The Autumn months are now well and truly upon us and we've
reached that time of year where a dwindling summer which picked up deceptively
towards the end (some call it an Indian summer, I prefer Addlestonian summer)
has come to a definitive end. The leaves are turning golden, the nights are
longer and everyone's wearing at least one layer of clothing. Addlestonians did get the chance to bask in the odd
gloriously warm and sunshiny, sometimes even tropical day during August though, giving
some of us that long-awaited chance to walk up and down Station Road with a
t-shirt slung over one shoulder, leaving what was exposed of us to turn our favourite shade of scorched red. We might not have all had the
time to put on a fully-fledged barbecue at such short notice but we could have
a good crack at cooking ourselves.
Those of us who weren't happy waiting around for the fickle yellow ball in the sky to pay us a visit set off for other parts of the world, leaving not just the perimeter of the M25 but the whole British Isles in search of fair weather. It seems a radical solution but it really works, or at least some of the time. On returning from my chosen corner of the Costa Blanca I discovered on Twitter that, against all odds, a like-minded Addlestonian had chosen the very same holiday destination as I had after both remarking on a severe downpour of rain that had flooded the roads and cleared the beach in seconds. The storm had been in Addlestone the day before, but hunted down our great minds eventually.
August and September also marked the end of the Olympics and Paralympics, which inspired the nation right until the end with four spectacular ceremonies (no tribute to Addlestone to speak of, but I'll let it pass) and countless outstanding displays of sporting talent, not least exemplified by team Gold Britain. After seven years of cynical grumbling and in some cases downright despair of London 2012, the Games which kept Addlestonians and those from beyond glued to their television screens ended on such a high so seldom felt by this year's host nation that we're left without a clue what to do with ourselves now. It might have been nice at the time if the Torch relay or road cycling had graced Station Road, but at least a St George's college schoolgirl was given the chance to carry the Torch 20 miles away in Harrow. Now, following the summer-long excitement, the patriotic flags that once adorned the buildings of Station Road have been moved elsewhere, and along with the rest of the country, Addlestone ticks along as before.
One bright thing that did pay us a visit during August was the International Space Station, which could be seen sweeping over Addlestone in the hours following sunset as pointed out efficiently and reliably by @CoxeyLoxey on Twitter. If you didn't manage to catch a glimpse of it, then be sure to keep an eye out next year. In fact, why not demonstrate what agreeable folk we are by gathering as a town and waving?
During August I also asked Addletweeters what a suitable nickname for Addlestone might be. Bronx of Weybridge was the first suggestion I received. "How about the Town of Almosts" suggested one Tweeter, alluding to our local treasures Primart, Nandi's and Dominic's pizza. One Addlestonian proposed The Town too Tough to die, referring to a 1942 western film of the same name set in a town called Tombstone. The Town too Tough to Diet followed shortly after. One Tweeter proposed a twinning with District 9, a South African slum inhabited by extraterrestrial refugees, while another went for the short and sweet Asbostone. If Runnymede Borough Council was thinking of rebranding the town with a slogan, look no further for inspiration than this paragraph.
Despite the ubiquitous nature of Starbucks I expected a few more positive reactions to the prospect of another coffeehouse in the town and appreciation of its cosmopolitan pizzaz that some coffee-lovers find it so attractive for. Nonetheless, it ruffled the feathers of a number of Addlestone-based Tweeters...
Those of us who weren't happy waiting around for the fickle yellow ball in the sky to pay us a visit set off for other parts of the world, leaving not just the perimeter of the M25 but the whole British Isles in search of fair weather. It seems a radical solution but it really works, or at least some of the time. On returning from my chosen corner of the Costa Blanca I discovered on Twitter that, against all odds, a like-minded Addlestonian had chosen the very same holiday destination as I had after both remarking on a severe downpour of rain that had flooded the roads and cleared the beach in seconds. The storm had been in Addlestone the day before, but hunted down our great minds eventually.
