We want a McDonald’s, say Welshpool youngsters
Monday 11th October 2010, 12:12PM BST.
Youngsters in Welshpool have called on the fast food chain McDonald’s to become part of a proposed multi-million pound transformation of the town.
Welshpool Town Council said the majority of the town’s youngsters aged between 10 and 18 years wanted a McDonald’s in the town.
Robert Robinson, town clerk, said it would form part of the “Welshpool Going Forward with Pride” plan. The move is part of major plans for a proposed multi-million pound transformation of the town, which have been brought forward by councillors.
Proposals for a new hotel and for other commercial premises in Mill Lane and more shops in Church Street car park are being developed. Plans will be submitted for approval this year.
He said: “People have been invited to vote on matters such as allotments, parking permits, free car parking, the numbers of charity shops and an alcohol ban.
“We are now developing a ‘Welshpool Going Forward with Pride’ plan and we have been holding various consultations over the last few months.”
He said a consultation with youngsters, held last month, found that the majority wanted a fast food restaurant in the town.
He added: “The council will support the idea of a McDonald’s restaurant in the town if the company shows any interest. This request has come from the youth of the town and via the youth council.”
Sarah Evans, 17, who lives near Welshpool, said today: “The town desperately needs a fast food chain like McDonald’s.
“It would definitely attract more people in the town.”
A spokeswoman for McDonald’s was unable to comment earlier today.
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“Going forward with pride” MacDonalds????>?
I’m lost for words.
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If this is the level of aspiration amongst young people in Welshpool, then god help us all!
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The university graduates are going to need a job somewhere…..
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I’m reminded of one of my mother’s little sayings: “I want gets nothing!”
Nuff said.
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” The majority of the Town’s youngsters…” Can someone provide us with the report that produced this statement please? Data? Facts?
The majority of the youngsters I know want to marry Cheryl Cole: any ideas on how we can go forward with pride on that?
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I’d start by emailing her agent to find out when she’s available for a date.
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I don’t know if there’s a Mrs Owen, but if there is I suggest you’re heading into dangerous waters…..
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Mcdonalds? KFC please!
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Yes! Can we also have a KFC in central Telford as well?
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Your American Cousin here. The idea of McDonalds popping up all over the homeland is frightening in the extreme. Even with the abysmal reputation we have for cooking, McDonalds is a new low that we must avoid at all costs. A fun counter strategy would be to sponsor free showings of the great documentary “Supersize Me” at teen venues all over the region. Then at least, the teens would have an idea of what they’re up against. I know that the idea of teaching the people to think for themselves is counter to the interests of the State and all those whose self-image associates them to it, but, come on, whose life is it anyway? Onward and Upward folks! Yours; The Cousins
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I agree that the amount of fast food chains is not a great idea, but in moderation, they’re fine. As far as I know, there are now fast food chains within around 20 miles of Welshpool. If the plan does go ahead, most people would only eat them in moderation, they’re not convenient enough.
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Rather than clamouring for a McBurger, these youths would be better off snaring themselves a rabbit off the Maesydre playing fields and putting it in the slow cooker.
Cheaper, healthier and more delicious than anything that Ronald McDonald can offer AND with the added benefit of helping Welshpool Town Council out of a spot of bother!
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The Cousins here; Heavens to Murgatroyd! You are spot on! I have resorted to Lupus Cookus myself in rough patches. (The wife made me switch harvesting methods after biting down on a piece of steel shot once. Would the council mind a bunch of kids with .22s popping off, in a line of course, at the bunnies on their pitch?) This would teach all sorts of useful skills: Lupus harvesting ( everything from slings to snares,) proper care and respect for firearms (always popular with the military career crowd,) the culinary arts (cuts of meat, preparation of marinades, jerks, stews etc.,) and finally, civic mindedness (no @#&%^$ rabbit’s stopping this game!) And at long last, the pun I just couldn’t resist. To compete, the McDonalds crowd would have to introduce a new menu item: Welsh Rabbit! Ta for now, Your American Cousins.
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I thank you kindly for your comment, dear cousin.
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By the way, Cousin, “Lupus” refers to “wolf” (Canis genus, of course).
As you are presumably referring to bunny rabbits, they are of the genus “Oryctolagus”. The common bunny rabbit as found in Welshpool would be “Oryctolagus cuniculus”.
But I think we understand the gist of your comment in any case.
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The Chastened Cousins here; My dear Mr. N, big mea culpas for that. My apologies for letting my enthusiasm outrun my higher brain functions. I believe I was trying for Lepus, the hare. Certainly, a bunny in wolfs clothing will scare no sheep. For some odd reason known only to my subconscious, it throws up an image of the actor Peter Lupus (remember Mission Impossible?) surrounded by legions of rabbits. Oh well, the point you made is valid and commendable. My wife, with a little help from myself, tried to make sure that all three of our children, of both genders, learned how to cook. I’m hopeless, but the kids say it’s lots of fun. And yes, they did finally get over the Thumper Syndrome. So, thanks for the understanding, and here’s hoping the teens think outside the fast food box. Yours, Cuz.
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Living in a town with 4 McDonalds (Telford), I can’t honestly see how they add to the prestige and pride of the town.
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old mackdonald had a takeaway—-ee aye eeaye
oh
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All this criticism, jeez ! What I see is the forward thinking (but otherwise under-achieving) youth of Welshpool eye-ing up future job opportunities in the reclaimed meat catering industry. Anyone who thinks that standing around breathing in fetid, grease laden air and squeaking ‘Do you want fries with that?’ isn’t a decent way of making a living, is a snob.
