Track 37

Track 37.

Have you got the results from the survey we did about the changes that have been made to Ashtown in the last 25 years Bill?

Yes Jane, and there have been a lot of changes.

Some of them people are happy about and some of them they aren’t.

What, for example?

Well, for example, the bus system used to be much better and even though the old uncomfortable buses have been replaced with new stylish ones, fewer people use them.

Why is that?

A lot of people think it is because fares are higher, but that isn’t true.

In fact, the cost compared to average salaries is pretty much the same as 25 years ago.

The fact is that the buses now just go to the most popular destinations and, as the city center no longer allows vehicles, there are even fewer places where buses can go.

Most people must be happy with fewer cars in the town center though?

I’m not so sure.

Five years ago a bypass was supposed to be built so that people could easily get from one side of the town to the other, without going into the center, but those plans still haven’t happened.

The biggest success in my opinion is the building of areas for cyclists.

Far more people are travelling by bike and using the facilities than anybody could have imagined.

That’s all very interesting, but how have the jobs that people do in the city changed?

That’s sure to have had an impact on what the town looks like.

You’re not wrong there.

The town used to be a tot more polluted due to all of the products that were made in factories here.

Manufacturing is still important of course and services such as accountancy firms and website developers employ a lot of people in the town, but you only have to see the number of universities and colleges that have opened in the town in the last 25 years to see that is where most of the jobs are now.

OK, now shall we have a took at how some of the buildings have changed?

I think that first of all we should took at how the railway station has changed.

As there are now fewer buses, more people drive to the railway station to take a train.

Twenty-five years ago the car park was much smaller and, although it might not look very modern, most of the spaces have only been there for five years.

Oh yes, didn’t the cinema used to be quite near the railway station?

I suppose they built more spaces when they knocked it down.

That’s right, the Grand Cinema used to be next to the railway station, but they rebuilt one exactly the same as the old one over in King Street.

What about the indoor market?

My mum says there used to be an out door one, but that closed down a long time ago.

Yes, and when the outdoor market closed down, the indoor market became a lot more popular.

Ten years ago it looked like it would close down too, as the building was really old and it had become dangerous.

It used to be owned by the council, but a private business bought it and made the changes so that it could stay open.

It’s good to see it’s so popular still despite all the new supermarkets in town.

I bet the library isn’t as popular as it used to be though?

You’d be surprised.

A lot of people still use the library!

Most people think that people are less keen on borrowing books than in the past, but the library has adapted to changes.

It’s true that fewer people go in there to borrow books, but since they made tablets and computers available, more people have started visiting it.

It has really fast Wi-Fi too, so people like it because of that.

Quite a few of the factories have closed down or been sold in the last twenty-five years though, so what happened to all the buildings that used to house them?

I suppose they’re all shut down now?

Some of them have been demolished, and some have been converted for other uses, but that isn’t surprising.

The thing that I found surprising was that, although education has become more important to the economy of the town, there isn’t an art college any more.

In fact the art college is now used as a doctor’s surgery.

Oh realty?

Anyway, I think we need to look at how we’re going to present these findings to.