Blogpost by Nishall Garala

Promote Our Town Today!

I know I talk about Harlow quite a lot but I am passion about it. So today’s blog, if you have not already guessed, it’s going to be about Harlow.

Harlow has so much to offer from Sculpture to the Birthplace of Fibre Optic Technology. True to its pioneering ethos, Harlow offers everything from arts, culture and theatre to sport, parks and nature reserves. You can visit the Playhouse Theatre, the Museum of Harlow, the Town Park, the Gibberd Garden and their outstanding collection of public sculptures ranging from Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore to Elizabeth Frink and Barbara Hepworth. The Parndon Mill Art Gallery and Gibberd Gallery also offer a vibrant programme of exhibitions and events.

Harlow New Town was built after World War II to ease overcrowding in London. It was one of several developments, including Basildon, Stevenage, and Hemel Hempstead.
Lewis Silkin, Minister Town & Country Planning in the first post-war Labour Government issued a designation order on 25 March 1947 for a completely new planned community to house approximately 60,000 people to the west of an existing Essex village called Harlow.

The master plan for the new town was drawn up by Sir Frederick Gibberd and incorporated the market town of Harlow, now a neighbourhood known as Old Harlow, and the villages of Great Parndon, Latton, Tye Green, Potter Street, Churchgate Street, Little Parndon, and Netteswell.

The town was split into neighbourhoods, each self supporting with their own shopping precincts, community facilities and pub. Harlow has one of the most extensive cycle track networks in the country, connecting all areas of the town to the town centre and industrial areas. The cycle network is composed mainly of the original pre-new town roads.

Harlow had the first first pedestrian precinct in Britain and the first residential tower block – The Lawn – built in 1951 which is now a Grade II listed building.
It was at Nortel, Harlow that Sir Charles K. Kao developed optical fibre data transmission.

Original manufacturing in The Pinnacles took the form of a biscuit factory owned and run as a Co-Operative. It provided employment to the town for over 50 years, before closing in 2002.

As the Titanic sank the orchestra played ‘Nearer My God to Thee’, written by the poet Sarah Flower Adams of Harlow.

So if Harlow had such a great past… I ask what’s to come of future, but the only way people will bring us opportunities to make our future as great as the past, is if #BigUpHarlow and promote our town to make a positive impact to the potential opportunities coming our way.

Harlow has such a negative stereotype created by its own people but none of its true, which is truly upset, so join me in my campaign to promote our town, the instructions are as followed ‘Find something good to say about Harlow, put the #BigUpHarlow on it and post it on to Twitter or Facebook.” #BigUpHarlow is primarily a Twitter based campaign, which people can follow @BigUpHarlow, however all the post from Twitter can be also been seen via the campaign’s Facebook Page.

The campaign is looking for posts regarding positive local news stories and events, what people enjoy about the town, what the hidden features people have discover, and anything that promotes the greatness of Harlow.

Harlow needs your support. Harlow needs positive promotion and you are the way forward.

Watch this video for a insight in #BigUpHarlow aims and mission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxPNn4LSzHE