A Sign of the Times

So our Woolies (Woolworths) is going the way of all the others. Sadly, the writing has been on the wall for many years for certain businesses where their product is either too expensive or is no longer wanted. Why should I travel into town in my car, pay a high price for parking and enjoy the traffic congestion that inevitably comes with a trip into town. Then to dodge even more traffic once in town, put up with their noise and air pollution, the foul mouthed utterings of all ages of people, etc. When what I could simply do is (as so many people are increasingly doing) get onto the internet and do my shopping that way. We hear cries of concern about Woolworths closing or the latest of our pubs that find they can no longer afford to trade. Of course it is sad when shops or pubs close but it is a symptom of the times. People don't want broken biscuits any more. Messrs Sainsbury/Tesco/Asda sell beer at a fraction of the cost of a pint of beer in the pub and Sky telly provides the entertainment at home. Until our borough council wake up to the fact that they are driving people away from the shops by their failure to offer free car parking or a Park and Ride or a traffic free town centre, then things are going to get worse and worse until we are all voting with our feet, staying at home and shopping by the internet. In 20 years time, Colchester will have become a very depressing place, unless something positive is done to reverse the trend. What do you think?