Tim Garratt's Blog

One of my favourite printed magazines is Monocle; I sometimes pick it up for the office, but last week took it on holiday. It is a weighty tome – and you need a few hours to pick your way through it.

It was good edition to buy – as they published the ‘liveable cities index‘ for 2010.

I was sad to see that Nottingham didn’t make the list, but then not one UK City did! We need to put this right immediately – or at least in time for the 2011 survey.

Liveable City, according to Monocle is

“urban settlements where human life can thrive because they are easy to navigate, diverse, pulsating and full of opportunities”. Easy then!

Munich came out top with Copenhagen and Zurich in second and third respectively.

What Monacle don’t do is print you a convenient tick list against which you are measured. You need to read between the lines, I will have a go at the headlines…

Transport – this features highly, whether it be the airport, public transport or cylcing. Reducing the reliance on the car is clearly a big factor. Easy to say but difficult to achieve…

Public Space – the winning cities all have a familiar theme – there are public spaces where people can walk, relax and play. Please walk on the grass!

Art / culture / technology – these intertwined things are an important part of the Cities life. Galleries can inspire people. But inspiration isn’t enough on its own – we need to create opportunities. Culturally you have to be diverse. We need to make it easy for people to start businesses and keep them running…

Food – when we were in the USA last year with the Sheriff of Nottingham we quickly spotted that ‘food’ was a key component to making something work well. The presence of an eclectic mix of restautrants – from Michelen starred establishments, to basic street cafes.

Sport – both watching and taking part are important in the mix of a City. People feel good if they are taking part or watching winners; they feel great if they are winning…

Ambitious and proud – the Cities featured had some familiar themes – they had ambition or were competitive (on a national and international stage). But critically their citizens were ‘proud’ – and this is a hard won badge.

Looking at this list, I don’t see that it is out of reach for Nottingham. In some ways we are ‘there’. I’m not saying we couldn’t do better – we could. But we have a great platform to work from.

Anyone up for the challenge?

p.s it was noted that there is a ‘chain’ index and the number of Starbucks is one of the measures. Shutting them down won’t help my cause..

You might know that I have been involved in Abel Collins, an Almshouse Charity based in Beeston for some time. Actually for about 5 years.

a bit strange - my name in stone!

I got involved through Business Champions and became Chairman fairly soon after joining the Board of Trustees. Then last year we split the responsibility of Chair-person – I held onto property and resources.

I resigned my position last week. This was for a number of reasons.

Firstly, my workload in my real job has increased significantly this year particularly – and ‘spare’ time has become a little scarce! Abel Collins took quite a lot of time – it is big business and I was not really able to commit the time and energy I felt it needed. In fairness my Co-Chair really helped over the last 12 months…

Secondly though, I did agree to head up the Charity on the basis that we actually ‘did’ something. It is a fantastic Charity which has been around for 300 years, but I felt that it needed a project. We set out on a new build scheme and completed 4 new bungalows in late 2009 – designed by Marsh Grochowski, I think they are fantastic. It was a great day last November when Leon Unczur, The Sheriff of Nottingham officially opened them!

So it is the end of an era for me. I have played a very tiny part in the Charity – it remains in great hands and I am sure it will do so for another 300 years.

I will miss the Trustees meetings which were often quite exciting! But I think most of all I will miss the residents – with all of their little foibles!

I shall have great memories!

I attended the advisory panel meeting of the Sheriff’s Commission last Friday. It was held at Loxley House – a fitting location!

The Commission celebrated it’s birthday and it was time to look back on the year – and forwards into the future.

