Post by PeterW on Feb 17, 2009 17:41:15 GMT -5
Apropos of nothing at all to do with cameras, I felt like writing something so as I haven’t got a Blog I thought I’d post a sort of Blog in one of the ‘free subject’ sections of our Board.
As today was reasonably fine with above-freezing temperatures I decided to take a run round town in my electric buggy just to have a look round and do some window shopping. Of course I forgot to take a camera with me, which proves I'm getting old and forgetful.
As I rode round I couldn’t help a feeling of nostalgia for the ‘old Ashford’ as it was when we moved here some 37 years ago and comparing it with the town today.
About five years ago we lost the town market which was moved to a new site about two or three miles out of town (with no bus service), and the site was sold for development. However, a number of market traders got together and cited an ancient Act and Charter granted by King somebody or other about sixteen hundred and something, which is still on the Statute Book, giving people the right to trade in a market in the town of Ashford twice a week.
So now we have a street market in the pedestrianised High Street on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Not very big at the moment, but it seems to be growing. What is surprising is that a few French and Dutch market traders find it worthwhile to come over here for a morning’s trading. Most at the moment sell traditional foods and delicacies from their own countries, but every so often we get a trader in rolls of cloth for dressmaking, curtains and so on. He does a surprising trade considering the number of new shops that spring up offering cut-price clothes from the far east.
We’ve lost many of the old small-trader shops to competition from supermarkets. Since I’ve been here we’ve lost three butchers, two bakers, two grocers, a large ironmongers, two music shops, two bicycle shops, two old-established clothing shops, an off-licence, a bookshop, two DIY shops that have moved to out-of-town trading estates, two camera shops, two cinemas, a radio and television shop, Woolworths and the Co-op.
We’ve gained five shoe shops, six cut-price clothing shops (each of which seems to last about six months), five cafes and coffee shops, including a Starbucks, a Bingo hall (one of the old cinemas), two jewellers, four Estate Agents (Real Estate in the US), two take-away pizza shops, two take-away kebab shops, two Indian restaurants and one Chinese restaurant, five charity shops, and a shop selling cut-price far-eastern copies of expensive Swiss watches. There are also seven empty shops.
Even so, I like what the local Council is now trying to do with Ashford. After a couple of false starts they have created several pedestrian-only areas, built two car parks and two Shopping Malls with a number of small shops in them. They are trying to attract small shopkeepers again with reduced rents and reduced Council Business Tax for the first year.
Since I’ve been registered disabled the Council has also done a lot to help me, including grants to spend on making the house easier for me to use and move around, and cheaper to keep warm. Who says the Welfare State doesn’t work? But that’s another story.
I know we can’t stand in the way of progress or we’d become a museum nation. A lot of younger people like the way Ashford is changing. Time was when the cetre of Ashfod closed down at 5.30 pm. Now some of the cafes, restaurants and take-away shops stay open till about midnight.
But I still can’t help a slight feeling of nostalgia. But then, even nostalgia’s not what it used to be.
Sorry to waffle on about nothing in particular. I’m just getting old and introspective.
peterW
As today was reasonably fine with above-freezing temperatures I decided to take a run round town in my electric buggy just to have a look round and do some window shopping. Of course I forgot to take a camera with me, which proves I'm getting old and forgetful.
As I rode round I couldn’t help a feeling of nostalgia for the ‘old Ashford’ as it was when we moved here some 37 years ago and comparing it with the town today.
About five years ago we lost the town market which was moved to a new site about two or three miles out of town (with no bus service), and the site was sold for development. However, a number of market traders got together and cited an ancient Act and Charter granted by King somebody or other about sixteen hundred and something, which is still on the Statute Book, giving people the right to trade in a market in the town of Ashford twice a week.
So now we have a street market in the pedestrianised High Street on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Not very big at the moment, but it seems to be growing. What is surprising is that a few French and Dutch market traders find it worthwhile to come over here for a morning’s trading. Most at the moment sell traditional foods and delicacies from their own countries, but every so often we get a trader in rolls of cloth for dressmaking, curtains and so on. He does a surprising trade considering the number of new shops that spring up offering cut-price clothes from the far east.
We’ve lost many of the old small-trader shops to competition from supermarkets. Since I’ve been here we’ve lost three butchers, two bakers, two grocers, a large ironmongers, two music shops, two bicycle shops, two old-established clothing shops, an off-licence, a bookshop, two DIY shops that have moved to out-of-town trading estates, two camera shops, two cinemas, a radio and television shop, Woolworths and the Co-op.
We’ve gained five shoe shops, six cut-price clothing shops (each of which seems to last about six months), five cafes and coffee shops, including a Starbucks, a Bingo hall (one of the old cinemas), two jewellers, four Estate Agents (Real Estate in the US), two take-away pizza shops, two take-away kebab shops, two Indian restaurants and one Chinese restaurant, five charity shops, and a shop selling cut-price far-eastern copies of expensive Swiss watches. There are also seven empty shops.
Even so, I like what the local Council is now trying to do with Ashford. After a couple of false starts they have created several pedestrian-only areas, built two car parks and two Shopping Malls with a number of small shops in them. They are trying to attract small shopkeepers again with reduced rents and reduced Council Business Tax for the first year.
Since I’ve been registered disabled the Council has also done a lot to help me, including grants to spend on making the house easier for me to use and move around, and cheaper to keep warm. Who says the Welfare State doesn’t work? But that’s another story.
I know we can’t stand in the way of progress or we’d become a museum nation. A lot of younger people like the way Ashford is changing. Time was when the cetre of Ashfod closed down at 5.30 pm. Now some of the cafes, restaurants and take-away shops stay open till about midnight.
But I still can’t help a slight feeling of nostalgia. But then, even nostalgia’s not what it used to be.
Sorry to waffle on about nothing in particular. I’m just getting old and introspective.
peterW
