It's brilliant that Brackley's Fire Brigade will soon benefit from a new fire station.
The move will free up the old station on the High Street. So what's to happen to this graceful National Trust owned building?
I've long thought it is the perfect location for a tearoom with facilities particularly for visitors to Brackley Park.
When my children were much younger, I used to travel to places where the parks were good enough to keep them happily occupied for a (long) while. A deciding factor especially if meeting friends with children, would be if there were toilet facilities (essential with pre-schoolers!) and refreshments available for us all to enjoy. These places are great meeting points for groups of carers/mothers and toddlers and young children.
If the town can attract a few more visitors during the day, who would enjoy their time here, perhaps wander up and down the High Street and shop a little, then everyone will benefit. If the facilities are good enough, these visitors will keep coming back.
The building could be used in the evenings for other community events. I met someone who thought we should be able to go to a cafe in the evenings...even on a Saturday. Where can you go in town for a quiet social chat that isn't a pub or restaurant? Perhaps there could be facilities for young people? How about an ice-cream/milk-shake parlour? The building is an asset to the town and should be put to good use for most of the day, 7 days/week.
Then...it's easy to come up with ideas! Who's going to do anything about this opportunity?
