Go Loco for
Buy Local! As you already know I’m a massive fan of all things local. Recently I’ve seen some good articles from celebrities like Mary Portas on what’s happening to our town centres. It’s lovely to know that people do understand how important our high streets and local businesses are to our communities. Let’s face it, local communities are part of the fabric of our society; they have helped create what it is to be British. Now I’m not going to start waxing lyrical about the ‘Great’ in Britain to the strains of Rule Brittania, but actually, it is those communities that have given us our history and traditions that attract 31 million visitors to the UK every single year (that’s half of our entire population by the way). Compare that to Spain’s 45 million visitors. A country two and half times the size with infinitely better weather!
The sad thing is, our high streets are in decline; and as the Banks and the struggling national chains move out we are either left with rows of empty, unloved buildings or Payday Lenders and Betting Shops. Now don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with the odd Payday Loan firm or Betting Shop. A place for everything, and everything in its place. However, as Ed Milliband rightly pointed out in April while speaking in Ipswich; these types of retailers have increased by 20% in the last year, leaving our high streets devoid of variety, individuality and more importantly, people. “Every day I am asked to predict the future of the British high street. I don’t have all the answers, but one thing I do know is that high streets won’t be only about shops.” Mary Portas. Too right Mary! Our high streets are about way more than that. Originally our village greens, town squares and high streets formed the centre of where we lived. It was where we connected with other people and found out about what was going on in our town, as well as buying our groceries.
It was the noise of the market traders, the bustle of other shoppers, the wave from the butcher as you walked past, the smell of the freshly baked bread from the bakery…..it was about the experience. That experience and tradition doesn’t have to be consigned to history, we just have to drag it into the 21st century, however much it kicks and screams. So now you’re all thinking, that’s great, but how on earth am I supposed to do that? I’m a printer/ accountant/tattooist and my business isn’t a 4th generation family concern. Well that doesn’t mean that you can’t reflect the values and the history your community stands for. Each area has its own unique culture, its own achievements and its own local heroes as well as the universally British values of honesty, freedom, equality and justice. Every community has a story but without the story teller it will be lost forever.
www.thebestof.co.uk/epsomandewell Update May 2013 Bestof-Epsom and Ewell-May 2013.indd 6
17/04/2013 17:53