| It's non debatable that the idyll of living in a beautiful | | | | goods out of the village where it's 'cheaper'. They |
| English country village rests strongly in the heart of | | | | don't feel that it's worth paying that little bit extra so |
| countless people the world over. With it's chocolate | | | | that the shop keeper can afford to live at all. When |
| box picture imagery and a slower way of life, why | | | | they go to the village pub (if there's still one left) |
| wouldn't it appeal? | | | | they moan again at the prices because they can buy |
| With a history that goes back hundreds of years in | | | | the alcohol so much cheaper with their supermarket |
| many cases, seemingly untouched by recent trends | | | | shopping. |
| of human greed, the English country village lifestyle is | | | | They want the idyll, but they want it on the cheap. |
| highly sought after. But! The English Country village is | | | | They don't see the locals whose community they've |
| dying under all that pressure to remain just an idyll in | | | | invaded struggling to make ends meet because there |
| our minds. | | | | is no local work. They therefore can't afford to run a |
| The local folk who give a community it's heart are | | | | motor car to find work outside the immediate area, |
| being scattered far and wide because they can no | | | | and with public transport very hit-and-miss in the |
| longer afford to live in their own village. When a | | | | English countryside, that's not a viable option either. |
| family outgrows it's present accommodation, the | | | | It would appear that the English Country Village is |
| children who are ready to leave the nest can no | | | | strangling itself, but if you were to ask any of those |
| longer afford to 'buy' property in their own | | | | villagers who are experiencing this stagnation and |
| community because investors and rich weekenders | | | | slow death of their way of life how they would save |
| have bought up all of those 'quaint village properties' | | | | it. To a man/woman they would say "build more |
| so that they can 'buy' into the English Country Village | | | | houses that we can afford to buy or rent". That |
| way of life. | | | | would give employment to locals, and boost the |
| There are no properties to rent now either, because | | | | trade in the local shops. |
| the traditional landowners who used to build houses | | | | The fact that expansion was being allowed would |
| on their property to accommodate their workers are | | | | encourage small businesses to move into the area. |
| now selling them off to the highest bidder in order to | | | | Another lifeblood transfusion for the village way of |
| survive themselves. | | | | life. New buildings don't have to look stark and bland. |
| Then we have 'English Heritage', those stuffed shirts, | | | | Many new houses these days are built to look and |
| who believe that they've been sent by God himself | | | | feel very 'country' indeed. |
| to protect the English Country Village and surrounding | | | | In the Thames Valley, home to some beautiful |
| areas as a museum piece. But who in fact live their | | | | country villages, we have a property developer |
| lives with their heads stuck firmly in that part of their | | | | 'Westbuild Homes' who over the past 20 years or so |
| anatomy where the sun never shines. It's no wonder | | | | have continued to build their 'cottage style' houses |
| that stagnation has taken hold and the idyll of an | | | | that sit well in any country setting. They are |
| English Country Village is in its last throws of life as | | | | extremely popular and often sell long before they're |
| anyone ever knew it. | | | | even built, but just one small builder can't be |
| Locals can now no longer afford to maintain their | | | | expected to save the village image as a whole, |
| own properties because these stuffed shirts impose | | | | especially as the cost of those homes are out of the |
| ridiculous 'conditions' on them. Only the most labour | | | | reach of local folk. But it does take the pressure off |
| intensive, expensive materials will do. They also have | | | | the demand for existing housing stock. |
| to 'ask' permission from these jumped up food critics | | | | Planners across the UK are given a mandate to |
| to continue with every simple step along the way, | | | | restrict any building of any kind within the many |
| often having to wait many days for one to deem it | | | | village boundaries. English heritage and its many |
| important enough for them to show up in the first | | | | tentacles are doing more than their bit to ensure that |
| place. | | | | the mandate holds firm. But why do we have this |
| What happens if these normal village folk turn a blind | | | | unrealistic idea that history must be kept like a |
| eye to the 'stuffed shirts' and carry on regardless? | | | | museum artefact? How do we think those villages |
| They're hit with very large fines and told to return | | | | got to look the way they do right now? Would they |
| any work that's been done back to the original 'bad' | | | | look as they do now if there were stuffed shirts |
| state. Madness? Not at all, how can it be? The British | | | | around telling them that they couldn't build any more? |
| Government give those stuffed shirts their full | | | | Of course not. They built when and where it was |
| blessing. There are 'Laws' these days to support the | | | | necessary to expand and grow. As did all of the |
| buffoons in charge of destroying the very fabric of | | | | major towns and cities the world over. |
| the English country village. | | | | In America, we see cinematic images of the |
| There is a common law in nature itself which is as | | | | tumbleweed rolling through ghost towns because |
| undeniable as E=mc2, and that is = "That whatever | | | | they stagnated and died. The original inhabitants were |
| stands still and never expands, stagnates and dies". | | | | protective of their community to the point of 'driving |
| Fact! If anyone thinks that holding back the | | | | out' any new comers, usually at the point of a gun. |
| expansion of our chocolate box village image just to | | | | Their reward was the ghost towns we now see. |
| satisfy those who want to stand, stare and admire is | | | | The stuffed shirts and planners are the new sheriffs |
| a good idea, then they are as guilty of killing off | | | | who are shooting anyone who dares to try and alter |
| those very images as the 'stuffed shirts' themselves. | | | | the 'community' that God himself has supposedly |
| Shops are closing because the new influx of | | | | ordained them to do..... 'NOT'. |
| weekenders, holiday makers and tourists all buy their | | | | |