Making_and_Repairing_of_Society

Making and repairing of society: High Street: Making: * train line including with quick journeys into London * supermarkets giving variety * local shops covering most of our necessities * social clubs Repairing: * Improved public transport to busy shopping destinations and into London * Underground extension – more transport options into London * Refurbished shops and supermarkets * Area kept its house prices low so population increase * Cable TV company Virgin offering choice over Sky monopoly Differences and Inequaities: * Area is very diverse * crime rate is high * Local shops have a harder time since improved supermarket * Recession has caused the closure of some shops including a thriving car showroom * Local Post office has lost some of its services High Street is a small up and coming town. In its inception there were major train lines directly on the High Street with quick journeys into London and other shopping destinations e.g. Croydon. There were a variety of local shops, pharmacies and a general sense of community where habitants know the shop owners by name and stop and talk to each other on the street. As the neighbourhood has grown due to the relatively cheap houses, the area has become more diverse and more habitants meant large supermarkets started opening as well as various chains like Greggs the Bakers. In addition there was also the improvement of the public transport as well as an extention of the underground which offered more transport links and choices into London and Croydon. The main differences in the small town is the fact that it is very diverse and as the area grows so do the shops covering the needs of each group of people. However, because of the diversity, the minority may have a harder time finding goods as shops will now provide mainly for the majority of inhabitants. Another cause of the differences may also have to do with the recession where more shops have closed including a thriving car show room and the post office, which have downsized their services. In addition, due to the new larger supermarkets, local shops have suffered as supermarkets offer items at a reduced cost. On a final note, people use the social clubs less, the sense of community has gone and i can only attribute that to the fact that there is an increased crime rate and people are less trusting of their neighbours. The changes and differences have occurred because there are now more people on the street, there is more traffic, less people walk around the street and meet and talk with each other, they mostly drive in, run to the shops and go back home where they close their doors and watch the TV. There is also a sense of the town being larger so the community spirit is not so much on the main high street even though it may still remain in remote parts of the community. In summary, as communities grow and as the main high street gets more populated with chain stores and supermarkets the sense of community has dwindled.