Should Boro Bid Again To Be A City?

[fmttmadmin]

I've read through this entire thread and there are positive things that appeal to the residents of Middlesbrough but exactly what is there to draw tourists? What would a family get to do within Middlesbrough if they booked an AirBnB for the weekend in your town?

A city doesn't need to be a tourist draw - would you book for a day out to Preston?
Then again are there not many reasons now why people would book to stay the night having come to Middlesbrough for the football? Is that not a big advantage?
But we are investigating lots of possibilities around Tees Transporter - for instance the Newport, Wales, Transporter is now run as a tourist attraction rather than a highway.
Our Transporter is on the English coastal path - in one direction is RSPB Saltholme - why would you not go there? In the other direction the Black Path - having investigated last week I heartily recommend the walk to South Bank with all the murals. I took a group from London and Leeds who loved it.
Lets hope in the future that the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum as a starting point to follow his life through Great Ayton and beyond to Whitby will be a major attraction.
On Thursday I am leading a party of visitors from Brian Clough's house to Ayresome Park and then along the river to the Riverside. Loads of football interest. Two great football managers birthplaces. Then the ironmasters district and the Tees dinosaurs. A lot to see I think.

 

[fmttmadmin]

@rob_fmttm - you said "Get on board. I am on the taskforce and we need positive help and support."

How do we get on board?

Can you share any more info on the task force? Who else is on it, what's plans are etc?

Transporter Taskforce - and a link to where you can make submissions on your thoughts on the future of the bridge.
I have posted this on here before - am not keeping it to myself, honest.

Tees Transporter Bridge Taskforce | Middlesbrough Council

Let's talk about the Transporter Bridge.

www.middlesbrough.gov.uk

 

[bear66]

A city doesn't need to be a tourist draw - would you book for a day out to Preston?
Then again are there not many reasons now why people would book to stay the night having come to Middlesbrough for the football? Is that not a big advantage?
But we are investigating lots of possibilities around Tees Transporter - for instance the Newport, Wales, Transporter is now run as a tourist attraction rather than a highway.
Our Transporter is on the English coastal path - in one direction is RSPB Saltholme - why would you not go there? In the other direction the Black Path - having investigated last week I heartily recommend the walk to South Bank with all the murals. I took a group from London and Leeds who loved it.
Lets hope in the future that the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum as a starting point to follow his life through Great Ayton and beyond to Whitby will be a major attraction.
On Thursday I am leading a party of visitors from Brian Clough's house to Ayresome Park and then along the river to the Riverside. Loads of football interest. Two great football managers birthplaces. Then the ironmasters district and the Tees dinosaurs. A lot to see I think.

Has there been a decision on the longer term future of the transporter bridge?

 

[DCI_Gene_Hunt]

Transporter Taskforce - and a link to where you can make submissions on your thoughts on the future of the bridge.
I have posted this on here before - am not keeping it to myself, honest.

Tees Transporter Bridge Taskforce | Middlesbrough Council

Let's talk about the Transporter Bridge.

www.middlesbrough.gov.uk

Sorry Rob - I misread the original comment - I thought you were referring to a task force for the City bid. My mistake.

 

[DCI_Gene_Hunt]

A city doesn't need to be a tourist draw - would you book for a day out to Preston?
Then again are there not many reasons now why people would book to stay the night having come to Middlesbrough for the football? Is that not a big advantage?
But we are investigating lots of possibilities around Tees Transporter - for instance the Newport, Wales, Transporter is now run as a tourist attraction rather than a highway.
Our Transporter is on the English coastal path - in one direction is RSPB Saltholme - why would you not go there? In the other direction the Black Path - having investigated last week I heartily recommend the walk to South Bank with all the murals. I took a group from London and Leeds who loved it.
Lets hope in the future that the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum as a starting point to follow his life through Great Ayton and beyond to Whitby will be a major attraction.
On Thursday I am leading a party of visitors from Brian Clough's house to Ayresome Park and then along the river to the Riverside. Loads of football interest. Two great football managers birthplaces. Then the ironmasters district and the Tees dinosaurs. A lot to see I think.

Rob - is their a printed/downloadable guide anywhere for those walks to Salthome and the murals/South Bank ?

 

[fmttmadmin]

Has there been a decision on the longer term future of the transporter bridge?

There was a massive groundswell of public saying they wanted it returned to working order again. That work will take a couple of years to complete just to make the structure secure and working fully again - it will be painted during that time so as to kill two birds but the decision has yet to be made on whether to spend £millions to make it viable as a working road bridge/working tourist attraction - guaranteed again. Or where that money could come from.
Newport Transporter opens 6 months a year as a tourist attraction - but then again it is a bridge to nowhere now with a brand new bridge just upstream. If our Transporter reopened tomorrow it would carry more paying passengers than the Newport Transporter would tourists.
There are feasibility studies and after the last Heritage Lottery Grant there was a consultant document breaking down how many visitors came and to what. There was thousands and thousands at events but we are talking significantly low single figure thousands went to the visitor centre etc.
This document is really detailed and provides invaluable information on what has worked and why and what hasn't and why not.
But having successfully had two bites at the Heritage Lottery cherry the Tranny is unlikely to be able to get a third go.
There are thoughts on possibly holding bridge top events this autumn in the break between works.

 

[fmttmadmin]

Rob - is their a printed/downloadable guide anywhere for those walks to Salthome and the murals/South Bank ?

This is the closest I can find for Black Path -

A Walk Through History – The Black Path

Written by Chris Corbett, Community Engagement Officer, Teesside Archives The Black Path takes you through the heart of industrial Teesside, on a route once used by sailors to reach their ships as …

teessidearchives.wordpress.com

Saltholme - coastal path is signed from Transporter and from Hartlepool - but am not sure if there is any guide. Am sure there will be in the future once everything is open again.
If you walk on the path between Saltholme and Hartlepool you will see the seals at Greatham Creek - look to the right and you may be lucky and see avocets (RSPB logo bird) in the ponds on the right side of the road.

 

[r00fie1]

Redcar is further north than Middlesbrough.

".........largest Town furthest north in North Yorkshire?" [My words].
Note the words "largest town".