Any of you lot live somewhere that has been gentrified by the chattering classes?
Popped down to Bruton (Somerset) at the weekend. Its 7 miles from me and I go there periodically as it has some quirky old fashioned style shops on its high street.
Not any more - a local farmer snuffed it last year and his farm was snapped up by a chap called Iwan Wirth (of Haser & Wirth fame(?)) who has set up a gallery that is touted to be a future Guggenheim.
And the bohemian, Islington types are falling over themselves to get a piece of the action. Can't believe how the place has been transformed in the 6 months since I've been there. Yes, there's an upmarket restaurant called At The Chapel that has been for a few years but, one by one, the quirky little shops are being transformed into trendy boutiques and places selling "artisan" this, that and the other. And the only punters in these places seem to be their mates - you see they all move down en masse as some big collective. All very right on I'm sure but they don't half look down their noses at us locals.
According to the local rag, it's all very good for the local economy and just think what it will do for the value of your house prices! Well, the prices in their shops are so high that the only punters are other folks like them. And the house price thing - that's very much an I'm alright Jack kind of view - sod the kids of locals who won't be able to afford to live there any more.
Anyone else get hot under the collar about this sort of thing? I guess this is what Cornwall has been suffering from for years but now there's no room left for them to pitch their ******* teepees, they're all descending on us instead.
Popped down to Bruton (Somerset) at the weekend. Its 7 miles from me and I go there periodically as it has some quirky old fashioned style shops on its high street.
Not any more - a local farmer snuffed it last year and his farm was snapped up by a chap called Iwan Wirth (of Haser & Wirth fame(?)) who has set up a gallery that is touted to be a future Guggenheim.
And the bohemian, Islington types are falling over themselves to get a piece of the action. Can't believe how the place has been transformed in the 6 months since I've been there. Yes, there's an upmarket restaurant called At The Chapel that has been for a few years but, one by one, the quirky little shops are being transformed into trendy boutiques and places selling "artisan" this, that and the other. And the only punters in these places seem to be their mates - you see they all move down en masse as some big collective. All very right on I'm sure but they don't half look down their noses at us locals.
According to the local rag, it's all very good for the local economy and just think what it will do for the value of your house prices! Well, the prices in their shops are so high that the only punters are other folks like them. And the house price thing - that's very much an I'm alright Jack kind of view - sod the kids of locals who won't be able to afford to live there any more.
Anyone else get hot under the collar about this sort of thing? I guess this is what Cornwall has been suffering from for years but now there's no room left for them to pitch their ******* teepees, they're all descending on us instead.
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