Well done to my old pal Norman Esslemont for stepping into the bus gates controversy.
The retail market in Aberdeen is in his famous family genes. For 160 years, Esslemont & MacIntosh was one of every Aberdonian’s favourite department stores – of which there were so wonderfully many.
I can still feel the excitement of walking into the huge perfume and make-up department on the ground floor on my way to finding that special new coat, dress or wedding outfit from their huge selection of superb fashion.
Many hearts were broken when it closed nearly 30 years ago, but then Norman set up his successful Esslemonts menswear and Esslemonts 2 for women in Thistle Street.
So there’s not much he doesn’t know about the shopping business in Aberdeen, hence his decision to speak out about the ruling SNP/Lib Dem councillors making the gates permanent.
He described it as a “slap in the face” to traders who’d begged for the compromise plan.
Surely reading those strong words must make at least some of those councillors thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Where did you ever hear of a local authority turning a deaf ear to the desperate appeals of its vital businesses?
Although his adjoining shops are in the West End, away from the traffic-banned areas, Norman can feel the major effect of shoppers from the Shires, particularly Aberdeenshire, giving the city a wide berth.
Angry and anxious about the future of the centre, he has offered to chip in to help pay for a legal case against the council.
Meanwhile, hopes are high for a successful bargain-busters Shop Aberdeen campaign today and all weekend. Sadly, much more drastic action is needed to fight this enemy-of-the-people administration.
Moreen Simpson is a former assistant editor of the Evening Express and The Press and Journal, and started her journalism career in 1970
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