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- Dave Burrows
Letter: Noise from Quarry concert ‘breaches my human rights’
Thursday 15th July 2010, 7:00AM BST.
Letter: I was quite shocked at the news item regarding moves to increase the noise limits for big name bands to perform in the Quarry.
I am a resident in Castlefields and feel that this an infringement of my human rights as I find the noise affects my life.
I have no doubt that a lot of people enjoy these big bands but please not where it is amplified and can be heard in residential districts. Why not use somewhere like Attingham Park – lovely setting, lots of space, easy parking and away from residential communities?
This is noise pollution at the highest level and I am sorry but it is not acceptable. I challenge Helen Bull’s comment that it will help the environment and everyone is a winner. I am not everyone.
If there are 10 events during the warmer months – two to three each month – every other Friday or Saturday and I would have to endure this level of noise. I would welcome comments from the Environmental Health Department.
Margaret Burns
Shrewsbury
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“Breaches human rights’? What absolute rubbish!!!
Two to three events a month is not exactly frequent is it?
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my knowledge of Shrewsbury isnt great but aren’t castlefields and the quarry different sides of town !!
keep the windows shut if you can hear the music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Steve – pathetic suggestion to keep windows shut in the hot weather (as it was on the day in qeustion)
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No need to shut windows, just get the lady to wear earplugs….sorted.
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Or even simpler, hold events in the winter when peoples windows are closed.
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Surely this letter is a joke?
If, however, it is serious then I simply can not believe that it will have that much of an impact on this lady’s life. Surely more noise is made (and at much later times) by people coming out of the various bars in and around Shrewsbury every Friday and Saturday night. If this is the only thing you have to complain about in your life, then you really don’t know how lucky you are.
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Well said. In deed, if it is the only problem you have then you are very lucky. Town centres are just that, THE CENTRE. It is where things happen and people meet and enjoy free time. If you want peace and quiet then move to the countryside, instead of trying to diminish the enjoyment of others when there is very little to do here in the first place.
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I think the human rights act is be used in an argument a little more serious than a bit of music on a saturday nites – not like you’re being tortured for information is it?
And Mrs. Burns, maybe it’s my human right to be provided with good quality entertainment. You can’t get a train to Attingham Park on a Fri/Sat nite.
Get over it or move house
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People, do not take the bait! this is a complete wind-up. It must be!!
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nimby oh and yes i live in shrewsbury
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Right, I too live in Castlefields and loved the music!!
I even had my back door and windows open so I could hear as much as possible.
The noise was not deafening and I found if i shut my windows and doors i could not hear a thing.
This is not a regular thing and actually the 80s concert was the first one I heard from my house.
So I say “lets have more!!!!”
A VERY HAPPPY CASTLEFIELDS RESIDENT
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people pay £37 to hear that music and you get it for free…
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Not sure about all the human rights rubbish, but it was stupidly loud. It was loud enough for me to hear quite clearly half a mile away. Why that loud for people standing in view of the stage? If you need music that loud to enjoy it then there is something wrong with you.
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Yes there is something wrong with us – we know how to have good time!
Join us sometime, you might enjoy it and realise what you live in Shrewsbury for!
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I live in Monkmoor and could hear the music from the quarry in my back garden whilst enjoying a glass of wine in the sunshine, and I didn’t have to pay £35.00 for the ticket! I really enjoyed it. You will always have moaners no matter what you do. I’m sure had the music been to the letter writers taste/era (there is no indication of her age) then she would have done as I did and enjoyed hearing live music on a nice summer’s evening. You can’t please all the people all of the time!
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Ang if you enjoyed Rik Dastardly Astley so much that is very sad. I bet you were drinking Hock.
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Shhhhhh Mrs Burns, Your giving me ear ache
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Class bit of sympathy :)
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“I am a resident in Castlefields and feel that this an infringement of my human rights as I find the noise affects my life.”
Oh, get a grip.
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Margaret, as you stated there maybe 10 events a year, that stil leaves you with 355(356 if leap year)days a year to enjoy your peace and quiet. I’m afraid you are in a very small minority as the commentators on here have stated, in some cases rather robustly.
