Stevenage 75th anniversary magazine | biz4Biz - Magazine - Page 3
Introduction
WELCOME
Birthdays and anniversaries can be
unusual occasions.
Sometimes they are joyfully welcomed,
but at other times they are waited for
with some trepidation.
Getting older has its challenges, but
also its benefits and that’s just where
Stevenage finds itself as the new town
marks 75 years.
In human terms it’s a grand old age - for
a town of course it is the mere blinking
of an eye since development started.
For Stevenage and those who live within
it, the 75th anniversary comes at a
perfect time where we can both look
back on the forging of a new history
but also look ahead to changing times
thanks to a brave new regeneration
programme.
As someone born and raised in
Stevenage, I am proud to have been
asked to collate this publication which
is intended not just as a look back at
our history as a living time capsule, but
more importantly as a chance to see just
how far the town has come and what
lies ahead in the future.
At no time in the past 75 years has
as much development work been
underway with more to come. And
make no mistake this regeneration
will change the face of the town for the
better.
After the first flush of youth following
its creation, Stevenage had grown
tired. Granted, as you will read on the
next pages, there has been a rich history
created in a short space of time, both in
terms of the town’s structure but also in
a creative and sporting context.
Stevenage has always punched above
its weight with success stories in many
fields, indeed a world champion boxer
might ironically be one of the few
successes we are yet to see.
But the regeneration programme has
been long overdue and now it is here
one can see a new dawn for Stevenage.
Of course it isn’t just about buildings.
As our motto has it, ‘the heart of a town.
lies in its people’, and it seems its people
are a pretty aspirational bunch.
You don’t just have to look at all
the community groups which have
flourished to see that this is a town with
heart. It is also a town with brains and
the industry all around the outskirts is
testament to this.
Airbus, Glaxo and MDBA have, in
various formats, been staples in the
town for decades now. But the rise
of Pharma has also shown just how
current Stevenage is in terms of cutting
edge industry.
And of course there are current surveys
which show that this town is the second
best in the country for creating new
businesses.
Amazing facts for a town which is
clearly on an upward trajectory, but
which at the same time has plenty to
celebrate for its 75 years.
So please enjoy this publication, take
a look at some of the best which
Stevenage has had to offer and imagine
the town of the future as it takes shape
before our very eyes.
darren isted
Hashtag Digital Media
w w w. s t e v e n a g e - e v e n - b e t t e r . c o m
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