Remember a while back we were discussing about businesses closing due to on-line ordering. Biggus, you'll remember about Bruce Miller's (red poly bags), well I've just looke at the local rag, The Evening Distress, and true to form the Aladdins Cave which was the One-Up record shop on Belmont Street has had to close after 34 years business. ****in goldmine that shop was. Most city centres are going to be ghost towns soon. I can see Aberdeen becoming the Mecca for titty bars and lap dancing clubs. Sad, so sad.
I've not been in Aberdeen city centre for quite a while - when I visit now, I go to my granny's then my auntie's in Bridge of Don (always visiting the Ashvale there) and take the kids down to whatever-they-call-the-beach/Codona's now (Hollywood Boulevard or something?) If you want to see a truly, truly depressing High St, take a walk down Paisley High St. I've posted pics of it before but the council have resorted to putting in fake shops to make it look less derelict. As much as online shopping is hitting city centres, out of town "malls" already have a few of them on the life support. There used to be four independent music shops in Paisley as late as the nineties - there's one now and it's been having a closing down sale for about 10 years. Progress and aw that but I like towns with their spirit and look intact (Inverary, Durham etc) - my kids, however, seem to prefer identikit glass-cased shopping centres with the same ****ing shops in every one.
Yup the soul is being ripped out of town and city centres and squeaky clean malls and football stadia crop up in the outskirts everywhere. Union Street in Aberdeen is in a ****in shocking state and it used to be absolutely buzzing. Empty properties everywhere because of the likes of on-line ordering, extortionate rent rates and sheer ****in stupidity on the part of our bastardingly inept Council. We are slowly losing the character of the city and town centres.
I've been looking at a lot of old pictures of Paisley yesterday and it is pretty much unrecognisable. My mum showed me some old pictures recently of an 18 yr old her and her pals (one of them was proper ding dong) on Union St in 1970 when Aberdeen had won the cup and the first thing you notice other than the crowds is how clean everything looks - the old pictures of Paisley are the same. A mate of mine stays in Cumbernauld and says when he watches Gregory's Girl that the only big change in the town is that it was pure pristine clean looking then and now it looks all washed out.
Aye, it really is sad how we have let things go to rack and ruin. It's the kids I worry for. What are we going to leave them? A mess, that's what.
I know. It is indeed some spectacle. Would have been 96/97 right enough they were back. Adds a splash of colour to the city. I read that the freakin International Market is not back in town until the beginning of April. Probably another balls up by our ****in useless council no doubt. My daughter and I love going to that.
I know what you are getting at but the fact is I don't order anything on-line as I like to see first hand what I am getting. But to be honest, that particular shop, about 10 months ago so yeah I'm no better in this instance.
It's true of a lot of people. I lament the closing of certain stores in Edinburgh but the truth is I haven't shopped in some of them in years so what right do I have to moan? I just can't understand people who download movies, music and especially books. In 20-30 years time this country is going to be over-run with obese people who spend near all of their time sitting on their lazy arses. Being sedentary will be this country's number one killer in years to come.
I think that time is already here. I genuinely prefer seeing things first hand instead of a picture on the pc. Part of the fun is searching out the items and being able to touch them and see exactly what you are getting. Plus I'm still rather childish about purchasing something and coming back from the town with my "prize". Sad but the end justifies the means for me. I don't drive either so there's a fair chance I will always be slim as I walk about a lot.
This is becoming spooky In a lot of ways I am rather old fashioned. Ive always felt that effort is required in life and things are becoming far too easy (and a bloody sight more expensive) these days. In fact once the divorce comes through I am going to go back to basics. The Tories (John Major I think) came out with that one and all the time he was currying Edwina's eggs, the fly old bugger. Actually looking back Major wasn't that bad a PM, a 100% improvement on what went before
A lot of people hated One Up because they employed staff who felt the need to give their opinion on what you were buying. Self important pricks working in a music shop. I never shopped there because I buy everything online.
