General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

I remember a time in the summer school holidays of my childhood when my mam would join the other mother's of our street, and on hot days sit on the garden wall of a neighbour for hours on end putting the world, well the local world anyway, to rights. Is it me, or is this long gone pastime of the street enlightened a sad loss nowadays. People seem much more isolated today, the local shops like Marian's, Enid's, Little Billie's and the like, have almost all turned the shop doors closed sigh for the last time. No more pencil behind the ear for totting up the bill on your greaseproof wrapping paper, definitely not at the local supermarket they won't. Now the local pubs are becoming few and far between. I feel there's no getting together of neighbourhood people any more. no real sense of belonging now. Do we all know everyone in our street, or road or even our close neighbours?.