May
2011
 ORGAN
GRINDER
The changing face of Southwold’s high street
Last month saw another institution on Southwold’s high street closing its doors: the Orwell Bookshop. Now there is just one outlet in Southwold solely devoted to books: Bookthrift. As the letters section in this issue reveals, it is in safe hands as Pamela O’Hara, formerly of the Orwell Bookshop, has taken over its running.
There is, however, the bigger picture to consider. The composition of Southwold’s businesses is changing as a list of familiar names lost over the last few years reveals:
- The Queen Street Co-op
- Wards
- Temptations
- The Orwell Bookshop
- Focus Organic
- Southwold Books
- John’s Fish Shop
- Lee Warder Shoes.
Quite a list.
Thankfully, most of this cannot be put at the door of the recession. A glance at the town during recent summer seasons and the continuing issue of traffic control show that the town does not lack for visitors. If anything, the town is getting busier.
Only a few of these businesses closed because of economic hardship; the majority closed for non-economic reasons (mainly their owners retiring or moving away).
What is more concerning is what is replacing them. It is not often like for like and many new businesses appear to be more concerned with meeting the needs of holidaymakers rather than full-time residents, which are not identical.
This is not to denigrate holidaymakers or the important role of tourism in keeping the town going; they bring in a lot of money and businesses would be wrong to ignore the opportunities they represent.
However, it is a subtle threat to the unique mix of real community and holiday destination that makes Southwold so special. How can it be right for full-time residents to have to consider travelling outside the town to meet often basic needs when in the recent past they were so well served by the town centre itself?
There is a danger that all-year-round custom could be driven away from the town, making it difficult for town-centre businesses to get through the quiet times of the year and making them even more dependent on the holiday trade. It also makes it more difficult for businesses not part of national chains that can absorb losses. It is a potential vicious circle.
Businesses need to keep residents in mind and residents also need to keep supporting our town-centre businesses when they can. Otherwise Southwold could become a monoculture and stop being the characterful place we love.
The Editor
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