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Post by Designer Magazine on Feb 13, 2007 22:43:11 GMT 2
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Post by Elly on Feb 13, 2007 23:07:52 GMT 2
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Post by Lee on Feb 13, 2007 23:15:23 GMT 2
Cant believe that theres a possibilty of this great place closing.
Whats great about it is its individuality and nothing to do with the corparate fat cats high street shops.
it has its own profile and is unlike the other faceless outlets u see
IT CANT GO!!!!!
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Post by stewart on Feb 13, 2007 23:39:51 GMT 2
Affleck's Palace is about as individual as a park bench. There is an equivalent place in every major city. Yes, the place may be full, but perhaps it is full of people 'hanging out' and 'forming bands' rather than buying stuff. It is a shop, not a church, museum or a free art gallery...it is as commercially orientated as my local butchers. By the way editor of designer magazine... if I wrote an article telling you how to run your business how would you feel? That's what you've done to the owners of the building. They have every right to charge whatever rent they want, THEY OWN THE PROPERTY. Market forces will prevail and the price they get will be a price someone, somewhere is prepared to pay. Just because the potential new owners may not have plans that fit into the cliched stereotype of alternative lifestyles, everyone starts moaning. I have been in the place a few times, yeah it's alright, but to be fair, selling what they do at the prices they do (oooh, this old leather jacket stinks, is ripped and is too small, but it's VINTAGE, here, have my hard earned £80!!) they can either afford to pay higher rent, or they deserve to go out of business. If the stall holders cared so much about their businesses, perhaps they can club together and buy a property in a less trendy (expensive) area and start their own emporium. Nobody owes anyone a living, get over it, moan about something worthwhile. Stewart (aka the voice of reason) p.s Chumawumba and the levellers are pants. Especially the levellers, who by the way, are as money driven as your average investment banker. I know, I've met them and seen how they behave whilst 'at work'.
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City of the Sun Ltd
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Post by City of the Sun Ltd on Feb 14, 2007 0:48:16 GMT 2
To Stewart,
Afflecks is not as individual as a park bench, Afflecks is a landmark in the manchester alternative community. Fair enough, other citys may have places similar but they are other places.. not manchester, what would all the people from Manchester do for all their needs? travel to Liverpool, Birmingham? not going to happen, this would mean depriving Manchester of this great service.
As a manchester based clothing company who have shopped at Afflecks for years, we really feel that this should not happen!
SAVE AFFLECKS.
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Post by fallenangel on Feb 14, 2007 1:10:48 GMT 2
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Post by afcbaggy on Feb 14, 2007 11:38:10 GMT 2
Why aren't park benches individual?
So there's loads of places to meet in Manchester? Rubbish. Afflecks is special - it is the Camden of the North, and don't say that I don't know what I'm on about coz I've lived up here for 17 years and down there in that thre London for 30 (Got my age then? I'm not exactly young so don't start pointing the emo finger at me!)
I went through all this in the punk -filled 70's and early 80's with Soho market and look at it now - all atmosphere gone in a plethora of flats and poncy wine bars and plastic 'bars'. I don't want that for my adopted city - it's already full of flats and apartments for get rich quick 'entrepeneurs' charging a fortune for the rich kid population to hibernate and flash the cash in the plastic palaces that once were centres of feeling.
After Afflecks, what next? Night and Day? It's the thin edge of the wedge, and trust me, if t goes then it's the end of WestEnd Civilisation as we know it.
Count me in! Pass me a placard!
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Post by stewart on Feb 14, 2007 12:27:40 GMT 2
Grow up!
It's a shop. If it closes down, then so what? If there is a market for that type of place (which there clearly is, whether it is a sustainable and growing market remains to be seen) then some smart cookie can cater for that market elsewhere.
Sure it will be a shame if it is replaced by identikit apartments, but that's the way of the world I'm afraid, businesses will cater to the consumer that has the bigger buying power. It's a case of property developers vs alternative youths with occasional desires to buy clothes and other items. Not a hard one to call.
I wasn't going to "point the emo finger" at anyone. Just making the point that if the stall holders in aflecks palace want to carry on, why don't they find another place to do business if they are forced to move?
The way I see it is that the holding company in charge of the property invested in said property for a profit. Now with all the regeneration in that area, the time may be right for them to sell up. This is up to them, it is their property, they took the risk buying it up, now they may wish to reap the reward by selling.
The article was entitled "save aflecks palace". How on earth does anyone propose they can save the place if the legal owners want to sell it or change its use?
People seem to think that they own parts of Manchester's heritage...
Like I've said before kids, you should really be thanking me for bringing these points to your attention and stopping you looking foolish should you make such humiliatingly out of touch comments in public.
I'm off to the plant now, where's Smithers??
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will
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Post by will on Feb 14, 2007 20:37:01 GMT 2
Camden and Afflecks are special places. We look forward more to visiting them than going to Topshop, Starbucks etc. because we're in for discovering things that will appeal to our own styles, coming across interesting people and hearing different music being blared out of different stalls that we walk past. Just today I went shopping in Camden and I am more satisfied with my purchases than I would with chain stores; I found a corduroy trilby hat for £10 that would usually be £25, a vintage belt for £7 that would usually be £15 and I bought a classic reggae album for £3 off a man who guided me through my choices and clearly knew his stuff (not the kind of service I would get at Virgin or HMV).
Basically, bollocks to the 'bigger buying power'. We, the public, love these places, so we have the right to moan and complain to stop them being closed down. Furthermore, one person's pompous patronizing words, claiming that we (the 'kids') should be thanking him for his 'business is a bastard' speech, are not going to change our minds.
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Post by stewart on Feb 15, 2007 0:18:36 GMT 2
Will,
I think your irony detector may be faulty. Try turning it off then on again.