Firstly, there was a review of the things that have been achieved:

1. Without doubt the biggest achievement has been the recognition by the Council that Robin Hood has a massive role to play in the City. This was not the case when we set out…
2. As a result of this recognition, the City has reclaimed Robin Hood and we now proudly claim that this is the Home of Robin Hood. The logo above is a small but important part of this strategy.
3. The work done in the USA and elsewhere (looking at what makes a World Class Attraction) has been well received and sets the benchmark for the aspirations of the City. This is not nebulous, it is a real aspiration – it is acknowledged that if Nottingham is to ‘get this right’ it has to be done well.
4. The Robin Hood film captured the imagination of the Public and (hopefully) the sequel will keep Nottingham on the map. Spending on gifts with a Robin Hood theme were up 83% in the week of the film premiere. Nottingham hosted a Gala screening which attracted media attention from around the World.
5. The Robin Hood month in May was a huge success – visitor numbers at the Castle were up, spending in the shops was up.
6. A Robin Hood trail complete with new visuals will be in place in Nottingham shortly. (These have been done by my mate John Lyle and are really good)

But the real trick now is to move forward. The ideas are still coming forward about keeping the momentum going – in all sorts of areas. This includes long term aspirations for a Visitor Attraction, educational materials for schools, ongoing events (like the Robin Hood month) and the continuation of marketing and merchandising…

Graham Allen MP was present at the meeting and he spoke passionately about his aspirations for the City.

I have some disappointment that we are not further on, but it was said that “good things come to those who wait“. We have gained some momentum – we need to keep it going! I genuinely believe that we have won some hearts and minds and that we are in a better place than we were 12 months ago. There is much work to be done, but we have made a great start.

I was reminded when watching Countryfile last night about, amongst other things, the magical nature of English Castles. The team were at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland. Its history can be traced back to 547 and it seemed to have a thriving visitor attraction.

Nottingham Castle

It is also the site of an archaeological dig – tracing back the history of the castle. It was fascinating to see that the volunteers had found a die and some games dating back 1000 years. Their website proclaims, “Bamburgh – the finest castle anywhere in this country” Time Out Great Britain: Perfect Places to Stay, Eat and Explore 2009.

Of course Nottingham has a Castle. It too holds a fascinating history – although it lacks the ‘look’ of a traditional castle – as it’s not really. It’s a Ducal Palace.

But Nottingham, in my view fails to take full advantage of it. Visitors who come to it (from around the World) are visibly disappointed. The offer is poor.

As part of the work done by the Sheriff’s Commission we have been looking at how we might be able to capitalise on this asset we have. Some great ideas have been put forward – including an archaeological dig. I have always had a view (which is not necessarily shared by the Council) that the art in the Castle should be moved out and the Castle turned over into a Robin Hood Visitor Attraction – and a world class one at that.

What was frustrating last night was watching ‘life’ at a Castle in Northumberland – which doesn’t have the same ‘legendary’ status as we do. But they have captured the imagination and bagged themselves something which we could easily do.

The next meeting of the Sheriff’s Commission – and its advisory board, on which I sit, in a couple of weeks. The Robin Hood film has come and gone – and we aren’t much further forward. We need TimeOut to give us an accolade…

But before we get this we need a quantum leap. And soon. Otherwise we will miss out altogether and this will be a huge missed opportunity.

Yesterday I went to the Invest in Nottingham day – this time actually back home! It makes a change from MIPIM and London.

The Market Square - part of the walking tour

My day started at the new NTU conference centre – where lunch was served! Then I wandered off into town with Nigel Turpin, one of the towns planners (and prolific cyclist!). The walk around the town was interesting – and I learned things about my home town! We took in NTU, Theatre Square, The Market Square, The Council House (with a tea stop with the Sheriff and the Mayor!), The Lace Market, Broad Marsh and finally back to Loxley House.

It was interesting to hear Nigel’s take on some of the Planning issues – and it was good to have some of the subtle design features pointed out. These included the de-cluttering of the City’s streets and the incorporation of the tram stops into the pavements. We also had a lively group who were questioning of some of the Planning decisions!

Then we went off to Loxley House – Nottingham City Council’s new home. Various talks were given – including by the new Director of Planning Simon Smales, Steve Wood from Westfield (owners of Broad Marsh) and Chris Deas from NET. I always have a chat with Chris – his dad was my first boss at Home Brewery in 1979!

I also had a look around Jane Todd‘s (CEO of the City) office … it’s open plan in the thick of it!

It was a busy day, very well attended and a positive look at Nottingham. It was good to see so many of Nottingham’s professional brethren out and ‘selling’ the City – alongside the dedicated team at Invest in Nottingham!

We once again proved that we are the friendliest people in the world – probably!

