Brixton forum in the Guardian

[chooch]

Here (http://money.guardian.co.uk/ethicalliving/story/0,13437,1337834,00.html)
"OK, well why not join the Brixton section of the online Urban 75 forum (www.urban75.org)?" she says. "When 28 African asylum seekers were stranded locally, Urban 75 members quickly knew and could take over food and blankets and fire off press releases to alert the media."

[kea]

i bet that hannah lady posts on here ....

[rubbershoes]

Hannah Key? ;)

[Ms T]

Come on then -- own up. Which one of you lot is Hannah Berry?

[pooka]

Come on then -- own up. Which one of you lot is Hannah Berry?


Hmmm - she sounds a bit priggish and muddled headed. Why is shopping at Tescos - and providing local employment - less worthy than shopping in a local family shop, the owners of which will amass their dosh and retire to the seaside or leave to their offspring, who are quite possibly solicitors in Milton Keynes?

[ianw]

Come on then -- own up. Which one of you lot is Hannah Berry?


is it you?

:p

[editor]

I liked that little plug...mad me feel all sort of ...proud!

[ianw]

eh?? aren't you on a plane...?!?

[tarannau]

Hmmm - she sounds a bit priggish and muddled headed. Why is shopping at Tescos - and providing local employment - less worthy than shopping in a local family shop, the owners of which will amass their dosh and retire to the seaside or leave to their offspring, who are quite possibly solicitors in Milton Keynes?

Shopping at Tescos means you'll put even more buying power into the hands of a few organisations - giving them huge (and largely unhealthy) power over their suppliers. It helps fund the push towards intensive farming practices, where small suppliers are pushed out or marginalized.

Depite those huge economies of scale, Tesco remains noticeably more expensive for many staple items than the market, although certain high-profile items are offered as loss-leaders or specials. How a small shop can outcompete Tescos for a four pack or a bag of rice is beyond me.

Tescos distorts the farming environment, tends to cluster out competitiors in the high street, and offers an illusion of choice and price. Why should every local shopping street be reduced to such homogenous similarity.

I think you'd be surprised how many local businesses have existed for a few generations Fanta, not least in the market. Either that, they're passed on to like minded owners - often friends or colleagues.

Still, at least Tescos have got our non-criminal friend Shirley Porter waiting in the wings to take over though...

[Ms T]

Hmmm - she sounds a bit priggish and muddled headed. Why is shopping at Tescos - and providing local employment - less worthy than shopping in a local family shop, the owners of which will amass their dosh and retire to the seaside or leave to their offspring, who are quite possibly solicitors in Milton Keynes?

I would much rather give my money to a local shop, than to a big corporation like Tesco. And as Tarannau says, if we don't support the little people, they'll eventually close down, giving us much less choice in the long term. Brixton is one of the few places in London where you can buy most things without going to a supermarket. I want to keep it that way.

[IntoStella]

Hannah is keen to get Jane and me to pin down exactly what we think the term "local community" really means for us: "Is it the street you live in, your local friends with similar aspirations, or something else? A central criticism of the 'gentrification' of places like Brixton where you live is that middle-class home-buyers such as yourselves change the nature of the community precisely through their lack of desire to be part of it. Existing residents of a place like Brixton, which is known for its vibrancy, street life, pubs, busy market and multiculturalism, may well resent newcomers who spend no money with local businesses and take little interest in the area. Could you, for example, reverse your shopping habits and visit the supermarket just for items unavailable or unaffordable locally?" HallelOOOOOOOOOOOOOjah.

[chrissie]

Hey! I read this article yesterday, on my way back home to my not inconsiderably community-minded slice of the NE and I thought:


Nice one, Ed!
why don't I live in Brixton?
do they want reporters signing up? But Leo is part of the community (hopefully, whatever it means) so if he signs up openly will that be a good thing? Or does he default on principles forever, being a reporter and earning a living from 'stories'? And does it matter anyway, since he could sign up anyway..... So will Leo bother signing up under his own name and start a dialogue with this branch of his comminuty...? etc., etc...


But mostly: nice one, Ed - and how lucky is Brixton to have Urban 75!

Though I am lucky too, to have my non-Brixton-Urban75 slice of community thanks to Mike (may he last forever) :)

(Soppy article, mind! Not at all impressed with it - sorry Leo. Nice but woolly.)

[johnniebutterfl]

[QUOTE=chrissie

But mostly: nice one, Ed - and how lucky is Brixton to have Urban 75![/QUOTE]

i'd go along with that (but it could better so no resting on laurels please ;) )
but mostly thanks anyway to all concerned

[PacificOcean]

Shopping at Tescos means you'll put even more buying power into the hands of a few organisations - giving them huge (and largely unhealthy) power over their suppliers. It helps fund the push towards intensive farming practices, where small suppliers are pushed out or marginalized.

Depite those huge economies of scale, Tesco remains noticeably more expensive for many staple items than the market, although certain high-profile items are offered as loss-leaders or specials. How a small shop can outcompete Tescos for a four pack or a bag of rice is beyond me.

Tescos distorts the farming environment, tends to cluster out competitiors in the high street, and offers an illusion of choice and price. Why should every local shopping street be reduced to such homogenous similarity.

I think you'd be surprised how many local businesses have existed for a few generations Fanta, not least in the market. Either that, they're passed on to like minded owners - often friends or colleagues.

Still, at least Tescos have got our non-criminal friend Shirley Porter waiting in the wings to take over though...

It's not just small suppliers and farmers. I read an article that said Tesco virtually dictate their terms to companies like Unilever and Proctor & Gamble and it's a like it or lump it choice. So they are screwing evil conglomerets too. :)