Penzance now and then

As I mentioned in the last blogpost, I lived in Penzance for a few years and it's always interesting to compare photos I've taken in the past with how the town looks today. Here's the main street - Market Jew Street - in 1985.

And here it is in August 2022. Spot the difference?

I couldn't believe how dead the street was on a Saturday. But then again, it's not the same street I grew up with. Gone are the toy shops, clothes, book and shoe shops. Gone are the butchers, the fishmongers, the florists, tobacconists and sweet shops. Gone are all the unique little local businesses like Medwyn Goodall's New Age record shop, Manzi's jewellers and Dingle's Department Store. What's there in its place are charity shops, secondhand phone shops, tattoo parlours, nail bars and food outlets - and they only survive because no one has yet devised a way to do your nails or instantly send you a hot sausage roll online.

Of course, this is not a problem unique to Penzance or even to Cornwall. High Streets are dying everywhere. It's due to a combination of factors including deep-discount online shopping and next day delivery, high ground rents on shop premises, the arrival of out-of-town supermarkets and shopping centres, and a decrease in the amount of disposable income we all have. But, whatever the reason, it's all rather sad.  

I also went the visit the house I used to live in. It's changed quite a bit but one thing that hasn't is the gate. When my brother Si (pictured) was quite young he somehow got his knee stuck between two of the bars. Despite the best efforts of Dad and the neighbours they couldn't bend the bars enough to free him so the Fire Brigade was called. The fire officers did their best to straighten the bars afterwards but didn't quite manage it. And now, fifty years later, Si and I were delighted to find that the gate is still there and so is the kink.

(There's a slight bow in the third and fourth bars from the left.)