Tats the End of Tat

What a day it was today!! The sun was shining and people were bustling round Bangor. So I went down to the seafront where there was a car boot sale opposite the Marina. Having nothing much to do I pottered round the various stalls.

What I encountered could only be explained via the word "tat". Well, maybe "tat" is unfair. "Dirty tat" is closer to the mark.

It looked like people had cleared out their attics, sorted through their stuff, throwing out the rubbish and selling what's left at the car boot sale.

I noticed a number of visitors (I presumed by the accents) and my heart sank. Not because they were here, but because they were being subjected to a sub-standard Jumble Sale. What must they have thought! I remember wandering round the Flea Market in Amsterdam and it being anything but that. It was well organised and had a great variety of stalls selling all sorts of things. It was a lovely Sunday experience.

Pirated DVDs and second-hand toys (that could do with a wipe with a damp cloth) were the best on offer today. It was rather embarrassing to say the least.

If North Down wants to improve its Tourist appeal then things like the car boot sale need to be taken under its control. Car boot sales are fine for Church car parks and the like, but you'd expect something better, or better regulated, for the town centre.