Meeting with St Ives Resident

I met with a St Ives resident who conducts much of his business in the town.  I begin by asking him what a successful working day in St Ives would look like:

“ I start the morning with coffee in the Tap Room – doing some work and meeting up with people. I will move on later to the library to do get more work done, although I sometimes find it difficult to find a quiet area where I can do work without too much interruption.  Ideally I would like the library to be more light and airy, to have a quiet area and maybe a café.

I would meet up with a work contact for lunch usually paying around £5/head at the Surf and Turf or the Riverhouse Restaurant.  Later, coffee in Costas and back to the library.  In the evening I might go rowing on the river.  Friends who have been on one of the evening nature trips, Bat watching and so on, will meet me later in the White Hart.”

We went on to talk about what the town would look like if it were to evolve in the way he would ideally like;

“ I use the cycle paths and buses a lot so would like to see cycling really well supported and the bus station running really well, integrated with the guided busway and providing safe, comfortable, adequate waiting facilities.  I think St Ives is a young persons place on a Saturday night so I’m quite happy to get out of Town in the evening, using easy transport links to get to Cambridge or London.  I would like to see more people going about on cycle or by foot, may be even car free zones, no boy racers and more pedestrianisation.  There would be a real feel of Community regeneration with small local traders and markets, I would do my shopping in small local corner shops; grocers, fishmongers, real ale pubs.  The feel of the “Slow Food” movement. 

Parking restrictions would be working well thanks to enforcement by mild-mannered town ambassadors who are also supporting and helping visitors get the most out of the town.  There would still be parking but it would be free or flexible. 

I might go to the Corn Exchange in the evening for a community event/club/dance meeting, in any case there would be plenty going on and it would be easy to find out about."