You may find this hard to believe, but I can be a bit of a sensitive soul.
Growing up as an only child, I guess I didn’t have a brother or sister to torment me and toughen me up.
I had problems with earache from a young age, so it was important that I was kept cosy, even when others considered it a bonnie day. When I started primary school and found myself being teased for wearing woolly hats with fancy tassels, it hit hard.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me,” my mum would drill into me. And, while the sentiment in that childhood rhyme is to be applauded, it’s not really true, is it?
Words do hurt, and they can be far more damaging than some may think. This can be true when talking about the mental wellbeing of anyone, whether that be an adult or child.
If said often enough, the impact of harsh words can be extremely hard to recover from. And they can also cause damage to the reputation of a place.
Aberdeen’s image has taken a battering in the past few years, and it has intensified recently. From the state of Union Street to the increase in antisocial behaviour, the influx of charity and vape shops, and the closure of businesses… I could go on.
It’s not just the people of the Granite City worried by its decline. Chanel stopped its plush products being sold in Aberdeen city centre, due to the less-than-ideal surroundings. And business Jamieson and Carry has voiced fears that the likes of Rolex and Tag Heuer could soon follow suit, thanks to a takeaway next door recently approved by the council despite the jeweller’s protestations.
Whose fault is that? Is it genuinely down to the state of decline – something most city centres are facing across the UK at the moment? Or is it because of how the city is being portrayed to the masses?
Aberdeen has been in the national news recently as a result of the closure of local schools, libraries and swimming pools – this doesn’t exactly send a message that the city is thriving.
It was likely hoped that the opening of Union Terrace Gardens would have done something to boost the city’s reputation. Originally, the redevelopment was being tipped to be designed by globally-renowned architects, with the intention of putting Aberdeen on the worldwide map.
But the fiasco behind the gardens’ delayed reopening, missing granite and escalating costs left many with a bad taste in their mouth. And, with two “train carriage” units still sitting empty, I’m not quite sure it’s proven to be the success it was hoped.
We don’t have to be Aberdoomed
So, is all lost? Have we talked Aberdeen into becoming a failure?
Well, despite the recently acquired nickname of “Aberdoom”, it’s not as bad as many would make it out to be. In fact, I recently spoke to a Canadian who had spent the last two months travelling the UK, and wholeheartedly favoured the Granite City over anywhere else he had been.
He had some concerns before he arrived, purely based on the city’s reputation, and I don’t blame him. But the beach, Old Aberdeen, our parks, our street art, the food and the people were only some of what he praised.
Aberdeen City Council needs to make sure it is taking into account the reputation of our city before it makes crucial decisions
Of late, I have witnessed what is essentially online trolling of Aberdeen and I can’t help but ask myself: what good does this do?
Constructive criticism is, of course, needed and welcome. The Our Union Street organisation has been founded with the aim of trying to take a lot of that on board and make a positive change. But negative talk for the sake of it does no one any good.
Of course, the likes of cuts to public funding need to be reported; I am not suggesting we bury bad news under the carpet. But Aberdeen City Council also needs to make sure it is taking into account the reputation of our city before it makes crucial decisions.
Dundee has long suffered from a terrible reputation. Regularly referred to as “Scumdee”, it was once a place people often mocked as being the worst city in Scotland. But who’s laughing now?
The creation of the V&A design museum and nearby waterfront development there has not only changed the city, brought in new business and made it a more vibrant place to visit, but it has also changed how people think about it. Dundee is up-and-coming now, don’t you know.
This week, the council will plot out the future of Aberdeen’s own beach revamp – a project it’s hoped could mirror Dundee’s success. Unlike other contentious local regeneration schemes, it’s a plan that is fairly widely supported by the public.
And, if it can turn the tide on the city’s image, I’ll be first in line to tip my woolly hat.
Rebecca Buchan is deputy head of news and sport for The Press & Journal and Evening Express
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