An Isle of Wight poet has resorted to rhyming to rail against the local Council’s failure to consider options for its £10million transport interchange scheme.
With money coming from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund, it has been redubbed the Trashing Towns Fiasco. Despite strong representations, Government ministers have failed to respond, just like most Isle of Wight Councillors.
Meanwhile, campaigners say that all they want is a meaningful conversation over the future of Ryde.
Rhyming Robert’s, and Isle of Wight poet, has constructed the following ‘reasoned rant’:
RYDE RAGE – TO HELL WITH HERITAGE
[A COUNCILLOR’S CONFESSION?]
I chose to swallow my civic pride
To drive a road above the tide,
Our seafront heritage I denied
For tawdry gains in beautiful Ryde.
To hell with heritage! Deals are done,
Now that our Town Hall seats are won.
You’ll not have space for Esplanade fun
When the Western Gardens are overrun.
New traffic lights, and roads to cross,
A wall of buses – you’ll be at a loss.
Welcome to Ryde, or is it King’s Cross?
Local context? I don’t give a toss!
Safety first? No, it’s way down the pile;
Queues on the Pier will wipe Wightlink’s smile;
And all the product of political guile,
With highway contractors paid by the mile.
You can have your say on the rubbish bins,
And before it happens we’ll claim Ryde wins,
But after the massive disruption begins
You’ll soon see the monument to our sins.
Visitors love Ryde the way it is, beautiful gardens a feeling of yesteryear. The reason we come is the beauty of it there. We don’t need to alter the buses route everything is fine as it is. We love the cafe and the beautiful flowers. Why does everything have to change that is loved by all. Why does it have to be modernised when people,residents and holiday makers love it all. The I O W is a special place which makes us feel like we are back in time when leisure time was fun for all. Please don’t destroy what makes Ryde special.
The feeling of yesteryear? Yes, i agree, but the Western Gardens are not that old, 1905? Thats after Victoria. It`s run down.