I must try and remember where I got that figure from and admittedly it’s a couple of years old but I doubt a great deal has suddenly changed.

Makes you wonder if Walsall is essentially a housing estate to feed the working areas in neighbouring autorities. For myself it would be true. I’ve never worked in Walsall. Well apart from currently working from home but I don’t think that counts.

Interestingly I live halfway between Walsall & Lichfield, as does my brother-in-law. He drives more at the weekend than I do: If they have shopping to do, they go to Lichfield to avoid Walsall. I’d do the same if there was a decent bus service, as I minimise driving when I don’t *need* to. Walsall MBC seems to be trying to drive people out…

In terms of my post I was more working towards the general drying up of comments, post this years local elections as prior to them there seemed to be an almost free for all and some nice juicy ones that were coincidentally anti-Wolverhampton City Council. Now it’s not what odd articles they don’t allow comments on but which odd few they do.

To be fair to them they probably should restrict commenting, especially on sensitive issues and those involving due legal process like trials etc but why an issue relating to rubbish collection shouldn’t be available is beyond me.

Actually I think it’s sad to see the way the E&S has gone. I used to read it daily, so did my parents and lots of other people I know. I don’t know anyone who has it delivered or reads it daily anymore such is the dumbing down of our printed media.

I also used to know a number of the ‘older’ journos on the E&S who were your archetypal local investigative hack types, good people btw. I don’t think any of them are still there now after the change in the editorial direction it’s taken over the last 7 years or so.

It’s sad but they all seem to have been replaced by far too many freshies straight out of journalism courses at university and it shows in the standard of reporting.

Do you mean the comment by Jonsi? That’s interesting, wasn’t aware of those little bits of the PFI.

I think the problem is with particularly Walsall if we’re talking about the redevelopment of the ring road or transport around the centre in general is that it has always been rubbish. The town is badly planned and laid out.

Take for example, I live almost as near as damn it, equidistant between Walsall and Wolverhampton. Where do I shop, apart from Willenhall itself of course? Wolverhampton, because despite the same distance either way to each town/city centre, it takes 13 minutes on the bus to Wolverhampton and anything between 25 and 35 minutes depending on traffic to Walsall. This is wholly traffic management and congestion related because late at night this time comes down to roughly 18 minutes or if you’re really lucky and that young asian driver who wears a bomber jacket is on the 529 route I did once clock the journey time at 12 minutes when he was driving.

BTW, apologies for you getting referred to moderation, more than one link in the comment, you know the routine.