Lincoln BIG demonstrates how to squander public money
Lincoln BIG is a parasitical organisation that extracts a levy on top of business rates on businesses in Lincoln town centre.
This levy is something few businesses can afford, for many struggling small businesses it is the final straw that breaks the camel’s back, especially as they see little in return.
The latest example of how to squander public money are the heart silhouettes that have appeared in the town centre.
People I have spoken to thought it was something to do with British Heart Foundation, maybe because it copies their logo and one is located outside a BHF charity shop, but no.
Wrong on many levels, not simply an appalling waste of public money.
Passers-by encouraged to take a selfie. That is let’s encourage and reinforce Narcissus Syndrome.
Lincolnshire, according to a recent survey, is where more than half of teens and young people are suffering mental problems, mental health problem exasperated by social media.
Once taken, encouraged to post on Instagram.
Instagram claims ownership of pictures posted, are not visible on twitter, act as bait to draw into the facebook walled garden where personal data is stolen and abused and then used to manipulate facebook users.
But worst of all, Instagram hosts material that leads teens to self-harm and commit suicide.
Is it really a proper use of public funds to promote Instagram, direct vulnerable people to a site that is complicit in teen self-harm and suicide and by directing there Lincoln BIG are also complicit.
Lincoln BIG is also squandering public money to promote Cosy Club, a ghastly corporate chain, a fake 1930s bar, so fake a Monty Python parody of fake.
It is time to bin Lincoln BIG.
It is not though only Lincoln BIG, Visit Lincoln tweets to promote corporate chains the latest to be promoted 200 Degrees, a small chain, vendors of at best mediocre coffee.
The degree to which coffee is hyped is inversely proportional to the quality of the coffee. The degree to which 200 Degrees Lincoln has been hyped bodes ill for a chain of identikit cookie-cutter coffee shops serving at best mediocre coffee.
Sincil Street has been trashed, Victorian street scene demolished, a demolition site on a corner with no protection for passers-by, either from flying debris or dust, Central Market a disgrace, many independent local businesses destroyed.
But it gets worse, head of Visit Lincoln Lydia Rusling insults Joshua from LNER by taking him to Cosy Club, a ghastly corporate bar and eatery, a fake 1930s bar, so fake it is a Monty Python Parody of fake, which just happens to be one of the corporate chains changing the character of Sincil Street, which also just happen to be tenants of the Coop, which just happen to sit on the board of Visit Lincoln, which just happens to be acting in cahoots with the local council which is destroying Sincil Street and the local Coop just happens to ‘sponsor’ local councillors. All of which of course is one of those amazing long lists of coincidences.
But question that Lydia Rusling took Joshua from LNER to Cosy Club and she immediately blocks from accessing her tweets.
All very odd, is not the role of Visit Lincoln to communicate?
It begs the question what Lydia Rusling head of Visit Lincoln has to hide? Why is she so afraid of public scrutiny?
But should Joshua from LNER care to visit Lincoln again, I would be more than happy to act as his guide, and not insult him with Cosy Club.
And when indie business show initiative, do something that enhances the town centre from which all can benefit, they are crushed.
Coffee Aroma, vendors of excellent coffee, hold occasional street parties with live music outside their coffee shop. But sadly no more due to onerous conditions placed upon them.
Curry Jacks who have curry nights at Coffee Aroma and a stall alongside the River Witham have formed a food collective to promote local food producers.
Contrast Curry Jacks with Lincolnshire County Council who in their own staff canteen fail to support local producers. Surely in an agricultural county the County Council should be showcasing local producers?
Contrast Lincoln with Hull where they support and promote their heritage, their indie businesses, there lovely little arcades.
