Former Towie star hits back at offensive graffiti sprayed on his hotel (From Southend Standard)
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Former Towie star hits back at offensive graffiti sprayed on his hotel
7:20am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Echo News
Offensive language on the Grand Hotel in Leigh
THE fomer Towie star behind plans to transform Leigh’s landmark Grand Hotel has hit out at vandals for spraying it with graffiti urging him to go.
Mick Norcross plans to transform the Grade II listed empty hotel in a £4.5m revamp, but it was defaced with graffiti over the weekend with the vandal writing “jog on Towie you’re not welcome here”.
Mr Norcross, 48, has quit Towie and banned the ITV 2 reality from filming at his Sugar Hut nightclub in Brentwood.
However he has revealed plans to use The Grand on his own reality show in the future.
Mr Norcross said: “When someone wants to judge me based on a semi-reality TV show that I’m not in any more than it is very sad.
“I was a businessman long before the programme and I didn’t buy the hotel for the show; I bought it as a business opportunity."
Comments(33)
Red Under Your Bed
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7:58am Wed 20 Mar 13
Rubythedoggy
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8:11am Wed 20 Mar 13
pembury53
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8:18am Wed 20 Mar 13
uncle_jarvis
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9:04am Wed 20 Mar 13
jpw0809
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9:40am Wed 20 Mar 13
It doesn't matter if he is not in the show any more. The fact is he has been involved in this terrible show so he already has the trashy TOWIE reputation.
Just look at how it has affected Brentwood.
The graffiti artist didn't go the right way of getting their message across but I'm sure he wrote what a large number of Leigh residents think who don't want they house value depreciating once these TOWIE wannabes descend into Leigh and lower the tone.
Personally I'm all for The Grand being reopened as its a terrible waste of a beautiful building. I just think it will attract the wrong type of people for Leigh if Norcross opens it.
heartbeat
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9:49am Wed 20 Mar 13
pembury53 wrote:It may not be a "major campaign" but it's obviously meant in a personal way which is unfair of the bigot who scrawled it IMHO. The Grand has looked like a bombsite for years and at least the fabric of the building will look attractive again.
"towie star hits back"....... At what ? hardly a major campaign against him is it ? There are plenty of people in leigh who agree with the message and plenty who don't, but it's just a bit of graffiti on a derelict building..... amazed it can make the news really....
Whether it will be a magnet for awful boozed-up, cocky nouveau riche Champagne Charlie types, as Leigh has become these days anyway, will enhance the area is another matter. Hopefully it will attract a broad range of visitors like other boutique hotels around the country do, with a good restaurant and a more up-market and pleasant clientele.
Surely the new owner should be given a fair crack before being judged at least!!
stopmoaning1
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10:12am Wed 20 Mar 13
I don’t think anybody has objections to the building being revamped. The objections are the orange people with the ridiculous teeth and accents Mr Norcross seems to want to attract in a new reality show in the future.
Mr Norcross, please continue with your efforts to refurbish this fantastic building but PLEASE drop the reality show idea. Leave the orange people in Brentwood and the local people will start to respect and support you rather than judge you on your misjudgement in becoming involved with TOWIE.
stopmoaning1
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10:14am Wed 20 Mar 13
RichardAC
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10:49am Wed 20 Mar 13
uncle_jarvis
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10:52am Wed 20 Mar 13
Cosmo Spring
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10:52am Wed 20 Mar 13
Red Under Your Bed
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11:51am Wed 20 Mar 13
stopmoaning1 wrote:I agree with that last paragraph.
Although there appears to be no actual damage to the building as the writing is on the window shuttering, the principal of damage is the wrong way to get the message across.
I don’t think anybody has objections to the building being revamped. The objections are the orange people with the ridiculous teeth and accents Mr Norcross seems to want to attract in a new reality show in the future.
Mr Norcross, please continue with your efforts to refurbish this fantastic building but PLEASE drop the reality show idea. Leave the orange people in Brentwood and the local people will start to respect and support you rather than judge you on your misjudgement in becoming involved with TOWIE.
I am sick and tired of the people of Essex being portrayed as orange, gurning morons who revel in being thick as sh1t.
pembury53
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1:09pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Red Under Your Bed wrote:I don't really understand the pointless wishful thinking "can we have the revamp but no reality show please Mr Norcross ?...... You will get a revamped Grand + TOWIE II or nothing..... You're either for or against it..........
stopmoaning1 wrote: Although there appears to be no actual damage to the building as the writing is on the window shuttering, the principal of damage is the wrong way to get the message across. I don’t think anybody has objections to the building being revamped. The objections are the orange people with the ridiculous teeth and accents Mr Norcross seems to want to attract in a new reality show in the future. Mr Norcross, please continue with your efforts to refurbish this fantastic building but PLEASE drop the reality show idea. Leave the orange people in Brentwood and the local people will start to respect and support you rather than judge you on your misjudgement in becoming involved with TOWIE.I agree with that last paragraph. I am sick and tired of the people of Essex being portrayed as orange, gurning morons who revel in being thick as sh1t.
stopmoaning1
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2:07pm Wed 20 Mar 13
pembury53 wrote:Well that’s a bit simplistic, but if you want to dig down to such basics then – Against.
