Downton World Options

[Sherlock]

Apparently Downton Abbey has some 160 million viewers in China http://goo.gl/5U1QvB

Also, we hear in the news today, our excellent coalition government is bending over to attract more Chinese visitors to the UK http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24512781

Surely someone responsible for promoting tourism in our area has spotted the huge opportunity this represents? If only a tenth of the Chinese viewers can be tempted to visit Newbury - which can rightly claim to be Downton's nearest town - that would be a **** of a lot of visitors to our area.

I propose that WBC take the following steps immediately:

• invite Disney (or similar) or similar to develop a 'Downton World' (working title only) theme park to the south of Newbury - ideally at Sandleford as it seems unlikely that houses are ever going to be built there;
• rename Newbury 'Ripon' http://downtonabbey.wikia.com/wiki/Ripon - this should be fairly straightforward and uncontroversial;
• explore other attractions which could be built to lure in visitors - e.g. a cable car from the grounds of Highclere Castle/Downton to the summit of Beacon Hill;
• reopen the Newbury-Winchester railway to improve access to Downton.

And don't forget, Downton isn't only popular in China - it's a world wide phenomenon! We're sitting on a gold mine here!