Businesses welcome scrapping of Southend Airshow (From Echo)

Totally misleading story.

The airshow has NOT been 'scrapped'. The council has withdrawn its financial contribution. There is nothing stopping private enterprising stumping up the £130,000 to run the airshow instead of expecting local council tax payers to cough up.

Ha ha, So the business leaders want it gone too, what about the £10 million windfall? Oh I see, it was made up and the only people that benefited were out of town burger vans!

Coast coffee? Tell me that is its real name. Well, we are by the seaside.

If these retailers cannot sell their product when their is an extra 100000 potential customers in the area they should look at themselves in shame.

I have to break this article down, so we can look at the quality of the reporting here. This article leads with the statement;

"BUSINESS leaders have spoken out in support of Southend Council’s plan to scrap the town’s airshow. Big name retailers, restaurateurs, seafront amusement operators and the town’s taxi association say the May Bank Holiday crowd pleaser, which is under threat by budget cuts, harms rather than helps Southend businesses."

But this particular article does not then go on to substantiate these claims in any way. Lets here from the only person who is actually named as a source...

"Dawn Jeakings, manager of the Royals Shopping Centre, said: “From a retail point of view, only certain retailers benefit. If it’s a sunny weekend, we would be busy anyway.”

In the above paragraph, Dawn hasn't actually said she would rather the air show not take place at all. Infact, what she actually says is "we would be busy anyway" (but only if it's sunny). No where does she say it 'harms' business. 2. She in fact admits here that "some" (in her opinion?) retailers DO benefit. Hardly a damming indictment?
(Side note: What if it isn't a sunny day Dawn? Would you not then appreciate a few thousand extra people in the town that would otherwise not have been there, possibly looking for the shelter of say, a large shopping complex at some point?)

Notice that the final paragraph is not in quote marks so whether she actually said these words is some what questionable.

"She said businesses like the Tesco Express in Heygate Avenue or Coast (Costa?) Coffee in High Street do well because visitors buy refreshments to take away and eat while watching the displays."

Again, not a paragraph that backs up the original statement of the airshow doing harm exactly? In fact another statement that appears to support the idea that some businesses benefit.

"But for other retailers the event, which has drawn in hundreds of thousands of spectators, just means disruption."

OK, we haven't heard from the "restaurateurs", or the "seafront amusement operators", or the "town’s taxi association" who all apparently did "say the May Bank Holiday crowd pleaser, which is under threat by budget cuts, harms rather than helps Southend businesses."

If they did say that, then why have we only heard from one woman who frankly sounds pretty far removed from any of the actual trading figures for the above businesses over this specific weekend? Maybe they did say that, but where's the evidence and facts? Right now, frankly this article is just another stirring exercise (which to be fair, and credit due, the bait I have taken hook, line and sinker). But what is it contributing to the world? Nothing but an attempt to get me on here and hope that I click one of the 6000 adverts on this page.

good points dan,
In fact if the airshow was advertised as well as ' Two company dating web site' or the opportunity to invest in Hong kong; there would be even more visitors, Maybe if the council invested in the airshow rather than host it we would have a festival weekend with events into the night. hotels would benefit, pubs and clubs, even our apparently hard pressed cabbies.. bit like er Brighton rocks..

I think whaever is said either the display is planned or it isnt , If it was not planned after last year I think we can all safely say that it wont happen events like this need to be planned months in advance , the airport more than likely informed the council that the 2011 display would be the last as scheduled flights would take preference, the council have broke the news loate knowing that many would be upset, but also leaving little to no time to bring anything out of the bag, if you do not reconise spin by now well, perhaps no hope.

charge!

I mean 2012 from my last post

"But for other retailers the event, which has drawn in hundreds of thousands of spectators, just means disruption."

Yeah. Thousands of potential customers in the area = disruption.

Bit like a fisherman moaning about there being too many fish in the sea.

