I was sitting in the Alpine beer chalet in Blake Gardens having a mulled wine and watching the people ice skating before popping over to the Arts Centre to watch the Christmas gig and thinking ‘if only there was something to do in Bridgwater’.
I remember saying the same to my mate Dave at the Fallen Moon event at the docks last month, but I’m not sure he heard me as there was so many people there. I told him ‘They should do this in the town hall where it wouldn’t be at the mercy of the elements.’ They’re doing that next year. See, they don’t listen.
Sadly, I couldn’t get into the gig as it was full. Drat, if only there were more than 6 bars in town doing live music I’d have a bit of choice.
It’s
So, I popped down the Cobblestones because it’s probably the best indie alternative live heavy punk ska reggae venue in Somerset. Pretty much as they would have done in the early 19th century when it was the site of the town’s east gate, the last section of the medieval fortifications. Until a circus elephant got stuck under it and demolished it. If only they could do something to bring that bit of history back to life. Say a ‘mural’. But no, they won’t have thought of that.
Gone are the days when you could go to a pub and play skittles. Although you can. I remember telling them at the new ten pin bowling centre that in my day you had to travel to Taunton to do this and if only we had one here.
Not
The first film I ever saw was shown in a scout hut on a sheet held by two boy scouts. The scoutmasters arrest soon put a stop to that. But when I came to Bridgwater, I remember you could get off a bus at Penel Orlieu and have a cinema either side of the road so you could choose between two films. These days you have only one cinema to go to. Admittedly there are 8 films to choose from, plus a line of restaurants within metres of the multiplex and all within easy walk of the town centre. But I think I’ve made my point. What IS there to do here!
So
I was at that Bridgwater History Day the other week. Well, I could just about fit in as it was packed out. Bridgwater’s always been like this I told them. Nothing to do. Some bloke on stage was talking about the ‘Top Twenty Club’ at the Town Hall in the 60’s when they’d get full houses on a Monday night for Johnny Kidd and the Pirates, the Troggs, the Dogs, the Who, the What, the Where and the Why. Another mentioned the full houses at punk gigs at the Art Centre in the 70s and 80s, the Festivals, Somerrock, the shows at the McMillan theatre, the Town Hall and the Blake Hall to this day. And didn’t Joe Strummer play his last ever gig at the Palace? Yes, and called Bridgwater a Clash Town. Probably because people’s diaries kept clashing as they tried to work out what to do with themselves of a party night.
Bad
I was saying to a bloke at Bridgwater Fair ‘I don’t know why you bother, mate. I mean this is barely the second biggest fair in the country there’s absolutely nothing to do here.’ He looked at me as if I hadn’t thought this through and said ‘What about Bridgwater Carnival. That’s probably the worlds biggest free illuminated carnival parade in the world and over 100,000 people come to watch it and it’s been going for over 400 years’.
Well, I told him, you can prove ANYTHING with facts!! Better get me skates on….