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3 Responses to “Falmouth Pier – Trelawny”

1. Poco Loco says:

   December 10, 2010 at 8:15 am

   Falmouth and the idiots in it.

   Falmouth Soon To Be Declared A Resort Area.

   Is this an April fool prank in July?

   “The Government seems set to heed calls from the police and residents for the rustic town of Falmouth , Trelawny, to be declared a resort area.”

   I recently read a piece of news in the newspaper in which people in my beloved Falmouth are calling for it to be declared a resort town. It is important one knows the meaning of resort before one starts talking. I was born in Falmouth and I lived 23 years in Falmouth before leaving for Europe . Of course, it would be nice to see my town move up the ladder so that it can attract people from all over the world. What is the meaning of resort, people need to ask themselves? A resort city/town/village is a place where a lot of people spend their holidays.

   FALMOUTH

   Falmouth is the best laid out town one can think of and it is situated in a very brilliant location, a location that many towns, cities or villages around the world would like to be in.

   ITS POTENTIAL

   Falmouth has the potential to be a resort town but at the present moment I cannot see how people are calling for it to be declared a resort town. Falmouth has nothing to attract local residents and not to mention foreign citizens. I am of the opinion that most people from Falmouth who travelled back to Jamaica slept in Falmouth with family members and party elsewhere, for example, Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios and even Kill-some ( Kingston ).

   It is time we dismiss their feel good factor as the hiss of snakes and bark of dogs.

   SHORT-SIGHTED PEOPLE

   Most of these people who are calling for Falmouth to be declared a resort town haven’t the slightest idea what made a place a resort area and are very short-sighted. Failing to control tourist harassment is not the criteria for a town to get resort status. Having two patty shops, the best laid out town on map that side of the world and the Turku-made ( Finland ) MS Oasis of the Seas docking in Falmouth doesn’t make a town a resort area. Moving the bend-down market, which I think is the biggest wrong move the authorities made, and giving the town a labour day-style clean up is far from making a town a resort area.

   RESORT STATUS

   To make a town a resort area is common sense, one has to be ruthless, careful thinking, listening ears, good planning skill, good judgment, utilising the sea and a little bit of travelling. Yes, I said a little bit of travelling because if some of those people were travelling they wouldn’t be talking so much claptrap about Falmouth is ready for resort status.

   EMPTY TALK

   It is time politicians and people in high places stop taking people for idiots. To me it is empty talk because I know better but to some of the people home it is exciting news because they might not know better. I left Jamaica June 1988, and do my bit of travelling through 24 countries and territories namely; Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, USA, England, Wales, Scotland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Spain, Holland, Italy, Monaco, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal and The Åland Islands, which put me in a position not to listen to the poppy cock and codswallop these politicians spewed from their mouths. I am one guy the authority cannot fool when it concerns this particular subject because I do my travelling to know what a resort town should look like and Falmouth is not ready for a resort town status.

   Their ideas of running Falmouth are bankrupt of vision and are on the verge of sinking the town even further.

   ONE EXAMPLE

   On my way from Brussels to Helsinki , I decided to visit the Tricity of Northern Poland, which is made up of Gdynia , Sopot and Gdansk . I drove the 485km to Sopot from Berlin , Germany , where I spent two nights and right away this little town of 40,000 people had me smiling. Sopot is a resort town and Falmouth is nothing compare to this place. This place continue improving even though if Falmouth did have 0.001% of what this place has then Falmouth would be one of the richest places on earth. Falmouth has nothing and I mean nothing for it to be declared a resort town. The only thing Falmouth has is the potential.

   If they want to be good leaders they can’t afford to go gaga.

   MUST BE RUTHLESS

   The first ruthless thing the authorities must do is to demolish the Falmouth infirmary, the old examiner building and the two dilapidated police buildings from the seafront. How is it possible to have those buildings near the seafront and in the same breath people talking about declaring Falmouth a resort town? Is this an April fool prank in July? The authorities must build the new infirmary on the Falmouth Hospital compound because the space is there. I noticed on my last visit to Falmouth the authorities allowed one cell phone operator to put up antenna on the hospital compound, which we all know is bad for our health. The next thing to do is stop giving out building permits and make it a law that people don’t just put any colour paint on their buildings in the town centre. There should be a painting code for the town centre and the town centre should be pedestrianised.

   As for representing people of Falmouth-so does an album of photographs.

   PROMENADE

   In a seaside town, the promenade is the road by the sea where people go for a walk. Any city, town or village with the sea at its disposal and don’t have a promenade built should sack the MP, Mayor, councillor and anybody else who claim they have authority in Falmouth. A promenade should be built from Half-Moon bay corner right around passing the Falmouth All Age School and continue up to the front of the court house to meet the harbour on the west side. The promenade must continue on the east side of the harbour right up to Glistening Waters.

