Plans for the repair and remodelling of the Town Hall and old Library building are moving forward with work due to start in February next year. The two largest rooms of what was the library are to become a gym, set to open its doors in January 2026. The building’s continuing use as a public space is welcome and there are ongoing discussions about how the other rooms can be utilised by the community. At a recent meeting, it was suggested that the internal decoration could include a montage of local sporting history. This should not just be the weights, rowing machines and treadmills but include a range of local sports from rowing, boxing, rugby, football, etc. This fits well with heritage objectives and will celebrate past success as well as promote the clubs that are an active part of the local community.

Still on the sport theme, we are often bemoaning the closure of businesses and the empty shopfronts that, unused, undervalued and untidy, create a depressing atmosphere on the High Street.

So, it is very positive to see a completely new use for a High Street shop which has recently opened as a bouldering and climbing centre. The whole length of the shop has been used, with a café and seating in the window from where you can see the climbers taking on the bouldering walls.

The good thing about bouldering is that a large height is not required for this form of stripped-down rock climbing. There are no ropes and harnesses just climbing shoes and a bag of chalk over safety mats. The aim is to climb short but tricky bouldering “problems”, making up a route. The challenge is to work out the sequence of moves and to conquer the problem using a combination of balance, technique, strength and, most importantly, your brain.

The bouldering wall design uses holds for hands and feet that are fixed into the walls with slots, rather like a large-scale pegboard, so that the routes can be changed easily and create new, different routes and a range of difficulties for novices and the more experienced.

This is a totally different use of the site from that of past occupiers, including the Factory Shop and Woolworths. It should bring more local people and visitors into the High Street. It gives people, young and older, a chance to try a new experience and is breathing new life and activity into an empty site. 

MT