The Metro is Open!
Right, let me start by apologising for being a bit lax on the blogging front. To be fair the Wi-Fi connection in Rhodes was a little underwhelming, and although I did pen an article it disappeared into the ether. However, I’ve not been wasting my time off! Thanks to everyone who left me so many positive comments about my last article, it was really encouraging to see so many people agreeing with the need for us to rethink the concept of shareholdings and I have a number of follow ups planned.
In the meantime, it has been a hugely exciting week here in Oldham. For years we have talked about the Metrolink and it’s pending arrival. There have been naysayers a plenty, but on Wednesday the first tram ran from Oldham mumps through Victoria station into the heart of Manchester, on a line that will eventually continue all the way to Manchester Airport!
Vivienne and I, joined a host of Webbies on Thursday evening at The Comedy Store for one of our many staff night’s out. For the first time we decided to use the newly opened line and jumped on at the Freehold stop, a brisk 5 minute walk from home. In just over half an hour we got off at the Deansgate stop, which sits (quite literally) atop The Comedy Store. Oldham has officially arrived!
Levity aside, why does this matter? I’ve been an avid supporter of Metrolink and its arrival in town. As one of the larger land owners in the Mumps area, Web Applications has had every reason to join the ranks of bemoaners who have sniped continuously about the disruption, traffic issues and delays that have accompanied this huge infrastructure project. There are few companies that can have been more effected by road closures. Yet we chose to move to Mumps in 2009 believing (at a time many didn’t) that the Metrolink would indeed come, and being fully prepared for it’s impact.
We did so because we believe that change is necessary and, although painful, is vital to our town’s resurgence. Too often it easy to criticise change, and in doing so it invariably discourages future investments. Instead by having belief, by making do and being creative during the disruption (with flexible starting hours) we now stand to reap the benefits of improved transport links – right to our doorstep.
I genuinely put Web Applications’ success to a willingness to not only accept change positively, but to a willingness to drive change. In the modern economy it’s not about Change Control it’s about Change Driving.
Andy Crane interviewed me for BBC Radio Manchester just over a week ago about the opening –
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London Euston in 2.5 hours from Oldham Mumps? That would be impressive!
25 mins on tram to Piccadilly, and fastest Virgin train is 1:50 – not easy, but possible. When HSR finishes in another decade, should be more likely 😉