GUEST BLOG – MATTHEW HANNAH

There was great news for Nottingham yesterday with the announcement that Jamie Oliver is to open a new restaurant in Nottingham – of his Italian variety!

Great chef poor fashion taste?

The ‘Naked Chef’ has come a long way in his short life – he is still only 35… But he has enjoyed huge success on TV and in his culinary books. He has even changed school meals.

With the announcement that he is to take over the Jass cafe and Gallery in Nottingham the building was previously the offices of Warren & Allen and has a stunning city garden to the rear of the property that I am sure Jamie’s team will maximise to the full.

We do have Sat Bains – the only Michelin Starred restaurant in Nottingham. I have eaten there and it is a real experience, but it is not for everyday (for one thing it is a bit on the expensive side!). We also have Harts – which has great food – and is much more affordable – not cheap – affordable. Then there is the World Service, which I like less than Harts, but is still great. I like Merchants too, in the Lace Market.

As one of England’s eight core Cities perhaps it is not surprising Jamie has chosen to open in Nottingham. It is another leading brand which will make a positive contribution to the City Centre. I am looking forward to seeing the completed design so over to Jamie and his team…

[Matt is my fellow Director at Innes England - who looks after all things retail]

UPDATE 1ST AUGUST 2010

It looks like Jass has now closed – so after a quick lick of paint we will be getting those Bolognese dishes served? I can’t wait…

I attended a celebration on Saturday at Nottingham Castle to bid farewell to the incumbent Sheriff of Nottingham, Councillor Leon Unczur.

The real Sheriff of Nottingham and his Lady

The Sheriff is an ambassadorial position – and the role is said to be:

To promote Nottingham as a destination for visitors for short breaks, conferences, business and shopping
To encourage local residents to use and take part in cultural/leisure activities opportunities in the city and county

I went to America with Leon last year in search of world class attractions as I blogged about. I think my lasting memory was of Leon’s ability to talk to people – everywhere we went he was doing exactly what the job role says on the tin – being an ambassador for the City. His opening line was well received, “Hi, I am Councillor Leon Unczur and I am the real Sheriff of Nottingham..”

But Leon also opened the bungalows I built at Abel Collins in Beeston – and he did a similarly brilliant job – the residents still talk about the day the Sheriff came to the complex!

In an era when I have little regard for Politicians – especially after the General Election debacle – Leon does stand out as someone who genuinely cares about the City, its residents and his constituents.

Leon was also instrumental in setting up the Sheriffs Commission – a body set up to encourage the City to make more of Robin Hood – and he has made great progress. Even if there is still much work to be done – at least we have got started.

Michael Williams Corporate Director for Communities spoke about Leon’s year and the theme of ‘ambassador’ featured highly. And praise was given the Sheriff’s lady – Adela Hampson, who was presented with flowers by Leon for her help.

The new Sheriff is Penny Griggs – she starts on Monday!

Leon will be a difficult act to follow.

I am getting to that age (!) when I am contemplating an electric golf cart. Being a web fox I have been doing some research today.

Hammond, Garratt and Lyle - hi ho silver away

And I have found the answer! It’s not what my golfing mates will be expecting (they too have purchased or are purchasing an electric golf trolley). But I think it will be cool…

I am thinking it can be no more embarrassing than Richard’s remote control buggy that seems to have a mind of its own – it nearly wrapped itself around a bunker! This was just after he had chased it after it went AWOL. “Teething problems” he remarked.

when I was in San Francisco with the Sheriff of Nottingham last year we hired Segways for three hours and went on an amazing tour. They are great fun – but perhaps ‘cool’ isn’t the answer. One of the reasons they have not taken off here in the UK is that there is no clear position on whether you can ride them on the pavement or the road. In San Francisco the rules were that you had to ride on the Road – which was, at times, quite challenging!

So there are no issues here – there are no silly rules on Golf Courses?

On the other hand – I might go for something a little more conservative! Like a Motocaddy!

UPDATE 17 APRIL

I was running out of time before I tear the Borders apart, so headed off this morning for European Golf in Arnold and splashed out on a PowaKaddy… It’s charging up as I blog!

