Fanni I've been in the area since 1976.! Bealsons I had forgotten about! In the last four years so much has disappeared Mark's and Spencer's, Beales. House of Fraser is now owned by Sports Direct. BHS disappeared. Then there are the other stores that are smaller such as Clinton's,Thorntons, Evan's. I havent been there this year but it's hard to visualise what left,well apart from a massive Primark and the usual coffee chains.!
I remember when House of Fraser was Dingles and it had the most amazing food department with what seemed incredibly exotic items! I was saddest to see Beales close, I knew people over the years who worked there and it seemed a lovely place.
I suppose for many of us there is so much nostalgia. Department stores were special places. One of my earliest memories is of going to the one where I grew up ,I remember the joy of their book department and having a milkshake float.
As an adult the good ones were for if you needed something special or good quality.
Still I suppose they cant survive on fond memories. Trends have changed.
I use Amazon a lot,and also Ebay. Amazon causes me so much conflict in just about every area of how it works.
In reality its invaluable to me, even more so this year. The choice is unbeatable and the prices competitive. When my father was alive and had dementia I was able to source local history books of where he grew up. I wouldnt have been able to get locally.
For a few years now I have tried to source items locally,and just cant find them.
At the beginning of the year I wanted a bath toy for my grandsons birthday. I looked with increasing desperation around my local town. Nothing. Of course there are no toy shops,but even Boots which used to have a good baby department had nothing!
I sat on a bench and logged on to Amazon. In less than a minute I found a lovely tug boat that not only was a totally reasonable price but was made using non toxic totally recycled and recyclable materials. Everything about it was ethical. It arrived within 24 hours.
When I looked up I saw a row of Amazon lockers where you can deposit or collect items. It felt rather like an omen.
For me this year Amazon has gone from a useful resource to an absolute necessity. I been able to send Easter eggs and advent calendars directly to my daughter and her family. I've even sent this years Christmas presents to her in case they cant visit. I've bought birthday cards,books,craft items. Everything I'm unable to get to the shops for,and to be honest would struggle to find if could. Items are competitively priced,arrive without fail and I'm always pleased with the quality.
It does worry me. This year is very different. I dont drive and taking a bus to find cotton for a craft project just not going to happen. I wouldnt want anyone else to have to go to the shops on my behalf for anything that isnt vital. Online shopping had kept me independent.
As some have suggested it is concerning the monopoly Amazon has and how that could be abused.
When we did emerge from this crisis I do wonder what it will be to.
The loss of jobs is tragic and I'm never quite sure what any government says when they bang on about job creation. What are we creating?
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