Eyesore on Main Street

New shops open, places get taken over, and the regular shops get a paint job. A new noticeboard springs up, the church has some building work done, and steady improvements and maintenance of Sedbergh school buildings continues. The only thing that remains the same is one particular building in the centre of Main Street, which is derelict and an eyesore. Heaven only knows why it has been left to rot and it saddens me to see it. About eight years ago some of the shop front windows got smashed and boards were put up. I thought, hmmm, how long will it be before we are looking at misspelt expletives and less than attractive anatomically incorrect drawings of body parts. I contacted the buildings owner and asked if some friends and I could paint the boards. With a little persuasion he agreed to let us girls give it a special treatment. It was a lovely sunny day when Sarah Lewis, Ruth Gamsby, Carole Nelson and I pooled our left overs and donated tins of paint and set about the task. When the job was finished a cheerful display of colourful flowers disguised the dull wooden boards. Most of the town’s population seemed delighted with our efforts. When we painted these boards we thought it was just a temporary remedy and the building would soon be renovated with flats and a couple of new shop fronts. Perhaps even an indoor market and café. How I dream. The flowers we painted are still there, the colours are tired and faded and the building continues to descend further into decay. For a while its broken upper windows allowed it to become a haven for the local pigeon population until enforced fumigation saw them off. Now the broken upper windows are boarded over or covered with chicken wire. How delightful. Maybe you feel as I do, that it is about time people let the authorities know how they feel about this situation. If you would like to support the idea of improving the look of the building there is petition to sign in the TIC and community office.