I had my once a year trip to the town centre of our county town of Ipswich earlier this week. Seems strange to say that as I used go much more often (I also go twice for the dentist but rarely go into the town centre at the same time).
When Col went in to the Suffolk County Council Highways department office - usually once a week - I would sometimes get a lift in, especially at this time of the year when I was hunting for small presents for the children's Christmas pillowcases - long before Amazon and the internet of course.
Now the town just looks so sad, with so many empty shops, it's really depressing to walk round. This year it was the Samaritans second-hand book department that had disappeared since last year as well as the big names of Poundland and Wilko. I do miss Debenhams at Christmas- it was always good to look round - long gone now of course.
As usual I went into the old church for my coffee and cheese scone for breakfast. It employs people with learning disabilities or getting back to work after trauma. They do Christmas bookings and there was a party of ladies all having a Christmas coffee morning and other tables laid ready for lunches. - Looking very festive.
One reason for going into town was to pop the cards for relations in the town into the Scout Post boxes and to tour the charity shops to see what Christmassy things they had for sale.
I found two books I'd not seen before, one is Christmas pages from Good Housekeeping magazine between 1922 and 1962 and the other is a old book of short Christmas crime stories. I was also searching for a Christmas mug, with no luck, to replace the Christmas cup and saucer, that was passed on to a charity shop a couple of years ago because it was too big and heavy to lift when full.
In the Oxfam shop I bought a pack of Christmas placemats for the grandchildren - they have a picture to colour on one side and puzzles to do on the other..
Then I went up the A12 to Woodbridge to call in at the theatre to pick up the book I should have got last week (when it was too foggy to get there). I'd booked my ticket early enough to get this book included and when I couldn't go I rang for them to hold it for me if they could (otherwise I could have had a credit note for another event.) They had kept the book for me so I ended up not being out-of-pocket after all as the book is worth more than the ticket price!
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Then home on the small roads cross country and it was surprising to find many places with standing water - we really have had more than our normal rainfall this autumn/early winter.
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Dorset is also awash. I drove to local market town the back way and water everywhere, the fields are lakes and villages cut off in places. The River Stour has expanded beyond belief. A very muddy walk in the Forest yesterday, with a mostly white dog, you can imagine the state of him. I hope you have a lovely Christmas with your family, I’m coming up to 19 years of widowhood and it still feels strange at Christmas without late H. but no doubt the noise levels of family will cancel out any brooding! Sarah Browne.
ReplyDeleteHeavy rain here again Saturday a.m - I may not bother to go out.
DeleteI don't think I've been into Cambridge since lockdown - apart from odd trips to the optician and to hospital. Adam Henson is welcome to spend his Christmas on the farm, I did that for thirty years or so and can't say I miss it at all, especially those frosty mornings when the water pipes froze and the tractors wouldn't start. I'm sure he'll make it all sound entertaining though.
ReplyDeleteWoodbridge - not Cambridge - two different directions!
DeleteWe had 23 years of winter and animals on the smallholding, just me mostly as Colin worked full-time. Henson has plenty of help!
I thought I did well with 18 years of near self-sufficiency on the allotment. I started with a full allotment but my allotment neighbour had a double plot and we ended up sharing her second plot. I like Adam Henson and I adore Highland cows. We have a fold of 16 retired Highlanders that graze the local nature reserve for which I am a ‘spotter’. They are wonderful creatures. We are very wet here too. I’m trying not to drive as the lanes around here are awash, although we had a cycle ride in the sunshine on Wednesday. Time to hunker down with books, knitting and spinning and TV and thank the stars for a well-stocked village shop. We have especially enjoyed watching Masterchef the professionals. Did you catch the final last night? Now we know the result I must look up the Horsham hotel. Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeleteThe village shop here is good for everything except fresh fruit and veg - which is always old and expensive- and that's what I need if I can't get anywhere. Quite annoying
DeleteThe demise of the high street is a national sickness. Our "county town" of Haverfordwest is like a ghost town. It's not helped by major works going ahead, the multi storey car park is levelled and about to become a multiplex cinema. That will probably put an end to another business, the Palace Cinema. Then that creates yet another empty building. I don't know where people are supposed to park. I remember Bridge Street fondly as it was nearly 60 years ago and have borne witness to many changes over the decades but never anticipated the scenes we see today.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got your book and that they were understanding. Enjoy it.
It's sad to only go once a year as I used to enjoy looking round but parking is expensive so once a year it will probably be nowadays
DeleteIt is sad to see what were vibrant towns now quiet.. here we only have a small town and still lovely little shops. We try to shop locally to keep it going.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first moved back to Mid Suffolk, Stowmarket still had full shops but 6 years later there are many empty - large and small
DeleteIt's pretty much the same here, Sue. Very sad really. People just don't have the money any more. xx
ReplyDeleteSeems silly to just go to Ipswich for the charity shops but they are the only things interesting now
DeleteSo many towns and cities are run down now. Up here, Leeds, York, Sheffield, Manchester are so packed with people it is unpleasant, but nearly everywhere else in depressing.
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad to see all the empty shops slowing falling into disrepair
DeleteYour scone and coffee look very tasty.
ReplyDeleteWe are so lucky with our little town, there is just one empty shop at the moment and that is having renovations done ready to re-open as something else ... it used to be a coffee shop. But I guess it's because they are all independents, not a chain to be seen. The only Costa is a machine in the One Stop/Post Office.
I might have accidently bought four little Christmas books secondhand off Amazon the other day, well I thought why not treat myself I have just sent off a huge box of books to Ziffit and added some cash to my bank account.
6 years ago Stowmarket was looking good but now big and small empty shops.
DeleteI have some books to sort for Ziffit - think it will be in the new year now.
Builth is still thriving - private individual businesses on the whole. One empty shop which used to sell electrical goods and the old Library building is still very empty (we have a big library a couple of hundred yards away). Llandod has several charity shops but small private businesses too and of course, Hay is thriving with all its individual traders. However, Carmarthen is another matter - once Debenhams died, all that end of town got emptier and emptier - the rates are so oppressively high.
ReplyDeleteSome good books there. I am struggling to do anything much, but am reading today's paper, so that's something.
Good to hear Builth and Hay are still doing well. They are the places we always visited when heading to the west coast.
DeleteHope there is good news in today's paper - but I doubt it!
It is hard when familiar once thriving shops disappear. A few years ago in Concord, MA a few small shops closed. Today new businesses took over and it appears are thriving. Other nearby towns, have not fully recovered as they also lost large anchor stores like K-mart. Your coffee and scone at the church looks excellent. Unfortunately, our Starbucks is still not consistent in quality so I've abandoned it entirely. "Christmas on the Farm" looks outstanding.
ReplyDeleteIt was such a big scone that I didn't need any lunch!
DeleteI'm looking forward to reading Christmas on the farm
Our cities are the same here, fewer shops each year. All the places I used to shop are gone now so I shop online much of the time. It's not the same as seeing and touching things before you buy.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to get your book. "Christmas on the Farm" looks like it will be a good read.
It will be a good read I think - good to see you back writing again
DeleteIpswich town centre is quite sad. I remember as a teen it was THE place to go. We used to meet our friends there and hang around. There were lots of shops and that Debenham's was one of the main ones. When I was back this summer I think we went into town maybe twice. For shops, I think Bury is far better.
ReplyDeleteIt's just incredibly sad and not many people about either.
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