Poland 2017 before the big brand !

January 22nd 2017

Local shop, Tesco local in the making ?

I remember when I was a child in the mid eighty's it was a simple time and my father and I would walk to our local shop and get the deposit back on bottles from the week that had just passed. For me it was the event of the week where I might end up with 20p to spend in the shop on chocolate or Hubba Bubba bubble gum it was a simple time. A time that what ever you needed was available from your local shop. When we were on our way there we would say hi to the local people and more often then not they would stop and have a chat about the weather or their children and then we'd be back on our way. It was nice and cosy and you felt that everyone would help you or that everyone took and interest at least and there was more of a community.

Then consumerism hit our shores and you could have what ever you wanted from the town Tesco's and the need to go to the local shop died out, people stopped talking to each other and had more money so moved away to a bigger house or to be closer to family. The world I knew then vanished and everyone kept to themselves. Instead of going to the local shop for something it was to B&Q or to Argos because it was cheeper and the local store owner who would help you and give advise was replaced by a teenager on minimum wage who was more interested in slopping off for a fag.

What does all this have to do with Poland in 2017 ? well its a warning because I look around me and see that community that we once had in England its the same people still take the time to say hello or 'czesc' and ask after your brother, mum or dad. But it won't be long before it disappears, before Tesco, Lidl and B&Q take over they are slowly creeping in ready to take hold and put their hands around your communities and strangle them. It may take longer but it'll happen. At least I can be the old man and say it wasn't like this when I first came here but I did see it coming.