24 hours on. An update

Well, we're less than 24 hours in and already have nearly 800 views to this blog. I think that suggests an interest in this initiative don't you?!

A big thank you to everyone who has shared their ideas on here and on Twitter, where this all started.

I dropped in on Hatton & Harding today and the excitement was almost bubbling out of every door and window of the Old Square shop. Mary Portas was so very complimentary not only about their gorgeous interiors shop, but also about the amazing support they received yesterday on Twitter. The support shown is exactly what the 'Portas Pilot' scheme is looking for, and you certainly have continued that today.

So, what next? Sure it's exciting and there is a real buzz about Warwick's Twitter channels today, but that is not enough alone. Well, thanks to Liz Drake at Love Warwick, I have had two phone calls today from Warwick District council. The second resulted in a brief meeting with the tourism department and it's this area of the council who will be putting our bid together with us. We have a date set for a meeting with the council next Tuesday; they really do want to get mobilised quickly!

So what do we need? We need your ideas - more of what we have had today please. Spread the word amongst your friends, family, colleagues and partners. We need to come up with a plan - a Portas Pilots plan - a plan that will focus on what Warwick needs to save its dwindling high street and also fulfill the criteria of the initiative as laid out in the link on the previous blog.

Great ideas so far include:

• Pop-up shops
• Improved parking plans
• Improved town navigation
• Better publicised events
• More events
• Improvements on current events
• QR codes for town maps and info
• Help from Chiltern Railways to better advertise at stations
• Preventing Sunday from being a ghost town of shops
• Big brands that may help Warwick? 
• Better opening times. 10-4 doesn't suit everyone
• Parking (Yes I know I already mentioned it but it came up a lot) 

So keep the ideas coming please. The momentum is amazing. We need to come up with not one great idea but many. Warwick is a complex town and the plan may need to be too.

More news as we get it!

Bye for now.

Todd

warwicktweetup@gmail.com