Clearly people visiting the town for the airshow are not going to go clothes shopping and buy hundreds of bags of jumpers, BUT if its a cold/wet day they may buy some extra items of clothing and clearly the majority of visitors to spend money but on items such as booze, ice cream, food, etc..surely this is money that finds its way (indirectly) into the Southend economy.

The Council should have a serious rethink and decide if it is going to ditch the airshow what will take its pl;ace, and I dont mean the dumb cultural centre.

I agree with all of the above comments, and applaud Dan for breaking the issues down and shining a light on the practices of the local council. The airshow seems to be doomed. Like Maxell said, the council would have known about this since last year at least. It saddens me that the people behind this decision get voted back in to their cosy seats election after election. I guess voters don't equate the names on the ballot papers, and the faces on the leaflets, with the dreadful decisions that affect our town.

I fail to see how businesses were losing out !

Dan_ wrote:
I have to break this article down, so we can look at the quality of the reporting here. This article leads with the statement;

"BUSINESS leaders have spoken out in support of Southend Council’s plan to scrap the town’s airshow. Big name retailers, restaurateurs, seafront amusement operators and the town’s taxi association say the May Bank Holiday crowd pleaser, which is under threat by budget cuts, harms rather than helps Southend businesses."

But this particular article does not then go on to substantiate these claims in any way. Lets here from the only person who is actually named as a source...

"Dawn Jeakings, manager of the Royals Shopping Centre, said: “From a retail point of view, only certain retailers benefit. If it’s a sunny weekend, we would be busy anyway.”

In the above paragraph, Dawn hasn't actually said she would rather the air show not take place at all. Infact, what she actually says is "we would be busy anyway" (but only if it's sunny). No where does she say it 'harms' business. 2. She in fact admits here that "some" (in her opinion?) retailers DO benefit. Hardly a damming indictment?
(Side note: What if it isn't a sunny day Dawn? Would you not then appreciate a few thousand extra people in the town that would otherwise not have been there, possibly looking for the shelter of say, a large shopping complex at some point?)

Notice that the final paragraph is not in quote marks so whether she actually said these words is some what questionable.

"She said businesses like the Tesco Express in Heygate Avenue or Coast (Costa?) Coffee in High Street do well because visitors buy refreshments to take away and eat while watching the displays."

Again, not a paragraph that backs up the original statement of the airshow doing harm exactly? In fact another statement that appears to support the idea that some businesses benefit.

"But for other retailers the event, which has drawn in hundreds of thousands of spectators, just means disruption."

OK, we haven't heard from the "restaurateurs", or the "seafront amusement operators", or the "town’s taxi association" who all apparently did "say the May Bank Holiday crowd pleaser, which is under threat by budget cuts, harms rather than helps Southend businesses."

If they did say that, then why have we only heard from one woman who frankly sounds pretty far removed from any of the actual trading figures for the above businesses over this specific weekend? Maybe they did say that, but where's the evidence and facts? Right now, frankly this article is just another stirring exercise (which to be fair, and credit due, the bait I have taken hook, line and sinker). But what is it contributing to the world? Nothing but an attempt to get me on here and hope that I click one of the 6000 adverts on this page.

Buy that man a cup of tea!

Well said, mate. Well said.

LibbyJ wrote:
I agree with all of the above comments, and applaud Dan for breaking the issues down and shining a light on the practices of the local council. The airshow seems to be doomed. Like Maxell said, the council would have known about this since last year at least. It saddens me that the people behind this decision get voted back in to their cosy seats election after election. I guess voters don't equate the names on the ballot papers, and the faces on the leaflets, with the dreadful decisions that affect our town.

Southend would vote vote for a baboon's @rse if it had a blue rosette pinned to it.


Oh wait, what am I thinking, they already did that with their MP for Southend East.

Actually i think you wil find that it has never been paid for by tax payers from southend.. more like Maxims Casino footing the bill... they have pulled out so no sponsor for 2013... unless someone comes up with £130,000 so the show can go ahead!

Good luck everyone, although i must admit the airshow has gone down hill since the dimise of the Tornado/Concorde etc.