Town Centres - Closing Down?

As the traditional ‘sales transaction’ dramatically changes I cannot help but wonder …. What is the future of the traditional town centre?

In my childhood and until today the town centre has generally been the place where the shops are and where we go to buy things.

As more of my purchasing is now done ‘online’ through the internet I wonder about the implications of all this.

I think to myself – why should I spend money driving to the town centre, pay for the privilege of parking my car, walk in the cold and the rain into shops where the staff are not always the most helpful and give them my money?

The alternative is to sit in warmth and comfort of my home and whenever I find the time in any 24 hour period simply select my goods and pay for them online – usually receiving the goods within a day or two and usually cheaper than I can buy in town centre shops even taking into account delivery charges.

Am I the only person wondering about this massive shift of power to the customer?

My own view of the town centre of the future is not a place we go to shop. It therefore offers planners some ‘blue sky opportunities’ for those creative people to ‘re-imagine’ town centres and turn them into places where local people and visitors actually WANT to go to enjoy either learning or cultural opportunities.

Nice to just take time to contemplate things sometimes ….

Maybe I will re-visit this posting in the 20 years and report what a town centre looks like in 2026. Any suggestions?.....

Just go bald gracefully

When I was in my twenties and my hair began to recede I was very concerned. That come with the territory when we are young I guess.

By the time I got to my late twenties it was no longer an issue for me and I grew balder gracefully!

Today I read the Government is backing something valled 'baldness therapy' – my simple question is ...... Why?

I recognise that many men may find it a struggle to come to terms with losing their hair but while the world stands by and watches 20,000 people die every day – mainly children – due to poverty, it really is stretching a point to understand why we place so much priority on what I would describe as cosmetic issues.

Well done Scotland!

What a fantastic result for Scotland with a 1-0 victory over France in the European Championship qualifying match.

I am English and very proud of it and I don't go along with the idea that we English should only root for England.

Scotland deserves our support as part of the UK and I think it was a fabulous achievement for the Scots to triumph over France who are arguably the best football team in the world.

It is a shame that England – who drew 0-0 with Macedonia - could not reproduce the good form they have shown in the previous three matches they have played.

Today it is the turn of Scotland to deservedly earn all the plaudits and I hope they qualify for the finals in 2008.

Mr Cameron - NHS Safe in your hands? ... Mmmm not sure ...

Nice to hear Conservative leader David Cameron making all the right noises about his plans for the NHS whilst he is in opposition. Click here for details

I will reserve my judgment about his plans based on my own experience and recollections of the record of the Conservative Party and the NHS.

It is often conveniently overlook by Conservatives that the Party was violently opposed to the creation of the NHS. In numerous House of Commons debates the Conservatives voted time and again against setting up a free National Health Service before it was finally introduced by the Labour Government of 1948.

Shame also that Mr Cameron forgets to mention the most radical disruption ever to the NHS was under the Tories and Mrs Thatcher who almost destroyed the NHS in the 1980’s - a period that saw healthcare professional groups fighting among one another as anarchy ruled.

I have always been someone who believes leopards should be given a chance to change their spots but I need convincing the NHS would in fact be safe in Conservative hands.

There have already been murmurings behind the scenes from Mr Cameron’s cronies that under a future Conservative Government there would be no limit to privatisation of the NHS.

Since 1997 whether we accept it or not there has been more money than ever before ploughed into the NHS by Mr Blair’s Government. If there is anything wrong with the NHS then we need to look at how that money has been spent by managers rather than blame the Government for lack of investment

I think Mr Cameron’s plans will go on the ‘back burner’ anyway because the Conservatives will I suspect shoot themselves in the foot before the next General Election.

They will probably fail to be elected for a fourth successive Election even though the Labour Party, by its appalling treatment of Tony Blair, is trying really hard to give the control of our Country to the Conservatives.

We will see.