CAN IT be September? And am I barmy, but did I see Christmas cards in the paper shop?

Where has my summer gone, and, come to think of it, my dreams of a renaissance Blackburn?

Time is of the essence if we are to halt the decline of our town centre, but where’s the urgency, the fire, the determination?

Everyone in the street knows the problem, and the answers, but those upstairs seem to be totally unaware.

The centre is a wasteland, our traditional court house sold, and sporting to-let signs; the police station, which was right where it should be, gone; Church Street, once the shopping area, now ‘scrap metal alley’ while that very tight corset of takeaways prevents Darwen Street assuming the ‘High Street’ role.

We do have Wainwright, which is our new bridge, very nice, grand at ground level, but is like two handles of a giant shopping bag from a distance.

But what Blackburn desperately needs is good, cheap, easy, accessible parking.

Give us that, plus an open air market, some specialist shops to bring people into town, perhaps a place for our young folk to ‘chill’ meet and chat and we are in with a chance – but we need them now!

Walking down Church Street the other night, teenagers were hanging about chatting right next to a large empty shop belonging to the town.

And I thought, a little effort, a soft drinks bar, a few seats, some music and voila!

They would have been off the streets, happy, and the shop would have been earning, even if it was only temporary. until the new planned youth centre was built, or a customer found for the shop.