   APARTMENTS

   The authorities must build affordable apartments with balconies to the sea for single people, couples and families along the promenade where it is possible. How can you have the sea beating against the town wall and the authorities don’t build apartments for visitors and locals alike to use? With apartments along the promenade, the authority is bound to see a lot of tourists- young Europeans, Americans and Jamaican-born flocking Falmouth .

   The list of mistakes these politicians made over the years is longer than the average mother-in- law’s tongue.

   USAIN BOLT

   Two statues of Usain Bolt and the piece of Berlin wall must occupy the promenade. The piece of Berlin wall should be placed very near the harbour so that tourists will see that first and the statues place on either sides of the harbour on the promenade, roughly a kilometre apart. One statue could show him doing his “to the world” pose and the other one showing him in a running style. There should be signs to direct tourists where the statues are situated, for example, to the left is “to the world” statue of Usain Bolt and to the right the statue of Usain Bolt is full speed. The authority must get the best out of Usain Bolt while he is on top.

   PIERS ARE NEEDED

   With this massive ship coming to Falmouth , I think the authority should have somewhere where people can view the ship, take photos of the ship, a place to go for a romantic and family walks. There is a 515 metres long pier in Sopot , Poland , going out into the sea, which is very famous among locals and tourists alike. They even charge a small entrance fee of 3.50 Polish Zloty/JA$87.00 per person for a romantic walk on the 515 metres long pier. Helsinki has 150 metres long pier also and Lisbon has a long pier going out into the Tejo River . The authority must build two 500 metres piers going into the sea from either side of the harbour and a good distance from the ship, for example, a good 800 metres. Those two statues of Usain Bolt I spoke about earlier would sit nicely at the entrance of each pier. Place the statues like that would have the people walking from east to west or west east on the promenade. Either side of the piers should have proper restaurants, which can cater for wedding reception, small functions and business meetings. Nothing is more romantic than eating a nice plate of food in a nice settings and looking at the sea and all its occupants. Having concerts and small outdoor cinema on the piers must be considered like they do in Sopot , Poland .

   Their definition of leadership is to press the mute button and press it hard.

   SHOPPING STREET

   You can’t have a resort town without a shopping area. At the present moment Falmouth is full of wholesale places, robot taxis, and dilapidated buildings. A shopping area should be built away from the sea so as to have people shopping instead of taking cool breeze. This area shouldn’t have only craft vendors only. It should have cell phone, clothes, shoes, book, hairdresser, barber and any other shops that will have locals and tourist flocking.

   RESTAURANT STREET

   Having the restaurants built on part of the promenade is a win, win situation for tourists, locals and restaurants owners. Nothing is sweeter than having breakfast, lunch, dinner or supper on the promenade while you see the sea and its occupants. Having two patty shops and few cook shops is an embarrassment to resort status. Of all the places I visited, resort or no resort, the restaurants are mostly on the seaside and the prices are higher near the sea. You can buy a bottle of beer far from the sea, for example, for US$2 and pay for the same bottle with sea view for US$5. It is like when one buys an Air Jordan shoes for US$150.00, you pay US$50 for the shoes itself and US$100 for the name on the shoes.

   Dracula and blood banks spring to mind when you think of these people in authority in Falmouth .

   ZINC FENCE

   One is talking about a resort area and not some eastern countries where you will see all sort old wooden and zinc fence and old cars rotting in the back and front yard. The authority must encourage residents to erect wall fence or plant small trees to make fence. The streets and gutters need to rebuilt so as to keep the water flowing and any stench away in the town.

   PUBLIC TOILETS

   Having people walking and shopping and have nowhere for them to answer when nature is calling is not good. Three to four public toilets must be erected in the town, someone employed to man them and the public must pay a small fee to use them like what is happening in 99% of countries in Europe . In Germany they charge €0, 70/JA$76 per person over certain height to use the toilet. In Helsinki railway station it is €1.00/JA$109 for the use of the toilet.

   Politicians fail to understand that God gave us two ears and one tongue as a message that we should do more listening than talking. It’s proved very valuable to other people but not them.

   ATM MACHINES

   Nowadays people are not willing to use their visa card to pay in strange lands and that’s why the authority must provide ATMs so that people can pick money easily. Having the Cirrus and Maestro logos on one’s bank card will allow one to pick money anywhere in the world from an ATM carrying those two logos.

   PROPER STREET LIGHTS

   You cannot talk about giving a town resort status while the place is dark like midnight. To walk in darkness in a country foreign to you is one of the most frightening things. Lights should be installed on the promenade from one end to the other end. All the promenades around the world are best utilise in the night when you have lights on the promenades and out at sea is dark. That is the time when people, on their romantic walk admire the little lights here and there far away in the sea.

