An exciting year awaits!
Bately market festival. d310b240
It’s a new year and there is already a lot to look forward to.
With the Batley and Birstall community preparing for the forthcoming year, they reveal their hopes and plans for 2013.
Anne Thompson, chairman of Birstall Chamber of Trade, believes the future is bright with new businesses opening.
She said: “We have some terrific, diverse shops which are long-established and which people trust.”
“We go the extra mile for our customers and it is that personal touch which makes all the difference.”
“There are very few empty shops, we are lucky in that respect because once shops start to close it is a domino effect.”
Coun Andrew Palfreeman (Con, Birstall and Birkenshaw) said: “I hope that in 2013 we can all work together to support local business and traders, improve the opportunities for our young people and further strengthen community links so that everyone in the area, irrespective of who or what they are, can look back in 12 months and say that 2013 was a good year for them.”
Andrew Marsden, of the Batley Business and Retail Association, shares the positive outlook for Batley town centre.
He said: “We are looking forward to building on 2012.
“We want to put the recession behind us and get more people involved in the events we will have planned over the coming year.
“The aim is to continue to build and grow and try and support Batley.”
Mark Griffin, who is behind Batley Smile – a web-based campaign to put Batley on the map – is preparing for what he expects to be fabulous year.
He said: “It is great to have the funding for the Batley Festival on September 21 and the aim is to take that on a step further.”
“We’d love to have more people across the community involved and the children from the schools.
“Years later I’d love for people to say that they remember helping to organise events when they were growing up.”
The Rev Paul Knight, vicar of St Peter’s church in Birstall, insisted it was important for people at this time of year to communicate.
He said: “I would love to see people do more to recognise each other as people. Reach out to people, look at people rather than pavements.
“That’s the message we are trying to get across in church, concentrate on each other.”
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Weather for Batley
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
