Those who know me, call me the High Street in Ashford, Middlesex, though I'm actually Church Street.

I'm not very long as high streets go; you could probably walk the length of me in 15 minutes.

But I'm very popular; there's a war memorial which can be quite quite busy in November; all the local guides & brownies, scouts & rainbows, parade towards it, the servicemen come along and shed a tear for their long-gone comrades, and the local choir comes down and sings hymns on Remembrance Day.



The church at the top of the road is very popular; the bells are always pealing for weddings, and mourners congregate there for service, before heading to the cemetery further into town.



The locals use me a lot; there are two butchers, a car factor's,  a couple of off licenses & newsagents, I've even got a Woolies!

All the local amenities are based here; the local library, the college, police station, the clinic & dentist's. I've even got a train station.



There's plenty of parking; I've even got a free multi-story!

What I think is grand though, is the amount of independent traders I've got: a proper florist, two greengrocers', a camera shop, carpenters, joiners & fitters, baker & shoe-shop and even a haberdasher's!

But things have changed.

There are now two huge supermarkets not 10 minutes drive from me; and the shops are being demolished and replaced by luxury apartments.



The council has decided to start charging for parking; how can I compete against free parking in the Tesco's up the road?

And now, they've closed the post office.

Charity shops abound, and people are scared to walk about come evening, now that the police station is only open 'til 6.



And the camera shop has just announced a closing down sale.

I'm alone and scared.

Is this what it feels like to die?

Tobbot, aka Tobstv