[Zenon]

This Sunday marks the end of an era of one the most famous musical venues the world has ever seen, the Hammersmith Palais hosts it's last ever gig with The Fall playing the privilige before it's demolition. Even though I never went, I'm still gutted it's closing because of its legacy and that I'll never get to see what it was like.

[fish heads]

HAHAHAHAHA!

I think you're doing this on purpose now

[MK Chris]

This Zenon guy is classic you have to admit. If he left this place I'd miss him even though I've never met him. Maybe.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

I was like that when the Spar at the bottom of my road shut. If only I wasn't too lazy to walk down and see what it was like.

[Yudster]

I love Zenon. He is the Dom of the forum.

[MK Chris]

I was like that when the Spar at the bottom of my road shut. If only I wasn't too lazy to walk down and see what it was like.

Actually, we laugh at this guy, but people are like that - that's why little village shops shut and then people complain even though they never went.

[SAV1OUR]

My local shop is absolutely brilliant, it used to be a really cramped little thing, very understocked, and then like magic they moved to bigger premises underground virtually below where they used to be.

Only problem is they didnt buy anymore stock, and you have to go up and down stairs too.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

the most depressing two words to any village... Tescos Extra.

[Chris]

The McDonalds in my town has closed apparently after 21 years.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

the fightback starts!

[Yudster]

I'd love to use one of our two village shops, and I'd also like to use the little petrol station at the end of the road, and have my milk delivered by the milkman, just to support local business. Trouble is, the shops don't have anything in them I need, and are stupidly expensive, the petrol station is about 5p/litre more than supermarkets, and the milkman is not only more expensive but he doesn't arrive until after I have left the house for the day, so the milk gets warm/stolen. Sainsbury's is 2.2 miles down the road, and Tesco is 200m from my office. I am unapologetic.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

The more expensive excuse is a rubbish one. If you want to keep a service sometimes you have to pay that bit extra for it.

[Yudster]

The question is, when there is a very viable and perfectly accessible cheaper alternative, why do I want to do that? I don't. Unapologetic still.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

You just said you would like to support local businesses? By their very nature small businesses struggle to match the prices of larger ones.

I think its a community issue. Its not as easy for some to get to shops such as the elderly who can't drive so these places are their lifeline. Also its nice to have some variety.

[Yudster]

Theoretically I would like to support them, but I don't find them supportable. And if they're too expensive for me, the old people in my village have no chance. I already do shopping, transport and picking up prescriptions for four or five of my elderly friends, I can help them much more by doing that than by patronising the local shop which won't drop its prices or extend its range of products as a result.