Goodbye high street clothes shopping. Hello Amazon.

I am not a 'past time' shopper either- could never understand why people, couples and families even, would spend their free time shopping around town, rather than walking in the countryside, and doing other stuff together.

But the fact is - that without shoppers- we will not have cafés, restaurants, and all the other types of shops- including the butchers, and the ironmongers. Nothing better than an old fashioned ironmongers, packed to the brink- with someone behind the counter who knows exactly, after a short description, what you need and within an inch, where it is. Brilliant.

It is btw, snowing very heavily again- but as I have the lurgy and waiting for Covid results- skiing will have to wait. And I do NOT live in a ski resort either. Bringing this up is just plain nonsense, and a constant dig at the furiner who dares speak...

We know, we know, we know

But we are trying to avoid mingling
And all non-essential shops here are shut.

The ironmongers - ours went 15 years ago when he retired.
Now, we could start to discuss out-of-town shopping centres with their free parking as the death knell of the High Street.

Jaxjacky

MayBee70 I don’t think I was being venemous? Merely referencing a post from biba making an assumption that people who are pro Amazon voted for Brexit.

I'm a frequent Amazon user and I most certainly didn't vote for Brexit.

Even before the pandemic, I rarely used the shops in my local small town, apart from the market. I went to an out of town shopping centre, where parking is free and everything I wanted was within walking distance.

I often buy foreign books, which Amazon usually stock and deliver within a day or so with no postage.

Snap Callistemon. I didn't see your post.

I have never been in an ironmongers in my life.
But free parking is important, the high streets, or rather the local authorities, realised that way too late.

There is very little in my local high street-most office buildings have been turned into blocks of flats. Now Sainsbury has closed down I could not buy a loaf of bread. There is a good fishmonger but I would not eat Halal meat. Very few shops are closed but there is a surfeit of beauty salons, hairdressers and fruit and vegetable shops with heir goods displayed on the street so it is difficult for a partially sighted person like me to negotiate.

It would appear I cannot afford to move to an area with upmarket clothes shops etc.

I dare not go down the route of parking charges. Some places charge so much and there is not even a valet service included!

I do hope the snow stays in Switzerland.

But free parking is important, the high streets, or rather the local authorities, realised that way too late.

Ours have not yet realised it, but there is little here anyway; it was the out-of-town centres that caused many shops, some part of chains, eg shoe shops, to close.
Small independents, eg the yarn shop, remain and started to provide online shopping themselves.

I'd be cautious about buying clothes from Amazon because I suspect Chinese manufacturers and sweat shops in the UK will start flooding it. I don't often buy clothes, but I do usually stick to brands I know.

biba Your bucolic, quintessentially English market town with its "fishmongers, greengrocers, butchers, bakers and so much more" is suffering exactly the same fate as every other high street across western Europe at the moment. And your great mix of cafés and restaurants, will be lucky if they still exist by the time you get back; COVID has closed them all, along with the cosy country pubs with the roaring log fire you probably also frequent.

COVID has changed not only the way people shop, but the very landscape around us. And your quintessentially English market town may just be a shadow of itself by the time you see it again. But it's not all doom and gloom! Tescos are booming and are scooping up all the closed down shops and opening up mini supermarkets!

I like Woolovers but you cannot tell from the pictures how thick some sweaters are.

I sent for Woolovers knitwear, M0nica and was surprised to find that all were Made in China.

Every cloud has a silver lining Chewbacca, as my dear Mum used to say!

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Chewbacca- it has, for now. But it is up to us, when Covid is over- to help them survive and thrive. Support our local businesses and staff. It is OUR behaviour, OUR support- yours, mine, everyone's - that will make the final decision.

As said, it makes no sense whatsoever to say 'get our country back' - and then destroy it by shopping at Amazon and co. What was the point then???

Are you coming back here to live post-COVID, biba, to support your local businesses?

Urmstongran

Wow! Just like Brexit.
Pick a side ladies!

I’m with Amazon.
?

A GN discussion

A: "The sky is so blue here today."
B: "No it isn't.
A: "Yes, it is."
B: "Well, it's more of an azure blue than a cobalt blue."
A: "I never said it was cobalt blue."
B: "Well, you implied it."
A: "No, I didn't."
B: "Yes, you did."
A. ''No I didn't''
B. ''Ah bur you are foreing, so who are you to talk about the colour of OUR sky''

biba???

GN has a good line in xenophobia.