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I seem to recall hearing that for a town to have a McDonalds, the town must have a population of 20,000.
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Well done, Ben, you’ve gone and given the game away to the youngsters of Welshpool.
No doubt they’ll start working hard to achieve that target, so it looks as if, thanks to you spilling the beans, there could well be a MacDonalds in Welshpool by July 14th 2011.
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My Dear Mr. Nosnail; I sense a subtle whif of psychology here. Or are those pheronomes? This all looks to be tied into the Bunny Fracas over at the playing fields. Agreed, signs indicate that the local youth are being prompted to emulate the wildlife. Considering that “the beans” also can fulfil the function of seeds when wet, your metaphor above reinforces the perception of this being a plot by the McDonalds Corporation to, as it were, prepare the ground and sow the seeds for a new crop of company franchises.I must agree with you sir, it looks like there will be a lot more then baby bunnies popping up around your fair town in the spring. Here’s wishing you luck with the logistics come the thaw. Your Humble Servant, Cousins.
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Youngester are always crying out to be included in discussions that affect the area they live in. Some people (mainly adults)defend this. I think it is right that youngesters should be involved in how to improve things where they live but when they do give there opinions, because it does not fit with other peoples agenda’s, they complain about the youngsters choices. Let the youngsters speak and try to give them what they want.
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I agree completely. Youngsters should be encouraged and included in discussions about the development of their town.
Except when they are asking for a McDonalds. Whereupon they should be told to pipe down.
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The Cousins here; A very good point about inclusiveness. However, what are they really asking for? Having never visited the place, (been over here since 1960) I don’t know if there are venues for teens to congregate and hang out. Over here, malls and fast food places fill that function. That is if the poor kids aren’t over supervised by “success” obsessed adults. The kids need a place that is percieved by them to be safe, “cool,” and neutral, ie. not the exclusive domain of any clique, formal or informal. The youngsters are using these places to learn how to navigate and function in society and the world at large. So, get on the ball Town Council! Your future constituents are calling! As always, The Cousins.
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Oh Cousin, for someone over here for 50 years, you still appear to have much to learn.
We *DO* already have such congregation points over here – they are called “bus shelters”.
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You make a good point. Mac D’s is a social hangout for youngsters, while it is an eating establishment for all ages, it is predomitely occupied by youngsters. Adults have there own version, it’s called the Pub, so why prevent youngsters from having there own social hangout. oh i forgot, it does not fit in with adult agenda’s. You want your pubs and will defend or complain your rights to have them but yet youngsters cannot do the same when i comes to there choice, Mac D’s. i think some people on here have double standards (not you cousins)
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Dear Mr. N., Are those the little hostels so intimately connected to what everyone calls laybyes? Yours in perplexity, Cos.
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…and McDonalds will come running…to make some profit from their low-waged, anti-union, business.
Jeez, can’t we set our sights a little higher? Why do we always choose base-low in the UK and then celebrate it?
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“It would definitely attract more people in the town.”
EH? No it wouldn’t. Welshpool is probably unique in NOT having a McDonalds, nobody is going to goto Welshpool simply because it suddenly has a restaurant selling plastic food and heaving with teenaged chavs smashed out of their minds on alchopops.
What a way to turn Welshpool into a cultural hub, the planners arent exactly thinking outside of the box by getting kids to do their jobs for them! Invite their opionions by all means.
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We are becoming a nation of fat, spoilt wimps. Bring back national service!
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Good grief! How so VERY depressing. But I suppose that when McDonalds are the ‘official restaurant’ of the Olympic games 2012 you realise that something is very wrong with society.
Big business is running amock and changing our towns…with the encouragement of those it rips off! Oh the irony…very depressing indeed.
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I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I have been to a McDonalds and it has always been a poor experience.
They seem to put something sweet in the burger buns and the chips. Now Wimpy Bar chips were really nice in my memory especially with a fried egg.
We went to the one in Shrewsbury and a guy was on a ladder repairing a ceiling tile overhead of an oldish couple eating while bits appeared to be landing on their table. They seemed oblivious to the situation!
I recollect many years ago collecting my son from a McDonalds birthday party and the host was gasping in shock that my son had eaten the lettuce on his plate. In fact, I think he ate several other kids lettuce too. Must have been more entertaining than the clown they provided.
I also remember driving through Welshpool in 2001 and passing the massive burning pyre in a field just outside the town consistng of a mountain of dead cattle from the foot and mouth cull.
Surely some enterprising farmer can produce home grown burgers and employ someone to put sugar on the chips?
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It’s all about supply and demand. There is obviously a demand for fast food by the younger people and also a demand for somewhere to meet.
So why don’t the Welshpool folk in conjunction with McDonalds, supply and build a youth centre with a McD franchise attached!
Two birds….one stone (and no,that is not the weight!).
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Nothing wrong with the occasional Mickey D but there should be somewhere other than there for ‘youngsters’ to meet. Can’t help commenting on the abundance of very young girls with pushchairs on Welshpool streets-thought Newtown was bad but more Social Services concerns in Welshpool, Sad isn’t it?
Nevertheless, Government will dictate what we will, or won’t have, depending on location – the valleys & north wales get the funding- Mid Wales doesn’t exist…………
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