The village where I live, Roydon, part of the Harlow Constituency is a wonderful place with a well kept village green, an old church, three excellent pubs, one superb curry house and an original Italian restaurant Francos, based at the railway station.
For many years, there was a wonderful village shop in which it would take you at least five minutes to get out, becuase either shopkeepers or customers would chat to you. After a spate of burglaries, including two armed robberies, the owners, Mr & Mrs Mason, sold up last year to the Martin Mcoll chain. What has happened? Well, the shop is now called 'Booze Busters' (which is emblazoned outside the shop), sells loads of cut price alcohol and the corridors are crammed with goods, making it impossible to move a pram around the shop - one person to an aisle max.
In a symbolic move, the long table/bench which people like me used to lean on and chat away has been removed and the cash registers are now on a small table at the entrance, designed to get people out of the shop completely. The place resembles as much a village shop as a casino resembles a church. It is all very sad and makes me wonder if we Conservatives sometimes need to emphasise the Tory elements of Conservatism (tradition, continuity, community) over the sometimes brashness of the free market.
Recent Comments