ONE of the more interesting news items at the weekend was the announcement that the international Radisson group is the redevelop the historic Blue Mountains landmark, Mt Victoria's Imperial Hotel.
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The heritage listed Imperial dates back to 1878 and when completed was reportedly the biggest building in NSW outside Sydney.
It was the only old resort hotel in the Mountains to grandly, even a little snobbishly perhaps, boast royal patronage.
The young British princes who later became George V and George VI spent a night there and since 1901 the facade has borne the regal coat of arms that is still a feature today.
In later years it was a popular stop for day trippers over the Mountains, particularly with its sunny beer garden.
But after mixed fortunes under various owners the Imperial shut its doors more than two years ago, becoming a forlorn relic of past glories.
Prior to closing it had, according to locals, rarely opened the bar and was a haunt for backpackers. Unfavorable reviews from that era are still on the internet.
But now it seems better days are ahead with DAs for both the hotel and adjacent small motel currently foreshadowing multi million dollar redevelopment (in line with the heritage listing restrictions). Completion is reportedly scheduled for 2023.
For the other small businesses at The Mount who have experienced the downside of what followed the loss of arguably the village's biggest people drawcard the new dawn can not come soon enough.
Talent to spare
EVERY now and then we're happily reminded of the depth of talent in the performing arts that exists in our district community. Talented Lithgow High School students are currently reviving 'the musical 'Grease' in a joyful manner that would surely have the original 'Greasers', Newton-John and Travolta, applauding.
Taking a full dress preview in a 'flashmob' performance at the Valley Plaza was a nice touch (music to the masses, and all that stuff). Throw into our mix of talent the Theatre Group, Musical Society, Community Orchestra and choir, ukulele group, city band and highland band, and others out there strutting their stuff and we have good cause to shout our own praises.
Reclaimed, for now!
PLEASING to see Lithgow's long suffering Main Street shopkeepers reclaiming their strip free of fleets of NBN vans, barricades, assorted excavations and even a shipping container for the first time in what seems like months - even dating back to the infamous 'revitalisation'' program. It's probably only temporary reprieve; there's still a lot of restoration work to be (hopefully) completed.
It's a no brainer
YOU have to wonder why authorities are pussyfooting around the issue of whether to ban access to mobile phones in our school classrooms. There's enough classroom and playground distraction in the real world without the addictive evils of cyber space.
At least the Victorians have had the courage to show leadership here, unpopular as it may be. After all, an ever increasing number of restaurants have banned phones from their premises, making us wonder what's more important to long term survival - menus or text books.
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