Thursday, May 10, 2007
19th April. Trip to the post office. Part 2.
When the New Town of Crawley was planned in the late 1940s it was envisaged that there would be 9 neighbourhoods surrounding the main shopping centre and based on the old original town.
Each neighbourhood would have the basic amenities - shops, school, church and pub. The shopping parades would have a bakers, a butchers, a green grocers, a grocers, a chemist, a post office, a newsagents, a hardware store, a fish and chip shop, a hairdressers and maybe others selling our everyday needs.
When we first moved into Southgate in 1966 our parade had those shops, but most have long gone. The big out of town supermarkets have killed them off.
It was sad to see our little haberdashery shop go.
We still have the post office in the newsagents, thank goodness - such a convenience for us with all the parcels we are posting these days.
There is still a small self service store selling many of the basics; the fish and chip shop remains as does the hairdressers and the chemist and we use them all.
There are other take away food shops - Chinese, Indian and a sandwich bar. There is a betting shop, a chiropractor, a nail treatment shop, a shop selling Indian clothes (which I might use some time) and a launderette, which is useful for the washing of duvets.
The church is dedicated to St Mary.
The pub is called The Downsman - there used to be a nice pub sign of a Sussex Downland shepherd and his sheep.
The church is an attractive modern building - perhaps more attractive inside than out.
By the side of the church is the church hall. Jamie and Ashley attended the playgroup that was held here for a couple of hours each morning. Playgroups were non profit making organisations run by the local community - I was on the committe for a while.
I have passed by The Downsman many times and I don't believe I have ever been inside.
I am less likely to these days, for we know few people in the local community now and the pub is catering for those who want a large screen TV for all the sports programmes and quick meals.
When the parades were first built there were far fewer cars and parking was never a problem. Now, as you see, a one way system has been introduced in the car park.
And some new paving has been laid with a bit of interesting planting to make the parade more aesthetic.
This is the newsagents with the little post office inside. Cash machines outside local shops are a modern phenomenon.
Here I am sorting out some parcels with Brenda. There are 2 women who run the post office - Brenda and Sandra. In the mornings they are usually both on duty. We always a enjoy a chat with them when we are there.
Next time we will take the third part of this little journey - the route home.
We almost never walk back by the same route.
Each neighbourhood would have the basic amenities - shops, school, church and pub. The shopping parades would have a bakers, a butchers, a green grocers, a grocers, a chemist, a post office, a newsagents, a hardware store, a fish and chip shop, a hairdressers and maybe others selling our everyday needs.
When we first moved into Southgate in 1966 our parade had those shops, but most have long gone. The big out of town supermarkets have killed them off.
It was sad to see our little haberdashery shop go.
We still have the post office in the newsagents, thank goodness - such a convenience for us with all the parcels we are posting these days.
There is still a small self service store selling many of the basics; the fish and chip shop remains as does the hairdressers and the chemist and we use them all.
There are other take away food shops - Chinese, Indian and a sandwich bar. There is a betting shop, a chiropractor, a nail treatment shop, a shop selling Indian clothes (which I might use some time) and a launderette, which is useful for the washing of duvets.
The church is dedicated to St Mary.
The pub is called The Downsman - there used to be a nice pub sign of a Sussex Downland shepherd and his sheep.
The church is an attractive modern building - perhaps more attractive inside than out.
By the side of the church is the church hall. Jamie and Ashley attended the playgroup that was held here for a couple of hours each morning. Playgroups were non profit making organisations run by the local community - I was on the committe for a while.
I have passed by The Downsman many times and I don't believe I have ever been inside.
I am less likely to these days, for we know few people in the local community now and the pub is catering for those who want a large screen TV for all the sports programmes and quick meals.
When the parades were first built there were far fewer cars and parking was never a problem. Now, as you see, a one way system has been introduced in the car park.
And some new paving has been laid with a bit of interesting planting to make the parade more aesthetic.
This is the newsagents with the little post office inside. Cash machines outside local shops are a modern phenomenon.
Here I am sorting out some parcels with Brenda. There are 2 women who run the post office - Brenda and Sandra. In the mornings they are usually both on duty. We always a enjoy a chat with them when we are there.
Next time we will take the third part of this little journey - the route home.
We almost never walk back by the same route.
