Hi all,
My work takes me all over the place at all hours. It can be a slightly lonely existance but its a living and I enjoy it. I like to observe life and people and I always have my small digi cam with me.
During the period of Winterval, whilst many were stuffing their faces and drinking too much, I was at work as usual save for a short break.
At this time of year the roads and general urban environment are generally quieter.
Winterval is often seen by many as a period of celebration, good will to all men and all that stuff. I do tend to witness the rather grittier side as well as a little bit of good also.
I took some pics over the Winterval period which gave me some food for thought.
I was in a quiet suburban street on Christmas eve morning. I stepped out of my vehicle and spotted this collection of beer cans in the gutter.
When was it that it became acceptable to walk down the street with a beer can and when was it that it became acceptable just to throw your can on the street when you have finished with it?
I suspect this switch happened in the early nineties and has become progressively worse.
This probably has a lot to do with the liberalisation of alcohol sales and the subsequent growth in chav and underclass culture.
It is not unusual for me to see people out early in the morning and clutching a can of Stella or similar whilst walking down the street.
Alcohol consumption in public places has become as normalised as drinking a can of coke or chomping on a greasy kebab.
It represents another notch on the down slope of moral decline in this country.
Cans are readily available at late night "grocery" stores up and down the land. Such tatty little shops actually rely on the sale of alcohol for their very existance so it is in their interests to fuel the underclass with cheap alcohol at all hours.
Even the alcohol supply chain known as "Bargain Booze" celebrates the sub culture with the slogan on their delivery trucks " Bargain booze-making life richer for the pourer".
Very Ironic.
Of course there was a time when those who wanted to drink,went to the pub.
In tandem with the rise in cheap off licenced alcohol we have the decline of the suburban pub.
They are closing in droves for a number of reasons, mainly due to reducing customers, higher tenancy costs and criminal activity.
What civilised person would want to drink in many such places?
Certainly not I.
The pub featured below closed a couple of years ago. It was driven out of business, like so many in the area, by pocket gangsters offering to provide security to the landlord for a fee. It actually featured in a Roger Cooke program which sought to unmasked these crooks. It has never opened since then
This is a double edged sword for the UK. Grotty,crime ridden suburban pubs have had their day. The family pub which has facilities for all the family and serves food are the ones that will survive.
Also, we should strive to eliminate or severely clamp the sales of alcohol in cheapo late night off licences.
Why should civilised people put up with this scourge just to fuel the profits of the big brewers and to aneasthetize the underclass? They have enough problems as it is.
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