My grandchildren have decided not to buy new clothes for a year, because of the climate change thing. Apparently the clothing industry is a big contributor to the problem. I don’t know if they’ll manage it. But I’m feeling the same, during lockdown, re-thinking how much stuff I need to buy. Sometimes we replace things just because we can, rather than because we need to. I’m going to be buying lots less stuff. But then we keep getting told we need to buy things to keep the economy going and help with jobs.
Another big change. When I first moved to Llanberis 15 years ago, there was a great variety of shops on the high street – there was a hardware shop, there was a vegetable shop which also sold pet food, there was a wholefood shop that also sold vegetables, there was a bakery, there was a bookshop, a post office, hair dressers, banks, a tourist Information shop. Those shops are nolonger there. Now its all cafes and outdoor shops. Although there always was outdoor shops. The diversity to just two types of shops – no three types - there is a hairdressers still. And there used to be about 10 types. I think it is reflecting the general change in the world. I don’t know how all the cafes are going to cope with all this virus epidemic. I’ve been in Bethesda a lot recently – there used to be a butchers. That’s closed. Unfortunately they’ve lost diversity in the high street and that’s used to be where people meet. And this coronavirus is stopping people meeting. A first hand social change.