Callistemon

Are you coming back here to live post-COVID, biba, to support your local businesses?

Perhaps, one day, that was always the plan. We went to my birth country to support my very elderly ill parents- they have gone now. We have kept a small property in the UK, just for that purpose, and because we like to come very regularly- because we love England, our market town, the amazing countryside, the lovely villages and pubs- and so so much more. And our daughters, family, great friends. Things are expensive where we live, so I buy everything we need when in the UK, apart from day to day food.

However, with what has been happening recently, and I am not talking Covid here- the thought of returning is becoming less and less likely by the day. What I/we love about the UK seems to be disappearing very fast, tolerance, openess, fair play, humour- all the best bits- going, going, fast. As illustrated perfectly on a daily basis on GN. And which are so much more important than shops and town centres- but they go together.

If England (and I talk about England because this is what I truly know about) - loses its beautiful towns and villages and their quintessentially English/British character- it would be a massive shame. The charateristics above much more so.

As said, what is the point of doing all the massive damage done by Brexit to 'get our Country back' and then to shoot it ... in the back in the next gesture. Sense? NO:

We Are Not Allowed To Go Shopping

And, if people are, they are criticised for spreading the virus.

What could be plainer than that?

?
A GN discussion

A: "The sky is so blue here today."
B: "No it isn't.
A: "Yes, it is."
B: "Well, it's more of an azure blue than a cobalt blue."
A: "I never said it was cobalt blue."
B: "Well, you implied it."
A: "No, I didn't."
B: "Yes, you did."
A. ''No I didn't''
B. ''Ah bur you are foreing, so who are you to talk about the colour of OUR sky''

It was of course bluer before Brexit - sort of EU blue rather than red, white and blue, blue.

I am genuinely puzzled, though, biba

Why would you ever have thought of leaving an idyllic spot in a beautiful country which is not part of the EU but in the single market (what many people here seem to want), clean, fresh with lovely people who are tolerant, fair with a great sense of humour for a shit-tip of a country like the UK?
Full of litter, intolerant bigots, no nice independent shops, ridden with plague, floods and probably pestilence too? No blue skies either, well, only occasionally.

I am puzzled.

But , then, I don't live in England myself either.

biba and her husband devoted their whole working lives serving the community in the U.K. and then only returned to Switzerland to look after aged parents. imo she loves the U.K. far more than the people that have, imo turned it into a xenophobic backwater. Some people on this forum jump on everything she says (you know who you are). It doesn’t go unnoticed.....

Spending your life serving the community, is not a 'get out of jail' card for having opinions, behaving or living in a way that is contentious.

Maybee70 you may live in a zenophobic backwater, and that is very unfortunate for you, but I live in the area where the Oxford vaccine was developed, a region with research heavy industry, a cosmopolitan society and which voted resoundingly to Remain. I do not know anyone of any age who voted for Brexit.

Callistemon

I am genuinely puzzled, though, biba

Why would you ever have thought of leaving an idyllic spot in a beautiful country which is not part of the EU but in the single market (what many people here seem to want), clean, fresh with lovely people who are tolerant, fair with a great sense of humour for a shit-tip of a country like the UK?
Full of litter, intolerant bigots, no nice independent shops, ridden with plague, floods and probably pestilence too? No blue skies either, well, only occasionally.

I am puzzled.

But , then, I don't live in England myself either.

I know many British expats who left because they didn't like the UK anymore, and preferred other landscapes, more sun, etc. Oh and those- and they are the best (!) who left becasue there were too many foreigners in the UK, who could not speak the language, ate their own foods and went to their own Churches and 'clubs' - and went to Dordogneshire or the Costas - and did .... exactly that! And the irony is totally lost on them.

We never 'left' - we went to look after my amazing parents, in their hour(s) of need - fell in love with an old house in the mountains, and stayed longer than expected. And made sure we kept one foot firmly in the UK- as well as our family and a huge part of our heart. Believe me- or not.

I am foerever extolling the wonders of Englad, its fabulous towns and villages, history, food, cheeses, people and the qualities I mentionned before- here. Always been a true two-way Ambassador for everything British I love, and Swiss- European too. Loving one country does not preclude loving another- absolutely- and also criticising what is not so good, and what is currently turning very sour and unpleasant.

Why on earth am I justifying my choices again- FGS.

So Calli, why did you leave this wonderful Isle(s)?

I was bilingual within 6 months. For me, learning the language of your host country is absolutely essential, at any age, to show respect.

But , then, I don't live in England myself either

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