Dd101_Tma01

DD101 TMA 01 Outline some of the ways in which differences and inequalities are made and remade on a street you know. As I walk through Nantwich High Street, I see a small, traditional market town centre. There are the very old buildings that are white with the black wooden beams synonymous with Elizabethan times. (Most of the town burnt down in the great fire of Nantwich in 1583 but there are some buildings that remain.) There is the World War 1 memorial statue that sits in the centre of the main square seating area where the elder generation of Nantwich sit and drink their tea from their flasks or eat their lunch and where the younger workers meet their friends for lunch breaks. There is the old Market Centre that dates back to the 16th century. The town has a lot of history and there are many plaques in and around the town centre to commemorate this. The People of Nantwich take great pride in the town’s history. Nantwich 10 years ago was a very small town with a mix of small independent businesses like clothes boutiques, coffee shops, jewellers and independent electrical and hardware sales. This was very suited to the wealthier set of traditional Nantwich residents (Nantwich is considered to be a wealthy area) However with the addition of 3 large housing estates and many younger families moving to the town, this has caused some differences between the old and new. As with all high streets modern society demands change, Nantwich residents wish for the town to remain the same, not to change and remain the small traditional picturesque town that it is famous for but the newer younger families require modern choices at more reasonable prices. The shops in Nantwich have been, until the recent growth of the town, certainly suited to the original Nantwich residents, But perhaps not to the families who cannot afford the boutique clothes and exclusive jewellers prices. It has been interesting to see “bargain” shops opening up on the high street. We are seeing a new style of shops like “savers” and “B&M Bargains” we are also seeing the higher price clothes boutiques and independent businesses closing down perhaps because of the opening of the lower priced shops' The higher priced businesses cannot compete with the “bargain” shops that the families require. But it is interesting to see that all kinds of Nantwich people are using the lower priced shops to buy essentials like toilet paper and washing up liquid at bargain prices. Even the Original wealthier elder community are warming to the idea of buying cheaper products sometimes. There is a constant theme of change and continuity which is being demonstrated here on Nantwich High Street that creates some winners (bargain shops and shoppers searching for a bargain) and some losers (the higher priced boutiques and independent businesses) and that can be seen on most high streets throughout the UK. There is a Café/Bar that is central in the town centre called Harrisons. By day it is a coffee shop and mostly the elder residents of Nantwich go and have always gone there. It has reasonable prices and a varied lunch menu. It is the most popular café in town for the elder generation. It hasn’t changed too much over the years and this gives the elder community a sense of belonging. By Night it changes to a modern Bar, the tables are removed and the customers drink their chosen beverages and dance on the dance floor. It is considered a trendy place for the younger generation and helps them to feel that they also belong and are a part of the Nantwich community. So there is a different perception of Harrisons in the daytime and the night-time. However, it brings the young and old together. Albeit at different times but does help to repair society and repair differences. According to Dr. Georgina Blakeley (making social lives DVD) Harrisons therefore could be considered a dual function business, in that they provide their chosen service (in this case a calm cafe during the day, and a lively bar at night.) But it gives the town’s residents a sense of community and belonging during the day and a fun lively scene at night for the younger residents To summarise, Nantwich recently has grown against the wishes of the long standing residents. The old and new have had to learn to put their differences and inequalities aside and live together. The repairing of society has been helped with dual function services providers such as Harrisons Cafe/Bar.