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Victoria Road
Petition to change Surbiton Christmas tree 'most middle class ever'
Some create online petitions to influence government policy or campaign for social causes.
In Surbiton things are done slightly differently. One resident has petitioned Waitrose to replace the sponsored Christmas tree on the Victoria Road roundabout, to bring the display “more inline with the keeping of Surbiton.”
At the time of writing the petition, hosted by Activism.com and dubbed “the most middle class petition you will ever see” on Twitter, had attracted two signatures. It reads: “Waitrose has kindly sponsored the Christmas Tree outside Surbiton station again this year. “However as many of you may of noticed, it's quite an ugly sight compared to the rest of the decoration within the Surbiton area and especially when compared to previous successful years. “Ideally you live in the local area and have seen this in person rather than blindly signing the petition :)”.
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Comments
Good grief as if anyone actually cares,I am not a Christian so do not get the lights and religion being as one.
The more lights and signs the more naff the whole place looks I just feel sorry for the shopkeepers who really need lower business rates and free parking to make difference not glittery gee gaws.
It's not even a Christian tradition originally anyway.
There are far more important things to worry about.
I disagree. I think Surbiton looks positively drab this year. I've visited friends in other parts of South West London and their high streets look alive, attractive and inviting. Surely it is good for the shops and businesses in the high street for it to be inviting and warm? The lights and Christmas Tree this year are completely uninspiring and do not encourage people to spend their money in the high street. Have a look at Maple Road in Surbiton it's a completely different atmosphere.
I agree with what you are saying, but the comparison with Maple Road is a little unfair.
The commercial section of Maple Road is quite visually appealing, partly because of the tree-lined nature of the road and partly because it has become populated by fashionable shops, bars & restaurants that are prepared to work together and fund projects that enhance and encourage the 'villagey' feel of their area.
Victoria Road may only be a block away, but it is a completely different proposition. It is a mixed use high street that has always struggled to recruit decent tenants due to it's proximity to Kingston. It ranges from scruffy at the station end to quite run down at the YMCA end.
Consquently, the tenants that are attracted are overwhelmingly charity shops, estate agents, budget retailers, fast food outlets and mobile phone shops. None of these are of the type that would be willing or able to contribute to festive decorations in the same way retailers in Maple Road or Chiswick High Road would be able to.
Of course, Surbiton is a relatively wealthy area and so some of these retailers are coming to Victoria Road (Ex-Cellar), but in such small numbers that they are not really able to turn around the feel of the whole road.
It is a great shame, because Surbiton is a lovely area and, apart from a few dsigraceful planning mistakes, the Victorian architecture would make a lovely environment if it was a little better maintained. Unfortunately, the combination of high rent/business rates and low footfall means that we are more likely to be stuck with what we have got in the near future.
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