Live and let live, life is too short to moan about this, there are certainly more important things to worry about.
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I think someone should get her a copy of the Human Rights Act.
How you can compare torture or false imprisonment to ‘having to listen to music once in a while’ beggars belief.
Des.
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This letter is a little over the top! I think the lady is exaggerating a tad. Maybe she should close her doors and windows if she doesn’t like the noise. I can hear cars going passed my house, even with the TV on, does this mean I get to have them banned? I can also hear my neighbours on the phone, do they get banded too? The world is a noisy place and the only way to get away from it is to live in the middle of no where.
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Agree with all the above. Ridiculous!! Move with the times people, Shrewsbury is beautiful and should be enjoyed and the gig was fantastic an sounded great!
Does that statue ‘thing’ is on the river on Smithfield road infringe on your human rights too? At least that would be something reasonable to complain about!!
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Maggie thats it old girl make yourself heard loud and clear.
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Dear Margaret
of course you are allowed your opinion, however it looks like there are alot more people for feel very strongly for the events in the Quarry. They don’t happen that often and I really wouldn’t call it a human rights issue. For the odd night bringing tourism, money, culture and entertainment to Shrewsbury, all of which has to be over by 10.30 do you not think it is worth it? How do you feel about the flower show and the fireworks?
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Why are so many of the people disagreeing with Mrs Burns so rude and unpleasant?
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Not agreeing = rude! Well I think you’ll find nearly everyone in this town disagrees with this letter, so does that make EVERYONE rude?
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Ad it is possible to disagree without being rude.
Obviously, not for some people.
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I find Mrs. Burns comparing her plight of listening to a bit of music to that of people murdered or maimed for their opinion/religion,etc not just rude but downright pig ingnorant.
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Mrs Burns,
I live in frankwell so anything that is in the Quarry is crystal clear in our house. We have an 11 month old baby who no doubt will get spooked by the fireworks. Do we moan, no as we get a great view of everything that goes on. I love the idea of more concerts, it brings Shrewsbury to life, and shrewsbury needs somthing.
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What utter RUBBISH!!!!
I was in Castlefields that night, infact I gave my brother a lift to the Concert because he was running late. You could BARELY even hear it and with windows shut, most certainly couldnt.
Infact, I could barely hear it when driving through the town until we approached Claremont Hill.
Moaning for the sake of moaning!
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Also, the purpose of having the events in the Quarry is to attract further tourists to the town!
Putting it outside of town (i.e attingham) would defeat the purpose!!
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It does seem that most people are in support of these concerts. Mrs Burns should go out for the night if it’s that bad, maybe a meal in the town centre, because that’s what we did and we couldn’t hear a thing till we went outside. It was nice to hear the town alive with music for a change.
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The simple laws of physics would dictate that if the noise level in Castlefields were so great as to cause physical discomfort to a person, the noise within the Quarry would be so intense that eardrums would be bursting !!!!! – that would be a greater concern me thinks ..
That aside, perhaps the letter writer would like to re-visit the human Rights Act – it applies to actions and effects of Public Authorities; the concerts, although on municipal land, are privately organised so the legislation doesn’t apply anyway.
p.s. I don’t live in Shrewsbury but a great big well done to all those who have worked long and hard to drag this place out of the middle ages !!
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shropsman, maybe you would feel differently if the noise was near your house!
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And I bet Children in Need should stay in need, eh Ebenezer?
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Oserver – what has children in need (a great charity) got to do with the quarry concerts?
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#16 Kj says [
Does that statue ‘thing’ is on the river on Smithfield road infringe on your human rights too? At least that would be something reasonable to complain about!!]
#18 says [
of course you are allowed your opinion, however it looks like there are alot more people for feel very strongly for the events in the Quarry. They don’t happen that often and I really wouldn’t call it a human rights issue. For the odd night bringing tourism, money, culture and entertainment to Shrewsbury, all of which has to be over by 10.30 do you not think it is worth it? How do you feel about the flower show and the fireworks?]
It’s all subjective Kj. I for one really like the sculpture and feel that it complies with what Shrewsbury lover says.
