners https://www.yorkshirechoiceawards.co.uk/votehere
Great to see a huge article in Wednesday nights Yorkshire Evening Post – well done Pam and James writing this fabulous article about how our choir got off the ground. Thanks for adding Me and The Main Deal in there : )
What’s on – over the holidays?
- Tonight from 6.30pm Gin Friday at Quirky
- Saturday 15th December from 3.00pm – Firthfields Pantomime, Cinderella – Check for tickets info@firthfields.org or call 0113 286 4298 – £6.50 pp
- Saturday 15th – At The Podger a Live Soul Band performing – their last music event of the year.
- Sunday 16th December at Cielo from 11.00am – Elf School – How would you like to become an Official Elf ?
Santa is looking for a little help join our Elf School – Join us Upstairs at Cielo Where you will be given a work card, once you have completed all the activities on the card then you will gain your Offical Elf Certificate
Activities will include
Choose your Elf name & Create your badge
Decorate a Ceramic Christmas Tree Decoration
Create a Magical Elf Door
Cookie Making
Wrapping challenge
Santa’s Quiz
Certificate Presentation
Finish off with Hot Chocolate & Cookie Tasting
This is a ticket only event – £15 per child
Pre Book your tickets
- Friday 21st December – 7.30pm – 10.30pm Quirky Weekend Of music for Christmas – We have booked 2 local talented musicians to entertain you the weekend before Christmas, Luke Flear on Friday 21st December at 7.30pm, Conor Vee on Saturday 22nd December at 7.30pm, Join us for some Christmas cheer ( beer & gin!) No tickets required
- Saturday 22nd December at 4.00pm – Cielo Sings Carols and we will see the return of Ian’s Mobile Farm with his cute Goats in Christmas Jumpers , Garforth Jubilee Brass Band, Mulled Wine, Christmas Coffee and Hot food – I will be there with Thom Family
- Thursday 27th December 10.30-1.00pm Crafts at Cielo with Angels and Butterflies – Join them upstairs at Cielo for sand art & more crafts. Prices from £1, no need to book this is a drop in session
Planning
So a post was put up on our local Councillors page about the proposal to have Barley hill Car Park (behind La Bella Vita) into a paid car park. There are no details of charges or when/if. But it will certainly need your objection should you not wish for this go ahead. So please send an email to Mark or Sarah with your thoughts and it will help them build a case for it to be kicked out of planning.
Mark.dobson@leeds.gov.uk or sarah.field@leeds.gov.uk
This is what I emailed them;
As an independent business of nearly 5 years helping to market, promote and protect our local independents here on Main Street and Garforth, A chargeable car park is without a doubt, one of the worst proposals for our town, for it to even to be suggested, no matter how much it would cost, has little to no thought about the impact.
As we now have an out of town complex with Lidl, Home Bargain and The Fly Line and another space to be filled, we now need, more than ever, to keep footfall and interest on our Main Street. I completely object the idea of this going ahead. I know more than most that our local businesses can not afford for less, footfall. Before Lidl came, Tesco took 27% out of 1,000 shoppers to their store and our high street 11%, a giant store such as Tesco’s are not affected too much by a cut in footfall if people chose alternatives. However should our High Street loose just even 1% this would have a major impact. I have worked hard with our community and businesses making it better connected, and this has helped with keeping little to no premises empty for long. To give our town a future, we need more parking not charges.
LCC should work with companies like The Main Deal, we who have helped local business survive and thrive, and without money from the local council. We work hard to help save our high streets and without us, high streets would have died a long time ago as well as the local economy.
So make sure you really do have your say
Chocolate tub
As it’s officially the week leading up to Christmas, my head is well and truly buried in a box of chocolates, when you have finished with these plastic tubs, here’s a few hints and tips as to what you can do with them afterwards. http://myzerowaste.com/2014/10/reuse-ideas-quality-street-tub/?fbclid=IwAR0JFnsdk9zB-G_rqMPdSqFzohb814uQcBdsN3f9D82tBl5yavZ9KcUTRUA
At Christmas, not everyone is lucky enough to be off over the holidays, so in the words of Russell Howard, let’s give our fabulous NHS workers, a silent night. Turn it up and hear what he has to say #manaftermyownheart
Until next Year…… #uselocalfirst
Recent Comments