Dirty Old Town

I thought Staffordshire's small market towns like Stone and Newcastle were fairly immune to urban decay, but wandering through Newcastle this morning I was surprised by the amount of key building and high profile properties that remained vacant. Many long empty shop fronts look virtually derelict.  

Even Stone has a fair percentage of vacant shops, two of the prime locations have recently been vacated, moving to new premises leaving their previous empty. Both are some of the first buildings that you'll see driving into Stone, they are important in terms of initial impressions of the town. I wish the owners or county council realised this and made some effort to make them presentable until someone can be found to take the lease.

I wonder what the town needs? Nothing swiftly comes to mind initially, irrespective of need they'll probably both become charity shops. Charity shops and coffee bars represent the only real area of growth on the high street

As I said earlier it'll take more than shops to rejuvenate a town or city.

Somethings remain consistent in Newcastle; the vile annoying group of witches (gender non-specific) that perch themselves in the bay window of Reubens who cackle & bitch. They're always there, present on each of my morning visits it appears.

I could happily waste hours in Reubens were it not for them. It's one of the few things that I retain of that part of my past (2000-2006'ish). Although I spend less & less time in Newcastle, for so many years it was a default destination just to get out of the house, escape Todd Terraces. In many ways I guess Stone has replaced it, but more tellingly I am happy to remain at home and no longer feel the need to escape. Apart from on Wednesdays obviously when all to often I run away to avoid the cleaner. It's odd with my rolling shift patten that I often find myself free on Wednesday, either in bed post-night or off-work. 

Reubens does remind me of Wadham Street in many ways, presentable on initial inspection but scruffy on further scrutiny. Despite this, or perhaps because, I remain very fond of the place.