And for the record, HMV have excellent, knowledgeable staff. When I'm looking for the latest release from one of my favourite britpop bands (ELO, Supertramp, 10cc, Level 42) they always know where to send me.
Everyone should just chill out. Moan about stuff you can change and don't even bother if you can't.
But seriously, you guys owe me a debt of gratitude. If you look, you'll see that when I bring my intellect to a thread, it tends to get a lot of responses. I think that really I should get a cut from the ad revenue.
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will
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Post by will on Feb 15, 2007 1:05:36 GMT 2
Oh, but you don't understand. I was just going about my business and this friendly guy on the street asked me if I listen to any reggae. I, with interest, said yes and he asked what kind. I replied that I mainly listened to classic stuff: Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds etc. This man proceeded to hand me a CD and told me the compiler, Sir Coxson Dodd, was the first man in Jamaica to have his own recording studio. I listened to it on his walkman and judging by the music I knew this guy was not bullshitting. I then gave him the best £3 I'd spent all day. That is not what happens to you in Virgin or HMV.
By the way, we can make a difference; Camden Stables is still standing; by the looks of things it's gonna stay that way. The same will most likely happen for Afflecks.
Finally, did you write that article? no, thought not. You actually RESPONDED to that article, so it was in fact the article that provoked RESPONSES, not you Stewart. Thanks for that nice counter-argument though
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Post by Christopher on Feb 15, 2007 13:28:39 GMT 2
Is this the same 'writer' who wrote the piece on the altrincham independent music store that is closing down? - it wrote in a similiar poorly investigated, nostalgic, 'us and them' type manner.
Firstly? Who told you that its closing down? It seems to be like you haven't been to Bruntwoods and asked them nor have you fully consulted the afflecks management. Making stories out of uninformed gossip is the bread and butter of tabloid newspapers, surely not a magazine that is supposed to say something about manchesters alt culture? Whipping up (notably a small) hyped up frenzy without fact is lazy and stupid. I do hope people from outside of Manchester think don't your magazine/articles views are representative of the young people from or in the city
I do think afflecks is a fantastic place and it not only has cultural significance but also is commercially viable and those retailers will survive whether they stay at afflecks (that i guess is what will happen) or they have to move.
I would much prefer a 'stop alex mccann and his half baked student politics make it to print campaign'.
But then again I dont have to read now do I? but certain parts of your magazine have great merit and are well put together.......
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Post by Designer Magazine on Feb 15, 2007 16:43:44 GMT 2
"Is this the same 'writer' who wrote the piece on the altrincham independent music store that is closing down? - it wrote in a similiar poorly investigated, nostalgic, 'us and them' type manner.
What as opposed to us in bed with them saying turn Manchester into a millionaire's paradise, f**k the Northern Quarter and turn it into a 2nd division Castlefield....no thanks
Firstly? Who told you that its closing down? It seems to be like you haven't been to Bruntwoods and asked them nor have you fully consulted the afflecks management. Making stories out of uninformed gossip is the bread and butter of tabloid newspapers, surely not a magazine that is supposed to say something about manchesters alt culture? Whipping up (notably a small) hyped up frenzy without fact is lazy and stupid. I do hope people from outside of Manchester think don't your magazine/articles views are representative of the young people from or in the city
XFM Manchester, Granada Reports, Manchester Evening News are all reporting that it's potentially closing down in June....the same as we have and make note of the word potentially closing down.
This article does represent our readers who have either shopped at afflecks in the past or shop there now. Check out Tom Hingleys from the Inspiral Carperts comments which sum up very succinctly how Manchester feels about the council and Manchester's regeneration
I do think afflecks is a fantastic place and it not only has cultural significance but also is commercially viable and those retailers will survive whether they stay at afflecks (that i guess is what will happen) or they have to move.
I would much prefer a 'stop alex mccann and his half baked student politics make it to print campaign'.
But then again I dont have to read now do I? but certain parts of your magazine have great merit and are well put together.......
Glad you enjoy the rest of the magazine even if you dont enjoy the politics. Im sure the Tories or New Labour have magazines you can regularly read for your mainstream political fill
When I (Alex McCann) set up Designer Magazine it was always going to mix politics with music. Thats why we've featured George Galloway, Tony Benn, Black Panther Party, supported various anti-racist / fascist campaigns and incorporated politics as much as possible. NME and Melody Maker used to do in their day before they got consumed by featured bands with the most advertising expenditure
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will
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Post by will on Feb 15, 2007 19:39:59 GMT 2
www.camdenlock.net/This video pretty much sums up the public opinion on Camden. Perhaps someone could do the same for Afflecks Palace?
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Post by stewart on Feb 15, 2007 22:57:27 GMT 2
I thought maybe I was a bit unfair in my criticism of the article, so I re-read it...
It is actually a worse read second time.
Comparing the closure of a shop to an act of terrorism is hardly rational, balanced or informed journalism. It sort of weakens the writing, right down to the level of cliche ridden, sixth form, steamy pap.
And to quote the article...
"it's still the one stop for rock kids or retro indie boys who (are) trying to be Ricky from the Kaiser Chiefs. For each generation it's been the outlet of choice for those who want something different from the Top Shop high street stores."
So does it cater for those who want something different to Top Shop, or does it cater for those trying to be the next Ricky from Kaiser Chiefs? Please advise.
and Will, if you look at the messageboard, you'll notice that the thread I started has more responses than any other thread not started by the admin. I think you'll agree that this makes me the undisputed heavy weight voice of reason on this forum, like I said.
I will accept a written apology from you to my e-mail closeaflecksnow@hotmail.com or you can publicly apologise for your humiliating mistake here on the board, but you'll need to start another thread entitled 'an open apology to Stewart', so that both the regular users of this board will see it.
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