Do you love the town you live in?

I am lucky enough to live in a very quiet village, surrounded by more quaint villages. You have to drive a good 10 miles one way and 20 miles the other to get to any sort of big town and i LOVE it.

I was brought up in a village, have always lived in a village and quite frankly, never want to leave the country life. I love walks in the woods, through fields and down small tracks. I love the smell of cut grass and I love the village banter.

Obviously needs must and sometimes you have to venture out... My nearest town is Hastings and in a word, its rough. But they have everything i need, a Clarks (first school shoes shopping today - oh my goodness), a new look, a Debenhams and a sainsburys (amongst other hideous shops). But my god it is a hideous town. What makes a town get so rough?? Cheap living? Cheap shops? Or is it just destined to be grim?

I was walking up to our local baby shop (which is fab!!) with the two smallest in the pram and the eldest strolling along beside me. I smell smoke in the air, i see tramps in doorways and the smell of sick is getting stronger. I look down to my right and see piles of human sick in a shop doorway, the next doorway along has a homeless man smoking in, the next shop is boarded up and closed down, and the next shop is an off license. I look down to my left and see my little boy casually walking along, blissfully unaware of his surroundings (before he realises the potent smell of sick) thinking why on EARTH would i want my children growing up around this?? Why would anyone want to be in this sort of environment? On my way back to the car park after feeding the smallest in a cafe, i notice a couple of mums breastfeeding on the benches outside, chatting away and enjoying each others company. Right next to them was another mum, with her baby in her arms, probably about 6 monyhs old, feeding her a bottle in one hand and in the other, a lit cigarette. Just when i thought things couldn't get any more grimey. I ended up pacing very fast back to the car as i couldn't stand being in that town, and i can honestly say, hand on heart, i never want to go back.

Thought of the day - Don't go near places you don't want your children to see or be a part of. Stick to what you like and know and you'll never go wrong.