I see Diva wrappings has gone now! I also assume that the restaurant at the Abbey hotel is no longer as the boards outside have been wiped clean for the last week. Does anyone know if that's the case. That means that on the east side of East street only the hardware shop remains and only to Co=op on the east side of West street.

The resturant in the Abbey has been replaced with a pool table!

Its a shame about all the shops closing .........but who do we blame?

Ourselves possibley for not supporting our local shops enough?


On a brighter note the Guys at the Italian tell me that business is growing and that they are allways fully booked at weekends.

I think we have to face it. Crowland is a dormatory town for those working in Peterborough, Spalding and beyond. We therefore only need the bare essential services for which we are well catered for:
A butcher, baker (ok, no candlestick maker !!) Doctor, dentist, mini-marts, churches, pubs, restaurant, fast food outlets, hairdressers, petrol, vehicle maintenance, hardware, florist, library, firestation and a police station (sometimes.

So what else could we possibly need ? Any ideas anyone ?

I think we are missing leisure/fitness facilities and facilities for the youth.

A Community Centre would be nice but is Crowland a true "community" still ?

I thought there were plans to build housing next to the Coop and Spar ? That would smarten the centre up. What happened to those plans ?

I don't know how anyone can ask if Crowland is a real community anymore! You only have to spend some time in the Cancer fund shop to see how many people not only know each other really well but are related to each other. I have lost count of the number of times people have commented on 'the people' as being one of the prime things they like about Crowland. I think you would be hard pressed to find many communities where the older generation are involved in so many groups and activities.

Do you belong to any local groups or just use the town to sleep in? Many of us do not, we share each other lives, support each other in times if trouble and stress, look after each others homes when the owners are away, celebrate major events together and generally happily live out our lives in this special place.

Where I do agree with you is with your comment re there being a distinct lack of facilities for the younger people but please don't write off the town as a dormitory. IT IS NOT.

Oh, I didn't know I would be so offended by that remark

i have to agree with you 100% barbersdrove.

we are fairly recent additions to the crowland community- having only moved here in november,and i have to say that without a doubt the thing i love they most about living here is the people and the sense of community .

My children are involved in sports clubs,cadets,gardening club and youth club and they have made some really good friends in the local community.

My neighbours are lovely people and it seems everyone has a smile or nod as you walk into town...much more than can be said for anywhere we have lived before.

and the customers i serve with my ironing business are some of the nicest people you could ask to meet !

Yes its a sad state that Local business have closed- but this can be blamed on many things...we are , and have been for sometime in the midst of a real economic down turn and small business are generally the first to be hit.

we are doing our bit to keep the local takeaways and bakery in business single handedly

I guess the thing about community is that you have to make the effort to become a part of it .

I have lost count of the number of times people have commented on 'the people' as being one of the prime things they like about Crowland
I lose count after 3 too!!

Oh, I didn't know I would be so offended by that remark
Seriously though Barbersdrove, have another read of Juan's posting. There was no remark to be offended at. IMHO, it was clearly a rhetorical question inviting a little intellectual debate, along with further questions with regard to additional facilities that would be useful in town.

However, to discover whether or not Crowland is a dormitory town, we must ascertain how many EMPLOYED people from the total EMPLOYED population actually work in Crowland. I suspect the majority of revenue generated by employed Crowland residents hails from outside the town itself, hence Juan's rhetorical question. Like Holbeach, Newborough, Thorney and surrounding habitations, Crowland, I suspect may be considered to be a dormitory town.

And to end on an even lighter note.... Dormitory is an anagram of "Dirty Room".

I understand that, in planning terms, Peterborough consider that Crowland (and Spalding for that matter) as part of their "dormitory" area.


.......and on a lighter note - That great charmer is an anagram of Margaret Thatcher.

G O

I've just spent the best part of a week in Harwich and I can safely say we are very lucky with what we have. So what if Crowland is a dormatory town....many are. Its a fact of life.

I sit here looking out of my bedroom window and can see a brand new industrial park being built. That will surely offer some jobs to people of Crowland.

In our culdesac of 11 houses I am only aware of one person working in Crowland but it hasn't had any effect on our sense of community.

I have said this before We do not want to leave Crowland We love the place. Sure its not perfect but you show me a town that is!

I do not understand where there has been anything to be offended by.
I was merely asking a question. One which, I must say, barbeersdrove answered quite well. It was pleasing to get such a positive and passionate response.

For the record I have been living in Crowland for 28 years and, together with my family, have enjoyed supporting a number of groups and activities in different ways.
Sadly a couple of these have now stopped.

Previous posts are interesting inasmuch as they speak of individual clubs, groups and specific genrations. Should a community not be considered as a society as a whole without division and embracing all generations ?

A good example for this discussion would be the Mayday Parade. It brought together different groups and clubs within Crowland. It was enjoyed and supported by all genrations from pre school to senior citizens. I think the best parade was the VE day celebrations when I witnessed children laughing alongside grand folk crying tears of joy in fond memory. Sadly, the Mayday parade is no more. When I ask why I have been told it is because "no one can be bothered !!". That is truly sad to hear but also an unfortunate fact of life.

The question is (and it is a question, not an opinion or slight on any individual, group or sect.) how is the situation reversed ?

I do not suggest Crowland should be perfect but should it be allowed to become a Harwich ?

Interesting that we complain about shops closing but how many of us made the effort to support them ?

Small business in Crowland relies on the people that live there, and if we were all to support them and use them more often we could retain them. Large shops will not reserve your bread until at least 12.30 every week, reserve your papers and let you pay at the end of the week, deliver your milk come rain or shine. Whilst a one stop shop supermarket is convenient, local suppliers are convenient in different way, with the addition of being people within our community that also care and support as well as serve.

There was always the misperception that the wrapping paper etc in Diva was expensive. A majority of it was cheaper than that at the garden centre and also very different, not your run of the mill, and always made a gift look special. i shall miss not being able to pop in for a nice bar of soap, notebook, sparkly pen to add to gifts that I now can't find elsewhere.