What is happening to our market towns

[pelmetman]

In the 7 years that we have lived in Lincolnshire we have noticed a real down turn in our market towns.

Our nearest small town is Alford, when we first moved here it was a thriving small town, we used to make a point of shopping every Tuesday as there was a Country Market, an excellent butchers, a good market plus many other small independent shops.

The butchers in particular was always packed which we are convinced used to bring shoppers into the town. Alas a few years ago this butchers closed down, due to retirement and the town became quiet almost overnight.

What was once a thriving, friendly place to shop is now a ghost town with so many shops empty, either to let, or up for sale. Strangely though the only supermarket was a small Co-op.

Luckily for us Louth which is about 1/2 hour driving away is still a bustling, thriving market town with many independent excellent butchers, bakers, delli's, greengrocers and a lovely cheese shop yet they have a Co-op and a largish Morrisons.

Can't understand why some towns manage to grow and thrive yet others more or less disappear.
Sue

[oldjerry]

R.I.P. Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire.

[MKG]

I think you answered your own question, Sue. People will travel to a good specialist supplier - like a butcher - and then do their "also-ran" shopping in the same place because that makes sense. Take away the reason people went to that specific place and, hey presto, they look around for another supplier - and then do their "also-ran" shopping wherever they find a new one. Towns which offer only supermarkets and non-specialist shops (or bad specialist ones) will go down the drain by natural attrition.

There's a lesson in there somewhere.

Mike

[pelmetman]

I understand what you say but Alford only has the one small supermarket and did have a selection of good independent shops but once the butcher went the town went downhill.

Maybe people in Lincolnshire are only interested in meat

Sue

[The Riff-Raff Element]

R.I.P. Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire.

Oh no. Is the Clockhouse gone? Used to love that shop.

[oldjerry]

Split in half! (new half now yet another Indian restaurant).S'pose you're up to date with the T***o stitch up?

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Split in half! (new half now yet another Indian restaurant).S'pose you're up to date with the T***o stitch up?

I've not been to Tenbury for quite a few years - maybe as many as twenty. But I used to think of it as being pretty much the ideal small town. The parents of my then girlfriend lived there (well, in Kyre Magna) and I spent some fine weekends enjoying the Market Tavern and other distractions. What have bloody T****o done?

[oldjerry]

Livestock market (and site of world renowned holly auctions ) inexplicably closed a few years back,yet still enough demand for different local auctioneer to take up both livestock and holly/mistletoe options and carry on in field up road.Free car park on site then sold to the evil empire.Mass campaign against by local shops people etc. planning throw it out to save face,but only small design tecnicality,typical tactic,helps diffuse/disorganise opposition,re application with small design changes,word on the street,it's going to go through.All potential Leninists,etc. should study this level of determined organization.R.I.P. one small market town.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Let me guess - are they going to include some social housing? They've done that elsewhere.

[Susie]

Let me guess - are they going to include some social housing? They've done that elsewhere.

This is what they're doing in Clay Cross (North Derbyshire) - I think it's social housing and a health centre. I actually rang the planning department and asked various questions about funding and how much of Clay Cross T***o now owned and they wouldn't answer me (he was very nice about it, but wouldn't give me figures*).

(It doesn't sound like your problem is necessarily completely linked to the supermarkets though, Sue - I agree there are lots of other factors. We are falling over supermarkets here and we still have a thriving independent shop scene, all out of the centre though as they can't afford college rents! There's another rant ;-).

* I don't go ringing planning departments with passive aggressive questions about T***o just as a hobby, I want you to know, I used to live down the road from Clay Cross and people keep telling me about the new T***o with increasing levels of ire, that was the reason for my interest .

[oldjerry]

* I don't go ringing planning departments with passive aggressive questions about T***o just as a hobby,


Well I do!! .......it's great!!

[boboff]

We have two market towns near by, which show a very different scene.

Tavistock is a lovely old town, with a great range of shops and lovely atmosphere, there is a co-op a great deli, butchers, 6 day market, pubs, toy shop, etc etc. Its lovely to go for a wonder and a nice cup of coffee.

Callington on the other hand is a depressing little place, it's only saving grace one of the best old fashioned Iron Mongers I know. It's kebab shops, Spar and Dart League Pubs attract "Yuuff's" with some obvious substance abuse issues.

Both towns are now served by Morrisons & Lidls in Tavistock and a T***o in Callington. Which is usefull. The T***o in Callington was recnetly opened, and was on the news as it's next to the Ginsters factory, and Ginsters ship pasties up to Bristol, just so they can be shipped all the way back down to the next building. Insane, but a necessary evil of centralised distribution.

The program on at the moment tracking the high street through history is very interesting. It shows clearly that from the 1930's with mass production, the grocer became the most profitable buisness in the high street. This follows T.E & S Cowens growth from prominance of a small Tea retailer to it's now global position.

[Millymollymandy]

Interesting - I had no idea how they got their name! Thanks for that titbit.

[Green Aura]

I thought it was Cohen, not Cowen

[boboff]

Cowen, Smowen......