Red Under Your Bed wrote:I don't really understand the pointless wishful thinking "can we have the revamp but no reality show please Mr Norcross ?...... You will get a revamped Grand + TOWIE II or nothing..... You're either for or against it..........
stopmoaning1 wrote: Although there appears to be no actual damage to the building as the writing is on the window shuttering, the principal of damage is the wrong way to get the message across. I don’t think anybody has objections to the building being revamped. The objections are the orange people with the ridiculous teeth and accents Mr Norcross seems to want to attract in a new reality show in the future. Mr Norcross, please continue with your efforts to refurbish this fantastic building but PLEASE drop the reality show idea. Leave the orange people in Brentwood and the local people will start to respect and support you rather than judge you on your misjudgement in becoming involved with TOWIE.I agree with that last paragraph. I am sick and tired of the people of Essex being portrayed as orange, gurning morons who revel in being thick as sh1t.
heartbeat
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2:09pm Wed 20 Mar 13
saddo99
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2:49pm Wed 20 Mar 13
stopmoaning1
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2:52pm Wed 20 Mar 13
heartbeat wrote:What a fantastic idea. A brilliant money spinner for for Mr Norcross and a perfect music venue for a great night out.
Actually can't we have a Lee Brilleaux/Dr. Feelgood bar please? I'm assuming the owner has seen The Grand featured in Oil City Confidential (it was on BBC4 last week, might still be on iplayer). Make it a shrine to music, particulary local bands, in a respectful way (like the excellent exhibition at The Beecroft Gallery and Southend Library last year) and I'm sure he'd get lots of interested visitors and people who want to stay for a night or two. Musical appreciation is much more the heritage of the Southend/Leigh area than orange people with vajazzles, (sp? I haven't got one so wouldn't know!) despite the myths the gutter press spews out.
We can only hope.
Broadwaywatch
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3:04pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Why, did this come about and why does he now what to film at the Grand ? All along since his first application to extend licence hours at the Grand when it re-opens, he has claimed it would not become a nightclub. What is going on Mr Norcross and when is work going to start on the building or are you going to require another consent from the Council........more rooms out the back or will you apply again for longer licence hours before you start reconstruction work. Do something Mr Norcross for if left much longer it might be to late to do anything with as it is.......or is that the idea? No surely not!
mys842
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3:42pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Red Hand Gang
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4:12pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Jodaius
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4:48pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Broadwaywatch
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5:31pm Wed 20 Mar 13
jaguarxxv
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7:07pm Wed 20 Mar 13
asbo in a coma
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9:08pm Wed 20 Mar 13
asbo in a coma
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9:11pm Wed 20 Mar 13
jpw0809
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9:42am Thu 21 Mar 13
jaguarxxv wrote:We can only hope! :)
He probably arranged the graffiti himself to use it as an excuse for not going ahead with the project, I can foresee him saying that he won't go anywhere that he isn't wanted.
RichardAC
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11:48am Thu 21 Mar 13
jpw0809 wrote:yes we all want the building demolished and it to be a car park for the next 20 years don't we. Jeeeez.
jaguarxxv wrote:We can only hope! :)
He probably arranged the graffiti himself to use it as an excuse for not going ahead with the project, I can foresee him saying that he won't go anywhere that he isn't wanted.
Basildon_Boy
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2:23pm Thu 21 Mar 13
whataday
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3:08pm Thu 21 Mar 13
Aside from my feelings that Towie is a load of nonsense and anybody appearing in it wants their brains tested I wish any business person who is going to turn the Grand into a going concern worth visiting the best of luck
Tone-Fu
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11:57am Fri 22 Mar 13
'Jog on TOWIE c**ts your not welcome here'
Despite the obvious grammatical inadequacies I'm inclined to agree with them.
no1scrum
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3:26pm Fri 22 Mar 13
whataday wrote:Have to say 'What brains' didn't think any of the Towie cast had any!!!!
How does appearing on a boring "reality" show make somebody a star. Like saying if you happened to be passing by when something was televised you're a star.
Aside from my feelings that Towie is a load of nonsense and anybody appearing in it wants their brains tested I wish any business person who is going to turn the Grand into a going concern worth visiting the best of luck
gangsta_len
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6:02pm Sun 24 Mar 13
no1scrum wrote:they must have a few they are certainly richer than most of us, unfortunately
whataday wrote:Have to say 'What brains' didn't think any of the Towie cast had any!!!!
How does appearing on a boring "reality" show make somebody a star. Like saying if you happened to be passing by when something was televised you're a star.
Aside from my feelings that Towie is a load of nonsense and anybody appearing in it wants their brains tested I wish any business person who is going to turn the Grand into a going concern worth visiting the best of luck
Basildon_Boy says...
7:27am Wed 20 Mar 13