Hong Kong visitors

Anyone in and around WGC town centre on Thursday 13th June may well have bumped into our latest visitors from overseas.

A group of 36 planning students from Hong Kong arrived in the morning from London and were guided around the Town Centre Heritage Trail by Angela Eserin and Tony Skottowe.

There is huge interest in the Garden City Movement in Hong Kong and the students, who all spoke excellent English, raised a wide range of questions. These ranged from historical and planning issues through to the underlying social reasons underpinning Howard’s ideals.

Beginning at the Howard Centre then proceeding via The Howard Memorial in Howardsgate up to Bridge Road where the main supply depot and other critical activities were based. The walk continued down Handside Lane and back to Church Road via Parkway. The students then dispersed round the town centre to find lunch but not until a host of questions had been posed.

“It would be hard to find a nicer group of university students” said Tony Skottowe, “they were knowledgeable, intensely interested in the town that they considered an icon for planners. It was exhausting but hugely enjoyable!”.