Village of the year, Its a bit racist Options

[TallDarkAndHands...]

Its pretty obvious all villages should be destroyed as they are pretty much apartheid. Not a brown or black face to be seen. Shocking. All on ITV now. Disgusting...

[Biker1]

I think it's probably the availability of the motor car that has caused the demographic and amenity changes in our villages, yes?
Take that away and the attraction of remote village life may be somewhat different!

[On the edge]

I think it's probably the availability of the motor car that has caused the demographic and amenity changes in our villages, yes?
Take that away and the attraction of remote village life may be somewhat different!

Arguably the mechanisation / industrialisation of agriculture was the greatest driver for change. There are now very few real jobs left in the countryside. Easy individual transport hastened the speed of change, making public transport wholly uneconomic. Now retail, even petrol stations, pulled away from village settings again for economic reasons. Sure, a few might like the dream of 'working from home' in a chocolate box cottage, until the reality kicks in a couple of years later. So there might be a farm shop with prices that would make Waitrose blush, but no village shop or post office, no pub, not many places to walk, and half an hours drive to get anywhere useful - that's not adding in the gripes from your pregnant wife. So, inevitably back to town they head. Sure, there might be a few local characters, been there for ever, but aren't there similar 'characters' in town? That 1950s sunny image is more a nightmare mid winter, when the oil lorry can't make it up the unsalted road and the septic tank holds more liquid than your fuel tank.

So, those who like to enjoy the countryside are far better off indulging themselves simply by driving out when they have an opportunity. Half hour each way us nothing for a pleasant day out. The other way, when you've made it, is to take a place in the country as a holiday home. What the really successful do, your country estate and your town house - now that's a real,aspirational dream.