With regard to the concert noise, any enjoyment we may have had in Belle Vue was ruined by a not so pleasant noise emitting from a very rowdy do at the football stadium the same night.
Next time those pigeons wake me up with all their flapping I’m going to read the Human Rights Act to them! Oh hang on, even though they nest all year round and are considered vermin and have to be culled at times, I cannot disturb a nesting pair by law! :0
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I am disgusted that as a resident of Shrewsbury and tax payer that there seems to be more and more events that prevent me from walking my springer spaniel in the quarry grounds.
It previously irked me when two days every August i was prevented entry because of the flower show.
However it seems to be now there are more and more events during the summer. i.e 80s nights etc etc. This peeves me as it is taking away the facility of something i pay for with my taxes.
If these profit making events are to take place they should be held in a private venue for example the showground.
Jimmy Swinton
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I too walk my Jack russell in the quarry and agree with you Jimmy
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So for a few days out of the year you can’t take your dog for a different walk ? I bet the poor thing gets ever so bored.
I’d be more worried about other more precious facilities like the swimming pool if I were you, the quarry will always be available for at the very least, most of the time.
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don’t be silly bigsy – dogs getting bored with a walk. Are you just being silly or are you a bit simple?
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I’m more worried about the care of your dogs if the only place you can think to walk them is the Quarry
Poor dogs must be bored stiff, bit of 80′s music is probably a welcome variation to them.
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My dog Alfie loves his walk in the quarry, there are lots of variations that we do. And just because of some mindless selfish 80′s music loving or jumbo marrow loving morons we are prevented from using something that my taxes pay for!!! Grrrrrrrrr
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Can’t you find somewhere else to walk just while the gig is being set up? Seems a little harsh that these events shouldn’t take place because you have to walk your dog. I think you are getting annoyed over very little and this is another excuse to keep Shrewsbury peaceful and untouched.
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Why not keep Shrewsbury peacefull and untouced? That is part of the charm of the town and the reason for all year round tourists. not just the ones who turn up to see some dodgy music and leave the quarry in a mess of litter!
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I’m sure the Quarry facility is also paid for by revenue from events and indirectly by tax collected through additional business they bring into the town. Without the events, more of your tax would be needed to maintain it, or for the same contribution maintenance would have to be reduced. Which way would you prefer it?
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Victor Meldrew is alive and well! You sir are in a minority, I suggest you look at alternative routes when the majority of Shrewsbury folk are enjoying themselves.
I don’t believe it…….!!
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Jimmy, maybe you should check who owns the quarry and lets you use it most days of the year free of charge !. When you do a little bit of research, you should rethink your comments !
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After a long re-think about my comments i have decided to give you this reply,
Gone are the days that i can walk Alfie in the quarry on a peacefull summers friday/saturday evening.
Not only can i not walk the grounds of the quarry but i have to listen to the absolute garbage that they put on stage. What next? Jedwood to perform next week?
Jimmy
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That’s a good point, Jimmy.
Apparently the organisers of concerts have not heard of the Show Ground. Oh, wait! That’s private land, so no money to go to the council! I think we might have just worked out what the problem might be…
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If the concerts move to the quarry then the bars and restaurants of Shrewsbury don’t get the crowds using them. It’s a long walk from the show ground to the town centre. Matt why are you so against these quarry gigs? They don’t happen often and they bring so much to Shrewsbury.
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Sorry I mean move from the quarry…to the show ground.
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Here Here Matt!
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Jimmy…….I’d be more concerned about where your dog is spending a penny in the quarry as my daughter plays there throughout the year. As a taxpayer i’d rather see music in the quarry than dogs doing their business because for those days an event occurs you cannot find somewhere else close to walk. Get a life stop moaning as your taxes are not paying for the right your animal has to have a huge toilet facility.
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Actually, Mr rude Jimmy Swinton, it was Pinot Grigio! Each to their own anyway! Crikey, I thought Victor Meldrew was long gone, however, it seems he is still in our midst. Why not take your dog elsewhere when these concerts are on? Afterall a change is as good as a rest. These concerts do a lot for tourism in this town and just because the music isn’t to your taste, fortunately you are in a minority! It’s good for the town and a little feelgood factor in the current economic climate surely is good for everyone! I am a taxpayer too!! Bring it on!
