As the new season begrudgingly sneaks its way in through the snow covered mountains, there's a comic inevitability that some folks' thoughts turn to spring.
Spring : new lambs, new flowers, cold nights and warming days. More to the point, a steady increase in visitors to plough money into local businesses, which in turn just possibly might lead to more shops being occupied, more rates being paid and thus a better funded council, who would then be able to provide better facilities for us, the locals.
Well, that's the way it's supposed to work. But does it?
In 1999, The NWWN reported that a £500 000 Heritage Lottery funded scheme was being proposed to re-build a permanent stage in Happy Valley which would allow live shows to be put on throughout the season.
Town Councillors were said to be "Thrilled that the valley was once more going to be a tremendous asset to the town".
When the article was written, it was expected that the work would have been completed within a year, yet now - 11 years later - there's little to show the place was once a focus for visitor activity and a wonderful venue for shows of all kinds throughout the summer season.
So what happened? Why did the promised stage never appear? Did the money get used elsewhere?
We need to know.
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