August and September also marked the end of the Olympics and Paralympics, which inspired the nation right until the end with four spectacular ceremonies (no tribute to Addlestone to speak of, but I'll let it pass) and countless outstanding displays of sporting talent, not least exemplified by team Gold Britain. After seven years of cynical grumbling and in some cases downright despair of London 2012, the Games which kept Addlestonians and those from beyond glued to their television screens ended on such a high so seldom felt by this year's host nation that we're left without a clue what to do with ourselves now. It might have been nice at the time if the Torch relay or road cycling had graced Station Road, but at least a St George's college schoolgirl was given the chance to carry the Torch 20 miles away in Harrow. Now, following the summer-long excitement, the patriotic flags that once adorned the buildings of Station Road have been moved elsewhere, and along with the rest of the country, Addlestone ticks along as before.
One bright thing that did pay us a visit during August was the International Space Station, which could be seen sweeping over Addlestone in the hours following sunset as pointed out efficiently and reliably by @CoxeyLoxey on Twitter. If you didn't manage to catch a glimpse of it, then be sure to keep an eye out next year. In fact, why not demonstrate what agreeable folk we are by gathering as a town and waving?
During August I also asked Addletweeters what a suitable nickname for Addlestone might be. Bronx of Weybridge was the first suggestion I received. "How about the Town of Almosts" suggested one Tweeter, alluding to our local treasures Primart, Nandi's and Dominic's pizza. One Addlestonian proposed The Town too Tough to die, referring to a 1942 western film of the same name set in a town called Tombstone. The Town too Tough to Diet followed shortly after. One Tweeter proposed a twinning with District 9, a South African slum inhabited by extraterrestrial refugees, while another went for the short and sweet Asbostone. If Runnymede Borough Council was thinking of rebranding the town with a slogan, look no further for inspiration than this paragraph.
September brought with it (confirmed) rumours that a couple
of our empty retail units are to be filled at long last, and you might be
surprised to learn what will be filling them. Are you ready? Brace
yourselves:
Starbucks and Domino's Pizza.
Now, where have I heard those names before? Oh yes,
everywhere!
Despite the ubiquitous nature of Starbucks I expected a few more positive reactions to the prospect of another coffeehouse in the town and appreciation of its cosmopolitan pizzaz that some coffee-lovers find it so attractive for. Nonetheless, it ruffled the feathers of a number of Addlestone-based Tweeters...
- There's a Costa, isn't that enough?
- Not until we get a Nero
- What??!! Where??!! Not that I actually like
Starbucks much but wow
- #CafeRouge
required 4that
Word of Domino's arrival proved even more controversial...
- I was
told Domino's were moving in. Another pizza place is all we need
- Seriously? Where is it moving in? Addlestone is
literally just a fastfood outlet now
- Poor
Dominic's [pizza] that's all I say, right opposite!!
- Another
takeaway f*** me like there's not enough already
- Domino's
aren't they already here. We're a Macky D's away from being the takeaway
capital of Europe
- I'm sure
it will fit right in with Pizza Hut and Dominic's pizza that's already in the
town. Lol
- As a former Addlestonian this does nothing to
encourage me to move back! #toomanytakeaways
It's true that with Pizza Hut, Addlestone's own Dominic's Pizza and, unmentioned above, Papa
John's all within a mere 300 yards of each other, Addlestone isn't short of
establishments to grab a pizza. I was curious to know whether Runnymede Borough
Council truly thought that Domino's would be a positive addition to the town,
so I posed the question to them (Twitter: @RunnymedeBC). I wouldn't like to put
words in their mouth, so I'll interpret their month-long silence as ongoing
deliberation.
Addlestone's new arrivals seem to be a hot topic, so I'll
return to the subject as more unfolds. For now though, let's welcome a few
other recent newcomers:
Nobby's Nibbles (212
Station Road)
Stanley House Chinese (174 Station Road)
The Beauty Room (85
Station Rd)
I'm sure we'll get to know these better in the coming
months.
Take part in the poll below to indicate whether you would like to see Starbucks or Domino's Pizza in Addlestone town. Also leave a comment or tweet your views to @TheAddlestonian!
Take part in the poll below to indicate whether you would like to see Starbucks or Domino's Pizza in Addlestone town. Also leave a comment or tweet your views to @TheAddlestonian!
