Why am I always so disappointed...

[Rishile]

I've done it again.

We spent the weekend in the area why most of my ancestors lived and decided to have a drive round some of the villages.

For some reason I always expect to see the fields surrounding the villages still being worked by hand (my ancestors!!) and tiny cottages where 10 people lived and small village shops where the owner knows everyone in the village and probably the three villages adjacent.  But all I ever seem to find are the fields gone and housing estates in their place, and a huge T**co where the corner shop should be.

And they say this is progress??

Rishile

[Ruskie]

And don't forget all the cars which now clog the streets.

I know what you mean though - I hate 'progress' too. 

[CaroleW]

Hi

Whilst I take your point about re-development as I hate over-development,  I think we also have to be realistic.  Would you really like to live as your ancestors did??  

No gas/electricity/running hot water

Outside toilet - or hole in the ground??

10 people sharing 3-4 rooms

I think not!!

[Rishile]

CaroleW - no, of course I like my home comforts but I don't want the people who live in the places where my ancestors lived to have them 

For some reason I always feel the same after one of these trips - I should be used to it by now.

Rishile

[suzard]

I've done it again.

We spent the weekend in the area why most of my ancestors lived and decided to have a drive round some of the villages.

 , and a huge T**co where the corner shop should be.

And they say this is progress??

Rishile

I know exactly what you mean
The village I was born and raised in (and 5 generations before me) has recently been swallowed by a supermarket chain - not the "t" one this time)
Demolished to make way for it was a row of shops , the post office (which had been there over 100yrs) alot of shops which made up a corner -to make way for an island!
The iron bridge over the railway which I walked across to school every day-gone
The workshop where my father, grandfather and great grandfather worked -gone
One side of the street where my grandparents and great grandparents live -gone

Ok -so the place was run down - but how covering the area with a supermarket is an improvement I don't know.
It supposedly brings trade to the area_ yes it does but only to the supermarket - there is less trade forthe (only just) surviving high street shops which are left standing -

I know I look at the place through rose tinted spectacles but it really has ruined the place -

sUZ

[Ruskie]

Yes, some remaining traces of our ancestors lives would be nice. 

Your story sounds very sad Suz ... anything of character destroyed and replaced by a sterile anonymous building is never a good thing in my eyes.

[Lydart]

My grandmother was born under this lot !       

[Lydart]

... and great grandparents lived here in 1900 ... its part of a shopping mall now ...

... but as I dont have pictures of where they actually lived, I keep these modern ones instead !

[Rishile]

It is all very sad and makes you wonder about the future.

One of the villages had some very big, very old, run down buildings.  There were about 10 of them.  They looked like railway buildings or something and probably the industry there would have employed most, if not all, of the men in the nearby villages.  There was nothing left except the buildings and it looked like their days were numbered.  The land it stands on will be about the right size for a supermarket.

Do you think future geneologists will be thrilled to see the remains of a supermarket and say proudly 'my gtx3 grandmother worked there'. 

I think not - but I could be wrong.

Rishile