Dyna drueni!

That's a shame!

Fishguard (popn. 5000) had two shoe shops when we moved here 17 years ago, both independent family businesses that supplied footwear for every need: wellies, slippers, school shoes, boots and sandals, and smart heels for best. Neither cutting edge styles nor rock bottom prices, but good quality products sourced from a range of well-established suppliers.

One shop packed up a few years ago when the owners retired and today I saw that this one is putting up the shutters too, joining the greengrocer, newsagent, off-licence, two clothes shops and both butchers which have gone out of business in the same period. In future we'll have to use chain stores or supermarkets in other towns to get shod.

Apart from anything else these traditional shops were reservoirs of the Welsh language, and always provided an opportunity to practice even if you weren't fluent.

Dyna drueni!