   This idea of Falmouth getting resort status is another example of gross stupidity and time wasting by politicians, pandering to the ignorant.

   PLANT FLOWERS AND PALM TREES

   You cannot declare a town a resort area and don’t have palm trees, flowers, few statues and nice little water fountain with character. With the kind of temperature in Jamaica , a small park is a must for people to chill out, to read books, eat lunch or relax after long walks around the town. It is time Jamaican politicians know that tourist don’t only want to strip and take sun and lie down on beach half naked. Not every tourist has the sexy body to strip down to the birthday suit.

   PROFFESSIONL GARDENERS

   The town will need people who know about gardening to take care of the plants so that they are in good shape.

   OTHER THINGS

   Ice-cream kiosks are needed on the promenade; places for bicycle rental are a must on the promenade and get all the paint less builds paint according to the painting code of the town. Make rubbish bins visible around the town, provide night clubs and bars. Build proper bus/taxi terminals to get the cars out of the town centre. Stop all heavy duty vehicles from entering the town unless they have special permission to enter the town, for example, trucks that are delivering building materials and so forth. A particular day, for example, Wednesday between 07:00 and 11:00 should be set for trucks delivering goods to supermarkets.

   CONCLUSION

   People will ask, “Which government or private people are going to provide all these things?” All these things cost money which is why politicians must stop the boring talk about giving Falmouth resort status. They don’t have money to build a police station to protect the rights of citizens and yet they got up talking pure poppycock, this and that and horse dead and cow fat. Like we never know that horse is already dead and cow never stop getting fat. It takes money to make a city/town/village a resort area and if the authorities don’t have the money it might be best to keep one’s beaks shut and stop taking poor people for idiots.

   They are dreadful. One could fit their sensible policies, particularly on making Falmouth attractive, on the back of a postage stamp.

   Making a place a resort area is no one year thing but Falmouth has the potential to be nice because the sea is beating on its wall and any place with sea near by should be a gem for any authority with little brain. Any authority who cannot fathom that should be sacked. People in authority should travel more to get ideas, learn how things are done, what attracts people to places and how they can bring those things they gathered to the place they have control over. Our politicians are lacking common sense. Your common sense is your natural ability to make good judgments and to behave in a practical and sensible way.

   Take for example, the parking system that the mayor in Falmouth is introducing. The whole idea of charging people to park is not to make money but rather to get cars out of the town centre so that people can walk and shop without fearing for their lives. Charging people the same amount to park in the town centre and people way down on Cornwall Street is idiotic and it only shows that the people in authority lack common sense. In Helsinki , Finland for example, you can pay 0.50€ for 20 minutes on the outskirt of the city and if you get 30 seconds for that same 0.50€ in the city centre God is on your side. The mayor needs to charge a fee that will force car-owners to vamoose from the city centre.

   We need to celebrate incompetent politician day in Jamaica .

   Anyway, Jamaica will join the European Union first before these people in authority do anything meaningful for Falmouth . Osama Bin Laden will be Mayor of New York before these people who called themselves politicians do any good for my beloved Falmouth . I hope people reading this know that Jamaica is not in Europe, which means it can’t join EU, which also mean that Falmouth will be the same while these non-politicians are dead and gone to bone yard (cemetery). Osama Bin laden can never, will never and must never entertain the idea of becoming mayor of New York . It is not possible, and where does that left
   Falmouth?

   Anyway, talking to politicians is like playing football with a one legged man. The ball never comes back to you.

   I give up!
2. Daviod says:

   December 11, 2010 at 9:04 am

   Interesting blog post but there are many other factors to be considered before you bash our government and fellow Jamaicans.

   I can confidently speak this way because i have direct involvement with this project.
   The project have been canceled on numerous occasions not because of poor planning on behalf of our government but more so because of the constant design changes. I will agree even in my deepeest slumber that the readiness of the town is far from acceptable.

   However the powers that be and the potential investors are waiting with baited breath to see the outcome of the project will be like. Projects similiar to this one namely the Ocho Rios cruise shipping pier have not realised its potential as promised. the local craftmen have suffered and the hands of the duty free stores and the bigger stores owned and operated by foreigners. I will agree that these do provide employment for a few Jamaicans but i am sure its nothing to write home about. The cruise shipping port(terminal) will provide the visitors with a “one stop” destination that there will be little or need to visit anywhere else in my view. There are benefits to be had but i do not think Falmouth on a whole will realise these benefits. I think we need shift our focus from tourism and into production then production it self will be our prime tourist interest.

   Best regards.
3. Jo Bent says:

   December 15, 2010 at 1:30 pm

   Never been here, but my friend bought a home there 8 yrs ago, her complaint is the homeless and hobos also con-men, Taxi-hustlers & those pestering ppl to buy illegal substance is all around, so maybe the city needs to be cleaned up B4 its declared a resort.