With news last week that Boris Johnson had announced Anish Kapoor’s winning design for a visitor attraction, opinion was immediately divided!

Olympic Tower - courtesy Arup

The steel structure is to form a centrepiece of the 2012 Olympic Park, is to be named ‘The ArcelorMittal Orbit’. It will become the UK’s largest sculpture at 115m in height (22m higher than the Statue of Liberty). It is estimated to cost £19.1m – funded by the steel company AreclorMittal after its CEO Lakshmi Mittal was approached by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. It is said to offer unparalleled views of the entire 250 acres of the Olympic Park and London’s skyline from a special viewing platform.

Peter Hitchens in his usual diatribe in the Mail on Sunday suggests, “Only a nation on the way down, whose culture was dominated by phonies and jokers, could allow the building of the stupid and ugly tower planned to adorn London’s Olympic Park.”. This is the man who denies that Dyslexia exists.

I think the tower looks amazing!

I also think that there is a clever attraction here. When we looked at world class attractions in the USA with the Sheriff of Nottingham, one of the the features we found was ‘views’. These were obvious at Top of the Rocks in New York and The Space Needle in Seattle. But there were subtle views too – like the live viewing ‘theatre’ at The High Line in New York. We seem to be attracted at looking at our fellow humans from above!

Nottingham has a great opportunity to do this with the Castle. In the short term we keep bringing back the big wheel – offering great views. Imagine having a structure like this – it would be brilliant. We do have some of Anish Kapoors work at The Playhouse…

When the Eiffel Tower was built it was the subject of much criticism – especially from the artistic and literary elite, some saying,

“We protest with all our force, with all our indignation, in the name of unappreciated French taste, in the name of menaced French art and history, against the erection, in the very heart of our capital, of the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower… Is Paris going to be associated with the grotesque, mercantile imaginings of a constructor of machines? ”

A sense of deja vu? And the Luddites still roam the earth freely….

Last night I went to the special opening event at Nottingham Castle of the exhibition of Robin Hood film props and costumes.

There were around 100 people gathered, including Robin himself – and the baddy The Sheriff of Nottingham! Robin was banished to the outside whilst the Sheriff welcomed his guests! I stood with my mate John Lyle – both of us making notes for our respective blogs!

We were introduced to a number of people – including the set decorator from the film Sonja Klaus. Everyone was genuinely excited about the exhibition which will run until the end of September – at both Nottingham Castle – but also in Sherwood Forest! There are some of the actual costumes and artefacts from the film – loaned courtesy of Universal and made into a small set.

But I was really interested in the comments made by Jennifer Spencer from Experience Nottinghamshire.

In essence the message from Jennifer was:

1. Nottingham and Nottinghamshire must maximise the opportunities around the launch of the movie
2. We need to aim to have 10% more overnight visitors in 2010 (and a 5% increase in day visitors)
3. Tourism is worth £1.4bn to us! We have 35 million visitors each year
4. A 10% increase in visitors would add £46m to the local economy

But Jennifer also suggested some really interesting facts:

1 in 5 tourists make a visit to a city as a direct result of a film
Visitors are more likely to visit the place portrayed in the film – than the filming location
Hollywood films with their global reach and larger audiences are more likely to have an impact
Films with a strong emotional resonance or where a particular setting plays a key role are particularly effective at drawing tourism

This really is Nottingham’s opportunity to capitalise on Robin Hood. We must do so – and not lose it again. I said in Cannes last week that we seemed reticent sometimes to use the brand – but we shouldn’t be. In difficult times (and I suspect there are more ahead) these sort of opportunities won’t come a long every day! And this is an opportunity.

Nottingham has hosted a number of journalists in the last few weeks – including from France and the USA – each have been impressed with the City. So the word will have started to spread.

But back to Jennifer Spencer – she mentioned that she had been at a Visit England strategy meeting last week – the guest speaker was Joanna Lumley. The message was one of having confidence in our tourism offer – but also looking at the offer through the eyes of a tourist. Some of what we have we take for granted.

We need to shout about we do have – but shout louder about what we don’t – until we get it!

Robin Hood world class visitor attraction here we come…