Just another Saturday

You know the routine - up with the dawn, or so it seems, kids to swimming, wander round Pennywell, Gerry's cafe for breakfast then home for domestic chores. That's all done.

You can see what they were thinking when they drew it on paper - a covered, glass (well, perspex) roofed shopping precinct such as you might have seen in Brussels or London or even Moscow. The light from the roof would create a bright arcade with the bustle of commerce protected from the worst of the Scottish climate. They probably drew small knots of people chatting, with prams and kids, outside shops with cheerful displays. Maybe even a cafe with tables outside in the European style.

The orientation - west to east - has the unfortunate effect of making it a wind tunnel, especially as there's at least one non-functioning door at each end. Apart from one or two, the shops have failed and most of the units have been taken over to be the offices of regeneration and rehabilitation. Maybe it's a bit busier in the week but weekend bustle is absent. All that's left is the tweeting of pigeon chicks, the occasional child and a steady stream of unemployed and unhealthy men picking up their Saturday from the cheap off licence.

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