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Well put Ang, the man is obviously only happy when he is moaning and being rude to others.
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Ang, i couldn’t have put it better myself! His comment was rude and unfair.
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This has got to be a joke?
How about we cancel the fireworks on flower show weekend instead as compensation. I live five miles away from shrewsbury and I didn’t hear the gig, but I can hear the fireworks.
It is not “noise pollution at the highest level.”
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Dear Margaret,
Why don’t YOU move to Attingham Park where it’s nice and quiet? Or just put yourself out of your misery perhaps? Just a thought…..
Yours loudly,
Jeff Leppard.
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To be honest, I cannot believe that this lady has bothered to put pen to paper. You could only just hear this music in castlefields with all my windows open. Had I been able to afford the tickets I would have gone. Far better the music than the numerous people walking home through castlefields at 2, 3, 4am on Friday, Saturday nights, shouting at the tops of their voices, abusive and swearing, and causing fights. Bring on the Quarry gigs, I say
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“noise pollution of the highest level”?
Has the bionic woman suddenly moved to Castlefields?
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Jimmy Swinton
You have shown why so many of the thousands of Shrewsbury residents object to the STCRA and those who believe that The Quarry is their own personal park. It is a public space for the residents of Shrewsbury and beyond. This is the county town with aspirations to be given city status. The Quarry is not a private dog walking area. Concerts are loud…that way the audience can hear. I personally think “normal” concerts as opposed to the previous muted efforts can only be for the good of the town. And you are not the only person who pays taxes to maintain this facility…thousands of others do too.
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Well said, Simon!
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Jimmy Swinton, ‘gone are the days I can walk Alfie through the quarry’, why? Because a few times a year they hold events there? Bit over the top, don’t you think? If you don’t like the quarry gigs say so, but to claim you can’t walk through the quarry on a Friday or Saturday night is silly and just not true.
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There are a lot of people who want dogs banned from the quarry, do you think that’s fair Jimmy? They have to live with your right to take your animal into the quarry, but you aren’t prepared to allow the people of Shrewsbury a few nights of entertainment there. It seems very unfair.
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Jimmy swinton,
Clearly you like to take your alfie for a walk in the quarry. However you do need to change a dogs walks ie the surroundings if not your dog can become board, irritated ,and can be prone to just walking through the quarry with a glazed expression and its tounge hanging out and not taking in any of the surroundings .
My advice would be to have 3-4 different area walks a week in order to keep your dog happy and alert .This can also happen to the owner so I have your interests at heart also.
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Thank you for writing this letter, certainly made me chuckle.
The comments regarding restrictions on dog walking to only 355 days a year……priceless
You should work for a tabloid newspaper.
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“Why not use somewhere like Attingham Park – lovely setting, lots of space, easy parking and away from residential communities?”
Presumably in the eyes (or ears) of Margaret Burns, Atcham is not a ‘residential’ area, I wonder what they use all those houses for????
Of course if the sound wasn’t Astley & Go West but dear old Elgar or a baroque string quartet, it would infact be music to her ears………
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I think the quarry needs to be used in this way; if it isnt used to bring money and people into town eventually when the town populace grows it may be lost to housing. That would be a bigger tragedy than letting the youths and elders of the town enjoy the music we so need in life.
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Margaret, please think of all those people in the world who genuinely need some sort of legislation to help protect them as this type of ‘human rights’ argument makes a complete mockery of why the Human Rights Act came into force in the first place. If we are going to argue ‘human rights’ to every ‘nth degree then there is a real danger that the public lose confidence in it and that is surely something that none of us want to happen.
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Well said. Human Rights are a serious issue that are so often trivialised by those who live in relative comfort, safety and liberty.
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Can’t wait for Motorhead and The Who !!!………then there may be cause for complaint!!
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Mary I would love to see both those bands in the quarry. What an amazing night that would be. I can just imagine the complaints the following day though.
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“I hope I die before I get old” and start complaining about absolutely chuffing everything.
Good on yer Rog and co.
