Geelong Westfield ain't so hot after all the hype

from w
I vowed and declared I would not patronise Geelong's Westfield shopping complex apart from the RACV there, but anyway, after checking out flights to Fiji at Flight Centre, I wanted to buy a dozen eggs so wandered around Westfield but couldn't find the supermarket, so went up and down escalators and eventually over that dratted bridge where people sat about drinking coffee and I raged about the air space over Yarra Street belonging to everyone not just the capitalists! Anyway I spied a Woolworths sign and thought - okay I'll get my dozen eggs there, but no - it wasn't a food store at all! All the brand-new shops at Westfield didn't attract me at all - except one art shop with narrow claustrophobic aisles where I bought some el-cheapo sketchbooks for $2 each. Eventually I got the eggs at my butcher across the road from home. Way to go. Patronise family businesses.

Geometric and $200 million dollars worth

from w
The new Westfield development in Geelong is ready to go - official opening in a couple of weeks now that the bridge and glass tower up up. Okay, I protested a lot about the bridge and still think the obsession with shopping is not the way to make a city liveable, but Mike Dugdale's photos are rather good. Here are a couple of them. On the other hand money like that could build a few children's parks and walkways along the river and seaside. Hmmm. Today's Geelong Advertiser have many photos of the project development. I still would rather see the sea straight down Yarra Street and not have to go up to the Westfield bridge to see it! I only go into Westfield to pay bills at the RACV then scuttle out quickly!