If nothing else, Cllr Maxine Callow will not be remembered for her quotes and action relating to trains. Sure, she wants to decimate the Blackpool South line, removing a route used by over 100,000 people per year, but what I’m thinking of in particular is the £285,000 of our money she squandered on Carnesky’s Ghost Train.
When initially launched (although most locals didn’t know it existed) the failed ride took only £11,000 in four months, but at a price of £5 per person for a 10 minute ride I’m hardly surprised by that. Before anyone says it, I know £5 is cheap for a 10 minute ride even in Blackpool, but I’m talking about the ghost train and not whatever your dirty mind is thinking!
It has sat in storage for the best part of a year and is to be reopened in February in time for Showzam.
The useless and much despised council executive Alan Cavill has forecast that the train can be profitable and now wants to throw good money after bad in pumping another £48,000 into a mobile home for it, allowing it to be located on the promenade opposite the Sandcastle. I’ll leave you to muse at why they didn’t take a few grand of that money to grit the fucking roads.
But anyhow the train will be open for 100 days per year and Alan Cavill clearly has plenty of time on his hands if he can devote his £135,000 per year job to nothing better than this useless piece of junk.
Straight talking West Coast Rock Cafe boss Cllr Robert Wynne likes the site, but is sceptical that the Council will be able to make a profit with it.
“I think it’s a better site.
“But I’m worried they have this ghost train, they have to find somewhere to put it, and they haven’t really worked out if they can make a profit.”
Carnesky’s Ghost Train has always been a jibe – or should that be joke – that can be levelled squarely at the doorstep of Maxine Callow. She approved it, she bought it and it was a complete failure, leaving the town out of pocket to the tune of £285,000 (soon to be £333,000). Remember this amount when they complain that the Illuminations has a shortfall. Remember this when they say they haven’t any grit.
I’m bamboozled by it, I have to say.
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Alan Cavill is one of the most useless people we have running this town and worse still he is actually paid to do his non-job. He is one of the biggest pessimists I have ever seen. Surely you would think when you work in a regeneration post for a town/city you should be positive and optimistic about the future and believe in that location. Cavill does neither he is nothing but a doom and gloom monger. He was one of the first people to come out when the casino got given (NOT stolen) to Manchester saying ‘Blackpool is finished’ and all that bollocks. Can we just sack the useless fucker and get somebody with a bit more competence and belief in Blackpool. CAVILL OUT 2010!!!
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spot on TB, well said!
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WYNNE4MAYOR!
I think he’s being remarkably polite about it-The council shouldn’t even be in the business of tourism. They’ve demonstrated, time and again, that it isn’t their forté.
What was the advice given by the council’s officers in making this decision? I’d love to see the evidence-based business case for this one!
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PS – this headline is one letter off being much more appropriate:
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Kids-dicing-with-death-on.5966786.jp
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Maxine Callow is Myra Hindley reincarnated.
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With the suspect planning approvals for the tram depot, can’t wait to see what they do with Talbot Gateway approvals.
Having inspected all documents in the planning application can anybody explain the traffic flow for a start.
http://planning.blackpool.gov.uk/planningapplicationdocs/?syskey=37046
Can see the headlines already
*Traffic jams caused by poor road planning*
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[...] was revealed over the weekend that construction of the new housing for Carnesky’s Ghost Train has had to be halted due to another monumental planning cock up by [...]