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Quite honestly I would rather have the music on my doorstep a couple of times a year than dogs doing their business everywhere every day! Also what about the noise dogs make barking – I am sure that infringes my human rights!?! Live and let live for goodness sake, life is too short!
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Any decent dog owners scoop the poop
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hahhahahahahhaha….
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Thank god I don’t have neighbours like these whinging oaps who buy houses in close proximity to entertainment venues and then think they have the right to dictate to the rest of town what their weekend entertainment will consist of.
If you can’t hear Magic Numbers on Saturday turn the telly or your deaf aids up a bit and feed the dog to stop it barking.
And the fact that Mr. Swinton even knows who Jedward are amazes me – maybe his real complaint is he can’t concentrate on Saturday night’s X Factor over his glass of Liebfraumilch!
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I am not yet an OAP, i bought my house near the quarry befor it was an “entertainment venue”, i might be older than you but I am up on current affairs (jedward), I dont drink Liebfraumilch either. Get your facts straight and have the courage to leave your name!
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The Quarry has been used for recreational purposes since Darwin was walking around the town, so how old are you?????
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Jimmy you bought your house by the quarry before it was an entertainment venue? I don’t think so, maybe you should get your facts straight!
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what next some mother claiming the school has breached her son’s human rights as he wasn’t given the same privilege as the well behaved children
oh wait that’s already happened and made the shropshire star
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Personally, i think this well and truly insane!!!
What is the harm with a few thousand people enjoying the Shropshire sunshine and live music a couple of days out of the year??
I am only 21 and I too love the countryside and walking my dogs out in the middle of no where, although I would hardly call the quarry a nice place to dog walk, a bit repetative to say the least! But my parents have been to the 80s gig every year since it started, and when they come home they look my age again, youthful and happy :) Among the other thousands of people that go to enjoy live music. To say its against human rights, personally i think that is disgusting. Locking someone in a cell, torturing them for information, locking a toddler in a room and starving them to death, THAT is against human rights. sheesh get some perspective on things.
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Hasn’t the Quarry always been an entertainment venue bought by the corporation in 1875 for the continuing benefit of the residents of the town? (inside the loop and outside!)
The problem is that what is entertainment for one is not for another.
There is still plenty of the area on the other side od the river that can be used for dog walking.
Perhaps someone will buy you an MP3 for your birthday Jimmy so you can listen to something you prefer whilst walking Alfie.
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Who is Jedward, please?
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its awful,rick astley OMG
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I don’t live in Shrewsbury. I wish we had something like The Quarry so we could even have this debate.
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The over riding aspect of this is that it seems that some are not willing to share, give up space and show acts of unselfishness so that others who live in the same society can enjoy themselves.
We all live in this fine town together.
I am so happy that so many are bashing the NIMBY population. The town of Shrewsbury would be such a great place without them.
Shrewsbury IS a tory town but there are many liberals and labour supporters who also simply want this town to be sleepy and ultimately die. Forget politics, it is time to debate these issues once and for all.
It is simply no wonder that many move away and never return leaving many untravelled, uneducated and unexpanded minds to run rule on those with vision.
Live and let live. Life is too short.
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One Jimmy Swinton, there’s only one Jimmy Swinton……. Thank God!
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Surely we should all respect each other’s rights. Anyone has a right to hear music as loud as he/she wants, but others have a right not to be disturbed by loud, repetitive, prolonged noise. Normally the two rights are satisfied by concerts taking place in halls or arenas, specially designed for the purpose. Once you put a rock concert in an open public space in a residential area, you are bound to have conflicts of rights.
Closing the Quarry for normal recreational activities also creates conflicts of rights. The Flower Show starts closing off the Quarry a month before the Show, in the peak holiday season, when children don’t go to school and need more recreational space. Concerts etc with high ticket prices which close off all or parts of the Quarry for days are not good for everyone.
You may think the 80′s type concerts are good for the town’s image. However it is doubtful whether they do much good for trade in the town. The audience arrives with picnics or buys refreshments from the organisers in the arena – then they go home.
Acoustic music on the bandstand, Punch and Judy shows and other small-scale free or “hat” shows do not conflict with anyone’s rights. Larger open-access events in the town and Quarry DO assist trade and tourism in the town.
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