The Block Sands The headland’s Block Sands area was recently refurbished by the North Hartlepool Partnership using monies from the S.R.B. fund - and very nice it was too. The partnership is no more; the S.R.B. money has been spent and maintenance of the newly refurbished area was handed over to Hartlepool Borough Council. The pictures on the left shows the result. The weather and the salt water have taken their toll on the expensive, coloured non-slip surface which was one of the refurbishments most notable and attractive features. It has been repaired with what looks like the cheapest filler available from the nearest DIY store - and a pretty shoddy job it is too. It looks a mess and is itself already breaking down. If things run true to form the area will now be left to slowly deteriorate to a point when it will look just as bad as when work started and all of that money will have been wasted. The people who helped bring about the change must be gutted. Click thumbnail to enlarge Thornton Street Linear Park Just two years old, the construction of Thornton Street’s Linear Park cost over £100,000, involved the demolition of a number of houses and was launched with associated Councillor photo-opportunities. Today, it is littered with crisp packets and empty beer cans ( the £100,000 evidently didn’t include litter bins), many of the plants and shrubs have been uprooted and disappeared and many of the supports for the line of young trees have been removed leaving the trees leaning perilously. revisited contacts       site map       write for us Click thumbnail to enlarge Photography by: bill sanderson