I keep passing Nottingham Castle and wondering when someone will do something with it. It was three years ago that we went to the USA in search of what would make a world-class attraction for Nottingham. I was pretty unceremoniously invited to leave the Sheriffs Commission in 2010 – for having a conflict of interest!
I have heard on several occasions that Ted Cantle (former Chief Executive of the City) and his reformed committee (the identity of whom I do not know) are about to make an announcement. I wait with eager anticipation… Although I was told this last year too.
I was looking back over the weekend to some of our ideas at the time – and thinking how valid they still remain today. I chose back in October 2010 to try to use 17 words to describe what made a great attraction – you can see them here.
We had long since decided that ‘Robin Hood’ wasn’t enough – and that a wider theme was needed. The Eureka moment was in New York when we saw a record shop – “Rebel Rebel’. Nottingham – City of Rebels was born. It was, and is, a great concept which we ought to use. I have recently seen the use of volunteers again at the Olympics – like we saw in The Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Again a volunteer bureau can’t be that difficult can it? And last week in London I saw an amazing glass elevator in a hotel – and was reminded of the idea we had to take an elevator from Brewhouse Yard up to the Castle Grounds.
I still don’t understand why some or all of these ideas we had haven’t been used. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised soon?
I have a feeling I won’t – I think the Castle needs massive investment – and I can’t see that coming from the Council. It needs private money. We need to think big. Or not bother. Which would be a missed opportunity – again. Deja Vu?
I love the idea you were emptied out for having a conflict of interest. This means that you are an interested party. The alternative to this surely has to be that you are a disinterested party, which to me, seems to be why we are where we are at three years after we put so much work into bringing an idea and an investor to Nottingham.
We appear to have a Council who are keen to make use of the Private sectors ideas but then have no will to act on them. Perhaps less rhetoric and more action from our local leaders is required?
To be fair, there are some hugely talented people at the Council (less than there were as some have been chased out over the last few years for being too ‘private sector’) and many of them have got the best interests of the City at heart, but it’s a few who seem to have an agenda that is nothing to do with the greater good and everything to do with their own egos.
I work in the visitor attraction industry advising them on brand, service standards and the story that is created and it takes far more than a feasibility study to build a world class attraction.
I’m not sure I can name many City Councils in the world who design and then operate anything in this arena that could be considered good, let alone world class.
I will bet that whatever comes out (if anything does) it will have no quantifiable objectives, no competitor analysis, no investment targets, no detailed timelines… so, no portfolio to take to potential investors. I hope I am wrong..but if you carry on doing the same old things, you carry on getting the same old results, in this case probably SFA.
Nottingham Castle – you have to pay to go in now dont you? Certain that is the case if you are a “grockle” aka tourist. and what is in there for said tourists who likely expect to see Robin and the Sheriff, Maid Marian, Little John et al, dungeons, battlements etc ect. What they actually get must be a huge anticlimax coz it aint no castle!!. The Castle was more interesting when I were a lad with its WW1 relics, remains of prehistoric man found at Holme Pierrpoint and a stunning view from the Castle “walls” now completely lost with so much building over the Castle Meadows. Cant imagine a modern experience will leave anything but a nasty taste, at least you can see really old oak trees over at Sherwood Forest. The Castle is a site worthy of development and if something interesting was put in there it would be a tourist magnet but sorry cant see it happening on grounds of cost alone, but lets not forget total lack of vision and ambition. Ah well those politicos will keep picking up their attendance allowances and pension payments regardless, are they bovvered??
You do have to pay unless you are a City resident. I think then you can get in at certain times for free…
On the question of the amount of money it will take, that was never in any doubt. But that was why one of the conclusions of the Sheriff’s Commission work was that private sector investment was needed. There are people out there who would invest – but it does need a sea change from the present Council stance.
Who know, the present Castle Committee might have an answer….
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